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Dear Michael This question has come up several times on the List serve, though in most cases I think people have replied off list. Words used to describe people at particular periods is a difficult subject for archivist, but despite pressure from elsewhere we should not deny history as that is a sure fire way to forget and repeat it. These words need to be taken in their historical context. Here we always use the original file titles and if alternative words are needed in the description or as keywords to allow searching by modern phrases then that is probably the way to go. Some people use quotation marks, ad it you are comfortable with that then that is probably the route for you, but please don’t ever remove words because you think they might cause offence today. Very best wishes Matthew Matthew McMurray BA(Hons) MA MLitt Archivist Royal Voluntary Service Archive & Heritage Collection Unit 1a Bath Road Business Centre Bath Road Devizes SN10 1XA Telephone: 01380 730211 Mobile:07714 898569 e-mail: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Twitter: @rvsarchives Facebook: facebook.com/rvsarchives From: Archivists, conservators and records managers. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Michael Kelliher Sent: 28 June 2017 09:42 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Use of terms which have become offensive. Dear All, I was wondering what would be best practice when it comes to the use of terms which are now considered offensive. I am currently cataloguing correspondence with an organisation which used a medical term in its title but which later became pejorative. What best practice to include this word in title, with or without inverted commas? Would it be better to use an alternative title which uses the modern title and then include the old title of the organisation within the scope and content? Regards, Michael Kelliher, Contract Archivist Officer, Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles, Province of Ireland, Ardfoyle Convent, Ardfoyle Avenue, Ballintemple, Cork. Contact the list owner for assistance at [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> For information about joining, leaving and suspending mail (eg during a holiday) see the list website at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=archives-nra [http://www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/Uploads/Images/email_sign_off/email_footer.JPG]<www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/efooter> Contact the list owner for assistance at [log in to unmask] For information about joining, leaving and suspending mail (eg during a holiday) see the list website at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=archives-nra