The organization of Japanese expository passages

When document designers localize documents for readers in another country, they often assume that the organization of the material used with its original audience will be effective for readers in another country. Whether this assumption is sound depends on what organizational structure readers in other countries are accustomed to seeing. The study examines the organizational structure of 17 Japanese expository texts with the goal of determining what expository structure Japanese readers are most accustomed to reading. The results lead to implications for document designers and readers in both Japan and native English speaking countries.