Important: this is an independent overview. We do not list the detailed changes in Issue 9, because only the official specification and the official website can describe them correctly. For the exact list of changes, read the change information in the document itself and visit asd-ste100.org.
What is an "issue" of ASD-STE100?
ASD-STE100 is a living standard. Language changes, products change, and the people who use the standard find new problems and new solutions. For this reason, the standard is not published once and left alone. It is reviewed and released again as a new "issue". Each issue replaces the previous one as the current reference.
An issue is a complete version of the specification. It contains both main parts: the writing rules and the dictionary. When people say "Issue 9", they mean the ninth complete release of the specification. The issue number helps writers, reviewers and customers agree on which version of the rules applies to a document.
The first version of the standard was published in the 1980s under the name AECMA Simplified English. Since then, the specification has gone through many issues. The name changed to ASD-STE100 when AECMA became part of ASD in 2004. The basic idea has stayed the same through every issue: a limited vocabulary and clear writing rules make technical text easier to understand.
Who maintains the standard?
The Simplified Technical English Maintenance Group (STEMG) maintains ASD-STE100. STEMG is a working group of ASD, the AeroSpace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe. Its members include specialists from industry and other organisations that use the standard.
The group collects comments and change requests from users, reviews them, and decides which changes to make. The official website describes how this process works and how users can send feedback or requests. If you find a problem with a rule or a word, the official site is the correct place to look for information about how to report it.
Why new issues are released
There are several general reasons why a controlled language standard is updated. We describe them here as general principles, not as a list of what changed in Issue 9.
- Clarity of the rules. Users sometimes read a rule in different ways. A new issue can rewrite a rule or add examples, so that more writers apply it the same way.
- Dictionary maintenance. The dictionary can gain or lose entries, and the description of an entry can change. Writers often ask for words that they need very often.
- Wider use. STE started in aircraft maintenance. Today, many other industries use it. A standard used in more places must work for more types of text.
- Feedback from practice. Reviewers, trainers and tool makers see real problems every day. Their feedback helps the maintenance group to improve the standard.
To find out which of these areas are affected in Issue 9, and how, read the official document. The specification normally contains information about the changes from the previous issue.
How to get Issue 9
The only correct source of the specification is the official ASD-STE100 website. Our ASD STE 100 PDF page explains where to get the file, what the document contains, and how to read it efficiently. We do not host copies of the specification, and we recommend that you do not use copies from other websites. An unofficial copy can be old, incomplete or changed.
Before you download, check the conditions of use on the official site. The specification is protected by copyright and has its own terms. Respect those terms when you share the file inside your organisation.
How to move your documentation to a new issue
When a new issue is released, organisations that use STE must decide when and how to adopt it. The steps below are a general approach. Your customer contract, your industry or your internal quality system can have other requirements.
- Read the change information. Start with the official list of changes in the new issue. Find which rules and which dictionary entries are different.
- Check your contracts. Some customers state which issue of ASD-STE100 a document must follow. Do not change the issue for a contracted document until the customer agrees.
- Update your tools. If you use a checker or a term database, find out when it supports the new issue. Update your own word lists and style guide.
- Brief your team. Explain the changes to writers and reviewers with examples from your own documents.
- Apply the issue to new work first. Many teams use the new issue for new documents and update old documents when they revise them for other reasons.
- Record the issue. Note which issue each document follows, so that reviewers and auditors know which rules apply.
What stays the same
Whatever details change between issues, the core of Simplified Technical English is stable. Writers still use approved words with one meaning. Sentences are still short. Procedures still use commands with the verb first. Warnings still tell the reader the risk and the action. If you know the principles well, a new issue is an update to your knowledge, not a new language.
This is why we recommend that you learn the principles first and then study the details of the current issue. Our What is STE and writing rules pages explain the principles in simple words. The ASD STE 100 skill page gives you a learning path and exercises. The STE checker helps you find common problems in your own text.
Questions about Issue 9
Is Issue 9 the current issue? At the time we wrote this page, Issue 9 is the current issue. Always check the official website, because a new issue can replace it.
Must I use Issue 9 for all documents? Not always. Your contract or your customer can require a specific issue. Follow that requirement.
Where is the list of changes? In the official specification and on the official website. We do not reproduce it here, so that you always read the correct and complete information.
Is this website connected to ASD? No. STE Guide is an independent educational resource. It is not affiliated with ASD or STEMG.