Plain English Summary
As part of the TVS SDE access process, applicants are asked to provide a plain English summary of their proposed work. This is a short, clear explanation of what the project is about, why it is being carried out, and how health and care data will be used.
The summary should be written for a broad public audience, including patients, members of the public, and people who do not have specialist knowledge of the subject area. If the application is approved, the summary may be published on the Data Use Register, so it should not include confidential, sensitive, or commercially restricted information.
Why Plain English matters
- It helps people understand how health and care data is being used.
- It supports openness and transparency about projects using the TVS SDE.
- It makes information accessible to people who are not researchers, clinicians, or data specialists.
- It helps reviewers understand the purpose and value of the proposed work.
- It can build public confidence by explaining projects clearly and honestly.
What to include
Your plain English summary should give a clear overview of the project. It should explain:
- what the project is trying to find out or improve;
- why the work is needed;
- what data is being requested and why it is relevant;
- how the data will be used and protected;
- who may benefit from the work, such as patients, the public, health and care services, or researchers; and
- what the expected outputs may be, for example reports, tools, publications, or service improvements.
Write the summary as a stand-alone explanation. Someone should be able to understand the project without reading the full application.
Tips for writing in Plain English
- Use short sentences and short paragraphs.
- Use everyday words wherever possible.
- Avoid jargon, technical terms, abbreviations, and acronyms. If you need to use them, explain them clearly.
- Write for a reading age of around 9 to 11 years.
- Use active language, for example “we will use the data” rather than “the data will be used”.
- Use headings and bullet points to break up longer information.
- Be specific about the purpose of the work and the benefit it could bring.
- Ask someone outside the project, ideally a patient or public contributor, to read the summary and tell you what is unclear.
- Check the summary for information that should not be published, such as confidential details, names, or sensitive commercial information.
We may ask for changes if the summary needs to be clearer, more complete, or more suitable for publication.
Useful guidance
Plain English Campaign: How to write medical information in plain English