Sensitive language helps you avoid bias. Consult APA 7, "Chapter 5: Bias-Free Language Guidelines," for more information.
Be specific rather than descriptive.
Biased: I surveyed older adultswhile collecting data.
This statement does not give specific information about the age of the participants, allowing the reader to make assumptions. Without specific information, "older adults" could refer to anyone who is 65years andolder.
Better: I surveyed participants between ages 70 and 84 while collecting data.
This statement specifically tells the reader what the age range was for the participants in this survey, ensuring that the reader does not make assumptions about the ages of the participants.
Keep wording parallel.
Biased: The man and female turned out to be the directors of the Red Cross.
While "man" is fine on its own, paired with "female," it is not parallel. Additionally, "female" should only be used as an adjective (i.e., "the female participant"), not as a noun (like in this sentence). Instead, always use "man" with "woman" and "male" with "female" and only use "male" and "female" as adjectives and "man" and "woman" as nouns.
Better: The man and woman turned out to be the directors of the Red Cross.
In this sentence, the parallel terms "man" and "woman" are used. Also, "female" and "male" are not used as nouns at all.
Use up-to-date terms for sexual identity.
Biased: The population who were hom*osexual in the survey responded "No" 75% of the time (Martin, 2010).
In this sentence, the entire population is considered to be "hom*osexual," which is not very descriptive. Per APA (2020), "hom*osexual" is not a specific enough term (p. 147).
Better: The population who were lesbian responded "No" 75% of the time (Martin, 2010).
Instead, in this sentence, the term "lesbian" is used to be more specific about the sexual orientation of the population surveyed.
Terms for sexual identity change over time. Consult with the individuals and communities you are researching about the terms they use to identify themselves and use those terms in your writing.
Use parallel racial and ethnic identity terms.
Biased: Those surveyed who are African American responded similarly to those who reported being White. In comparison, the non-Whites also responded similarly to the Asians surveyed.
There are many forms of nonparallel terms here. The term "African American" is paired with "White," which is not parallel. The African American population is also labeled as "non-Whites," using one racial group as the primary group. The term "Asian" is also not parallel.
Better: Those surveyed who are African American responded similarly to those who reported being European American. In comparison, the African Americans also responded similarly to the Japanese Americans surveyed.
This sentence uses parallel terms for all racial identities, as well as using the specific term "Japanese American."
Use people-first language when discussing labels.
Biased: The epileptics consulted with specialists during the trial to address their particular needs.
This sentence defines people by a label instead of acknowledging that they are people first.
Better: The individuals with epilepsy consulted with specialists during the trial to address their particular needs.
Here, the personhood of the individuals is affirmed and placed first in the sentence. This way, the reader sees the person first, then the label. Also note that the APA (2020) manual provides "General Guidelines for Reducing Bias." APA instructs writers to "be sensitive to labels" and that researchers should "respect the language people’ use to describe themselves" (p. 133).
Reference
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).
