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UniSQ Oxford Referencing Guide

Oxford referencing style for UniSQ

Inclusive language

Inclusive language

Inclusive language aims to be respectful to others by treating language describing individual and group identity with sensitivity and by avoiding bias that could make some people feel excluded.

 

Specificity

Broad terms group diverse populations and traditions together. Be specific where possible and use the subject's preferred term.

For example, Bundjalung Peoples, Sunni Muslims in India

Avoid stereotypes and generalisations about group identities.

 

Capitalisation

Terms that denote identity are sometimes captilised when derived from proper nouns, for example, Egyptian, Buddhist. Some are not, for example, bisexual, graduand

If you are working with an author or writing about a person or community whose preferences are known, follow that preference.

For example, some writers use Deaf to refer to the Deaf community but deaf to refer to hearing loss.

Avoid language or punctuation that undermines a subject's identity. Do not place quotation marks around a word or italicise a word to define a person's or group's identity or to indicate a transgender person's name or pronoun.

When writing about Indigenous and/or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples you should capitalise as you would when writing about Australia, France, etc. Titles and cultural terms are also capitalised. See below for examples.

First Nations language and/or nation groups, Country

Kamilaroi, Kamilaroi Country

People and positions

Aunty, Uncle, Elder

General/umbrella terms

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Indigenous, First Nations

Cultural terms

Lore, Knowledge

To learn more see Table 4.1 Guide to writing respectfully about First Nations Australians.