A good-quality summary
Understand what makes a summary relevant, readable and useful for people outside the research team.
Explore quality principles →Plain-English summaries
Make research clear from the first read
A useful summary explains the purpose, approach and likely value of research in language people can understand without specialist knowledge.
Why clarity matters
Give people a fair chance to understand the research
Plain-English summaries help readers see what a study is about, why it is being done and what involvement may look like.
They are not a simplified afterthought. A clear summary can support meaningful discussion between research teams, public contributors and wider audiences. It should describe the whole project in direct, everyday language while remaining accurate.
Use this guide when drafting or reviewing a summary. It brings together the original campaign themes: quality, content, writing choices and practical support.
Four parts of the guide
Build a summary people can use
Each part focuses on a practical question that teams can revisit while planning, writing and checking their information.
What to include
Cover the research question, background, methods, public involvement and plans for sharing learning.
Plan the content →How to write it
Choose familiar words, use active sentences and organise information so readers can scan it easily.
Improve the writing →Support and resources
Find prompts, examples and reference material to help teams develop and review a draft.
Find support and resources →What to cover
Help readers find the essential information
01 / Context
Explain the background
Say what is already known, what remains uncertain and why the proposed question matters.
02 / Purpose
Describe the aims
State clearly what the research is trying to find out or improve.
03 / Approach
Outline the methods
Give a straightforward account of who may be involved, what will happen and how information will be used.
04 / Involvement and sharing
Show the wider plan
Describe public involvement where it is planned and explain how learning may be communicated.
A practical review
Draft, test, revise, explain
A clear summary usually improves through more than one careful reading.
Start with the question
Write down the study purpose in one direct sentence before adding detail.
Choose plain language
Prefer familiar terms and explain any specialist word that cannot be removed.
Ask people to review
Invite feedback from people who are not close to the project and listen for points of confusion.
Check the final version
Make sure headings, sentence length and layout help the reader find what matters.
Writing checklist
Before you share a draft
Small editorial choices can make a large difference to how easily a summary is understood.
Use a reader-first structure
- Put the purpose near the beginning.
- Use descriptive headings.
- Break long information into manageable sections.
- Keep one main idea in each sentence where possible.
Check language and tone
- Replace avoidable jargon with everyday words.
- Use active phrases when they make the action clearer.
- Be specific about uncertainty and limits.
- Do not assume readers know research processes.
Common questions
Plain-English summary FAQ
Who is a plain-English summary for?
It should be useful to members of the public, potential contributors and readers who have an interest in the subject but no specialist research background.
How is a summary different from an academic abstract?
An abstract is usually written for specialist audiences and follows a technical format. A plain-English summary should focus on clear explanation, everyday language and the practical meaning of the research.
Should technical terms always be removed?
Remove terms that are not needed. When a technical term is essential, explain it simply at the point where it appears and avoid repeating it unnecessarily.
What should a team ask reviewers to check?
Ask whether the purpose is clear, whether unfamiliar words are explained, whether the information is complete and whether the order makes sense to a first-time reader.
Where can I find further plain-English guidance?
Visit the plain-English summaries resource or use the jargon buster when reviewing terminology.
Need a second read?
Email InvolvestoryFind the right starting point for your draft
Tell us what you are trying to explain and where you are in the writing process. Involvestory can point you towards relevant guidance on this site.