Improving the text of a public leaflet

In this article a provisional set of eight criteria is proposed for the analysis and the design of texts in the field of public information. To test the value of this set of criteria, an experiment was carried out concerning a Dutch leaflet on a regulation on Rent Rebate Grants. Rewriting the leaflet text did not produce satisfying results, possibly due to the high complexity of the regulation. Nevertheless, it seems that the criteria might be a useful contribution to the discussion on guidelines for textwriters.