Ways to standardize the terminology used in forensic medicine

Incorrect use of terminology leads to serious, sometimes fundamental errors both in the scientific field and in forensic medical practice. The essence of the problem lies in the neglect of the fundamental requirements imposed on the terms and concepts used.

The authors propose a comprehensive approach to the standardization of terminology used in forensic medicine. Special attention is paid to the actual problem of synonymy and polysemy when using special terminology in forensic science and practice.

A detailed interpretation of the basic principles of the choice of the term, named in GOST R ISO 704-2010 “Terminological work. Principles and methods”. The principles of transparency, consistency, adequacy, linguistic economy, derivability and articulation, linguistic correctness, native language preferences are revealed. A clear algorithm for choosing principles is given in order to avoid different approaches to the definition of terms and concepts in order to provide the most correct, accurate and unambiguously understood information, especially with the formal presence of several designations.

The authors substantiate the use by a forensic medical expert in his practical and scientific work of only unified terminology based on the principle of stable unambiguity of terms. The article focuses on the importance of the correct use of terms that are essential when applying them in the professional activity of a forensic medical expert.