Better words, stronger science

In professions in which research guides practice, such as psychology, social work, nursing, and education, the words you use shape how others understand the people you serve. Biased research language often distorts information or reinforces assumptions that affect how people are studied, diagnosed, taught, and supported. From this perspective, language isn’t arbitrary—it’s good science.

APA Style guidelines on bias-free language emphasize describing people with precision and respect rather than relying on generalizations and stereotypes. According to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.; APA, 2020, Chapter 5), and the Inclusive Language Guide (2nd ed.; APA, 2023b), bias-free language reflects clarity, accuracy, and attention to context, especially when referring to aspects of identity that have been described in ways that lead to marginalization and stereotyping.

Although the consequences of biased language can be particularly visible in many research-driven, person-centered fields, the underlying principle of bias-free language applies to all writing: When language relies on labels and sweeping claims to describe human behavior, it weakens understanding. Whether you’re writing a scientific study or a research paper, following APA Style guidelines for reducing bias in language makes your writing more credible, precise, and respectful.

Anyone who writes about people makes choices that influence how readers understand the experiences of others. These choices can also perpetuate harmful attitudes about the people who participate in your studies or come to you for care. Writing with bias-free language shows consideration for others and honest reflection about your own perspectives and beliefs. It also may help to uncover and examine implicit biases, or unconscious attitudes against specific social groups (APA, 2020, 2025). Word choices can add a layer of judgment or stigma to descriptions of people, even when it’s unintended.

Biased language may appear when writing about identity descriptors such as age, disability, gender, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and research participants (APA, 2020, 2023a). These characteristics often are shaped by history, culture, and power dynamics, so it’s important to be thoughtful and specific when you decide how to use them in your writing. Biased language can also disregard intersectional identities and collapse the complex experiences of individuals into a simplistic label.

For guidelines on reducing bias when writing about identity descriptors, see Sections 5.3–5.9 in the Publication Manual and the Identity-Related Terms section in the Inclusive Language Guide (APA, 2020, 2023b).

Consider the differences between biased language and possible bias-aware revisions in these examples:

Notice how these changes use person-first language. These changes aren’t superficial. They replace labels with information, a shift that can influence how we interpret behaviors and interact with others in our fields.

Using person-first language isn’t the only way to remove bias from your writing. Some people prefer to use identity-first language, or language that reclaims terminology that once implied a negative identity, to refer to themselves (APA, 2020, 2023a, 2024). Examples of this language include “blind person” or “autistic person.” However, the main idea is to call people what they call themselves (APA, 2020, 2023a).

Remember to read your work for biased language as part of the essential revision process, along with checking spelling, grammar, and wordiness (APA, 2020, 2023a). APA Style offers practical guidance for identifying where assumptions, labels, and stereotypes tend to enter writing and how to revise thoughtfully.

Using inclusive, bias-free language is an essential aspect of good science and strong writing, but it isn’t about checking boxes or keeping up with terminology. Language is constantly evolving with societal changes and cultural shifts (APA, 2025). Responding to these changes with curiosity and humility helps those in research-driven, person-centered fields to describe human behavior and respond to individual needs with accuracy and care.

However, the same habits that make for rigorous science—precision, clarity, and respect—are not limited to research-driven fields. When any writer learns to notice where assumptions and generalizations slip into their words, and makes thoughtful revisions to address them, their work becomes more accurate, more credible, and more meaningful.