Indices of writing quality

[James Hartley]

My colleague Gina Vega has asked if anyone can help her with her query below:

I am looking for a method of evaluating the quality of written English (either English-US or English-UK).

I am not seeking a readability index (such as SMOG or Flesch) but an index of writing quality.

I want to be able to apply it to serve as an initial proxy for a complete copy-editing task for submissions of cases and articles to an international journal and distribution database.

Does such an instrument exist?  If so, I would appreciate hearing from you at gvega at salemstate.edu

Many thanks

Gina Vega
Prof. of Management
Salem State University
Salem
MA
USA

James Hartley
School of Psychology
Keele University
Staffordshire
http://www.keele.ac.uk/psychology/people/hartleyjames/
----- Original Message ----- 
From: gina vega 
To: James Hartley 
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2012 2:05 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: Writing in English


HI Jim,


That's very kind of you to offer.  As I am not a member of either of these fora, I would very much appreciate your posting the query for me.  How about this language:


  I am looking for a method of evaluating the quality of standard English (either English-US or English-UK) to serve as an initial proxy for a complete copy-editing task for submissions of cases and articles to an international journal and distribution database. I am not seeking a readability index (such SMOG or Gunning Fog), but an index of writing quality.  Does such an instrument exist?  If so, I would appreciate hearing from you at gvega at salemstate.edu (Gina Vega, Prof. of Management, Salem State University/Salem MA  USA).


The bibliography you are developing has a noble goal.  I wonder if people who are struggling to write English will seek out such a list, or is it of more interest to people like us, who care about the struggles and are seeking ways to help others?


Just a thought,
Gina

On Fri, Jun 29, 2012 at 1:33 PM, James Hartley <j.hartley at psy.keele.ac.uk> wrote:

  Hi Gina

  Thanks for your prompt reply.

  Most fascinating - an algorithm that would make it easy and objective to identify writing that would benefit by having a co-author whose first language is English, because many cases are potentially useful in the classroom but are not written to appropriate English standards - would indeed be useful.

  I have no doubt you have asked around about this - but have you raised the question on the EASE forum, or the Scientometrics discussion lists?  I could do this for you if you wished.  Just send me some text to forward!

  We are aiming the bibliography at people who are writing (having to write) in English although English is not their first language.

  Cheers

  Jim








-- 
Gina Vega
Editor, The CASE Journal

Professor of Management and Director, Center for Entrepreneurial Activities
Bertolon School of Business
Salem State University
Salem, MA  01970
978.542.7417
gvega at salemstate.edu 

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