Why we joined the Plain Language Association International - and what it means for your reporting

‘Plain language’ doesn’t mean simple language. It doesn’t mean stripping nuance out of difficult subjects. It means communicating so clearly that your audience can find what they need, understand what they find, and use the information. That’s a higher bar than most corporate documents clear — including most annual reports.

What is PLAIN?

PLAIN formed in 1993 as a Canadian nonprofit. It’s the world’s leading membership body for plain language professionals, with members from more than 20 countries working across 10-plus languages.

Its definition of plain language underpins the ISO standard: ‘A communication is in plain language if its wording, structure, and design are so clear that the intended audience can easily find what they need, understand what they find, and use that information.’

Notice the three-part test: find, understand, use. This goes beyond choosing shorter words. It covers the whole architecture of a document — structure, navigation and design — as well as the sentences within it.

The ISO standard — why it matters now

In 2023, ISO published ISO 24495-1: Plain language — Part 1: Governing principles and guidelines. Experts from 25 countries representing 19 languages helped develop it.

The standard sets out four principles.

ISO published Part 2 (legal communication) in 2025 and is developing parts on science writing and document design. Part 4 will establish the requirements for organisations to certify their plain language practices.

Plain language is no longer a style preference or a nice-to-have. It’s a recognised standard. For anyone producing annual reports, that shift matters.

What this means for annual reports

Plain language makes the biggest difference in documents that carry the weight of compliance, communication and stakeholder trust all at once. Annual reports are those documents — and the gap between current practice and good practice is wide.

Apply the ISO 24495 principles to any annual report and the questions get uncomfortable.

Is it relevant? Does the report address what stakeholders want to know, or does it tell them what leadership wants to say? Research shows investors want clear strategy, honest performance assessment and a genuine outlook — not self-congratulatory messaging.

Is it findable? Can a reader navigate from strategy to performance to outlook without getting lost in the organisational chart? Or does the structure follow internal reporting lines rather than reader logic?

Is it understandable? Is the language clear enough that a first-time reader can grasp the strategy? Or has the approval process layered on so much caution that meaning has drained away?

That’s not careful writing. That’s a plain language failure.

Is it usable? Can investors, analysts and regulators use the information to make decisions? Can they compare this year’s performance to last year’s commitments?

These aren’t radical expectations. Australian government annual report guidelines already require reports to be ‘relevant, reliable, concise, understandable and balanced.’ The Australasian Reporting Awards assess communication effectiveness as a core criterion. ASIC’s guidance emphasises avoiding unnecessary complexity.

What the membership means for our work

For WorkWords Content, the PLAIN member logo is a visible signal that our approach to writing is backed by the profession’s peak global body. It sits alongside our other credentials: adjudicator for the Australasian Reporting Awards, Certified Practising Marketer with the Australian Marketing Institute, and author of Write better: how to cut the crap and say what you mean.

When we review or write annual reports, we apply plain language principles as standard. Membership connects us to the latest research and standards development shaping how those principles evolve. It keeps what we do current.

Why this matters for your next report

The bar for corporate reporting is moving. Readability, structure and audience focus now have an evidence base and a global standard behind them. If your annual report doesn’t follow these principles, it’s working harder than it needs to and saying less than it should.