Open Government at the National Archives

Plain Writing Examples

View these before and after examples to see how the National Archives is implementing plain language.

Accessibility Statement: Before | After
Contact Us: Before | After (links to the Contact Us page)
2022 Before
Covid-19 Updates: Before | After (links to the Coronavirus page)
2021 Before
Declassification Meetings: Before | After
Emergency Requests: Before | After
ERA Training: Before | After
Federal Records Center: Before | After
FOIA: Before | After (links to the FOIA section)
2021 Before
Gal~entines: Before | After
Information Technology Organization Chart: Before | After
Learning and Organization Development: Before | After
NARA Notices about Retirement: Before | After
Online Databases: Before | After (links to the Genealogy section)
Order Status: Before | After
Preservation
- Main Page: Before | After (links to the Preservation section)
- Programs: Before | After
Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB) : Before | After
Research Main Page: Before | After (links to the Military Logbooks section)
Screening Reports for Privacy: Before | After
Veteran's Service Records:
- Letter: Before | After
- Military Service Records: Before | After (links to the Veterans section)

These new website pages apply the task-focused approach and Plain Writing guidelines to encourage skimming, scanning, and selecting.