2025 Plain Writing Report
(This report was submitted August 2026) [posted on 8-28-26])
Our Commitment
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is committed to improving our service to the public by using plain language in all our communications—internal as well as external. We use plain language in all communications about:
- NARA’s services and benefits
- Complying with NARA requirements
- Critical information for public and staff
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. The Plain Writing Act promotes “clear Government communication that the public can understand and use,” and NARA wants to ensure that the public can understand and use its own federal records.
A plain writing review is built into the publication process for all official communications, including agency-wide messages, exhibit scripts, and policies. Learn more about our Plain Writing activities.
Senior Official for Plain Writing
NARA's Senior Official for Plain Writing is Valorie Findlater, Chief of Management and Administration.
Long-Term Plain Writing Actions
NARA is committed to using plain writing in all its products. All offices are encouraged to send material for editorial review before publication to ensure that the message is clear and free from confusion.
The Employee Communications Division will continue to provide a range of editorial services for internal and external communications in 2026. As questions about style and usage arise, we collect the information for future revisions of the NARA Writing Style Guide.
Employee Communications Division
The Employee Communications Division’s mission and commitment to provide clear, accurate, and timely communications to the agency remains unchanged. In 2025, the scope of the editorial team’s work has expanded to include providing editorial reviews for exhibits and policy staff, as well as producing office-specific newsletters.
In calendar year 2025, the Employee Communications team completed 179 requests from across the agency to ensure the use of plain language and adherence to the NARA Writing Style Guide. These requests consisted of 263 individual items, which included 13 videos, 450 slides, and 1,936 pages of text.
Internal communications cover all official announcements to all staff and include email announcements and information; official NARA Notices (69 in 2025); agency-wide communications (108 in 2025); articles for Declarations, our internal news site (77 in 2025); slide presentations for meetings, including all-staff, town halls, and conferences; and training materials for all staff. All 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’s 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.
For writing concerns not covered in the NARA style guide, we use the Government Printing Office’s Style Manual.
Web Services
The Catalog and Online Access Division in the Office of the Chief Operating Officer maintains the public websites of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The division collaborates with the Application Development and Architecture Division in the Office of the Chief Information Officer and uses agile development methodologies. NARA complies with Executive Order 14338, “Improving Our Nation Through Better Design” (August 2025), the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (IDEA), and the U.S. Web Design System standards. Additionally, the Catalog and Online Access Division provides web content editor and publisher training and supports NARA staff in applying best practices and ensuring compliance with the Plain Writing Act of 2010 and other relevant guidelines.
Plain Language Training
NARA’s online training tools, Learning Management System (LMS) and LinkedIn Learning, offer plain language classes and resources. Twenty-seven staff members completed the online course in LMS in 2025.