Plain + Inclusive Language
At the WHRI, we strive to be equitable and inclusive in how we collaborate, in what we prioritize, and in all that we do. In line with these values, we strive to ensure that our communication – and the communications activities we support – use language that is accessible, inclusive, and accurate.
With that, we have co-led an institute level project called Beyond the Binary. The project, which has engaged community partners with lived experience of gender-based inequities, had informed the co-creation of three guides for the research community. You can download them on the Beyond the Binary page.
TransCare BC Gender Inclusive Language
This resource breaks down gender inclusive language and how to use it in a respectful and professional way.
Options for Sexual Health – Pronouns & Gender
What is gender? What are pronouns? And what can you do to be supportive and respectful of gender in everyday conversations?
Sum of Us Progressive Style Guide
This guide covers language in issue areas from age and disability to race, gender, indigeneity, health, and geopolitics. It is a valuable and up-to-date resource that provides language and words that are used by advocates and communities as well as why this language matters.
Beyond the Binary
The Beyond the Binary guide, and accompanying videos provide the research community with community informed terms, nested across phases of the research process. The guide highlights ongoing practices to enable long-term practice of gender-inclusive language use.
Sex & Gender Checklist
This is a checklist for integrating sex and gender considerations in health research from the proposal and design stage, to reporting and communication, to the makeup of the research team. The page also includes links to other checklists and resources on this subject.
RHO – Designing Services and Questionnaires
A comprehensive guide to using LGBTQ2+ inclusive language when designing surveys and questionnaires.
RHO – Qualitative Interviewing LGBTQ2+ Communities
A guide to using LGBTQ2+ inclusive language in qualitative research, including creating an interview guide, focus groups, and analysing and interpreting the qualitative data.
Collecting Transgender Inclusive Information
Collecting information from people (i.e. survey, questionnaire, demographic data, etc.) is generally one of the first interactions a person has with research. This resource created by the Canadian AIDS Society is a tool that will help modify forms so people who identify as Trans are included, and the information collected about gender is correct and more useful. In this resource, is a variety of trans-inclusive form questions from questions regarding gender/sex, name, title, sexual orientation, pronouns, and sexual behaviours.
BC Support Unit – Plain Language Guide
This interactive practical guide to plain language walks you through the process in plain language, providing tools, resources, and best practices to shape more clear, concise and accessible writing.