10. Additional guidance regarding language use in IEEE standards

10.1 Homogeneity

Uniformity of structure, style, and terminology should be maintained not only within each standard, but also within a series of associated standards. The structure of associated standards and the numbering of their clauses should be identical, as far as possible. Analogous wording should be used to express analogous provisions; identical wording should be used to express identical provisions.

The same term should be used throughout each standard or series of standards to designate a given concept. The use of an alternative term (synonym) for a concept already defined should be avoided. As far as possible, only one meaning should be attributed to each term used.

10.2 That and which

The words that and which are commonly misused; they are not interchangeable. That is best reserved in essential (or restrictive) clauses, which is appropriate in nonessential (or nonrestrictive) parenthetical clauses. Simply stated, if a comma can be inserted before the word that or which, the word should be which. If a comma would not be used, the word to use is that.

Example:

1. Defining the inputs and outputs provides a better understanding of the steps that are necessary to complete the process.
2. Defining the inputs and outputs provides a better understanding of these steps, which are explained later in this standard.

10.3 “Absolute” verbiage

Avoid making guarantees if there is a possibility of unforeseen situations or circumstances altering an outcome. Review the text for any explicit or implicit guarantees made within the document, especially those that are safety-related.

For example, words such as “ensure,” “guarantee,” “always,” “maximize,” “minimize,” etc., should be modified if they are inaccurate. Substitutions might include “often,” “reduce,” or “improve.” For example, “to ensure safety” might be changed to “to improve safety” or “to prevent” might be changed to “to reduce.”

When applicable suggest “verify” or “assist in ensuring.”

10.4 Use of the terms safe or safety

Avoid the use of the word safe in a standard unless the condition or practice referenced by the word safe has been tested under all cases as being, in fact, safe. Typically, this is not the case. Thus, unless it can be demonstrated that such condition or practice is safe, safe should not be used. Words such as safer or safest can be used in a relative context if it can be demonstrated to be the case. For example, it is proper to say that one set of conditions or practices is safer than another, if in fact true, or that it is safer to employ a certain practice than not in a given situation. However, the term safest implies an absolute condition, which, in certain contexts, has the same implication as safe and, thus, should not be used. For example, this is the safest set of conditions for using waveguide is an improper usage.

The word safety should be avoided if it is being used to address a set of conditions or practices that have not been established for the purpose of promoting safety under all situations in which such conditions or practices will be employed. For example, the following 10 safety considerations should be reviewed before implementing this practice should not be used.

10.5 Inclusive language

IEEE SA uses language and terminology that is in compliance with the IEEE Nondiscrimination Policy <https://www.ieee.org/about/corporate/governance/p9-26.html>.

In addition to the IEEE Nondiscrimination Policy, on 3 December 2020, the IEEE SA Standard Board passed the following resolution:

IEEE standards (including recommended practices and guides) shall be written in such a way as to unambiguously communicate the technical necessities, preferences, and options of the standard to best enable market adoption, conformity assessment, interoperability, and other technical aspirations of the developing standards committee. IEEE standards should be written in such a way as to avoid non-inclusive and insensitive terminology (see IEEE Policy 9.27) and other deprecated terminology (see Clause 10 of the IEEE SA Style Manual) except when required by safety, legal, regulatory, and other similar considerations. Terms such as master/slave, blacklist, and whitelist should be avoided.

10.6 Use of personal pronouns

10.6.1 Personal pronouns

The use of personal pronouns should be avoided in standards.

The first-person form of address (I, we) or the second-person form of address (you) should not be used or implied, e.g., “You should avoid working on lines from which a shock or slip will tend to bring your body toward exposed wires.” This sentence should be rewritten as follows: “Technicians should avoid working on lines from which a shock or slip will tend to bring their bodies toward exposed wires.”

Similarly, third person singular pronouns should not be used, e.g., “He should turn the switch to the off position” should be rewritten as, “The worker should turn the switch to the off position” or “The switch should be turned to the off position.”

If a third person pronoun is needed (and it rarely is), the pronoun they should be used. The male or female pronoun alone or the variation he/she/they should not be used.

10.6.2 Indefinite pronouns

The indefinite pronoun one should be avoided. In references to an organization, the pronoun it, not we or they, should be used.

10.7 Gender specific language

Avoid using words that are unnecessarily gender specific. Use generic titles and roles (e.g., chair rather than chairman, workers rather than workmen, etc.) in the standard.