Bow Tie Kreative Writing System
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Rules / clarity

CLR-015 Heuristic layer: document

Use readability scores diagnostically

IF a readability metric flags difficulty, THEN inspect vocabulary, syntax, concepts, and assumed knowledge; do not simplify solely to hit a number ELSE retain.

Why the rule exists

A formula estimates surface difficulty but cannot judge accuracy, dignity, or conceptual necessity.

Condition

The rule fires when this evaluates true. Paths marked below must be present in the fact base; the engine reports the rest rather than guessing them.

  • document.readability_metric.flag eq true

Facts this rule reads

PathSource
document.readability_metric.flag Derived from text

Then

  1. diagnose — target document
  2. test_with_reader — target document

Else

  1. retain — target current_text, No triggering condition is present.

LAKA

Smallest sufficient intervention
Yes
Primary axes

Sources

  • Principles of plain language — Digital.gov / U.S. General Services Administration link
    Design content so the intended audience can find, understand, and use it.
  • Making Content Usable for People with Cognitive and Learning Disabilities — W3C link
    Clear words, simple voice and tense, explicit instructions, and supportive structure.
  • The Sense of Style — Steven Pinker
    Reader-centered clarity informed by linguistics and cognition.
The raw rule record

Verbatim from 11-clarity-style-rules.json. Also available at /v1/rules/CLR-015.

{
  "id": "CLR-015",
  "name": "Use readability scores diagnostically",
  "domain": "clarity",
  "layer": "document",
  "strength": "heuristic",
  "human_logic": "IF a readability metric flags difficulty, THEN inspect vocabulary, syntax, concepts, and assumed knowledge; do not simplify solely to hit a number ELSE retain.",
  "when": {
    "path": "document.readability_metric.flag",
    "operator": "eq",
    "value": true
  },
  "then": [
    {
      "action": "diagnose",
      "target": "document",
      "dimensions": [
        "vocabulary",
        "syntax",
        "concept_density",
        "knowledge_gap"
      ]
    },
    {
      "action": "test_with_reader",
      "target": "document"
    }
  ],
  "else": [
    {
      "action": "retain",
      "target": "current_text",
      "reason": "No triggering condition is present."
    }
  ],
  "unless": [],
  "because": "A formula estimates surface difficulty but cannot judge accuracy, dignity, or conceptual necessity.",
  "diagnostics": [],
  "examples": {},
  "source_ids": [
    "WEB-002",
    "WEB-006",
    "BK-008"
  ],
  "laka": {
    "smallest_sufficient_intervention": true,
    "primary_axes": [
      "scope",
      "depth",
      "magnitude",
      "reversibility"
    ]
  }
}

Other clarity rules

  1. CLR-001 Prefer the precise familiar word IF two words are equally accurate AND one is more familiar to the audience, THEN use the familiar word ELSE keep the precision-bearing term. Context default
  2. CLR-002 Define necessary jargon IF a domain term is necessary AND the intended reader may not know it, THEN define it at first use and use it consistently ELSE replace it with plain language. Context default
  3. CLR-003 Expand unfamiliar abbreviations IF an abbreviation is not universally familiar to the audience, THEN spell it out at first use and pair it with the abbreviation ELSE retain. Context default
  4. CLR-004 One term per concept IF multiple terms refer to the same technical concept without rhetorical need, THEN select one preferred term and replace the variants ELSE retain. Context default
  5. CLR-005 One concept per term IF the same term denotes multiple concepts in one context, THEN rename or qualify the concepts ELSE retain. Hard constraint
  6. CLR-006 Replace vague reference words IF THIS, THAT, IT, THEY, FORMER, or LATTER has an uncertain referent, THEN repeat or summarize the referent ELSE retain. Hard constraint
  7. CLR-007 Quantify actionable vagueness IF vague quantity, frequency, time, or probability affects a decision, THEN provide a range, threshold, date, or defined category ELSE retain approximate language. Context default
  8. CLR-008 Use concrete examples after abstractions IF a central abstraction lacks a concrete instance AND the audience knowledge gap is moderate or large, THEN add one representative example ELSE retain. Heuristic