What term describes a brief summary of scientific publications that conforms to plain-language principles?

The term that describes a brief summary of scientific publications conforming to plain-language principles is a plain-language summary. This type of summary is specifically crafted to make complex scientific information more accessible to a wider audience, including patients, the general public, and non-specialists. It simplifies terminology and reduces jargon, allowing individuals who may not have a scientific background to understand the key findings and implications of the research.

In contrast, an executive summary is generally aimed at stakeholders who are already familiar with the subject and may include detailed insights and recommendations rather than a simplified version of the research. An abstract serves as a concise synopsis of a scholarly work, primarily for academics and professionals in the field, and typically retains technical jargon and complex language. A literature review is a comprehensive survey of existing research on a particular topic, summarizing and synthesizing a variety of studies, rather than focusing on providing a plain-language summary of a single piece of research.