Writing and Translation in Expert – Non-expert Communication. Methods, Guidelines and Quality Assessment

Abstract

This article consists of two parts. The first section is a rather theoretical approach of what communication between experts and non-experts consists of. It deals with how this form of communication is investigated; it examines how this communicative situation is represented in existing text typologies and which requirements writers and translators have to meet in order to transfer knowledge so it is understandable. In the second section, a specific text type within a real communicative situation is analyzed, in particular the Patient Information Leaflet within the European Public Assessment Report of a medicinal product. This analysis focuses particularly on the external factors of the communication. What is the impact of guidelines and quality assessment on the work of the writer and translator? Do they help the writer and translator in realize the communication as a cognitive process of anticipation and transformation?