Lay Summary
Why choose a Lay Summary?
A lay summary is a clear, concise, and jargon-free overview of your research, written in plain language.
It helps non-expert audiences—such as patients, practitioners, professionals in related fields, funders, media,
and the public—understand the key findings of your study.
Lay summary
$ 275
Delivery in 5 business days- Enhances research accessibility by presenting your findings in a clear, easy-to-understand way, encouraging engagement from readers outside your field.
- Easily shareable across multiple channels, helping you connect with researchers and collaborators from other disciplines.
- Ideal for newsletters, blogs, grant applications, and other platforms where you need to communicate research findings to a lay audience.
- Helps you reach new audiences by sharing excerpts on social media, linked to your published article or lay summary.
Lay summary samples
What to expect
A clear, structured, 250-word summary of your manuscript, written in jargon-free language and delivered in Microsoft Word format.
Optimized social media descriptions, SEO-friendly alt text, and suggested hashtags to enhance your online reach and engagement.
Includes a reference and a direct link to your published article.
How it works
Step 1
You can place your order at any stage after your journal article has been accepted or published.
Step 2
Select a service, securely upload your article, and complete the author questionnaire.
Step 3
Our team carefully reviews your article and supporting materials to prepare the first draft.
Step 4
Complete your payment, review the draft carefully, and provide your feedback.
Step 5
Our team will incorporate your feedback and deliver the final file.
Frequently asked questions
- Our team of scientific writers will communicate your research findings accurately using language that is easy to understand by non-experts.
- A senior reviewer will check the summary for quality assurance.
- We summarise your research article in plain language that is suitable for a lay audience. Our standard lay summary service will provide you with a 250-word summary, with structured subheadings to help readers understand your research and how it fits into the broader context. See our sample gallery for examples.
- A lay summary can be widely shared through a variety of channels, including blogs and websites, while extracts can be shared in social media posts, linking back to your original article.
- Some journals offer the facility to publish a lay summary online, alongside your published article. Check the specific journal’s instructions for authors, as requirements often differ by journal.
- The terms lay summary and plain language summary (PLS) are frequently used interchangeably, although in some subjects a plain language summary carries a peer review requirement if the author intends to submit it alongside their journal article.
- Please check your intended journal’s instructions for authors carefully and confirm if you have requirements that fall outside our standard service. Where possible, we will try to accommodate your requirements, although depending on the scope, it may incur an additional fee.