Many computer word-processing programs feature one or more of these readership aids in the program's tools section. For example, Microsoft Word counts 17.2 words per sentence in this chapter and calculates a 12.3 grade-level readability score, based on the Flesch-Kincaid score.
Message recall
Message recall involves techniques drawn from advertising research, where day-after recall studies are commonplace. Using this method, participants in interviews, surveys or focus groups are exposed to a news story, television program or the like. Then they are interviewed to determine what they remember from the message. A staple of research drawn from advertising is the Starch Readership Reports (starchresearch.com/services.html).These indicate three levels of reader study: "noted" readers who remember having previously seen an advertisement; "associated" readers who can link the advertisement with a particular rand or advertiser; and "read most" readers who are able to describe most of the written material in the ad.