Navigating Terminology in Latino Research: Evolution, Challenges, and Strategies for Discoverability

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Bibliometrics
• Sociolinguistics

Background:

• Terminology for individuals of Latin American and Hispanic descent has evolved.
• Shifting linguistic trends impact research discoverability and have policy, clinical, and academic implications.
• Effective search terms are crucial for accessing literature on Latino populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze trends in terminology usage for Latino populations in academic literature.
• To identify optimal search terms for enhancing research discoverability.
• To understand the impact of evolving language on accessing research related to Latino communities.

Main Methods:

• A structured search of PubMed from January 2000 to December 2022 was conducted.
• Publication frequencies for terms including "Hispanic," "Latin," "Latino," "Latina," "Latinx," and "Latine" were quantified.
• The study focused on article counts and term overlap, not content quality.

Main Results:

• A nine-fold increase in publications referencing the Latino population was observed over the study period.
• No single term encompassed all relevant literature; varied term combinations were utilized.
• Newer terms like "Latine" and "Latinx" showed increased usage in the last decade.

Conclusions:

• Evolving terminology significantly affects the discoverability of Latino-focused research.
• Implications exist for policymakers, researchers, and health providers in accessing relevant studies.
• Adopting diverse terminologies and strategic keyword integration is recommended to improve engagement with Latino-oriented research.