Writing styles are unique. Professional writers work hard to establish skills that clearly and effectively communicate scholarly work. However, even the most correct and precise writing styles must change to meet contemporary needs and society norms. This is best articulated by Maysa Akbar, chief diversity officer of the American Psychological Association (APA):

As we strive to further infuse principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) into the fabric of society, those committed to effecting change must acknowledge language as a powerful tool that can draw us closer together or drive us further apart. Simply put, words matter. The words we use are key to creating psychologically safe, inclusive, respectful, and welcoming environments.1

Recently, the APA and the American Medical Association provided free resources for authors that highlight diversity equality and inclusion (DEI) or EDI principles (Table). These documents are designed to be used in conjunction with the most recent APA and American Medical Association publication manuals.2,3

TABLE - APA and AMA Links

Abbreviations: AMA, American Medical Association; APA, American Psychological Association.

Publishers, editors, and interdisciplinary leadership teams may introduce these tools to encourage DEI writing transitions for all scholarly publications, memos, emails, and professional communication. Organizations may consider adding this content to leadership or education sessions. These terms, formats, and adaptations in writing style require some practice, but they will help all writers produce bias free language.

Experts in sexual orientation and gender diversity crafted APA's bias-free language guidelines for writing about gender, including the guidance on singular “they.”4

These guidelines cover how to write about not only gender but also age, disability, participation in research, racial and ethnic identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and intersectionality. Intersectionality is a term that is new to many of us. It refers to the way in which individuals are shaped by and identify with a vast array of cultural, structural, sociobiological, economic, and social contexts. Intersectionality is discussed in more detail in Section 5.10 of the seventh edition of the APA Publication Manual.2

Please share these resources and discussions with your colleagues!

Kathleen Ahern Gould, PhD, RN
Editor in Chief, Dimensions of
Critical Care Nursing

1. American Psychological Association. Inclusive language guidelines. https://www.apa.org/about/apa/equity-diversity-inclusion/language-guidelines. Accessed August 19, 2023. 2. American Psychological Association. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association 2020: The Official Guide to APA Style. 7th ed. American Psychological Association; 2020. 3. Christiansen S, Iverson C, Flanagin A, et al. AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors. 11th ed. Oxford University Press; 2020. 4. American Psychological Association. Welcome, singular “they”. October 31, 2019. https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/singular-they. Accessed August 1, 2023