How to write a Plain Language Summary
The best or most useful PLS will be interesting and advocate for your work.
You should aim to include the following in a Plain Language Summary:
The study title
Who carried out the research (and any competing interests)
Where and when the study took place
Why the research was needed
The main questions studied
What authors did (design and methods, who participated)
What authors found, main conclusions, and what they mean
What the evidence limitations are (this is critical to include)
Wider context and potential value for the field
Please note that these questions do not need to be used as headings. They are provided to help authors determine what information to include in PLS.
Use short, clear sentences and phrases in neutral language, remaining objective.
Avoid jargon, complex grammatical structures, and abbreviations. If you need to use a technical term or abbreviation, explain it the first time you use it.
Keep it between 150 and 200 words or, for PLS that accompany Case Reports, between 50 and 100 words.
Ensure it accurately reflects the information and data within the original article. Avoid providing opinions and information about the study's findings that could be considered misleading or misrepresentative.
Use the active voice rather than the passive voice (for example, “Dr Smith’s team reported several improvements” rather than “Several improvements were reported by Dr Smith’s team”).
Be respectful towards the communities with which you are working. For example, ensure you use their preferred terminology, descriptors, and language (however, this advice acknowledges that some communities disagree about which language to use).
Whilst preparing your PLS and before submission, you should ask a non-specialist to read and provide feedback on your draft. This can be a patient, patient advocate, or a colleague without knowledge of your subject area.
They should be able to easily understand your study, its conclusions, and the potential impact of the research.
Readability tools can assist in evaluating ease of understanding; however, readability scores should be interpreted alongside other feedback and review comments provided.
“One of the obvious benefits of PLS in mental health research is that it increases the accessibility of that research, bringing research to a wider audience who perhaps would not have been able to access it otherwise. As those working in research, we often forget that our acronyms are jargon for those on the outside. It can help the public understand the purpose of the research and can help highlight the “important bit” of the research.
Additionally, having a PLS can help ensure research transparency, with research teams being held accountable in an accessible way. It can challenge researchers to really consider the ‘why?’ and ‘so what?’ questions. This can encourage dialogue and reflection across and within research teams, and helps make sure the ‘why are we doing this?’ is never forgotten!
Moreover, most research in mental health is written in English which is not the first language of so many across the world. Having a clear PLS can help reduce inequitable access to research findings and bridge the global divide as well, helping to avoid inadvertent mistranslations by other commentators.”
Manvi Tiwari and David Gilbert, GALENOS