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Article contents
Abstract
Language is a powerful tool in legal research, but its influence is often underestimated. From the diplomatic fallout of the Ems Dispatch, to the varied terminology used to describe a person bringing a claim, in this article Holly Mottram examines how subtle variations in terminology have significantly altered global events and have a day-to-day impact on legal research outcomes. Several practical strategies are proposed to enhance research accuracy– focused contextual questioning, taking time at the beginning of a research task for keyword planning, and careful usage of artificial intelligence (AI) to assist the process. Ultimately, this paper argues that legal information professionals must remain vigilant and intentional in their language use if they wish to meet the needs of the requestor, and that their practices should evolve and adapt to not only account for changes in language, but changes in technology. Words matter– not just in theory, but in every day legal research.
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- © The Author(s), 2025. Published by British and Irish Association of Law Librarians
References
Endnotes
1 Oxford English Dictionary, ‘June 2025 Update’ (Oxford University Press, 2025) <www.oed.com/information/updates/june-2025/> accessed 18 August 2025.
2 King’s College London, The Franco-Prussian War 150 years on: Aconflict that shaped the modern state (King’s College London, 2025) <www.kcl.ac.uk/the-franco-prussian-war-150-years-on> accessed 7 July 2025.
3 Deutschlandmuseum, The Ems Dispatch (Deutschlandmuseum, 2025) <www.deutschlandmuseum.de/en/history/calendar/1870-07-13-the-ems-dispatch/> accessed 7 July 2025.
4 Eymeric Job, ‘The Ems Dispatch: the telegram that started the Franco-Prussian War’ (Napoleon.org, 2019) <www.napoleon.org/en/history-of-the-two-empires/articles/the-ems-dispatch-the-telegram-that-started-the-franco-prussian-war/> accessed 10 June 2025.
5 Ibid
6 Ibid
7 King’s College London, The Franco-Prussian War 150 years on: Aconflict that shaped the modern state (King’s College London, 2025) <www.kcl.ac.uk/the-franco-prussian-war-150-years-on> accessed 14 July 2025.
8 Nuclear Museum, Potsdam Declaration (Atomic Heritage Foundation, 2025) <https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/key-documents/potsdam-declaration/> accessed 7 August 2025.
9 Brian PWalsh, ‘Mokusatsu Revisited: Kazuo Kawai and Japan’s Response to the Potsdam Declaration’ (2025) 94(1) Pacific Historical Review
10 Brian PWalsh, ‘Mokusatsu Revisited: Kazuo Kawai and Japan’s Response to the Potsdam Declaration’; Boris Naimushin, ‘Hiroshima, Mokusatsu and Alleged Mistranslations’ (2021) 7(1) English Studies at NBU.
11 Practical Law, ‘Applicant’ (Westlaw UK, 2025) <https://content.next.westlaw.com/Glossary/UKPracticalLaw/I3f4a42d9e8db11e398db8b09b4f043e0> accessed 18 August 2025.
12 Practical Law, ‘Petitioner’ (Westlaw UK, 2025) <https://plcuk.next.westlaw.com/Glossary/UKPracticalLaw/I3f4a6a23e8db11e398db8b09b4f043e0> accessed 18 August 2025.