The Clarity Journal
Our biannual journal, The Clarity Journal, is the leading source of plain language news and research from across the globe. The journal features the latest plain language research, practical advice, before-and-after examples, success stories, campaign strategies and much more.
The Clarity Journal is distributed free to members, keeping you up-to-date and informed of changes and trends in plain language and clear communication. Become a member to access the most recent journals.
Contact our Editor-in-Chief at editor@clarity-international.org for advertising, article submissions and enquiries.
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The Clarity Journal 79 June 2018
In this issue :
- An ISO Standard for Plain Language: the back story and the next steps,
- Plain Language Standards: A way forward,
- International standard for clarity — We bet this works for all languages,
- Standards that could be applied across languages,
- Thoughts about a plain language standard in a changing information world,
- Plain design standards?,
- Proposal of international plain language standards,
- A plain language standard for Afrikaans
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The Clarity Journal 78 March 2018
In this issue :
- Sharing control of conflict: a proposal for transformation through plain language,
- 140 characters of pure business gold,
- Three steps towards creating a culture of writing excellence at your workplace,
- Snapshots from the conference,
- Access to written information: a social equity, social justice issue,
- Accessibility or bamboozlement? The case for clarity in modern legislation,
- Plain laws: what if there was a revolution and no one knew about it?,
- 32 Blog post about the conference: Ploughing legal snowdrifts to make snowballs roll
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The Clarity Journal 77 February 2018
In this issue :
- Accessible justice—plain language points the way,
- 13 Plain language writ large: “Macrosimplifying” forcompany-wide clarity,
- You can’t manage what you don’t measure,
- 20 Snapshots from the conference,
- Consumers need plain language more than ever—but it’s time to rethink its role,
- Beyond all reasonable doubt: the brand advantages of plain English contracts,
- Blog post about the conference: 10 rules to writing clear legal language,
- Review of Legal Usage: A Modern Style Guide
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The Clarity Journal 76 January 2018
In this issue :
- Plain language, citizens and the European Ombudsman,
- Using plain language to protect consumers,
- Transparent, clear & responsible communication project in BBVA,
- Packing a punch: how a small charity put plain English on the national agenda,
- New writs are being served? From ceremony to pragmatism in a Dutch court summons,
- Why use 50,000 words when 500 will do?,
- A prescription for Clarity,
- Toward an integrated framework for evaluating plain language,
- Capital letters out, swearwords in: one journalist’s legacy
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The Clarity Journal 75 June 2017
In this issue :
- Notice me – communicating patient privacy rights through effective notices,
- Moving beyond “Clear and Conspicuous” – the omnipresent but elusive standard for disclosures under U.S. consumer protection laws,
- Disenfranchised by bad design,
- From legalese to reader ease – plain language tips for plainer contracts,
- What’s “The Deal”?: Designing mortgage disclosures that consumers can use and understand,
- Consumer testing to avoid the Dodd-Frank Act’s UDAAP tripwire,
- Legislative Drafting: Step-By-Step
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The Clarity Journal 74 January 2017
In this issue :
- Even lawyers want to understand: plain language increases lawyers’ credibility to both lawyers and laypeople,
- Foxed and fined: how unclear contractual parking signs bamboozle motorists,
- Lost in translation? A multidisciplinary approach on legal issues in tax communication,
- Contact strategies for statistical surveys and plain language: a difficult partnership,
- The challenges of communicating the law to the public,
- The source of bad writing,
- Permanent clarity: achieving critical mass in government communications,
- Putting the civility into NZ civil collections — a case, study on building plain language into court documents,
- Using a holistic and user-centered design in simplifying a Philippine contract,
- At the chalkface; challenges of teaching clear legal, writing to non-native English speakers,
- The objectives do not meet the finalities. Learning to be clear in the Belgian Legal Sector,
- You do not speak plainly alone, you speak plainly together
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The Clarity Journal 73 January 2015
In this issue :
- The architecture of clarity,
- You think lawyers are good drafters?,
- Recent developments in contract drafting techniques,
- Setting up a local Clarity meeting,
- Plainly in Polish,
- Clear language awareness in language policy in Norway,
- Communicating with Older People: Writing in plain English by Sarah Carr,
- Clear & Concise – Become A Better Business Writer
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The Clarity Journal 72 September 2014
In this issue :
- How Do Our Readers Really Think, Understand, and Decide — Despite What They Know?,
- What’s in a name? The future for plain language in a converging communication profession,
- Plain Language for Accessibility, Democracy, and Citizenship,
- A Methodology for Clear Communication,
- Coaching legal experts in plain language for the web
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The Clarity Journal 71 June 2014
In this issue :
- Judicial decisions: acts of communication,
- Judicial decisions a riposte and a retort,
- Plain English: Changing the Lawyer’s, Image and Goals,
- Bringing the audience to the fore, Radical approaches to preparing legislation
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The Clarity Journal 70 December 2013
In this issue :
- Helping legal writers embrace their inner Salieri: Re-vision is just “seeing again”,
- Plain-language writing-training course: A challenge, an ambition, and a method in five steps,
- Strategies for clarity in legal writing,
- “Plain language”: Practical tips for how to make it not so plain,
- “Plain language”: Practical tips for how to make it not so plain,
- Visual clarity in contract drafting,
- Teaching non-native English speakers to draft contracts with clarity,
- Clearer words, clearer justice, and more.