Offensive or Inclusive Language in Scientific Communication? – Scholarly Kitchen (Richard De Grijs | March 2022)
Indignant complaints that a policy or approach is guilty of “wokeness” have always been mystifying to us. None of us has an inviolate right to treat others with disrespect. Over recent decades the ranks of science have (too slowly) expanded to include a variety of races/cultures, sexes/gender identities, ages and people who live with a disability. And the readership of our work has definitely expanded. People do have a reasonable expectation to be treated with respect and to be included in scientific discussions, rather than excluded because of who they are. Times have changed folks, we all need to change as well. If you disagree, we will need to agree to disagree.