Useful discussion on writing for non-academic audiences and some of us have tried blogging about our research in plain English.

Do have a go too and add to the list appearing below:

Gillian Light -http://macgirl19.wordpress.com/2011/04/16/my-research-in-plain-english/

Liz Thackray - http://lizit.me.uk/2011/04/06/my-research-in-plain-english

Ailsa Haxell - http://amusingspace.blogspot.com/2011/04/thesis-in-almost-plain-language.html

Jenna Condie - http://virtual-doc.salford.ac.uk/jennacondie/2011/04/08/my-research-in-plain-english/ 

Carly Tetley http://virtual-doc.salford.ac.uk/cheetahphd/2011/04/09/my-phd-in-plain-english/ 

Bex Hewett http://orgmotivation.wordpress.com/2011/04/08/my-phd-in-plain-english/

Martin Eve https://www.martineve.com/2011/04/08/speaking-plainly/

Ariana Yakas http://systemsphd.wordpress.com/

Naomi Jacobs http://naomijacobs.wordpress.com/2011/04/13/plain-english-my-research/

Liz Gloyn http://lizgloyn.wordpress.com/2011/04/13/my-ph-d-research-in-plain-english/

Sarah-Louise Quinnell http://sarahlouq.wordpress.com/2011/04/17/my-research-in-plain-english-2-0/

Experiences:

Sarah-Louise Quinnell - (I am adding a section here where people can add comments on the experience of creating their plain English summary). I completed my PhD last year so thought this would be a doddle. I based my summary on the abstract which appears at the very front of my thesis, as i believed this to be a good summary of my work. However, what i didn't realise was how difficult it was to turn this academic summary into a piece of plain English writing. I decided rather than stress about it to post my first draft on my blog, get feedback and try again. What became evident very quickly was that while everyone could interpret my abstract they were all completely missing what my thesis was actually about! This is very useful but also very scary stuff. I realised the key wasn't just the type of language you used but how you ordered the summary. Initially i started off talking about risk and thus everyone assumed my PhD was about the risks associated with GMOs, it isn't, its about how organisations engage with capacity-development activities to support the implementation of environmental agreements. I just happened to use the agreement regulating GMOs as my case study.

It was interesting as my examiner said my abstract provided a very clear, articulate summary of my work. However, after this exercise i wish i could go back and change it. I worried it was too long because I kept feeling the need to explain everything but in the end its the explanation that gives it clarity for the non-technical specialist - i use the term non technical soecialist because we are all specialists in our own areas just not in each others and it is interesting to see how people hook on to the first bit of information and how that then frames the way they view the following paragraphs. I think my abstract, even though its an academic summary, was the thing i paid less time to when putting my thesis together so for those of you who arent at that point yet take that into consideration.