The words you use to describe people matter more than you might think.
Most scientists and clinicians want to use respectful, bias-free language — but no one taught them how. This free course gives you the awareness, vocabulary, and practical strategies to communicate about people with accuracy, respect, and confidence.
Have you ever been unsure whether the language you use to describe patients, study participants, or colleagues is respectful and accurate — or been told your word choices are outdated or biased?
This free online course will help you:
Understand why the words we use to describe people carry real weight in research and clinical practice
Recognize language that contributes to stigma, bias, and discrimination — and know what to use instead
Apply inclusive, bias-free language across your writing, clinical interactions, and daily work
Enroll for free!
What people are saying
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"Thank you for a brilliant course. It was clear, direct and insightful. It was an eye-opener for me in many ways, especially in developing sensitivity, empathy and compassion in our writing. I was particularly impressed by the avoidance of the use of 'patient management' as it is dehumanising as we are not managing patients but diseases or symptoms. I would recommend this course to anyone working in the health sciences and to anyone who wants to use more inclusive language in their daily work.”
– Maria Corujo-Besga, PhD, Innovation Consultant
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“I loved this course. It was full of examples and easy to apply.
In fact, about an hour after finishing the course, I noticed where "suffering from" could be rewritten as "diagnosed with" in a document. Simple changes can greatly impact how someone feels about their condition.
I want to spread the word about this course because inclusive language in medical writing helps everyone.”
– Tess Van Ee, Freelance Medical Writer
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“This course provides great examples and great resources on inclusive language. The information is clearly presented and easily applied to multiple areas of medical writing and medical education in general. Thank you Crystal Herron, PhD, ELS and Redwood Ink for making this freely available and supporting others in their efforts to embrace cultural humility.”
–Julianna Merten, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP, Freelance Medical Writer, Chimeric Medical Communications, LLC.
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“In social contexts, we may hear all kinds of terms of identity being used. This course is a good outline of how writing using terms of identity is complex and carries significant weight. Ultimately this course provides precise guidance and how to think about identity when writing about people.”
– Craig Stevens, Freelance Writer
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“The Inclusive Language Course was insightful, one that helps writers become mindful of word choice. It is a course that allows advanced writing skills. I appreciate the way the course comes in digestible sections.”
– Lola Ravid, RN, Nomadic Pluma
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“I enjoyed the course and found the examples and quiz questions helpful. Overall I would recommend this as a well-organized and easy-to-follow introduction to inclusive language.”
– Blaine Bisel
Hi, I’m Crystal.
I'm a former biomedical scientist and clinical researcher who — like many of you — did not get adequate writing training in graduate school. That experience shapes everything I do as a scientific editor, educator, and communication strategist.
I've spent more than 15 years editing scientific and medical writing and more than 25 years teaching it. I'm the founder of Redwood Ink and an international speaker, and I've helped thousands of researchers, clinicians, and medical communicators across the health sciences hone their writing skills.
But here’s what actually matters: I know what it feels like to struggle to put important science into words that resonate with reviewers and readers. And the struggle isn’t a reflection of ability — writing well is a skill, and it can be learned.
I founded Redwood Ink with a simple goal: to help scientists, clinicians, and medical communicators write with the clarity and confidence their work deserves.