ISOAmericanstyle

ISOAmericanstyle is a hypothetical profile of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that aims to reconcile ISO documentation practices with American usage. It is described as a pragmatic approach for multinational organizations producing materials targeted at the United States while maintaining compatibility with ISO's global standards. The concept envisions guidelines rather than a standalone standard, enabling authors and publishers to produce documents that read naturally to American audiences without sacrificing interoperability.

Core elements include language variant choices (American English spelling and terminology), date and numeral formatting, measurement guidance (primary use of SI units with clear US customary equivalents where appropriate), typography and punctuation conventions (for example, guidance on capitalization and the serial comma), and citation and metadata practices aligned with American publishing norms. It also addresses localization workflows, translation memory, and terminology management to ensure consistency across languages.

Relationship to existing standards: ISOAmericanstyle is intended as a supplementary profile that can be used alongside ISO 8601, ISO 4, ISO 690, and related standards. It does not replace ISO’s global requirements but provides localization guidance for US audiences. Adoption is voluntary and typically pursued by organizations that publish large volumes of consumer or professional documentation for the US market.

Impact and critique: Supporters argue that it improves readability and market relevance, while critics caution that it may fragment global consistency and complicate cross-border documentation. Implementation usually involves templates, glossaries, and staff training. See also: ISO 8601, American English spelling, ISO 690.