Engaging Diverse Voices through Research & Resources

The Problem

Language evolves over time, and terminology that was considered acceptable in the past may now be outdated and even offensive. While we can change the way we use language and encourage those around us to be more conscientious in our everyday lives, doing research on marginalized communities presents some unique challenges. 

First, as a general rule, resources are a reflection of the time period in which they were created. Researchers generally use the terminology that is in common usage at the time they are writing, so if you are researching a historical topic and are working with older resources from a time period where outdated terminology was common, you will likely encounter these outdated terms as you do your research.

Second, classification systems such as Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) take much longer to evolve than everyday language, and the process of changing those systems can be very political in nature. This is something that many librarians are working hard to change, but progress is slow and there is admittedly a long way to go. As a result, you may also encounter outdated and/or offensive terms in these classification systems themselves, even when working with recent research that uses appropriate terminology. 

The bottom line is that you are probably going to encounter some outdated and/or offensive language as you conduct your research, especially if your research topic is historical in nature. Encountering these offensive terms as you do your research can be surprising, upsetting, and even triggering. 

This is an unfortunate reality of conducting research, especially historical research, and rather than pretending you won’t encounter this challenging situation, we are choosing to directly address it so that you can prepare yourself accordingly. 

How Problematic Terminology Is Handled in This Guide

Most pages of this research guide have an expandable section entitled “Offensive and/or Outdated Terminology,” which we have collapsed by default so that you will not accidentally stumble upon these words unless you choose to reveal them. For visitors who use screen readers, please note that the information in these collapsed sections will also be hidden from your screen reader unless you purposefully expand it. The example below demonstrates how this will work in practice:

If you feel mentally and emotionally prepared to view these terms, you may find that they help you in your research. However, if you feel like you do not have the emotional bandwidth, we encourage you to listen to that and take care of yourself first and foremost. 

If you feel upset or triggered by something you encounter during the research process, please consider reaching out for support as you process these difficult emotions. CSUN has many resources and services that can help provide emotional support through this process.