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Taylor & Francis has launched Plain Language Reviews (PLRs), a new format designed to make technical research information accessible to readers without a specialist background.
The initiative builds on the publisher’s introduction of Plain Language Summaries of Publications (PLSPs) in 2023. While PLSPs summarise individual publications, PLRs bring together research data and information from multiple related peer-reviewed articles to provide readers with broader context around a particular area of research.
Written in jargon-free language and peer reviewed, the reviews are aimed at non-specialist audiences including patients and caregivers, healthcare professionals and policymakers. Taylor & Francis said the format is intended to help these groups keep up to date with developments across medicine and health.
PLRs are published open access and receive their own Digital Object Identifier (DOI), making them independently discoverable and citable.
The reviews also use visual elements to help readers understand research data, alongside ‘How to say’ audio features and glossary definitions intended to explain the pronunciation and meaning of scientific terminology.
Rachel Jenkins, Head of Plain Language Summaries at Taylor & Francis, explained: “Non-specialist audiences are eager to stay informed about the latest medical findings, but research data is not usually presented with them in mind. That is why we’ve developed Plain Language Reviews: to open up knowledge to a much broader readership, enabling patients to make informed decisions based on a complete understanding of the latest research.”