The Living Glossary
Exploring words, people and power.
About
The Living Glossary is a collective and iterative exploration of the words we use around community-led research, what different people might mean by them, and what these differences can tell us about the power dynamics behind them and our practices. By saying that it is a living glossary, we are highlighting the fact that this is a ‘live’ process and not a fixed definition of terms, but rather a way to point to the various ways in which these words can be used and interpreted, and how they can change depending on the context they’re used in. It is a tool for helping us think more critically about the language we’re using, but also as a means of acknowledging and learning from different perspectives.
how to works
We have been developing the Living Glossary as a group activity and reflection exercise as part of our regular Community of Practice sessions. It has been designed as a tool that can be used individually, as a group, or as the basis of a structured conversation. Throughout the exercise, we ask participants to think about what a certain word means to them, and to then think about how people from specific groups or perspectives might use the word, such as grassroots community members / people with lived experience; researchers; policy/decision-makers; or funders.
Participants are invited to discuss this in small groups, either putting themselves in the shoes of one of these perspectives and describing how they think the word is used or answering on their own behalf. Comments are recorded on an online platform called padlet, which can be added to at any time.
Image of someone pointing at a card with an abstract illustration on it, amongst a selection of other illustrated cards. Photo credit: Alexander Williamson (2024)
You can see examples of our previous exercises around some of the key words our members have chosen to explore below.
how to get involved
Come along to one of our next Community of Practice sessions to participate in the activity, or click on any of the links below to add your own thoughts about how these words are used.
