Professionals should choose language that reflects the preferred terms for select population groups. Below are some resources with guidance and best practices for communicating using inclusive, respectful, and de-stigmatizing language.
While we want to avoid using offensive or outdated language, it is part of the historical record. Searching using today's terms may not find the primary sources or historical materials we need because the search engines cannot always match today's language with older terminology.
Use sources, such as the thesaurus below, to learn what terms have been used and by whom in the past.
