Apply plain language techniques in Training
Clear writing is a practical component of effective standard operating procedures. In regulated environments, the purpose of an SOP is not simply to document what an organisation expects people to do. It is to communicate those expectations in a form that can be understood and followed consistently.
This makes language an important part of procedural control.
An SOP can contain scientifically correct information and still be difficult to use. Long sentences, unnecessary terminology, inconsistent instructions and poorly structured information can force readers to spend time interpreting the document rather than performing the task. When a procedure is difficult to understand, different users may interpret the same instruction differently.
Plain language provides a systematic way to reduce that problem.
Plain language does not mean simplifying technical content to the point that important distinctions disappear. It means expressing the required information as clearly and directly as possible while retaining the scientific, technical and regulatory precision required by the process.
For SOP authors, the objective is straightforward: make the correct action obvious to the person who needs to perform it.
Start with the reader
Technical writers often approach documentation from the perspective of the information they need to include. A more useful starting point is the person who will use the procedure.
What does that person need to know at the moment they perform the task?
The answer may be quite different from the information required to explain why the process exists. Background, scientific rationale and regulatory context can be important, but they do not necessarily belong in the middle of an operational instruction.
Consider a simple instruction:
"Following completion of the equipment cleaning procedure, the operator shall, where applicable, verify that the equipment has been appropriately cleaned prior to commencing the next manufacturing operation."
The meaning can be made more direct:
"After cleaning the equipment, verify that it is clean before starting the next manufacturing operation."
The second version does not remove the requirement. It makes the action easier to identify.
This distinction is important. Plain language is not about making documentation less rigorous. It is about removing unnecessary linguistic complexity.
Use direct instructions
SOPs frequently contain passive constructions because they can sound formal or objective. However, passive language can obscure responsibility.
"The sample is to be transferred to the laboratory by the designated personnel."
Who actually performs the action?
A more direct instruction is:
"The designated operator transfers the sample to the laboratory."
Where appropriate, imperative language can be even clearer:
"Transfer the sample to the laboratory."
Direct instructions are particularly useful for procedural steps because they identify the action immediately.
This does not mean that every sentence in an SOP should be written as a command. Definitions, explanations, acceptance criteria and other sections may require different structures. The principle is to use the construction that communicates the intended meaning most efficiently.
Keep one main action in each step
A common source of confusion is combining multiple actions into a single procedural instruction.
For example:
"Inspect the container, record the identification number, confirm the expiry date and place the material in the designated storage location."
Although this sentence may be understandable, it contains several separate actions.
Breaking the sequence into individual steps can make execution and verification easier:
Inspect the container.
Record the identification number.
Confirm the expiry date.
Place the material in the designated storage location.
This structure also makes deviations easier to identify. If something goes wrong, the user can identify which step was affected.
Where several actions genuinely form one inseparable operation, combining them may be appropriate. The objective is not to create an excessive number of tiny steps. It is to avoid forcing the reader to extract a sequence of actions from complex sentences.
Use chunking to reduce cognitive load
Chunking is the practice of grouping related information into manageable units.
A procedure containing several pages of continuous text can be difficult to navigate even when every sentence is technically correct. Dividing the content into logical sections allows the reader to identify the information needed at each stage of the task.
For example, an equipment procedure might be organized into:
Preparation
Equipment checks
Materials
Procedure
Acceptance criteria
Actions for abnormal results
Documentation
The exact structure will depend on the process, but the principle remains the same: related information should be grouped together.
Chunking is particularly useful for complex processes because it allows users to focus on one part of the workflow at a time.
It also supports training. A new operator can learn the process progressively rather than attempting to understand the entire procedure as one continuous block of information.
Use signposting
Signposting tells the reader where they are and what information comes next.
Good headings, descriptive labels and clearly identified sections act as navigational markers within an SOP.
Compare two structures.
The first might contain a heading such as "Procedure" followed by several pages of text.
The second might divide the same process into "Prepare the Equipment", "Prepare the Sample", "Perform the Test", "Evaluate the Result" and "Record the Result".
The second structure gives the user an immediate indication of where to find a particular action.
Signposting is especially valuable when an SOP is used as a reference document rather than read from beginning to end. In real working environments, users often consult a procedure to confirm a specific step or resolve a question. They should not have to search through several pages to locate it.
Be consistent with terminology
Consistency is one of the simplest ways to reduce ambiguity.
If an SOP refers to an item as a "sample container" in one section, a "specimen container" in another and a "sample bottle" elsewhere, the reader may reasonably wonder whether these terms refer to the same object.
Controlled terminology is therefore important.
The same principle applies to equipment, materials, roles, process stages and records. If a particular term has a defined meaning within the organisation or quality system, that terminology should be used consistently.
Abbreviations require similar discipline. An abbreviation that is familiar to one department may not be familiar to another. Where an abbreviation is necessary, define it clearly and use it consistently.
Consistency also applies to verbs. If the intended action is to "record" information, avoid alternating between "record", "document", "enter" and "capture" unless those verbs represent genuinely different actions.
Avoid unnecessary words
Longer sentences do not automatically provide greater precision.
Phrases such as "in order to", "at this point in time", "prior to the commencement of" and "in the event that" can often be replaced with simpler alternatives.
"To"
"Now"
"Before"
"If"
The shorter form is generally easier to process and rarely changes the meaning.
This principle should be applied carefully in regulated documentation. Some established terminology has a specific legal, scientific or procedural meaning and should not be replaced simply because another expression is shorter.
The question is not whether a word can be removed. It is whether removing it changes the intended meaning.
Make conditions and exceptions visible
One of the most important functions of an SOP is to communicate what happens when a process does not follow the normal path.
Conditional instructions can become particularly difficult to interpret when they are embedded in long paragraphs.
For example:
"If the result obtained during the verification step is outside the specified acceptance range, the test shall not be repeated unless the deviation has been assessed and the appropriate authorization obtained."
This can be structured so the decision point is immediately visible:
"If the verification result is outside the acceptance range:
Do not repeat the test.
Assess the deviation.
Obtain the required authorization before repeating the test."
The underlying requirement has not changed. The decision pathway is simply easier to see.
This is where plain language intersects with process mapping. Decisions identified during process mapping can often become explicit decision points within the SOP.
Use the 7±2 principle thoughtfully
The commonly cited 7±2 rule suggests that people can hold only a limited number of information units in working memory at one time. Although modern research has produced a more nuanced understanding of working-memory capacity, the practical lesson remains useful for SOP design.
Users should not be expected to remember a long sequence of unrelated instructions while simultaneously performing a task.
Instead, procedures can group information into logical units and provide information at the point where it is needed.
For example, if an operator must select between several actions depending on equipment status, the relevant decision criteria should be presented alongside that decision rather than several pages earlier.
The aim is to reduce unnecessary mental processing.
Plain language does not mean removing technical detail
A common misconception is that plain language requires technical documents to become simplistic.
That is not the case.
A laboratory procedure may require precise descriptions of analytical methods, equipment parameters, acceptance criteria and calculations. A manufacturing procedure may require exact quantities, temperatures, times and process conditions.
Those details must remain.
Plain language determines how the information is communicated. It does not determine whether technically necessary information is included.
A precise instruction can also be a clear instruction.
In fact, precision and clarity generally reinforce each other when unnecessary linguistic complexity is removed.
Review the SOP as a user would
One of the most effective tests of plain language is to stop reading the SOP as its author.
Instead, imagine that you are performing the task.
Can you immediately identify what to do?
Can you tell which materials and equipment are required?
Are decision points obvious?
Can you distinguish mandatory requirements from explanatory information?
Can you find the relevant instruction without reading the entire document?
Are terms used consistently?
Would two competent users reasonably interpret the instruction in the same way?
These questions can reveal weaknesses that are difficult to see during drafting because authors already understand the process.
This is one reason review remains essential even when AI is used to assist with drafting. AI can improve sentence structure and identify some linguistic problems, but the human reviewer understands the operational context against which the language must be tested.
Apply plain language before asking AI to improve the SOP
AI can be useful for identifying complex sentences, proposing alternative wording, checking consistency and restructuring information. However, AI should work from controlled and accurate source material.
A poorly defined process does not become a good process because it has been rewritten in clearer language.
The sequence therefore matters. Understand and map the process first. Determine what the procedure must communicate. Structure the information logically. Then use plain language principles to improve its presentation. AI can assist with drafting and editing, but expert review remains responsible for determining whether the final procedure is correct.
The result should be a document that is technically rigorous without being unnecessarily difficult to use.
Clear writing is part of procedural control
An SOP is successful when the person using it can understand the required action and perform it consistently.
Plain language contributes directly to that objective. Chunking reduces cognitive load. Signposting improves navigation. Direct instructions clarify responsibility. Consistent terminology reduces ambiguity. Logical sequencing makes workflows easier to follow. Explicit decision points make exceptions easier to manage.
None of these techniques requires reducing scientific rigour.
The strongest SOPs combine technical accuracy with disciplined communication. They recognize that compliance depends not only on what an organisation intends to require, but also on whether those requirements can be understood and applied reliably.
As AI becomes increasingly capable of producing polished technical prose, the importance of these principles is likely to increase rather than diminish. Fluent writing is easy to generate. Clear, accurate and operationally appropriate writing still requires careful process understanding and expert judgement.
For SOP authors, the goal should therefore be simple: write so that the right action is clear, the necessary information is easy to find, and the procedure can be followed without unnecessary interpretation.
