Plain language summaries: Enabling increased diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in scholarly publishing

Abstract

Plain language summaries (PLS) are accessible, short, peerreviewed summaries of scholarly journal articles written in nontechnical language.• The aim of PLS is to enable a broader audience of experts and non-experts to understand the original article.• Here, we outline the evidence base for the value and impact of PLS and how they can enable diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in scholarly publishing.• PLS can diversify readership and authorship, address information inequity, include typically under-represented stakeholders and provide an accessible route into scholarly literature.

Editorial: Artificial Intelligence Applications and Scholarly Publication in Orthopaedic Surgery

“…This rapid improvement in AI capabilities may offer some benefits to journals, publishers, readers, and, ultimately, patients. For example, large language models such as ChatGPT might-with suitable human oversight-be able to create plain-language summaries of complex research quickly and at scale, which might make the scientific record more accessible to the public [6]. AI-based tools also may facilitate the creation of consistent, clear visual presentations of complex data.…”

Equivalent user experience and improved community augmented meta-analyses knowledge for a new version of a Plain Language Summary guideline

“…For instance, Barzilai et al [ 11 ] summarize multiple previous studies and point out that laypeople can distinguish between different types of sources, but that especially novices rarely consider source features. When applying these findings to the format of PLSs, the following question emerges: Are laypeople able to grasp that PLS can stem from an additional set of independent authors who did not conduct the original meta-analysis [ 12 ]? Given the fact that source features are rarely considered, this may be challenging to comprehend.…”

Headache launches the publication of plain language summaries

“…Clinicians use these when discussing treatment options with patients and advocacy groups may use them when considering policies and recommendations. 5 Papers published with a PLS and/or PLSP have more average downloads, citations, and higher average Altmetric scores than those without. 6 Most importantly, expanding your audience creates more opportunities for your work to make a real impact on the field.…”