Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Inclusive Language Guide, 2nd edition"Words matter. Psychological science shows that the language people use is critically important as individuals strive to create a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive world. In an effort to build a common vocabulary, APA has introduced the inclusive language guidelines—a place to find the most relevant language to use when communicating about equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI).
The inclusive language guidelines seek to provide guidance for the utilization of the most contemporary language based on psychological science to guide EDI communication. During the development of the guidelines, we consulted with experts who study the psychology behind discrimination, marginalization, and the experiences of different social identity groups. We also turned to APA Style’s comprehensive bias-free language guidelines, APA’s own policy statements, practice guidelines, and psychological research in journals and books. The inclusive language guidelines are meant to be used in conjunction with, not in place of, the bias-free language guidelines in Chapter 5 of the Publication Manual."
