Standards Development

Scope

This document establishes governing principles and guidelines for plain science writing. It builds upon the foundation for plain language established in ISO 24495-1. It is organized according to the four principles presented in ISO 24495-1.

This guidance focuses on science writing: writing intended for readers with varying education levels, backgrounds and interests. These readers can range from young students to decision-makers in industry and government. The guidance does not explicitly address scientific writing: expert-to-expert writing such as that found in scientific journal articles or academic documents, where experts communicate with others in their field. However, many experts prefer reading documents that follow plain language guidance. The principles found in this guidance and in ISO 24495-1 can help any author who seeks to create a plain language document.

This document applies to printed or digital information that is primarily in the form of text and images. The guidance in this document applies to most written languages.