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This is the website concerning the research on the arText system, carried out at the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED). Our research is part of an interdisciplinary context that brings together two major areas: linguistics (the analysis of specialized discourse) and computer science (Natural Language Processing [NLP]). It has an impact on science, but also on Spanish society, since the system we have developed is available to the public free of charge so that any person can use it.

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WHAT IS ARTEXT?

The arText system is the first assisted text editor for Spanish that helps to write textual genres in specialized fields and texts in plain language. It includes two tools:

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It helps to write textual genres in specialized fields such as Public Administration, medicine, tourism or the academic field.

It helps to write texts in plain language. Currently, it helps Public Administration staff to write documents in plain language addressed to the general public.

Both tools can be used through an online text editor. The editor is divided into three modules, which help to:

  1. Structure the document.
  2. Format and spell-check it.
  3. Check the suitability of the text, by giving specific linguistic recommendations for the selected textual genre or related to plain language. Some of these recommendations concern, for example, long sentences and paragraphs, acronyms, word repetition, discourse connectors, verb forms and subjective lexical units.
WHO CAN USE IT?

It is aimed at different types of collectives, such as, for example, the following:

  • The general public when they have to face the task of writing texts addressed to the Public Administration.
  • Public Administration staff who want to write texts addressed to the general public in plain language.
  • Professionals from the fields of medicine, tourism and law who want to write specific texts related to their professional field.
  • Students who have to write university academic papers on medicine, tourism or administrative law.
  • Students of any field of study who have to write their end-of-degree project (TFG).
  • Students who want to learn to write some of the professional and academic textual genres covered in the basic curriculum of Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO) and the upper secondary education.
HOW TO USE IT?

To use the arText system, you only need a computer with an internet connection and the Google Chrome browser. Its interface is very simple. The user manual can be consulted here.

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WHY IS THE ARTEXT SYSTEM INNOVATIVE?

The main innovations of the arText tool for writing textual genres in specialised fields are that:

  • It is focused on the writing of textual genres in Spanish from the aforementioned three fields. For example, a clinical record in medicine, a business plan in tourism, or a complaint in Public Administration.
  • It takes the level of specialisation of each genre into account and integrates linguistic information of various types: textual, discursive, syntactic and lexical.
  • It is aimed at different types of specific collectives and their writing needs: university students, professionals in specialised fields and the general public.

The main innovations of the arText claro tool for writing texts in plain language are that:

  • It is focused on writing texts in plain language. Currently, it helps to write administrative texts addressed to the general public in plain language.
  • It offers suggestions related to the most common plain language recommendations in Spanish.
  • It integrates linguistic information of various types: textual, discursive, syntactic and lexical.
RESEARCH PROJECTS ASSOCIATED WITH ARTEXT

The different functionalities of arText have been developed in the framework of 3 research projects funded by competitive calls:

TALKING ABOUT US

Press kit:

2016-2019

2020-2022

2023-2024 (last update: 30 July 2024)

ACCESS TO THE SYSTEM

The arText system is available online here.