Volume 14, Number 1, Spring 2019

“Readability” of Communication Sciences and Disorders Journals: A Method for Improving the Scholarly/Professional Writing Performance of Communication Sciences and Disorders Students

AUTHOR(S):

  • Ronald C. Jones, Ph.D., COI. Hampton University, Hampton, VA, USA
  • Robert Mayo, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
  • Michael Cotter, M.S., Norfolk State University, Norfolk, VA, USA
  • Carolyn M. Mayo, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, Communication Research, Evaluation and Wellness Specialists, LLC, Burlington, NC, USA
  • Olivia Hinsley, Hampton University, Hampton, VA, USA
  • Alana Thompson, Franklin Pierce University, Rindge, NH, USA 

ABSTRACT

The Flesch-Kincaid Readability Scale was used to assess the readability of abstracts from peer-reviewed articles randomly selected from journals in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD). It was postulated that the abstracts from professional journals, because of their peer-review or refereed standards, could serve as exemplars for students to model in trying to improve their scholarly or professional writing performance. The Flesch-Kincaid (F-K) was also used to evaluate writing samples from two groups of students: 1) freshmen communications students, and 2) graduate CSD majors. The results suggest that journal abstracts from CSD journals do reflect readability standards that are appropriate for a college-educated audience. Also, the results suggest a need to introduce scholarly/professional writing skills training to prospective CSD majors prior to their entry into graduate training programs where heightened writing performance is expected.

DOI:

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