It is difficult and even impossible to unambiguously assess the quality of language use without first comparing the assessment to the purpose, communication purpose and context of the text.
Factual texts inform, influence or guide action. The aim of factual texts is to convey information appropriately, unambiguously and effectively. Therefore, the language of the subject texts is:
Factual texts appeal to facts and logical reasoning. They are based on facts and seek to describe reality. Neutral words are preferred in factual texts. Meanings (denotations) of words are kept simple and secondary and additional meanings are not used (connotations). The language itself is transparent, unobtrusive and neutral so that it does not distract the reader from the facts.
According to Estonian linguist Valter Taul, the ideal language strives for maximum results with minimal means. According to Taul, the ideal language follows three basic principles: it is clear, concise, and aesthetic. The principles of clarity, conciseness and aesthetics are also excellent for weighing good professional writing style.
The majority of texts written in working life and studies are factual texts. For this reason, during the studies, the skill of writing factual texts and the features required in them are practiced. This means that during studies feedback is also given on the formal aspects of the text.
Factual style differs from everyday writing style and from free spoken language. The purpose of factual style is to make room for the subject matter. If you’re not quite sure what genre is appropriate for a text, factual style is a safe choice. (Tarkoma & Vuorijärvi 2012, 118–119.)
A factual text strives for unambiguity, clarity and precision. Unambiguity is created by the concepts being precisely defined and presented. The presentation of background information and the description of background information bring clarity to the text. A factual text does not contain the author’s outbursts of emotion, humor, or ambiguous descriptions. (Kankaanpää & Piehl 2011, 20; Tarkoma & Vuorijärvi 2012, 118–119.)
An example of an illustrative and unambiguous text that defines the concept of social library:
A social library can be defined as a space where different people can meet, be together and interact. A social library is also a mobile library that takes the library's services to different facilities. Examples of such activities are moving library services and participatory engagements at various events. (Honkanen 2015, 13.) The aim of social library work is to bring customer groups within the scope of the library's services who, for some reason, do not yet use the library and its services. The aim is to activate them and involve their thoughts and ideas in the development of libraries. (Jyrkinen 2013, 4.) The social library can also be viewed as being in the middle ground between social work and libraries. Then it can be seen as helping people, preventing the loneliness of individuals. However, such an interpretation of the social library can be seen as quite problem-oriented if the library staff cares for people without social work training. (Hokkanen, 2015, 11.)
Factors related to the clarity and layout of the text are also included. One factor that increases clarity are the ready-made templates that are used. The templates are pre-set with a cover page, a table of contents and a list of sources. The template has margins, font size, line spacing and, for example, the size of the headings is predefined. Using these makes typing easier, because then you don't have to make the layouts yourself. The template also helps the reader. In Humak, learning tasks are generally always done on a template. The thesis has its own template. It is important that you learn to use the templates correctly.
You can find a template for Humak's written assignments here.