Browsing by Author "Burger, Johanna Maria"

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    The effect of iteratively applying plain language techniques in forms and their terms and conditions
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03) Burger, Johanna Maria; De Stadler, L. G.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Afrikaans and Dutch.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis wanted to answer the research question: Does iteratively applying plain language techniques in Glacier’s New Investment Plan form have an effect on understanding, usability and experience of the form and its terms and conditions? Since the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) of 2008 specifies that it is required to use plain language in public documents, many organisations have to redesign their documents using plain language techniques. When writing in plain language, companies will do it very conservatively, making only superficial changes. This is especially true of the terms and conditions sections of documents. The case study in this thesis, the New Investment Plan form, had previously been redesigned using plain language techniques. Testing of the form showed that the second, plain language version was not as successful as it could be, and that there was still room for improvement. In this thesis a checklist for the design of a plain language form was developed. The first and second versions of the form were then analysed using textfocused (a functional text analysis) and expert-focused approaches (an interview with a document designer and an interview with a legal expert). The second version was then tested with a reader-focused approach (usability testing, the plus-minus method, a questionnaire and an interview with respondents). The twenty respondents used in the reader-focused approach were above 35 with a tertiary education. Since the case study is a form used to gather information on investment plans, these are in most cases the characteristics of investors. The text-focused, expert-focused and readerfocused approaches established the ten main problems in the second version of the form. The form was then redesigned with the help of the checklist, taking these problems into consideration. The redesigned third version was then also tested using the same usability testing and questionnaire to test the second version, but with twenty new respondents. The two sets of data gathered from the second and third versions of the form were compared with each other with regard to understanding, usability and respondents’ experience. The second and third versions were also compared with the analysis of the first version. The comparison showed that the first version of the form had many problems. The second version solved many of these problems by using plain language techniques. Despite this, the second version still had problems with regard to usability, understanding and respondents’ experience. The third version had marginally less of these problems. This is also true of the terms and conditions section in the third version. These results illustrate that successfully using plain language techniques is an iterative process of testing and applying. The usability testing of the third version of the form, however, showed that the third version could still be improved. Future studies could further the testing and applying of plain language techniques in this case study to see if it could eventually result in a usable form.
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    Die verband tussen kontekstuele en buitetekstuele faktore en die doeltreffende aanwending van gewone taal
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-03) Burger, Johanna Maria; Marais, Amanda; Lourens, Amanda; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Afrikaans and Dutch.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY : The focus of this study is the use of plain language in different contexts. The study wanted to determine if the understanding, usability and respondents’ experience of plain language documents are affected by the context in which the document is situated, as well as the respondent’s qualification level, income, home language, variety of Afrikaans that they speak and involvement with the document. For this research, legal, medical and financial contexts were studied. The empirical research was conducted with brochures, information sheets and forms that are available in the three contexts. In the survey research-based study, 506 respondents completed a quantitative questionnaire that recorded the usability and understandability of the brochures, information sheets and forms, and recorded respondents’ experience of the different documents. The questionnaire also recorded respondents’ demographic information. The results of the study indicate that there is a relationship between the context in which a plain language document is situated and the usability, understandability and experience of the respondents of plain language documents. The complex nature of the financial and legal contexts played a tempering role on the understandability and experience of the respondent of plain language documents, while plain language documents in the medical context were the most understandable and respondents had the best experience with the documents in the medical context. The analyses of the relationship between extratextual factors and usability, understandability and experience indicate that there is not a relationship between usability and any of the extratextual factors, but that there is a relationship between qualification level, variety of Afrikaans and involvement and understandability, and that there is a relationship between qualification level, involvement and home language and experience. Future studies can examine these relationships further.