





































 V38 N1 / 2023 

©2023 American Medical Writers Association. All rights reserved.  
ISSN 2163-5315

AMWAJournal.org     24

Speakers
Leila Emery, MA 
Senior Medical Editor/RTI-HS Diversity and Inclusion 

Advisory Council, RTI Health Solutions, Research  

Triangle Park, NC

Joyce Clark Hicks, BA 
Senior Medical Editor/RTI-HS Diversity and Inclusion 

Advisory Council, RTI Health Solutions, Research  

Triangle Park, NC

By Rebecca Moran, MD
Medical writers are uniquely positioned to help address 

inequities and bias in medical research and reporting 

by adopting best practices for use of inclusive language. 

Writers who embrace inclusive language strive to focus on 

the perspectives and voices of those who have traditionally 

been marginalized or stereotyped and aim to avoid expres-

sions that exclude groups of people who have historically 

faced discrimination. Although the inclusive language 

umbrella encompasses a variety of groups and people, this 

presentation specifically focused on inclusive language as it 

applies to race, ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orien-

tation. To aid in the audience’s understanding of these con-

cepts, the speakers provided definitions of several key terms 

(Table 1).1

GOOD FOR SCIENCE, SOCIETY, AND BUSINESS
Adopting principles of inclusive language makes data 

stronger. It recognizes that people use different terms to 

self-identify based on their race, ethnicity, gender, gender 

identity, and/or sexual orientation. When surveys or other 

research tools use generalizations or stigmatizing terms, 

study participants might feel confused, negated, or “oth-

ered.” As a result, they may feel unable to accurately com-

plete a survey or be unwilling to participate in the study at 

all. Using inclusive language increases the likelihood that a 

diverse array of people will participate in research, which in 

Session Report 
Inclusive Language: Best Practices and Practical Applications 
For Medical Writers and Editors

CONFERENCE

Table 1. Definitions of Key Terms

Diversity Focuses on identities that correspond to 
societal differences in power and privilege and 
therefore the marginalization of some groups 
based on specific attributes; involves the 
representation of various social identity groups

Race Generally regarded as a means of 
differentiating between people by phenotypic 
characteristics such as skin color; it is a 
societal construct that has historically been 
used as a tool for oppression

Ethnicity A multifaceted component of one’s identity 
that can encompass the nationality, tribal 
affiliation, religion, language, and traditions 
of a particular group, among other aspects; 
as with race, it has been a basis for 
discrimination

Unconscious 
bias

Social stereotypes about certain groups 
of people that individuals form in an 
unconscious manner

Othering To view, treat, depict, and/or refer to a person 
or group of people as intrinsically different 
from or inferior to oneself using an “us versus 
them” mentality

Gender A set of sociocultural norms and expectations 
about behaviors and characteristics regarding 
what is considered “masculine” or “feminine” 
in a given society or context

Gender 
identity

One’s innermost concept of self as 
male, female, neither male nor female 
(eg, nonbinary), a blend of genders, or no 
gender; how one identifies based on these 
characteristics (eg, gay, lesbian, bisexual, 
pansexual, queer)

Sex assigned 
at birth

The assignment (male, female, or intersex) 
that a doctor or midwife uses to describe 
a child at birth based on anatomy and 
chromosomes

Sexual 
orientation

Emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attraction

Adaptation of Emery and Hicks1 reprinted with permission from RTI.

http://www.amwajournal.org


AMWAJournal.org     25Inclusive Language: Best Practices and Practical Applications

turn impacts health equity. It also signals to clients that you 

have expertise in this skill and that you (or your company) 

are keeping up with evolving terminology standards.

HOW TO START USING INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE
To start using inclusive language, the speakers encour-

aged all medical writers to ask themselves the following 

questions when writing or reviewing documents: is the ter-

minology or language used relevant, accurate, inclusive, 

respectful, and thoughtful?2 If it does not meet all 5 criteria, 

Hicks asked writers to consider whether it belongs in the 

document at all, and if so, can the language be massaged to 

meet these criteria? She goes on to note that “Incorporating 

inclusive language into our work requires conscious deci-

sions that call for conscious actions.”

 Table 21 lists specific examples provided by the speakers 

of language that is generalizing and stigmatizing, as well as 

their recommendations for preferred alternatives.

 Emery and Hicks provided additional advice on how writ-

ers can start using inclusive language in their work, including

• Respecting how individuals self-identify and allowing 

them to select more than one race and/or ethnicity 

when possible.

• Creating an inclusive language style guide that offers 

alternatives to generalized terms such as “minorities” 

and “non-White.”

• Being aware of stigmatizing language such as “mixed 

race” or “at-risk patients.”

• Avoiding “othering” language by expanding race, 

ethnicity, and gender identity response options in 

surveys.

• Changing “Other” to “A race or ethnicity not listed” 

or “A gender identity not listed.”

• Alphabetizing survey options to avoid creating a 

perceived hierarchy among surveyed groups.

OFFERING FEEDBACK AND MANAGING 
CLIENT CONCERNS
Efforts to employ inclusive language are relatively new, and 

you may find yourself in the position of needing to offer 

feedback regarding it to clients, colleagues, or other writers. 

The speakers offer several tips on how to approach this in a 

thoughtful and nonjudgmental way, including:

• Being constructive and collegial.

• Approaching the interaction as a learning opportunity.

• Thinking about how terminology is perceived by the 

reader.

• Collaborating with your client to create an inclusive 

language guide for the project.

• Linking to appropriate resources, such as the AMA

Manual of Style 11 th edition section on inclusive 

language.

• Keeping a log of frequently used feedback to use as 

stock text.

• Customizing software (such as PerfectIt) to scan for 

keywords or phrases for use in every project.

 Additionally, clients might be concerned about uninten-

tionally offending others or that the language is not inclu-

sive enough. Emery advised writers to express confidence 

in being able to handle the client’s inclusive language con-

cerns, to be humble, and to “recognize that you’re human, 

and the client is too. Inclusive language practices are new to 

many people, and we are all co-learning.”

Table 2. Examples of Preferred Terminology

Avoid Preferred
At-risk patients, 
at-risk youth, 
at-risk  
communities

Patients at risk of developing…  
(a specific disease, such as diabetes)
Communities of color at risk of  
developing…
Black patients at risk of developing…

Minorities, 
minority

Best practice is to name the specific 
group(s) being referenced

Minority 
communities

Communities of color
Historically underserved communities
Historically marginalized groups

Mixed race Biracial
Multiracial

Non-White(s) Best practice is to name the specific 
group(s) being referenced
If the group is unknown, use the 
above alternatives for “minority com-
munities”

Homosexual(s) Be specific when possible (eg, “men 
who identify as gay”)
Members of the LGBTQ+ community
People who identify as LGBTQ+

Sex change Gender-affirming surgery
Gender-affirmation surgery
Gender-confirmation surgery

Sexual 
preference/ 
lifestyle

Sexual orientation
“Preference” and “lifestyle” errone-
ously suggest that sexual orientation 
is a choice

Transgendered 
(used as an 
adjective)

Transgender (used as an adjective, 
eg, “a transgender patient”)

Adaptation of Emery and Hicks1 reprinted with permission from RTI.
Definition: LGBTQ+, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and many 
other terms.

http://www.amwajournal.org


AMWAJournal.org     26Inclusive Language: Best Practices and Practical Applications

THE IMPACT OF CHANGE
If Emery and Hicks made one concept exceedingly clear, 

it is this: words matter. Words have the power to draw 

us together or rip us apart, and medical writers can help 

achieve a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive society by 

adopting the principles of inclusive language. They summa-

rized the enormous potential impact of embracing inclusive 

language by sharing an eloquent sentiment that appeared 

in a journal editorial on racial and ethnic disparities in 

research: “Scientists and scientific journals have the oppor-

tunity to facilitate best practices and ultimately impact 

racial and ethnic disparities. The written interpretations of 

science by a few shape the future creation of history and  

science for many.”

Rebecca Moran, MD, is a freelance medical writer and practicing 
physician in Phoenix, AZ.

Author declaration and disclosures: The author notes no  
commercial associations that may pose a conflict of interest in 
relation to this article.

Author contact: rebecca@moranmedicalinsights.com

References
1. Emery L, Hicks JC. Inclusive language: best practices and 

practical applications for medical writers and editors. Presented 
at: 2022 AMWA Medical Writing & Communication Conference; 
November 5, 2022, Denver, CO.

2. PerfectIt. It makes sense to use sensitive language. PerfectIt. 
Published September 29, 2020. Accessed April 2022. https://web-
test.intelligentediting.com/blog/it-makes-sense-to-use-sensitive-
language/

Common Acronyms
ABIDE: Accessibility, Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity, 

and Equity

DEI: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

EDIB: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

JEDI: Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

RJE: Racial Justice and Equity

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