10 Things to Know About the New AMA Style Guidelines on Race and Ethnicity
Are you up to date on AMA Style’s new guidance on race and ethnicity? As medical writers and editors, it is important that we stay abreast of the new changes in the AMA Manual of Style. Since not everyone has it down pat yet, I have outlined 10 things to remember about the new guidelines on race and ethnicity.
Alphabetize race and ethnicity.
In tables and figures, as well as in text-based lists, authors should alphabetize races and ethnicities (eg, Asian, Black, Hispanic, White). This is different than the previous norm of listing in order of proportion.
Race and ethnicity are adjectives, not nouns.
When describing study demographics, it is incorrect to say there were 5,000 Blacks and 5,000 Whites enrolled in the study. Instead, use Black and White as adjectives, rather than nouns. So, you would say instead, there were 5,000 Black participants and 5,000 White participants enrolled in the study.
Capitalize races and ethnicities.
No matter the race or ethnicity being discussed, it should be capitalized. Avoid capitalization of White, however, when it can be considered inflammatory or inappropriate, such as the term “white supremacy.”
Define “other.”
In tables, this comes up quite frequently, and, as a manuscript editor, I am always querying authors for what is meant by the term “other” in demographics of race and ethnicity. For example, sometimes it is considered Native American or Pacific Islander, or other times it is considered multiracial. Others still, race is self-reported by survey, and this is the category chosen by the participant. It is important to note the definition of the term “other” in all cases.
Lose the virgule.
The new guidance on race and ethnicity stopped using the virgule construction of race and ethnicity (ie, race/ethnicity). A virgule often means and/or, which can be confusing in this case, because there are many subcategories of both race and ethnicity.
Avoid catch-all terminology.
Avoid use of general terms, such as “people of color.” It is preferred to describe the races and ethnicities of the people in the study population, rather than using catch-all terminology. If a collective term is needed, the AMA Manual of Style recommends, “racial and ethnic minority groups.”
Know the purpose of measuring race and ethnicity.
It is essential to remember that race is a social construction and not a biological difference. There are concerns about medical research that treats race as a biological concern. Also, sometimes artificial intelligence platforms rely on data from largely White participants, biasing the results. If the study collected race and ethnicity metrics to identify social determinants of health, and other social or cultural differences, this should be stated.
Avoid use of colors to describe people.
It is no longer appropriate to use colors to describe people (eg, brown people). In many cases, this can be considered pejorative or a racial slur.
Avoid calling a person a “minority.”
In the same way that you would use race and ethnicity as an adjective, not a noun, you would also avoid the use of “minority” as a noun. This term can be stigmatizing. In some instances, “racially and ethnically minoritized individuals” or “racially and ethnically minoritized communities” may be appropriate.
Avoid the use of terms, such as “non-White” or even “non-Hispanic.”
Grouping people into buckets of White and non-White groups is often inappropriate, unless such categorization can be defined and is justified by the author. When using terms like “non-Hispanic Black” individuals, it is often appropriate to define the term on first reference as “hereafter, Black” individuals.