Plain Language Summaries: bridging the gap between science and society

Making research accessible to everyone is important for both the scientific community and the general public. But how can we do this? This article explores Plain Language Summaries as a means of communicating the latest research to those without a scientific background.

Scientific literature can be difficult for the general public to fully understand as it is written using technical terms and symbols, which can make it indecipherable to those who do not stem from a science background. As has been demonstrated throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the public are encouraged to put a significant amount of trust in the scientific community, and if trust is not fostered then misinformation and conspiracy can spread quickly, causing destruction along the way. There is a requirement for science to work in symbiosis with the general population, but a tool is needed to communicate scientific findings in a way that most people can understand. Plain Language Summaries (PLS) are easily digestible written summaries of scientific studies, which bridge the gap that is imposed by the technical language of scholarly articles.

Making research accessible to all

PLS encompass much more than just a plainly written version of a study or article; they communicate very complex topics and bring them to life for laypeople. For example, Neurodegenerative Disease Management published a PLS focused on possible side effects experienced by those with multiple sclerosis (MS) during early treatment with cladribine tablets. This PLS fully immerses the reader in the research, using images and graphs and breaking down facts and figures into more digestible sections. This is an effective way of communicating scientific research because individuals take in information in different ways; therefore, it is accessible to everyone. The imagery used throughout the PLS brings the research into clearer focus so even those with reading difficulties or individuals who are visual learners are included. Understanding this research allows people living with MS to make informed decisions about their treatment plans, which can give them confidence and help them feel in control of their disease.

Not only that, the PLS gives readers clear definitions of scientific language that is used throughout the research.  For example, the PLS explains immune cells as “the body’s natural defense system that help fight infection”. This kind of explanation is important and includes patients in the research by enabling them to gain a thorough understanding of what the research means and how it might affect them. In addition, these explanations include phonetic pronunciations so individuals can communicate about the topic themselves. As humans, we live in language, it is how we connect with others and it shapes our view of the world, so arming people with the tools to communicate about medical conditions is vital. Providing this knowledge to laypeople, through PLS, will enable them to take an active role in discussions about their health.

Not just for patients

PLS are a two-way street; they not only benefit non-expert audiences, but also act as a powerful form of communication for scientists to share their research and increase visibility of their work. Ultimately, neuroscience researchers are endeavoring to better understand the nervous system and discover innovative treatments for neurological conditions, and in order to do so they require people to participate in clinical trials. A study published in Collabra: Psychology claimed that “according to the easiness effect of science popularization, individuals rate information to be more trustworthy—and tend to agree more often with corresponding knowledge claims—if it is presented in an easily comprehensible manner”. PLS should be utilized as a way of spreading awareness about scientific research. Potential participants are much more likely to take part in clinical trials if they can understand the research and feel they can trust the scientific community to keep them fully informed.

The same study argued that PLS are especially important when it comes to psychology because trust in the subject is critically important. The researchers suggest that psychology is of particular relevance to the general public and that without trust in it, scientific discoveries risk being excluded and may result in an escalation of conspiracy theories. They suggested that “sustaining trust in science is especially relevant in (social) psychology—a discipline which investigates topics of high relevance to the public, but which also struggles with a replicability crisis.” Their study demonstrated that laypeople found PLS more comprehensible when compared to ordinary scientific abstracts and that they understood the corresponding information more correctly. Additionally, they showed that individuals experienced more positive emotions when reading PLS when compared with ordinary scientific abstracts and were more likely access the corresponding full texts. This illustrates how effective PLS can be, and how much lay persons will engage with scientific research when given access to it.

In conclusion

PLS are a fantastic way of bringing scientific or medical research to life for laypeople and can help them build knowledge of various scientific subjects. Not only that, PLS aid in the spread of accurate information and have been shown to increase the accessibility of scientific research. As such, the use of PLS should be strongly encouraged across all scientific and medical subjects as they play a necessary part in bridging the gap between science and the rest of society.

Find out more about the initiative on www.plainlanguagesummaries.com.