@article{ART003315861},
author={Masako SAKAGUCHI and Minoru Moriguchi},
title={Rewriting Specialized Texts into Plain Language: An Evaluation of Readability in Museum Exhibition Texts Rewritten by Technical Writers},
journal={The Japanese Language Association of Korea},
issn={1229-7275},
year={2026},
number={87},
pages={47-65}
TY - JOUR
AU - Masako SAKAGUCHI
AU - Minoru Moriguchi
TI - Rewriting Specialized Texts into Plain Language: An Evaluation of Readability in Museum Exhibition Texts Rewritten by Technical Writers
JO - The Japanese Language Association of Korea
PY - 2026
VL - null
IS - 87
PB - The Japanese Language Association Of Korea
SP - 47
EP - 65
SN - 1229-7275
AB - This study examined how museum exhibition captions change when rewritten using technical writing techniques. It also explored which version—original captions or rewritten ones—is more readable, using a questionnaire. First, we analyzed the differences between the original exhibition captions about the Gion Festival used in an actual museum and the version rewritten by a technical writer. The analysis identified three main types of changes: "addition and deletion of information," "sentence segmentation," and "word substitution." Subsequently, 36 participants (17 students and 19 working adults) evaluated the original and rewritten texts for readability. The results showed that 61% of participants rated the rewritten version as more readable. While no significant difference in readability ratings was found between reader attributes (students vs. working adults), reading order significantly affected the evaluation. This study demonstrates that rewriting techniques can improve the readability of museum exhibition captions, although some people may be less receptive to such modifications.
KW - technical writing;museum exhibition text;rewriting;text revision;readability
DO -
UR -
ER -
Masako SAKAGUCHI and Minoru Moriguchi. (2026). Rewriting Specialized Texts into Plain Language: An Evaluation of Readability in Museum Exhibition Texts Rewritten by Technical Writers. The Japanese Language Association of Korea, 87, 47-65.
Masako SAKAGUCHI and Minoru Moriguchi. 2026, "Rewriting Specialized Texts into Plain Language: An Evaluation of Readability in Museum Exhibition Texts Rewritten by Technical Writers", The Japanese Language Association of Korea, no.87, pp.47-65.
Masako SAKAGUCHI, Minoru Moriguchi "Rewriting Specialized Texts into Plain Language: An Evaluation of Readability in Museum Exhibition Texts Rewritten by Technical Writers" The Japanese Language Association of Korea 87 pp.47-65 (2026) : 47.
Masako SAKAGUCHI, Minoru Moriguchi. Rewriting Specialized Texts into Plain Language: An Evaluation of Readability in Museum Exhibition Texts Rewritten by Technical Writers. 2026; 87 : 47-65.
Masako SAKAGUCHI and Minoru Moriguchi. "Rewriting Specialized Texts into Plain Language: An Evaluation of Readability in Museum Exhibition Texts Rewritten by Technical Writers" The Japanese Language Association of Korea no.87(2026) : 47-65.
Masako SAKAGUCHI; Minoru Moriguchi. Rewriting Specialized Texts into Plain Language: An Evaluation of Readability in Museum Exhibition Texts Rewritten by Technical Writers. The Japanese Language Association of Korea, 87, 47-65.
Masako SAKAGUCHI; Minoru Moriguchi. Rewriting Specialized Texts into Plain Language: An Evaluation of Readability in Museum Exhibition Texts Rewritten by Technical Writers. The Japanese Language Association of Korea. 2026; 87 47-65.
Masako SAKAGUCHI, Minoru Moriguchi. Rewriting Specialized Texts into Plain Language: An Evaluation of Readability in Museum Exhibition Texts Rewritten by Technical Writers. 2026; 87 : 47-65.
Masako SAKAGUCHI and Minoru Moriguchi. "Rewriting Specialized Texts into Plain Language: An Evaluation of Readability in Museum Exhibition Texts Rewritten by Technical Writers" The Japanese Language Association of Korea no.87(2026) : 47-65.
