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- Title
Editorial: Evidence-based Guidelines for Avoiding Poor Readability in Manuscripts Submitted to Journals for Review for Publication.
- Authors
Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J.; Mallette, Marla H.; Hwang, Eunjin; Slate, John R.
- Abstract
In a series of editorials and articles, Onwuegbuzie and colleagues have discussed the utility of writing with discipline when preparing scholarly works for consideration for publication in journals. Moreover, these authors demonstrated the importance of avoiding violations to the American Psychological Association (APA) style guide (APA, 2010) in the abstract and the body of the manuscript, as well as the reference list and table sections of empirical research articles. These editorials have shown that authors are statistically and practically significantly more likely to have their manuscripts rejected for publication if they do not write with discipline. However, in addition to adhering to APA style, this current study provides evidence that important consideration also should be given to the readability of the manuscript. Using the Flesch Reading Ease (RE) and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (GL), two common and easily accessible readability formulas, an analysis of the readability of adjudicated manuscripts revealed the following: (a) quantitative research articles had statistically and practically significant lower RE scores and higher Flesch-Kincaid GLs than did qualitative research articles, (b) manuscripts with Flesch RE scores between 0 and 30 were 1.64 more times less likely to be rejected than were manuscripts with Flesch RE scores greater than 30, and (c) manuscripts with Flesch-Kincaid GL scores of 16 and above were 4.55 times less likely to be rejected than were manuscripts with Flesch-Kincaid GL scores less than 16.
- Subjects
MANUSCRIPTS; NONBOOK materials; PUBLISHED articles; WRITTEN communication; PERIODICALS
- Publication
Research in the Schools, 2013, Vol 20, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
1085-5300
- Publication type
Article