2024 Plain Writing Report
(This report was submitted April 2025) [posted on 4-24-25])
Our Commitment
The 威尼斯人娱乐场 and Records Administration (NARA) is committed to improving our service to the public by using plain language in all our communications鈥攊nternal as well as external. We use plain language in all new or revised communications about:
- any of our services and benefits,
- obtaining any of our benefits or services, or
- complying with a NARA requirement
Our commitment to the goals of the Plain Writing Act of 2010 dovetails with our mission of providing public access to federal government records in our custody.
These records are the bedrock of our democracy. They document our rights and entitlements as citizens. They allow us to hold our government officials accountable for their actions. And they serve as firsthand witnesses to the important events of our national experience.
We actively promote access to these records through a wide range of activities. By inviting the public to transcribe handwritten documents through crowdsourcing, we open up those documents to millions more, now and in the future. Through online and on-site workshops, tutorials, and lectures, we provide context to the records that will allow researchers to make further discoveries. And by promoting better records management in agencies, before the records even get to the 威尼斯人娱乐场, we ensure the documentation of our government鈥檚 work will endure for generations to come.
The Plain Writing Act promotes 鈥渃lear Government communication that the public can understand and use,鈥� and NARA wants to ensure that the public can understand and use its own federal records. Learn more about our Plain Writing activities.
Senior Official for Plain Writing
NARA's Senior Official for Plain Writing is NARA's Senior Official for Plain Writing is Valorie Findlater, Chief, Management and Administration.
Long-Term Ongoing Plain Writing Actions
In 2024, NARA remained committed to using plain writing in its communications with the public, its staff, and other government agencies. The editorial staff in the Office of the Chief of Staff encourages offices to send their material for review before publication, leading to clearer text that meets the needs of the reader. As questions about style and usage arise, we collect the information for future revisions of the NARA Writing Style Guide. In 2025 we will continue to spread awareness of editorial services and plain writing resources throughout the agency.
Plain Language Reviews for Training Units
NARA鈥檚 editorial staff review training modules for plain language and adherence to the NARA Writing Style Guide. This training is mandatory for all NARA staff annually.
Our Communications and Marketing Division/Editorial Staff
The Communications and Marketing Division staff edits communications destined for both internal and external audiences. A plain writing review is built into the publication process for all official internal communications. The editorial services team also reviews news articles, flagship social media posts, press releases, exhibit scripts, web pages, and other communications to the public. In calendar year 2024, the editorial services team reviewed 326 documents from across the agency to ensure the use of plain language and adherence to the NARA Writing Style Guide.
Internal communications cover all official announcements to all staff and include email announcements and information, official NARA Notices (105 in 2024), articles and features (150 in 2024) for Declarations (our online internal news outlet), slide presentations for All-Hands meetings, and training materials for all staff. All stories for Declarations and other internal communications are reviewed by multiple writer-editors before publication.
External communications include press releases, news articles, educational materials, blog posts, social media posts, exhibit scripts, annual reports, users guides, genealogy presentations, and information on the agency鈥檚 Archives.gov website. These products come from units across the agency.
NARA Style Guide
The NARA Writing Style Guide is an important tool for NARA writers to produce writing that helps readers find what they need and use what they find. The guide covers writing in plain language as well as matters of style, grammar, and usage. As questions of style are debated and settled, the editorial staff updates the guide, and we made a small update in 2024.
Examples of Select NARA Units鈥� Efforts to Improve Writing
NARA comprises a large number of archives, records centers, and Presidential Libraries across the country. Within the locations, staff engage in a number of activities to further our mission of access: research assistance, records management, preservation, education, exhibits, declassification, and more.
Here are a few examples of how Presidential Libraries pursued the goal of plain writing:
- The had multiple museum team staff, Nixon Library senior staff, and subject matter expert historians review and edit a major special exhibition script for clarity, accuracy.
The library also had multiple people proofread press releases before releasing them to the public.
In 2025, the Nixon Library plans to improve the review process of all public-facing written communication for all departments.
- The revised website content under 鈥淭he Fords鈥� section to improve typography, increase color contrast, use pictures to convey meaning, and remove redundancies in text.
The library ensures that at least three people on staff proofread event emails prior to sending to their list of 7,000+ subscribers.
Since rewriting its online ordering form, the number of customer calls received by the library asking for help with understanding the form decreased by two-thirds, from 150 at the start of the year to 50 by the end of 2024.
The library standardized the language in its 鈥淔ees and Instructions for Copying Records鈥� so that the instructions are simpler and more direct. The research room staff now spends significantly less time answering questions about fees and how to copy the records.
As a result of rewriting accessioning responses to federal agencies, emails and calls asking for clarification on procedures decreased from 100 to 60. Library staff can spend less time answering emails and more time processing records for accession, making these records available more quickly to researchers.
The Ford Library also revised an advertisement directed at outside organizations interested in renting space for events. The new ad condensed the information into simple sentences, making it easier to digest the message and increasing the white space, improved color contrast, and used the library鈥檚 branding colors and fonts to keep the ad consistent with our other public-facing communications.
Before/after example from the Ford Library:
Our Web Services
The Web Division of the Office of Innovation develops, operates, and maintains the public websites of the 威尼斯人娱乐场 and Records Administration (NARA). The division uses agile methodologies and human-centered design and complies with U.S. Web Design System standards. Additionally, the Web Division supports NARA staff in applying usability best practices and ensuring compliance with the and other relevant guidelines.
- User Experience Research: The division uses many research tools, including surveys, user interviews, focus groups, user testing, A/B testing, metrics analysis, competitive analysis, customer journey mapping, user personas, and heatmap data analysis. ( for Archives.gov are available for review.)
- Design and Development: The division leads redesign efforts to improve content organization and better align websites with best practices for information architecture based on primary tasks. For these efforts, they conduct content audits, develop content strategy workflows, and strategically use content management systems and other enhancements.
- Prototyping and User Testing: The division uses iterative testing and prototyping with users to continuously refine web products based on user feedback and to optimize decision-making and outcomes on final designs.
Plain Language Training
NARA鈥檚 online training tools, Learning Management System (LMS) and SkillSoft, offer plain language classes and resources. Sixty staff members completed the online course in LMS in 2024. Staff also attend external classes such as the Plain Language Basics: Online Workshop offered by the Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN).
See our Examples page to see how we're implementing plain language.