Legibility and Comprehension of Onscreen Type: Comparing the Legibility and Comprehension of Type Size, Font Selection and Rendering Technology of Onscreen Type (PDF) by Scott Chandler is a doctorate dissertation which contradicts many findings of prior studies.
This study considered the relationships between type size, font selection, and type rendering technology of legibility as indicated by speed of reading and comprehension when testing was performed on a computer with a CRT. The results offer an additional view on a new, under-researched area. The finding that there are optimal sizes onscreen will be an important concept to some. Evidence that the effect of anti-alias is highly contextualized based on type family and potentially specific typefaces could have an even more far-reaching impact. Clearly the role of reading on the computer needs to be better understood and explored through future research.
