Gender-neutral pronouns

Ensure inclusivity by using gender-neutral pronouns like "they" and "their" in documentation. Avoid gender-specific language and rewrite sentences for clarity and directness.

Write for inclusivity and don't make assumptions about sex or gender. When you write Splunk documentation, avoid gender-specific and sexist language.

Most of the topics in Splunk documentation use the second-person singular pronoun, "you" and "your", to address a single user directly. If you have to write in the third person or refer to someone in the third person, make sure that you choose gender-neutral third-person pronouns, such as "they", "their", and "them".

In Splunk documentation, it's acceptable to use a plural pronoun with a singular antecedent when you refer to people. Use third-person plural pronouns when you refer to a person. Don't write "him or her" or "his or hers".

Do this: The end user must add lines of code to their app for it to work in Splunk Enterprise.

In most cases, you can make the antecedent plural to keep agreement with the pronoun.

Do this: End users must add lines of code to their app for it to work in Splunk Enterprise.

In many cases, and preferably, you can rewrite the sentence to be more direct.

Do this: You must add code to your app for it to work in Splunk Enterprise.

The following examples are not acceptable uses of pronouns in Splunk documentation:

Noninclusive: The end user must add lines of code to his or her app for it to work in Splunk Enterprise.
Sexist: The end user must add lines of code to her app for it to work in Splunk Enterprise.
Sexist: The end user must add lines of code to his app for it to work in Splunk Enterprise.

If you refer to an actual person in your writing, ask for their pronouns and use those. Don't assume or guess. If you need to create a fictional persona for your documentation, make sure to choose a gender-neutral fictitious name. See Example names and domains.