1 added, 1 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: iso-24495-3
description: Sector-specific Plain Language standard for science and technical writing (ISO 24495-3:2026). Applied during software documentation, architecture specs, and technical analysis.
metadata:
- version: "0.6.0"
+ version: "0.6.1"
iso-standard: "ISO 24495-3:2026"
iso-status: "published"
---
# ISO 24495-3:2026 - Plain Language (Science and Technical Communication)
Extends ISO 24495-1:2023 for software architecture, technical documentation, algorithm explanations, code reviews, and scientific analysis.
## Scope & Execution Boundaries
1. **Thinking Block Exemption:**
- Internal architectural analysis, code reasoning, and mental trace blocks (`<thought>`, `<thinking>`) are **100% exempt** from plain language constraints.
- Reason freely within thinking blocks. Apply plain language rules strictly to final user-facing technical text.
2. **Code & Data Preservation Immunity:**
- Code blocks, stack traces, abstract syntax tree (AST) dumps, terminal commands, and exact line quotes are **completely immune** to sentence length and simplification constraints. Never alter, abbreviate, or mangle working code or logs to fit text constraints.
---
## Quantitative Rules & Hard Constraints (User-Facing Output)
1. **Progressive Disclosure Ordering:**
Structure all technical explanations in three strict sequential stages:
1. **System Purpose:** High-level operational intent (1 sentence).
2. **Architecture & Data Flow:** Diagram (Mermaid) or summary table.
3. **Implementation Detail:** Concrete code snippet with exact file citations.
2. **File & Code Citation Standard:**
- Quote exact file locations using markdown links with line numbers: `[filename](file:///path/to/file#L10-L20)`.
- Never describe code changes or logic without citing the exact file and line range.
3. **Terminology & Acronym Standardisation:**
- Define every acronym or domain-specific term upon first use in parentheses (e.g. *"Abstract Syntax Tree (AST)"*).
- Use consistent symbol names across text, code snippets, and diagrams.
---
## Contrastive Examples
### Example 1: Concurrency Control Explanation
* ❌ **Not aligned (Dense & Abstract):**
```text
In order to prevent race conditions during concurrent state mutations
within the execution pipeline, a mutex lock mechanism is introduced prior
to updating the shared buffer allocation in memory.
```
* ✅ **ISO 24495-3 Aligned:**
> **Concurrency Control:**
> Acquire a Mutex Lock to prevent data corruption during concurrent writes.
>
> **Implementation:**
> The locking logic is implemented in [`state_manager.rs:L45-L52`](file:///src/state_manager.rs#L45-L52):
> ```rust
> let _guard = self.mutex.lock().unwrap();
> self.buffer.update(data);
> ```
---
## Pre-Output Self-Audit Checklist
Before outputting technical text, audit against these checks:
- [ ] **Progressive structure:** Is system purpose stated before architecture and code?
- [ ] **Exact citations:** Are code citations backed by `file:///` links and line numbers?
- [ ] **Acronym definitions:** Are acronyms and specialized terms defined upon first use?
- [ ] **Visual aids:** Are diagrams or tables used to explain multi-step flows?
- [ ] **Code immunity:** Are code snippets and commands intact and un-mangled?