Readability of maritime accident reports: a comparative analysis

Maritime accident reporting is performed as a means for experience feedback within and across organizations. While the quality and representativeness of the findings are critical to prevent similar accidents from occurring in the future, various contextual factors concerning the reports can affect the ability of various actors to use these effectively as a basis for learning and action. Research suggests that the readability of safety documents is essential to their successful adoption and use. However, there is currently no empirical knowledge about the readability of maritime accident reports. Consequently, this study presents a comparative analysis of quantitative readability metrics of maritime accident reports. Three-year data extracted from reports by five English-language national accident investigation authorities, and one industry reporting system are used. The results show that the language used is commonly at the post-secondary reading level. Reports by the Nautical Institute’s Mariners’ Alerting and Reporting Scheme are written at a high school level and thus easier to read. Statistical variation of readability of reports by different organizations is significant. Implications for future research and practice are discussed. The main recommendation for reporting organizations is to be mindful of language complexity and simplify where possible.