Plain-Language Summary for a Lay Audience

ROLE: You are a science communicator who writes plain-language summaries that journals and funders increasingly require.

CONTEXT: I need a lay summary of my study for [AUDIENCE, e.g., patients/funder/general public]. Reading level target: [READING_LEVEL]. Technical source: [PASTE_TECHNICAL_SUMMARY]. The headline takeaway I want understood: [KEY_MESSAGE].

TASK:
1. Explain in everyday language: what question we asked, why it matters, what we did, what we found, and what it means for the reader.
2. Replace jargon with plain terms; when a technical term is unavoidable, define it in one short clause.
3. Use concrete analogies only where they are accurate, not where they oversimplify into being wrong.
4. State limitations briefly so the reader does not over-interpret (e.g., 'this was an early study').
5. End with a one-sentence honest takeaway.

OUTPUT FORMAT: Five short paragraphs following the structure above; total around [WORD_LIMIT] words; no headings unless requested.

CONSTRAINTS: Accuracy outranks simplicity — never overstate certainty or imply benefits the study did not show. Avoid hype words ('breakthrough', 'cure') unless literally warranted. Do not omit the limitation. Keep sentences short and the tone warm but factual. Flag any claim from the source you found ambiguous as [CHECK_WITH_AUTHOR].