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IMPLEMENTING PLAIN LANGUAGE INTO LEGAL DOCUMENTS: THE TECHNICAL COMMUNICATOR'S ROLE
Title
IMPLEMENTING PLAIN LANGUAGE INTO LEGAL DOCUMENTS: THE TECHNICAL COMMUNICATOR'S ROLE.
Creator
Bivins, Peggy, Flammia, Madelyn, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
This thesis discusses the benefits of using plain language in legal documents and the role technical communicators can play to help implement plain language. Although many definitions for plain language exist, it is best described as reader-focused communication that presents information in a manner that makes it easy for a reader to find, understand, and use the information. Plain language facilitates comprehension by using shorter, less complex sentences; active voice; and common words. All...
Show moreThis thesis discusses the benefits of using plain language in legal documents and the role technical communicators can play to help implement plain language. Although many definitions for plain language exist, it is best described as reader-focused communication that presents information in a manner that makes it easy for a reader to find, understand, and use the information. Plain language facilitates comprehension by using shorter, less complex sentences; active voice; and common words. All these elements aid in processing and understanding information, especially unfamiliar concepts. Laypeople, unversed in the law, frequently have difficulty understanding traditional legal writing. The complex sentences, wordiness, and redundancy that characterize traditional legal writing often inhibit comprehension and become barriers to understanding. To demonstrate how plain language can improve legal writing, this thesis reviews before-and-after versions of documents that were revised to incorporate plain language as well as common documents that laypeople might encounter. The studies and research discussed in this thesis demonstrate that readers achieve greater comprehension with plain language documents. Technical communicators, the language experts, can work with legal professionals, the content experts, to help encourage plain language use in legal writing. By emphasizing plain language use in legal formbooks, law school courses, and continuing legal education courses, plain language will become more dominant. Technical communicators can work with governments and law firms to develop and run in-house writing programs. When organizations realize how plain language can benefit them, both economically as well as in improved consumer relations, they will be motivated to adopt plain language into their legal writing.
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Date Issued
2008
Identifier
CFE0002022, ucf:47608
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002022
DIGITIZATION PROTOCOLS AND APPLICATIONS FOR LASER SCANNING HUMAN BONE IN FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY
Title
DIGITIZATION PROTOCOLS AND APPLICATIONS FOR LASER SCANNING HUMAN BONE IN FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY.
Creator
Filiault, Matthew, Schultz, John, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description
In medico-legal investigations involving unidentified skeletal remains, forensic anthropologists commonly assist law enforcement and medical examiners in their analysis and identification. The traditional documentation techniques employed by the forensic anthropologist during their analysis include notes, photographs, measurements and radiographic images. However, relevant visual information of the skeleton can be lacking in morphological details in 2D images. By creating a 3D representation...
Show moreIn medico-legal investigations involving unidentified skeletal remains, forensic anthropologists commonly assist law enforcement and medical examiners in their analysis and identification. The traditional documentation techniques employed by the forensic anthropologist during their analysis include notes, photographs, measurements and radiographic images. However, relevant visual information of the skeleton can be lacking in morphological details in 2D images. By creating a 3D representation of individual bones using a laser-scanner, it would be possible to overcome this limitation. Now that laser scanners have become increasingly affordable, this technology should be incorporated in the documentation methodologies of forensic anthropology laboratories. Unfortunately, this equipment is rarely used in forensic anthropology casework. The goal of this project is to investigate the possible visualization applications that can be created from digitized surface models of bone for use in medico-legal investigations. This research will be achieved in two phases. First, examples of human bone as well as replicas of bone will be scanned using a NextEngine™ laser scanner. In conjunction with this will be the exploration and documentation of protocols for scanning different bone types and processing the scan data for creating a 3D model. The second phase will investigate how the resulting 3D model can be used in lieu of the actual remains to achieve improved documentation methodologies through the use of several commercial computer graphics programs. The results demonstrate that an array of visual applications can be easily created from a 3D file of bone, including virtual curation, measurement, illustration and the virtual reconstruction of fragmented bone. Based on the findings of this project, the implementation of laser scanning technology is recommended for forensic anthropology labs to enhance documentation, analysis and presentation of human bone.
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Date Issued
2012
Identifier
CFH0004287, ucf:44907
Format
Document (PDF)
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004287