scope:

This International Standard is for anybody who creates or helps create documents. The widest use of plain language is for documents that are intended for the general public, but it is also applicable, for example, to technical writing, legislative drafting, or using controlled languages. This Standard will help authors develop documents that communicate effectively with their intended readers. It applies to most written languages and reflects the most recent research on plain language and the experience of plain language experts. This Standard provides principles and guidelines for developing plain language documents. The guidelines detail how the principles should be interpreted and applied. The four governing principles are as follows: - Principle 1: Readers get what they need (relevant) - Principle 2: Readers can easily find what they need (findable) - Principle 3: Readers can easily understand what they find (understandable) - Principle 4: Readers can easily use the information (usable) These principles rest on the premise that a document will be usable if the information in it is relevant, findable, and understandable (see Figure 1).