Plain Language Awards

Celebrate the stories of our clearest business communicators

Plain language criteria for documents and websites

Plain language criteria for documents

The Plain Language Awards judges review documents against the following elements of the Write Plain Language Standard (also available under a Creative Commons licence from https://write.co.nz/resources/free-tools/).

‘Big Picture’ elements

  • The purpose of the document is clear at the start
  • The content supports the purpose of the document
  • The structure of the document is clear and logical to the reader
  • The headings signal the key content

Language elements

  • The paragraphs are mostly short and focused on one topic
  • The sentences are mostly short and straightforward
  • The words are precise and familiar
  • The tone supports the purpose of the document

Presentation elements

  • The layout and presentation help the reader absorb the message quickly and easily
  • The document is error-free

Plain language criteria for websites

The Plain Language Awards judges review websites against the specific plain language criteria mentioned below.

‘Big Picture’ elements

  • The webpage has an informative title and clear purpose
  • The content supports the purpose of the website
  • The structure of the website is clear and logical to the reader
  • Headings are informative and clearly signal the key content

Usability

  • The website is easy to follow, with clearly labelled pages and topics
  • Instructions and procedures are clear
  • Link-text is self-explanatory and is not embedded in sentences

Language elements

  • The paragraphs are mostly short and focused on one topic
  • The sentences are mostly short and straightforward
  • The words are precise and familiar
  • The tone supports the purpose of the website

Presentation elements

  • The layout and presentation help the reader absorb the message quickly and easily
  • The F-rule for website readers is used well
  • The content of the webpages is visually appealing, with body text in an easy-to read font
  • The website is error-free

Judges for the 2022 Plain Language Awards

How the judging process works

What types of user-testing do judges look for?

Entry terms and conditions