Practical tips on research language

• ask your supervisors if they use words you don't understand.
• if you work with a BSL/English interpreter, ask your supervisor(s) for a glossary of the key words you and your interpreter need to know
• if you lip read, explain to your supervisor(s) that you will not be able to lip read unknown words
• encourage them to use the words, but with a plain English definition
• use any existing glossaries to build up your knowledge
• don't feel intimidated if others in the research community seem to use complex language confidently; at some point in their education they didn't know these terms
• share with your peers any concerns you have about subject terminology; as one of the researchers said, you will find you are not the only person who may struggle with the language of research
• keep a notebook  or word document in which you build up your own glossary of research terms
• add to any definition an example of how the word is used - a sentence which uses the word in its proper context.

A glossary of generic research terms with plain English definitions is available to download. It is by no means a definitive glossary, but it may provide a framework for starting to grapple with the language of research.