Computer-based readability indexes

ABSTRACT

Computer-based document preparation systems provide many aids to the production of quality documents. A text editor allows arbitrary text to be entered and modified. A text formatter then imposes defined rules on the form of the text. A spelling checker ensures that each word is a correctly spelled word. None of these aids, however, affect the meaning of the document; the document may be well-formatted and correctly spelled but still incomprehensible.

REFERENCES

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• 2: Lorinda Cherry, "A Toolbox for Writers and Editors", Proceedings of the AFIPS Office Automation Conference, (March 1981), pages 221-227.
• 3: Lorinda Cherry, Computer aids for writers, Proceedings of the ACM SIGPLAN SIGOA symposium on Text manipulation, p.61-67, June 08-10, 1981, Portland, Oregon, United States
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• 11: Robert Gunning, The Technique of Clear Writing, McGraw-Hill, (1952).
• 12: John B. Holquist, "A Determination of Whether the Dale-Chall Readability Formula may be Revised to Evaluate More Validly the Readability of High School Science Materials", Ph.D. Thesis, Colorado State University, (1968).
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• 15: J. Peter Kincaid, James A. Aagard, John W. O'Hara, and Larry K. Cottrell, "Computer Readability Editing System", IEEE Transactions on Professional Communications, Volume PC-24, Number 1, (March 1981), pages 38-41.
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• 21: W. A. McCall and L. M. Crabbs, Standard Test Lessons in Reading, Columbia University Teachers College, 1926, 1950, 1961.
• 22: G. Harry McLaughlin, "What Makes Prose Understandable", Ph.D. Thesis, University College, London, (1966).
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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.7 DOCUMENT AND TEXT PROCESSING
      I.7.1 Document and Text Editing

Additional Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.7 DOCUMENT AND TEXT PROCESSING
      I.7.2 Document Preparation

General Terms:
Documentation, Management