Packaging clinical trial results into a well-understood PLS begins with breaking the study down into smaller, digestible pieces or ‘chunks’. Identify and separate each aspect of the study, including the purpose, findings, and overall impact. This will help readers understand the 'who, what, where, when, and why', which is key to understanding the study.

To make the PLS even more digestible, use headings and subheadings to label paragraphs. This helps readers quickly navigate through study results and grasp added context and other important information. Use bulleted lists and adequate white space to make the PLS even easier to read.

Language often used in clinical trial results can be technical and not easily understood by audiences outside the field. Using clear, concise language is key to avoid confusion and provide important information about the study.

To achieve clear and concise writing:

• Write in the active voice
• Split up run-on sentences
• Avoid complex words and phrases
• Avoid unnecessary adverbs or adjectives

It’s also important to keep in mind the overall length of the PLS. Ideally, keep the summary to a few paragraphs. Using these tips to achieve clear and concise language will help you cut down on the details and focus on the most important information.

To create an effective PLS, it's important to remember the audiences you're writing it for. A PLS is meant for audiences with little or no knowledge of the field or topic, such as someone newly diagnosed with a medical condition, caregivers, students, or those involved in interdisciplinary research.

This is why it’s important to break down complex concepts and ideas and explain them at a basic level. It helps the reader quickly gain a higher-level understanding of the study without becoming overwhelming.

When writing in plain language, it’s important to avoid jargon. The choice of words plays a pivotal role in the PLS's readability, meaning how well it’s understood—see, we just defined language-related jargon!

A general audience may not know certain technical terms or acronyms used in the study, making it difficult to follow along.

To avoid confusion, clearly define terms to ensure the reader is informed and has the knowledge to understand the findings. Think about using a small glossary of key terms and always spell out acronyms, especially the first time they’re used in the PLS.

It’s important to keep a PLS short and concise, but it shouldn't compromise scientific accuracy.

While it’s easy to get caught in a trap of over-simplifying information, a PLS should still contain the key scientific findings from the study. If the PLS is easy to read, but the key findings from

the study aren’t included, the reader won't have a complete picture of the trial's purpose, findings, and results. This makes it difficult to fully understand what it’s about and what the results mean.

Once you’re done writing a PLS, ask someone to read it and provide feedback. Ideally, this should be someone without any knowledge of the subject. If the PLS is written effectively, they should find it engaging, easy to understand, and see the potential impact of the research.

If your PLS passes this test, it's a good sign that others outside the field will also find it useful!