Detecting, diagnosing and correcting low-level problems when editing with and without computer aids

Can a tool for computer-aided editing be used to make bureaucratic writing more clear and less formal? The question is explored in a research project of which the study presented here is a part. In the study, 16 university students were asked to revise a letter in bureaucratic style, first using pen and paper, then using computer aids. The letter was prepared to contain 26 problems in mechanics and style, all of which could be analysed by the computer tool. The design made it possible to compare the number of changes subjects made to planted problems in mechanics and style with and without computer support. In avarage, subjects changed 99 % of the mechanical problems when using the computer tool, compared to 52 % without it. In contrast, subjects changed only 63 % of the style problems when using the computer tool, compared to 27 % without it. Thus, the computer tool had a strong influence on the total amount of changes made to mechanical problems; for problems in style, the influence was considerably weaker. Interestingly, the influence of the tool on the number of changes made in style varied greatly between different subjects. While some writers changed many problems in style both with and without computer support, other writers made almost no changes in style, even though they were urged to attend to them by the computer tool. Among the writers who made few or no changes in style without aid, some were strongly influenced to change in style by the tool. It is suggested that these differences may be related to different revision strategies employed by the writers, some of which match the strategy embodied in the computer tool, some of which do not. Possible negative effects are discussed. Practical background The study presented here is part of a cooperation project between the Royal Institute of Technology and the Swedish County Government Board of Stockholm. The aim is to explore the possibilities of designing a tool for computer-aided editing as a means of making public letters from the authorities more reader-oriented. Public letters are traditionally characterized by bureaucratic language, a highly formal and incomprehensible writing style used within the authorities and in other