Terminology

Always try to align language with how the client speaks about their people.

"People", "employees," "residents," not "users"
“Participant” for people in the research, not “subject” or “respondent,” unless differentiating interview participants from survey respondents
“Stakeholder” for combined groups of leaders, staff, and community members engaged in a project.
“Client” for the organization that hired DORIS (e.g., City of Indy, Saint Boniface Parish, City of Boulder).
“Remote/hybrid workers,” not “telecommuters” or “homebound staff.”

Forbidden or to avoid in DORIS voice (unless in quotes):

Jargon that obscures meaning (“synergy,” “best-in-class,” “low-hanging fruit”) when a more concrete phrase is available.
Dehumanizing labels (“the disabled,” “the elderly,” “illegals”); use people-first or identity-respecting language instead.
Overly evaluative labels like “problem employees” or “noncompliant communities;” describe behaviors or situations instead.

Use these consistently:

“DORIS is a research firm specializing in human ecology,” or shortened to “DORIS is a research firm that studies people, how they interact with each other, and their physical environment.”

Service phases: “Challenge Defining,” “Action Planning,” “Insight Report,” “Research Process,” “Solutioning Session,” “Decision Playbook,” “Next Steps,” capitalized as branded steps.
For each client, use their preferred initiative names exactly (e.g., “Customer Service Center,” “Western City Campus,” “Saint Boniface Community Study”).

Spell out on first use with acronym in parentheses; use the acronym thereafter when it appears again in the same document (e.g., “Customer Service Center (CSC),” “City-County Building (CCB),” “Office of Public Health and Safety (OPHS).”
If an acronym appears only once, do not introduce the acronym—just spell it out.
For commonly known government acronyms (e.g., ADA, VPN), you may use the acronym alone if the audience clearly understands it; otherwise spell out on first mention.