Abstract
AN experiment was carried out at the suggestion of the Cambridge University Printer to determine the relative comprehensibility in scientific papers of four different styles of printing. Conditions I–IV in Table 1 are representative of formats and types which have been found from experience in printing scientific journals at the University Press to be both readable and economical. Specimens are given on the opposite page.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Burt, C., ‘A Psychological Study of Typography’ (Camb. Univ. Press, 1959).
Burt, C., Cooper, W. F., and Martin, J. L., Brit. J. Stat. Psychol., 8, 29 (1955).
Poulton, E. C., Cambridge : Medical Research Council, Applied Psychology Unit. Rep. No. 346 (1959). (Available from the author.)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
POULTON, E. Effects of Printing Types and Formats on the Comprehension of Scientific Journals. Nature 184, 1824–1825 (1959). https://doi.org/10.1038/1841824a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1841824a0
This article is cited by
-
Readability of prescription drug labels by older and younger adults
Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings (1994)
-
Reading Efficiency in Flickering Light
Nature (1966)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
