23 November 2011

Comments on the LAC 2010–2011 Departmental Performance Report - I

Have many folks been awaiting the 9,243 word opus which constitutes Library and Archives Canada 2010–2011 Departmental Performance Report, unpublicized, likely unloved, tucked away in an obscure corner of the LAC website here?

The DPR is one rare way to get an insight into what's going on in LAC, but be prepared to wade into and look beyond the bureaucrat-speak.

It isn't an easy read. According of the Gunning Fog index one would need 16.74 years of formal education, that's a Master's degree, in order to easily understand the text on the first reading. The Flesch Kincaid grade level is 14.29.

Those statistics come from analysing the document text using http://www.online-utility.org/english/readability_test_and_improve.jsp.

It also identifies nearly 150 sentences, often multiple sentences, to consider for rewriting to improve readability.

Tomorrow, if I manage to penetrate the baffle-gab, and hopefully have a reply to a question for clarification on what seems to be an outright deception sent to LAC two days ago, I'll have comments on the substance.

2 comments:

Mary Anne said...

Good luck, John, both on penetrating the bafflegab and getting a response to you enquiry - this year!

Mary Anne

Barbara Tose said...

Best of luck with that, John. Better you then me. I just tried to read the Summary and I was asleep in minutes! I know it's important and I should read it - which is probably why they put it into language no one can follow!

I look forward to your interpretation.

Barbara