Conceptualizing an inclusive database for refugees in Portugal: a linguistic and terminological approach

Universidade do Minho Escola de Letras, Artes e Ciências Humanas Margarida Oliveira Ramos de Castro January 2023 Conceptualizing an inclusive database for refugees in Portugal: a linguistic and terminological approach Margarida Oliveira Ramos de Castro Conceptualizing an inclusive database for refugees in Portugal: a linguistic andterminological approach UMinho|2023 Universidade do Minho Escola de Letras, Artes e Ciências Humanas Margarida Oliveira Ramos de Castro January 2023 Conceptualizing an inclusive database for refugees in Portugal: a linguistic and terminological approach Supervised by: Professor Idalete Maria da Silva Dias and Professor Fernando Gonçalves Ferreira Alves Master Thesis European Master in Lexicography ii DIREITOS DE AUTOR E CONDIÇÕES DE UTILIZAÇÃO DO TRABALHO POR TERCEIROS Este é um trabalho académico que pode ser utilizado por terceiros desde que respeitadas as regras e boas práticas internacionalmente aceites, no que concerne aos direitos de autor e direitos conexos. Assim, o presente trabalho pode ser utilizado nos termos previstos na licença abaixo indicada. Caso o utilizador necessite de permissão para poder fazer um uso do trabalho em condições não previstas no licenciamento indicado, deverá contactar o autor, através do RepositóriUM da Universidade do Minho. Licença concedida aos utilizadores deste trabalho Atribuição-NãoComercial CC BY-NC https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Gostaria de agradecer a todos os que, de uma forma ou de outra, contribuíram para a realização e conclusão desta dissertação. Em primeiro lugar, queria agradecer à Professora Doutora Idalete Maria da Silva Dias, não só pela sua ajuda, contribuição indispensável e disponibilidade ao longo desta última etapa enquanto orientadora, mas também pelo seu papel essencial, no meu percurso, enquanto coordenadora do Mestrado. Foi um prazer trabalhar consigo, entusiasmar-me consigo e sobretudo aprender consigo. Obrigada por ter contribuído imensamente para a minha experiência positiva no EMLex! Ao Professor Doutor Fernando Ferreira Alves, por ter concordado orientar-me nesta fase final e pelo rigor, disponibilidade e prontidão com que sempre o fez. Fico muito feliz por ter acompanhado todo o meu percurso na UMinho e agradeço-lhe imenso por tudo o que aprendi consigo ao longo destes anos. Ao Iván Arias, por ter sido o meu parceiro nesta aventura, por ser aquele com quem partilhei tudo nestes dois anos: um apartamento na Alemanha, um folhado de chocolate no bar, uma mesa na biblioteca ou os créditos num trabalho. Mal posso esperar por ver aquilo que ainda irás alcançar (talvez um Doutoramento em Mestrados?). À minha família, por sempre acreditar nas minhas capacidades e me incentivar a estudar o que quero e me faz verdadeiramente feliz, mesmo quando o curso tem um nome difícil de decorar! O meu maior orgulho é ser vosso motivo de orgulho. Aos meus amigos, e em especial à Bia, Greta, Joana, Kika, Leo, Rita e Teté. Obrigada pelos desabafos, por acreditarem em mim e por todas as memórias que temos juntas. To my EMLex family, for making this master’s not just an academically fulfilling experience but a place of friendship! To all of those who enriched my experience in the Master’s, from professors, professionals, colleagues to everyone I met during my internship at TERMCOORD. Your expertise and guidance are always with me through every step of my career. To all of those who agreed to help me in my research, particularly those I interviewed. Thank you immensely for sharing your stories with me and for taking the time to contribute to this dissertation, I wish you the best of luck moving forward! iv STATEMENT OF INTEGRITY I hereby declare having conducted this academic work with integrity. I confirm that I have not used plagiarism or any form of undue use of information or falsification of results along the process leading to its elaboration. I further declare that I have fully acknowledged the Code of Ethical Conduct of the University of Minho. v Conceptualizing an inclusive database for refugees in Portugal: A linguistic and terminological approach ABSTRACT The role of Lexicography in society is undeniable, a fact which challenges the lexicographer to “think outside the box of linguistics” (Nielsen, 2011, p.1). While considering the Villa Vigoni Theses on Lexicography, this project reflects on the social responsibility of the lexicographer laid out in the third thesis. The aim of this dissertation is thus to consider how both lexicography and terminology can be used to build a more inclusive society through the conceptualization of a database for refugees in Portugal. Refugees, the target users of this database, are at the forefront of the research in various points, particularly given their active inclusion, incorporation and participation in the research process. The methodology employed thus entails the gathering of qualitative data on refugees’ needs, challenges and experiences. The chief purpose of the database is to facilitate their integration in Portuguese society by simplifying their access to information. The type of data included should go beyond linguistic queries by treating other types of information crucial to refugees' livelihood and their integration in Portugal, particularly the access to public services. To achieve this, a user-centric approach was essential and Plain Language strategies as well as methods to achieve accessibility and an inclusive design are considered in order to conceptualize a database which is truly tailored to the target audience and the usage situations they are associated with. Keywords: inclusion, lexicography, plain language, refugees, terminology. vi Conceptualização de uma base de dados inclusiva para refugiados em Portugal: uma abordagem linguística e terminológica RESUMO O papel da Lexicografia na sociedade é inegável, um facto que desafia o lexicógrafo a "pensar fora da caixa da linguística" (Nielsen, 2011, p.1). Ao considerar as teses de Villa Vigoni sobre Lexicografia, este projeto reflete sobre a responsabilidade social do lexicógrafo exposta na terceira tese. O objetivo desta dissertação é, deste modo, considerar de que forma é que a lexicografia e a terminologia podem ser utilizadas para construir uma sociedade mais inclusiva através da conceptualização de uma base terminológica para refugiados em Portugal. Os refugiados, público-alvo desta base de dados terminológica, estão no centro da investigação em vários pontos, particularmente através da sua inclusão ativa, integração e participação no processo de investigação. A metodologia utilizada implica, então, a recolha de dados qualitativos sobre as necessidades, desafios e experiências dos refugiados. O principal objetivo da base terminológica é facilitar a sua integração na sociedade portuguesa, simplificando o seu acesso à informação. O tipo de dados incluídos deve ir além de questões linguísticas, tratando outros tipos de informação cruciais para a subsistência dos refugiados e a sua integração em Portugal, particularmente no acesso aos serviços públicos. Para o conseguir, foi essencial uma abordagem centrada no utilizador e são consideradas estratégias de linguagem clara, bem como métodos para alcançar a acessibilidade e um design inclusivo, a fim de conceptualizar uma base terminológica verdadeiramente adaptada ao público-alvo e às situações de utilização às quais está associado. Palavras-chave: inclusão, lexicografia, linguagem clara, refugiados, terminologia. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS DIREITOS DE AUTOR E CONDIÇÕES DE UTILIZAÇÃO DO TRABALHO POR TERCEIROS ...... ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ..................................................................................................... iii STATEMENT OF INTEGRITY .............................................................................................. iv ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................... v RESUMO ........................................................................................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES ...............................................................................................................x ABBREVIATIONS .............................................................................................................. xii CHAPTER I - INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 1 1.1. Scope of the dissertation ..................................................................................................... 2 1.2. Objectives of the dissertation ............................................................................................... 3 1.3. Structure of the dissertation ................................................................................................. 4 CHAPTER II - CONTEXTUALIZATION OF THE RESEARCH ................................................... 5 2. The Refugee Crisis and Portugal as refugee host country ............................................................. 5 2.1. Refugee: a matter of terminology ......................................................................................... 5 2.2. Refugee Crisis in Europe: an overview .................................................................................. 9 2.3. Portugal and the reception of Refugees .............................................................................. 12 2.4. The Refugee Population in Portugal ................................................................................... 14 2.5. Asylum legislation in Portugal ............................................................................................ 14 2.6. Integration policies: the GTAEM report ............................................................................... 15 3. Inclusion ................................................................................................................................... 17 3.1. Terminological overview ..................................................................................................... 17 3.2. Inclusion in Lexicography, Terminology and Linguistics ...................................................... 18 3.3. Inclusion in our project ...................................................................................................... 24 4. Plain Language: a device for inclusion ....................................................................................... 26 4.1. What is Plain Language? .................................................................................................... 27 4.2. History of Plain Language .................................................................................................. 28 4.3. Why use Plain Language: Benefits and criticism ................................................................. 30 4.4. Plain Language guidelines ................................................................................................. 31 CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................... 36 5. Answering the research questions ............................................................................................. 36 5.1. Interview stage .................................................................................................................. 39 1 1. CHAPTER I - INTRODUCTION In 2018, a group of specialists in fields spanning from practical lexicography to empirical linguistics gathered to formulate a series of theses on the future of lexicography, and the accompanying tasks at hand and issues it might be facing. The Villa Vigoni Theses on Lexicography 1 , as they were named, pointed out some of the challenges of modern-day lexicography, as well as the lacunae both in research and in the practical application of the discipline. The third thesis serves to remind us of the social responsibility of the lexicographer, namely when it comes to the accurate pluralistic description of realities within linguistics and beyond it. When confronted with this thesis, the idea that a lexicographer and their work can shape society, both for the best and for the worst, became a point of interest to me which would then lead to the concept surrounding the present dissertation. As a student of the European Master in Lexicography, it was important for me to make a case for how the lexicographer can create and contribute towards a more inclusive society. To achieve this, it is crucial to “(…) [think] outside the box of linguistics” (Nielsen, 2011, p.1) and look beyond the traditional goals and procedures that compose the dictionary making process. To explore this principle, the present project seeks to build an inclusive multimodal database, which is also a lexicographically and terminologically relevant tool, aimed at refugees living in Portugal. The main purpose is to facilitate their integration and inclusion in Portuguese society, mainly by facilitating their access to public services and essential information. Inclusion within the field of lexicography is not a new idea, though. In fact, the 2021 XIX EURALEX International Congress was organized around the motto “Lexicography for Inclusion”, the proceedings of which are a testament to the vastness of the term inclusion and what striving to achieve this principle could mean not just for lexicography, but for the world of linguistics in general. In this dissertation, the concept of inclusion stems from a focus on the target audience. As an international master’s programme, the students of EMLex, who themselves come from a myriad of cultures, are often faced with the challenges associated with moving to a new country. While language is an evident barrier and an inescapable challenge to most, there are several informational needs that are often overlooked and that can isolate those who are coming from another culture even further. When it comes to people from other countries arriving in Portugal to live here, refugees represent a particularly marginalized group, who face further challenges that go beyond those experienced by an 1 The Villa Vigoni Theses are available online: https://www.emlex.phil.fau.eu/files/2019/03/Villa-Vigoni-Theses-2018-English.pdf 2 exchange student or someone moving abroad for professional reasons. The events of the last decade which lead to a Europe-wide and much-discussed refugee crisis, in addition to the recent war and the millions of Ukrainians fleeing to Europe for refuge, led us to shift our focus to this group, refugees, who constitute our main target audience. These forced displacements and the crisis deriving from disastrous events such as war or climate catastrophes are situations that have increasingly and irreversibly reshaped our society. This social phenomenon carries with it a major mission, especially for the welcoming countries, namely that of ensuring the inclusion of refugees into society. The conceptualization process described in the dissertation aims to contribute towards this cause, by envisioning a resource that seeks to tear down not only linguistic barriers but also cultural, administrative, and, ultimately, the emotional constraints that come with being forced to flee your home country. In the following section, the overall scope and objectives of the dissertation will be discussed, as well as its structure. 1.1. Scope of the dissertation The dissertation will focus on the conceptualization process of a database aimed at refugees arriving in Portugal and the several ways in which the idea of inclusion can be applied to such a project. The general proposal is to describe how we would conceptualize a resource organized into two sections: one will be a terminological database (or termbase) in its more traditional sense, while an informational guide in a question-and-answer format will complete this resource and aid refugees in situations that go beyond linguistic and translation-related endeavours. Firstly, we should consider user-oriented lexicographic theory, namely through the definition of a user profile which should inform us on our audience’s potential needs, as well as the potential usage situations in which they would be making use of the platform. To understand this, we will conduct user research with people who have been living in Portugal under international protection. To contextualize the evolution and current stage of the hosting of refugees in the country, a brief overview of the history, relevant statistical data and impact of the refugee crisis in Portugal will be provided. The employment of a methodology which brings us in direct contact with this group of people which will include both interviews and a survey phase, allows us to involve real potential users in our research. In 3 this way, by incorporating them in the conceptualization process, we will be creating a platform that could better reflect their needs and amplify their voices. During the data collection phase, research will be conducted to understand which subject fields or themes are more important to be included, which will be complemented by the analysis of how other resources aimed at refugees (websites, informational guides) organize their data. This is especially pressing due to the onomasiological nature of the resource, that is, its emphasis on the grouping of conceptually related terms and, in this case, information that relates to the same theme. This relates back to the informational dimension of our resource and how “the real essence of lexicography is the capacity of providing information” (Tarp, 2007, p. 178). Continuing forward with the concept of inclusion, we must consider the adaptation of the features of the resource towards our target audience, which is why both Plain Language strategies and Universal design techniques will be discussed. As will be argued, the language (sentence structures, terminology, layout) used in this database should reflect the audience that will be consuming the content. In addition, it should also be designed in a user-friendly manner so that the experience of the consultation of the database is both enriching enough to answer informational and linguistic needs, and pleasant enough to make sure the user can swiftly and easily find this information, and potentially return to the database in the future. With these concepts in mind, the dissertation will propose a simple model for the database, by taking into account elements such as the access structure and user interface. In this regard, we pay special attention to the prototyping of the terminological database in the resource, where the theory of terminology will be relevant, by going into more detail on the data categories that will be part of its microstructure. The creation of the database, larger user and market research, calculation of expenses and financing, as well as proposed schedule for the whole project, fall outside of the scope of the thesis. 1.2. Objectives of the dissertation The project has the following goals: • To conceptualize the inclusive database for refugees in Portugal, which should not only include information relevant to their livelihood, but also related terms organized per domains, which could contain subject fields spanning from health to housing. 4 • Reflect on the structures, policies and components related to the refugee population in Portugal, as well as their place in Portuguese society • Reflect on the role of lexicography and terminology in society and the creation of inclusive resources as a mirror for the “social responsibility” of lexicographers • Consider how the informational dimension of a dictionary can go beyond language • Ensure the inclusivity of the resource through the following strategies: o Conduct interviews and a survey with refugees to acquire a deep understanding of their needs, struggles and priorities. o Analyse and describe how to employ Plain Language devices and strategies to help users retain the information they need in a clear and straightforward manner. o Consider other ways to create an accessible design for all when representing our data, such as by using alternative text or creating content that is trauma informed. • Understand the role of English and Portuguese in communication for refugees. • Reflect on how organizations and experts on Plain Language can work together to promote the integration of refugees. 1.3. Structure of the dissertation The dissertation is structured around six main chapters. To begin with, the introduction will consider the thesis as a whole and discuss its scope and objectives, followed by a chapter in which a general contextualization of the research is given while focusing on three of its major elements: the refugee crisis in Portugal, the concept of inclusion, and Plain Language as a significant device to achieve it. Chapter III discusses the methodology employed throughout the research, the results of which are then analysed in Chapter IV. The fifth chapter focuses on the specifics of building the resource, from the consideration of user needs in lexicography to the selection of the data categories of the terminological database. To conclude, an overview of the limitations of the research as well as a reflection on future work is provided. 5 CHAPTER II - CONTEXTUALIZATION OF THE RESEARCH 2. The Refugee Crisis and Portugal as refugee host country 2.1. Refugee: a matter of terminology Before diving deeper into the relationship between the country of Portugal and the potential user of our database, which has already been established as being tailored to refugees, it is crucial to accurately define this group of people, namely due to the very relevant terminological questions that often arise within this topic. Undoubtably, conceptualizing the tool for the right audience also means clearly and strongly delimiting it. In fact, in the initial stage of research, the idea was grounded on a wider scope in terms of target users. More specifically, we began by considering the entirety of the so-called migrant population in Portugal, which we would classify as a general group of people from varying cultural backgrounds learning to navigate their new lives in Portugal. This seemed to be an appropriate approach, as it would potentially allow this platform to reach more users and even cause a larger impact in Portuguese society. After all, it is customary to say, “the more the merrier”, and we wanted everyone to be able to use this resource to their benefit. While that is still true and tailoring the database for a particular user group does not prohibit outsiders from profiting from its use, we began to consider the function theory of lexicography, that sees dictionaries as utility tools, and the notion that a well-defined and potentially more restricted target user group could prove to be a more efficient and focused angle to take – “This “one-size-fits-all” approach to dictionary making has its limits” (Nielsen, 2011, p. 202). Nielsen (2011) speaks specifically about adapting definitions to the users in question, but the same can be said about various aspects of creating a lexicographic tool, which also apply to our notion of the database. Cabré (1999), per example, points to how databanks also tend to disregard users and the specific necessities they are associated with, namely when it comes to queries – “Queries to data banks have often been answered in too uniform a fashion, paying little attention to the specialization of users and their prior level of knowledge” (p. 191). The decision to narrow down the target users was not made purely to taper the database with the aim of creating a more specialized tool. It was first and foremost a matter of proper terminology and of highlighting why using the right terminology matters for more than one reason. 6 While we debated the usage of migrants as an umbrella term for expats, immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees, the erasure of the specific experience of some of these groups was swiftly brought to our attention. Quickly, the goal of highlighting the marginalized became clearer, and with it the necessity to consider the specifics of their situation and what constitutes the refugee experience in Portugal, which should significantly demark itself from that of a wealthy immigrant coming to Portugal to work at a multinational company, per example. Although they too might struggle with understanding the functioning of the Portuguese society, its services, and the language, it would potentially even be disrespectful to compare the two situations. It can be argued that no two refugees or migrants are the same, but the specificity of the refugee struggle and their unique necessities cannot be overlooked, and it is this marginalized community that we choose to elevate, focus on, and ultimately help. Al Jazeera seemed to reach a similar conclusion in August of 2015, with the release of a statement on the decision to let go of the umbrella term migrant it had used up to that point, highlighting the ethical responsibility of journalism in employing and diffusing the appropriate terminology – “Migrant is a word that strips suffering people of voice. Substituting refugee for it is – in the smallest way – an attempt to give back” (Malone, 2015). For refugees, terminology surrounding their status can not only be a cause of general confusion among the public, but, more importantly, it can harm their public image, be used as a political tool and result in their lack of safety: Political debates imply struggles about how to label, justify, legitimize the various measures needed to protect Europe from refugees, involving privileged access to discourse via the media, legislation and the strategic use of language in the form of vagueness, neologisms and the reformulation of existing terminology. (Rheindorf & Wodak 2016; Wodak 2011, 2015a, 2015b, as cited in Mariani 2017) Pace & Severance (2016) discuss how laziness and lack of thoroughness when speaking of refugees and asylum seekers “risk the erosion of migrant’s rights” and cause misunderstandings which can even lead to a polarization that separates “bad” from “good” migrants (pp. 69-70). Torkington & Ribeiro (2019) reiterate this by claiming that “(…) the discursive construction of people ‘on the move’ may lead not only to the formation of stereotypical social representations but also, ultimately, to different treatment of different groups of people in ‘host’ countries” (p.22). 7 In 2019, in a study conducted at the University of Algarve, Torkington and Ribeiro address the ways in which the Portuguese media, even if indirectly, contributes to propagating certain ideas about refugees. Per example, while they are often given a somewhat human and non-vilifying portrayal, the fact that these articles tend to focus on people from Syria, while barely mentioning a similarly large-in-number refugee group in Portugal, Afghans, helps spread these false conceptions that there are ‘good’ and ‘bad’ refugees (Torkington & Ribeiro, 2019), the latter being the ones we are not familiar with and therefore might fear or be suspicious of. Due to all these implications, it thus became clear that we ourselves had to clarify who we wanted our target users to be, and which would be the correct term to refer to them by. The first step was therefore to delimit the term refugee from the term migrant . In this regard, the United Nations’ Refugee Agency (UNHCR) “(…) always refers to ‘refugees’ and ‘migrants’ separately, to maintain clarity about the causes and character of refugee movements and not to lose sight of the specific obligations owed to refugees under international law” (UNHCR, 2018). Although this distinction needed to be made, the next question to arise was that of the definition of a refugee according to international law, as it carries with it a series of rights and protections that are specific to their status. The definition in the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, also known as the Geneva Convention of 1951, is widely recognized. Nevertheless, since its drafting, the various forced migration flows that have occurred in the last decades have ultimately led to a lot of controversy surrounding the definition of the term refugee (Hamlin, 2022). In addition to what is presented in the Geneva Convention, it is crucial to consider the treatment of the term in Portuguese law, the host country that is the focus of our study. In Portuguese, the direct translation of refugee is refugiado , and its legal definition follows that of the Convention. However, there are a few other terms that appear to be just as relevant and in alignment with the audience we envisioned for the resource, such as recolocado ( reallocated in English) and reinstalado ( resettled in English) (Souza, 2017). These terms are reserved for specific situations that fall under the scope of finding refuge in Portugal, and thus we can say that these people also constitute members of our target audience. Refugiado or refugee will be the chosen umbrella term or hypernym to include all these differing situations and categories of what taking refuge consists of under Portuguese law. Another interesting term to consider is asylum seeker (EN) or requerente de asilo (PT). Pace and Severance (2016) account for how asylum seekers are repeatedly treated differently, particularly with 8 less compassion and with scepticism, even though they do hold the legal right to request for asylum. According to Portuguese law, an asylum seeker is someone awaiting the decision from the government to obtain international protection. Other than the possibility of rejection, applicants can be granted one of two types of statuses. The refugee status, which we have already touched upon, and the subsidiary protection status, which means that the situation of this person does not fit the preconditions to obtain refugee status laid out in the Geneva Convention, yet they are still deemed incapable of returning to their home country due to circumstances such as human rights violations. This person is thus granted a residence permit. Both people still awaiting a decision and those granted subsidiary protection still very much fit into our target audience, whether simply to inform themselves about the functioning of Portuguese society, the process of requesting asylum or because they will eventually hold refugee status. While it might seem contradictory to neglect the use of an umbrella term and opt for another, the truth is that the difficulties and necessities of people given international protection in this country, those who have applied and are waiting on a decision, and people who have relocated or resettled from another place, intersect more than those of economic migrants and refugees. Figure 1 showcases the different groups of people to be considered as part of the hypernym refugee , the definitions of each of these terms and statuses established in Portuguese legal documents, as well as EU decisions. Figure 1 Refugee’ as an umbrella term in the thesis Even though these are our main intended users, there are other relevant groups that should be considered. These could for instance be social care workers, members of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and humanitarian organizations dedicated to refugee work, cultural mediators, 9 and interpreters, as well as advisers and legal workers. The quality of the assistance provided by these agents can be improved with a reliable resource where crucial information on a wide range of topics pertinent to their work and the lives of the people they aid. It can only be beneficial to pair their already vast knowledge with a hands-on, user-friendly, up-to-date platform which adequately organizes the essential aspects of the refugee experience in Portugal. Lastly, linguists, translators, terminologists, and lexicographers too can enjoy and take advantage of the data collected and organized in the database. The heterogeneity of our main target audience (that is, refugees) makes it difficult to answer questions about indicators such as the age group, literacy skills and language proficiency. As the interviews will certainly showcase, while refugees obviously share common problems, from lacking language skills to not having a familial support system, the refugee population is still quite diverse in their needs, especially given the wide range of cultures that they come from. Per example, a refugee from a Portuguese-speaking country should not, in principle, have to endure the problems that come with linguistic barriers, but might struggle with other issues, such as limited functional literacy (Bustamante Duarte et al., 2018). One of the main challenges of conceptualizing this database will therefore be finding a balance between tailoring it to serve the refugee community in the broader sense while also trying to meet specific needs of the different profiles that exist within this community. 2.2. Refugee Crisis in Europe: an overview For centuries now, people have been forced to flee their home countries, be it on account of conflicts, violence, natural disasters, political persecutions, and/or other factors. Portugal, per example, was “(…) one of the few European Places of refuge for a large number of refugees fleeing from war and the persecution of the National Socialist regime” (Pimentel, 2020, p. 351-352) during the Second World War. Despite this reoccurrence at different points in history, the intensification of refugee crises and the migration trends that have become prevalent particularly over the last decades have not only increased the level of international concern regarding these humanitarian emergencies, but greatly reshaped political landscapes, both on an international and national level. The fact is, not only do we as a society have to consider the root causes of the need to abandon one’s countries of origin, be them of environmental or political nature, but also whether the welcoming countries have the support services, resources and policies that allow for a safe, humanitarian transition for refugees. 10 The 2015 crisis that knocked on the European Union’s (EU) doors brought with it several societal, economic, and political implications in addition to the humanitarian consequences that it pertained. The numbers of refugees fleeing into European soil saw a particularly intense growth, reaching the highest levels since the Second World War (UNHCR, 2016). Just between the years of 2013 and 2017, the number of refugees in Europe tripled (Ferris & Donato, 2019). The peak in 2015 is usually associated with a number of escalating conflicts, namely the Syrian War, the Iraqi war and the Libyan war, with the most common points of entry into Europe being Greece and Italy. A complex humanitarian crisis originated in Europe as a consequence of this increase in asylum seekers, together with the multiplication of dangerous migration routes which made it more difficult to regulate and control these flows. In addition to these difficult conditions, the members of the European Union had diverging opinions about the policies and measures to take in order to deal with this situation and failed to organize a common response (Costa & Teles, 2017, p. 36). This resulted in significant consequences that spanned multiple sectors: The emergency measures adopted by supranational institutions in the spring and summer of 2015 (including two mechanisms of relocation of asylum seekers among Member States) spectacularly failed to contain the crisis (while raising grave constitutional concerns, as we will see). ‘Temporary’ border controls are back, in far from few places reinforced by walls, erected or planned. Bitter tensions have ensued, both among Member States and across European societies. Things have been said and policies have been implemented that was perhaps not too optimistic to expect were part of Europe’s dark past, not its future, such as the confiscation of the property of forced migrants when entering a Member State or a region. Political mavericks have gained new voters by means of projecting all societal anxieties (from public insecurity to economic precariousness, including cultural uncertainty) on forced migrants. Institutional actors have flirted with policies that follow track by embracing the ‘securisation’ of asylum, when not the ‘criminalisation’ of asylum seekers and refugees. (Menéndez, 2016, p. 388) Quickly enough, the uncertainty and complexity of the thousands of fleeing refugees arriving in Europe caught the attention of the media which began covering the crisis and with it, shaping the public’s interpretation of these events and their consequences (Greussing & Boomgaarden, 2017). Often enough, especially in so-called tabloid media, the criticisms were harsh and shed a negative light not only on refugees and asylum seekers, but on the policies and the investments that would help them find 17 Integration Access to Health Employment and Professional training NIF/NISS Access to Portuguese Lessons Access to Education Legalization process Birth rate Figure 2 Poster promoting the campaign “E se fosse eu?” In Figure 3, the indicators for integration analysed in the report are laid out. The report highlights Access to Health, to Portuguese lessons and to Education as three achievements in the integration process, with a very high success rate. Regarding Employment, by September 2017, only 50% of citizens in active age were employed or obtaining professional training. The acquisition of the NISS number (Social Security number) was, according to the report, harder to obtain in comparison to the NIF number (tax identification number), though the acquisition of both has seen a positive development throughout the year. In our research, these same indicators will be relevant to evaluate our respondents’ experience and integration levels. Figure 3 Integration indicators analysed by the ACM (Report, 2017) 3. Inclusion 3.1. Terminological overview The terms inclusive, inclusion, inclusivity and inclusiveness are key throughout the dissertation, so it is important to accurately define them. 18 Table 1 Terms and definitions as per Cambridge Online Dictionary Inclusive An inclusive group or organization tries to include many different types of people and treat them all fairly and equally (Cambridge University Press, n.d) Inclusion The idea that everyone should be able to use the same facilities, take part in the same activities, and enjoy the same experiences, including people who have a disability or other disadvantage (Cambridge University Press, n.d) Inclusivity The fact of including all types of people, things or ideas and treating them all fairly and equally (Cambridge University Press, n.d) Inclusiveness The quality of including many different types of people and treating them all fairly and equally (Cambridge University Press, n.d) With these in mind, it is crucial that we contextualize inclusion not only within the scope of the thesis but in the realm of linguistics, lexicography, terminology and even of intercultural studies. 3.2. Inclusion in Lexicography, Terminology and Linguistics In 2021, the XIX EURALEX (European Association for Lexicography) International Congress 15 was organized under the following motto: Lexicography for Inclusion. We should thus consider the following question: what did inclusion mean for the partakers and scholars who presented their papers and how can lexicography contribute towards inclusion? 15 The official website of the Conference can be accessed in the following link: https://euralex2020.gr/ 19 For some, linguistic inclusion relates to the notion of linguistic variety and the respect for the diversity of languages, language varieties and registers. Dolar et al. (2020), when considering the francophone reality, describe how the Dictionnaire des francophones has been conceptualized “to highlight the plurality of linguistic norms while endeavouring to treat different linguistic varieties equally” (p. 23). By analysing this project, it is possible to say that dictionaries are inclusive when linguistic varieties are accurately represented with the appropriate nomenclature. In that sense, it becomes clear that the approach used is not prescriptive, but descriptive, highlighting the very real but often overshadowed varieties of the French language – “The goal is not to impose a certain use but rather to reflect the diversity (…)” (Dolar et al., 2020, p.28). In addition, Dolar et al. (2020) went further in their endeavour, and aimed also to make dictionaries more accessible, to optimize the comprehension of the data by the user and thus improve inclusiveness. To achieve this, some accessibility criteria is highlighted, which include intuitiveness of the interface and accuracy of the data presented. The idea of inclusion through language can also be regarded in the scope of national language policy or multicultural business organizations, with the goal of reducing discriminatory behaviours around language (different accents, limited proficiency, etc): Moreover, inclusive language use in organizations should comprise the use of a shared means of communication by managers and employees in formal and informal situations so that linguistic minorities are not excluded from the communication flow, and so that an “us” versus “them” mentality does not emerge based on differences in national languages. (Lauring & Klitmøller, 2017, p. 308) Prinsloo (2020), on the other hand, provides us with a clear idea of how dictionaries can be inclusive: “Dictionaries are expected to be inclusive, e.g., providing for and fulfilling user expectations by providing all the required information in the dictionary in order to reduce the need for consultation of external sources” (p. 585). From this viewpoint, then, inclusiveness is about tailoring to user’s every possible informational needs. He adds that “Lexicographers should serve the users with lexicographic inclusiveness and present the information in such a way that users can find what they are looking for in and what they need to understand from the dictionary”. This means that, according to Prinsloo (2020), an accessible and well-tailored design is also essential to maximize inclusiveness. 20 Furthermore, the attention given to accessibility increases when we consider digital formats, with some projects focusing more on how online dictionary projects can be designed to suit user’s needs through inclusive design. The Dicionário Paraolímpico 16 (Chishman et. al, 2020), an online lexicographical resource focusing on Paralympic sports, is an excellent example of this. Since their target audience includes people with disabilities, several actions were devised to create a more accessible, welcoming, and user-friendly space. Per example, descriptions of images were added to assist blind people and the colour scheme of the website was reconsidered. The application of these features reveals a concern with Universal Design, which can be defined as “the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design” (Connell et al., 1997). In Figure 4, the seven principles of Universal Design are laid out, and it is important to notice, once again, how the user is always put at the forefront. Clearly, from what we have seen so far, inclusiveness is intimately linked to the target audience and, in a sense, aims to achieve their approval. Figure 4 The Principles of Universal Design by The Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University In linguistics and terminology, and, consequently, in lexicography, we often speak of inclusive language, an approach to communication that centres around active inclusion as opposed to exclusion through language, thus moving away from terms that could be offensive, discriminatory, marginalizing and stigmatizing in any shape or form. The Linguistic Society of America (LSA) highlights “how inclusive language acknowledges diversity, conveys respect to all people, is sensitive to differences, and 16 This dictionary follows the onomasiological semantic frame approach mentioned in section 9.4. 21 promotes equal opportunities.”(Linguistic Society of America, 2016) 17 . Several helpful guidelines can be found online and include solutions for problematic language based on gender, sexual orientation, racial and ethnic identity, disabilities, amongst others. As supported by the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which defends that language affects one’s worldview and perceptions, the linguistic (and terminological) choices we make can have a significant influence in society. What this means is that the usage of sexist, racist and overall discriminatory language could help propagate these prejudices. Inclusive language is of course not always easy to achieve. When it comes to terminology, it should not be difficult to replace a non-inclusive term with an inclusive term– “If terms are by definition of nominal nature, inclusive terminology deals only with nominal strings of words (of course, specialised or technical ones as opposed to common nouns)” (Fosin, 2022). Gender neutral strategies such as the usage of gender-neutral pronouns can be slightly more difficult to substantiate. The English they is already widely accepted and used as a gender-neutral pronoun, and English has no grammatical gender, but going over to other languages can prove to make this transition trickier. In Portuguese, per example, several strategies are constantly explored (like using ‘@’ or ‘-e’), but linguists are still divided as to the best answer to this question (dos Santos, 2019). Lexicographers and terminologists alike should especially consider inclusive language when writing definitions and treating particularly sensitive terms where these questions might arise. Lazić and Mihaljević (2020), per example, consider the ramifications of dealing with taboo, derogatory and potentially problematic vocabulary in dictionaries: In addition to being potentially offensive, the vocabulary itself, its usage, as well as its lexicographic description often reflect stereotypical views and values which are cultureand time-specific, and in that sense, the dictionary material can testify to the worldview of a certain society and time. (p. 643) The notion of the dictionary as a mirror of the society of the time can be linked with the social responsibility of the lexicographer laid out in the third thesis of the Villa Vigoni-Theses (“Practical lexicography must constantly be aware of its social responsibility and must strive for a comprehensive, pluralistic description of linguistic and factual realities”) 18 , as well as with the above-mentioned SapirWhorf hypothesis. Lexicographers, terminologists and linguists have a social responsibility to both 17 Can be accessed at https://www.linguisticsociety.org/resource/guidelines-inclusive-language. 18 The Villa Vigoni Theses can be consulted at https://www.emlex.phil.fau.eu/files/2019/03/Villa-Vigoni-Theses-2018-English.pdf 22 reflect the conjuncture of the society they are part of and to do so with the notion and full consciousness of their impact in this very same society. Lazić and Mihaljević’s work (2020) can help us devise some suggestions on how lexicographers can be more inclusive: 1. Use usage labels to signal to the user that a certain term is derogatory or offensive. 2. Avoid stereotypes in definitions (“typical work not suitable for woman ” ) or collocations provided. 3. Be more inclusive in definitions (beyond heteronormativity, per example). 4. Reconsider cross-references and synonyms for offensive words to be neutral. When striving for inclusion, one should also be mindful of cultural differences, which are especially relevant in our dissertation. Although the refugee population is diverse and originating from a myriad of cultures, the concept of cultural humility should always be considered by those engaging in intercultural communication. Once again, this approach emphasizes the user’s experience, this time considering the culture they identify themselves with and/or come from: In a multicultural world where power imbalances exist, cultural humility is a process of openness, self-awareness, being egoless, and incorporating self-reflection and critique after willingly interacting with diverse individuals. The results of achieving cultural humility are mutual empowerment, respect, partnerships, optimal care, and lifelong learning. (Foronda et al., 2016, p. 213) Being culturally considerate is not limited to the inclusion of different cultures and their accurate, nondiscriminatory representation. It is also related to tailoring your product or your communication to the specificities of the culture. This is not meant in a superficial way, but in one that considers, per example, the concepts of High Context and Low Context cultures proposed by Hall (1976): “This concept is useful because it summarizes how people in a culture relate to one another, especially in social bonds, responsibility, commitment, social harmony, and communication” (as cited in Kim et al., 1998, p. 508-509). In short, High Context cultures have a higher tolerance for ambiguity and strategies for communication can rely on implied meanings without deeply affecting the outcome for the receivers. Low context cultures, in contrast, tend to be more direct and rely on explicitness. It is thus crucial to be familiar with these concepts and differentiation so as to use this knowledge to inform our design. Once more, as we 23 are dealing with an unquantifiable number of cultures, it will be difficult to have a focused approach on this matter. However, other strategies such as Universal Design or Plain Language help us achieve an approach that is suited to most of our target users. For refugees, feeling included is a major goal that can easily be achieved in some areas, yet difficult to reach in others – While the focus of much governmental discourse on social inclusion is on its economic dimension (e.g, being productively engaged in work, training, or care), this is at the expense of other dimensions of inclusion, such as civic and political participation, cultural identity, and social interaction and interpersonal networks. (Andrade & Doolin, 2016, p. 406) Therefore, it is important for governments in host countries to provide and set up structures to ensure and advance the inclusion of refugees in all of these dimensions, which can be incapsulated within the concept of social inclusion and can be defined as “the extent that individuals (…) are able to fully participate in society and control their own destinies”. (Warschauer 2003, p. 8) As we have seen throughout this chapter, there are many ways in which different fields, from lexicography to web design, can work towards inclusiveness. Our end goal, then, is, unsurprisingly, to improve the inclusion of refugees, which is well in alignment with what Chiari (2020) bases their own project on: The project stems from the need for inclusion that is a basic right especially for those who make significant sacrifices and face danger to reach a safe country and who are often penalized by the insufficient linguistic and legal information when facing the procedures of asylum and residence permit acquisition. (Chiari, 2020, p. 665) Being informed is thus another way for refugees to truly be included in society, which is why our database strives to be highly informational – “Increasingly, the notion of an informative society is converging with that of an inclusive society, so that access to and use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) are being seen as the basis for social inclusion” (Andrade & Doolin, 2016, p. 406). These authors focus on how ICTs can be used by refugees to facilitate their social inclusion: As forced migrants, they have been translocated to new and unfamiliar environments in which they need to construct meaningful lives. They need information, for instance, to resolve 24 everyday problems, comply with laws and regulations, and orientate to a new culture and society. Not being able to access, interpret, and use relevant informational resources may exclude these newcomers and push them to the margins of society. Thus, social inclusion for refugees is often conceptualized as an information problem, one solution to which is the use of ICTs as tools for navigating the unfamiliar information environment that they encounter. (Andrade & Doolin, 2016, p. 407) The findings of this paper are especially relevant to our research, as the database is a reflection of this need for participation in an information society in order to achieve inclusion, which can bring confidence to these refugees : “Being able to use ICT in everyday activities in a purposeful and selective fashion gives many of our participants a sense of accomplishment and a degree of control in managing the dayto-day aspects of their lives”. (Andrade & Doolin, 2016, p. 412) 3.3. Inclusion in our project In Figure 5, a diagram has been created to summarize the different dimensions that bring inclusivity to the project, some of which fall within the scope of the abovementioned notions of inclusivity. The first word relates to inclusive terminology, which has already been touched upon. In short, inclusiveness can be achieved by opting to use terms which are less divisive and that hold no negative connotations. Per example, using the term alien to refer to refugees can be offensive as it is filled with prejudice, whereas refugee is a more inclusive and appropriate term: Language that raises visibility of personal stories, creates empathy and recognizes diverse assets, promotes cross-cultural interactions, fights discrimination, and offers respect and an invitation to participate breaks down us versus-them thinking and avoids succumbing to the quagmire of individual sovereignties’ policy debates. (Some of Us, 2016) “Responsible” refers to the social responsibility we have as lexicographers, the one laid out in the third Villa Vigoni thesis, which is the backbone of the project. When we speak of culture, we consider the multitude of cultural references that must be respected and considered when conceptualizing this resource, which, in turn, is related to the abovementioned concept of cultural humility. 25 Figure 5 How inclusivity will be achieved in this project The usage of Plain Language guidelines will pay an important part in our project and in ensuring inclusiveness. The next chapter will expand on this concept and aims to clarify what is meant by Plain Language and to expand on the advantages of employing its devices. It is our user who we want to feel included, and we will aim to achieve this by directly involving them in our research through our methodology (cf. Chapter III: Methodology). In addition, it is the user we consider when making any of the inclusive decisions that dictate the project: they are the ones we want to use inclusive terminology for, it is their culture we want to respect and represent, it is towards them that we have a social responsibility, it is the language adapted to their skills and needs that we want to adopt. In short, the user is the main focus at every step of the way. When creating an online resource, the notion of accessibility is also closely related to the design of the resource itself. Just like Plain Language strategies ensure the creation of accessible content, the interface design of the resource should also allow users to find the information they are looking for in an easy and accessible way. This can be achieved by considering the more visual component of the conceptualization as well as the design necessities of our users, through the use of colour schemes, alternative text, amongst other strategies. The mission to inform is not only our goal in the project but one which is tightly connected to lexicography, a field which has begun highlighting the informational dimension and obligation of lexicographers over the last few years. Our resource should thus be informational, in the sense that it touches upon the needs of our user beyond linguistic and terminological ones, so that they can be more 26 informed about the systems in the country and therefore feel more included and welcomed in it. This is a perspective that can also be considered when teaching the language, particularly through PLAC – “Conforme Perna e Andrighetti (2019), a instrução dada a alunos de PLAc deve contemplar conhecimentos que vão além dos linguísticos. É preciso também pensar em atividades que possam integrar os alunos em práticas sociais e fazê-los refletir sobre o uso da língua. Dentre essas práticas, inclui-se, por exemplo, reconhecer oportunidades de trabalho, inscrever-se para vagas específicas, cuidar da saúde, pedir instruções na rua, entre outras inúmeras atividades do dia a dia” (Finatto & Paraguassu, 2022, p. 196). As we have already seen, variety refers to the varieties within different languages. At this point of the conceptualization process, this is not yet a priority as we will only have two languages available. The next step within this area should thus be to include the languages most spoken within the refugee population in Portugal. Only once that process has been concluded, and there are enough languages made available to the user, can we begin to consider including the variety of the language. Regardless of not being a priority at the moment, representing the different varieties is an important step towards maximizing the inclusivity of the resource. 4. Plain Language: a device for inclusion Prioritizing the target audience goes far beyond the contents and the information made available in the database. In fact, we argue that true inclusivity can only be achieved once both the design of the database and the language used in definitions, context descriptions and overall information guides are tailored to refugees coming into Portugal. Portuguese and English were chosen as the two languages to be made available to the users of the database in an initial stage. This relates to the fact that Portuguese is the national language of Portugal, and that it is the mastering of the language spoken in the recipient country that usually represents the bigger challenge for refugees. As for English, it is the assumed lingua franca that refugees can use to facilitate communication with those who do not speak Portuguese, at least upon arrival. During our research, though, we would like to be able to understand exactly where most refugees stand with the English language and to measure its impact in their integration process. Clearly, knowing Portuguese will be a big advantage in Portugal, but just how important would English be? How often can it bridge the gap in communication between Portuguese nationals and refugees of various nationalities who do not yet master the language of the country? 33 In an attempt to make replacing complicated jargon or expressions easier, several thesauri have been created and different websites have compiled lists offering the user alternative equivalent terms that are simpler than “stuffy old formalisms” or “unnecessary latin” (Kimble, 2002). Per example, the United States’ CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has published a Plain Language Thesaurus for Health Communications to help simplify messaging surrounding health. In Portugal, the Português Claro initiative recently launched the Dicionário de compliquês 24 which is also a very inventive and practical tool to find synonyms for certain expressions and terms, as well as example sentences to help clarify both uses. It is also important to keep terminology consistent throughout a text, especially if there is a tendency from the writer to constantly use synonyms, often called “thesaurus syndrome” (Petelin, 2010, p. 213). This will only confuse the reader. Organize your material so that the readers take what they need from it There are several strategies that can be devised to make organization more efficient and get ideas across in a clearer manner. The reality is that readers and users are busy, their attention span is limited, and they will want to extract relevant information as quickly as possible. Cutts (2020) suggests the Top-heavy triangle method, by which the most important information is put first, and the following ones gradually decrease in importance. This can also be achieved by using headings, different styling, subdivisions, and lists. Petelin (2010) also suggests “readable chunks organized in a ‘reading path’ through the document” (p. 212). What is at stake here is creating a visual hierarchy: “Visual hierarchy controls the delivery of the experience. If you have a hard time figuring out where to look on a page, it’s more than likely that its layout is missing a clear visual hierarchy” (Gordon, 2020). The fourth model suggested by Cutts (2020) is using a question-and-answer template, which is an idea we will use for our database. Some of the arguments for this model pointed out by the author are that “Questions tend to provoke interest in readers by bringing them into the action” and the fact that “Questions also convert dull, plodding label headings into verb-rich information” (Cutts, 2020, p. 15). 24 Can be accessed through the following link: https://palavrasclaras.pt/n. 34 Proofread before publishing The value and importance of proofreading cannot be denied. After all, the wrong spelling of a word or inaccurate translation of a term can have serious repercussions in the quality and veracity of the message being transmitted. Cutts (2020) illustrates this well: “Yet proofreading matters. Without it, your writing could soon be plagued by uninformed not uniformed police, marital not martial arts, infernal not internal disputes, and pubic not public affairs” (p. 129). Be sensitive to the users and the context This guideline is directly connected with our goal for inclusivity, yet it entails more than one way to strive for inclusion. On the one hand, this inclusion can be achieved through bias-free communication and inclusive language, which reminds us that language is not neutral and that we should avoid words and language which can carry prejudice, discrimination, and cultural insensitivity. Cutts (2020) highlights that “(…) anything that raises a barrier between you and your readers may reduce the impact of your message” which circles back to our objective of reducing barriers for refugees by putting them first. To achieve this, then, it is recommended to opt for neutral words and terms (replace laymen with laypeople , use they/their pronouns) as opposed to gendered ones. Petelin (2010) points out, though, that neutral does not mean abstract, since being concrete is also a cornerstone of Plain Language. Inclusive language goes far beyond gender, though, and considers employing the correct and preferred terms for those with disabilities, avoiding prejudicial and discriminatory words to refer to different ethnicities, cultures, or cultural practices, and being mindful of people in the LGBTQ+ community by, per example, having government forms reflect the family set-ups of LGBTQ+ households (Cutts, 2020, p. 201). What is more, the tone is also something to be considered when writing for an audience like our own. This relates to a trauma-informed approach, which focuses on considering the traumas that our audience might have endured and choosing to communicate in a way that is caring and empathetic, and even provides them with a sense of safety. 25 Opting for a warmer, empathetic tone is important because “Trauma impacts so many people, and yet many communications are created in ways that do 25 The PLAC teaching approach mentioned in section 6.2, page 53, follows this methodology by taking into account the trauma, vulnerability and all the extralinguistic challenges faced by refugees. 35 not take this into account - documents that are harsh and punitive, forms that are deficit-focused, images that reinforce stereotypes, and more” (Sampson, 2020). It is clear that the principles of Plain Language align with our own when conceptualizing this database, particularly our objective of achieving inclusion through language and design. In that sense, these guidelines and others are to be applied and considered throughout the conceptualization when relevant, which should also be reflected in the surveys conducted. In addition, we would also like to understand and test the validity of some of these recommendations. 36 CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY The following chapter seeks to clarify the methodological approach used in the study, which is in alignment with the research question and the objectives that were proposed. The methods utilized can generally be categorized as being qualitative in nature, although some more quantitative methods were also employed, as will be discussed at a latter stage. 5. Answering the research questions The methods employed during this research should accurately reflect the goals of our project. As abovementioned, these main intents are to highlight (and thus include) the role of the end-users in the conceptualization process of the database. As a result, the question that arises is the following: how can we properly engage our users in the study? The function theory of lexicography, as previously mentioned, frames dictionaries as tools to fulfil the needs of users in specific usage situations. Determining these needs is usually accomplished with approaches spanning from ‘business as usual’ strategies to user research methods (Fuertes-Olivera & Tarp, 2014, p. 46). The latter have often relied on the observance of focus groups through dictionary consultation tasks, via the use and analysis of methods such as log files, Think-Aloud-Protocols, and questionnaires. In Reflections on Lexicographical User Research , Tarp (2009) goes into detail about the advantages and disadvantages of such methods and concludes that “(…) the majority of the previous user research is in fact ‘a waste of time and money’” (p. 293). In the case of the project at hand, though, even if we use some of these flawed user research methods, we consider the suggestions given by Tarp for improvement, namely by formulating clear objectives and not restricting ourselves to a sole method. Here, the goal is not to investigate the relationship between users and a particular alreadyexisting tool, but to understand their terminological, linguistic and especially supralinguistic needs, all of which will be taken into account in the design of the tool. In order to gather the data necessary for the conceptualization of the database, the goal of inclusivity must be at the forefront, particularly through the inclusion of the users in the conceptualizing process. The details of the database can only be considered once we have acquired information of the needs of the target audience. Particularly, the organization of macro and microstructural elements, the underlying features that maximize the user-friendliness, the construction of appropriate and well-tailored definitions, among other aspects which will be discussed further. 37 In the data collection phase, there are two main research questions, one of which is significantly broader than the other, that we particularly must focus on when discussing this close relationship we want to establish with the users. Figure 7 lays out the two main research questions at the present stage and the methods employed to acquire the necessary information. Figure 7 Research Questions As shown in Figure 7, there are two phases during the empirical data collection stage, namely a period of interviews and one focused on the distribution of surveys. These methods aim to fulfil two distinguishable, yet complementing, research goals, represented here as Q1 and Q2. On the one hand, when considering the macrostructure of the database, and how the plan is to create a concept-based, onomasiological tool, it is important to understand which access structures should be provided to the users, so they reach the desired information and the desired terms, as well as other conceptually related terms. In a broader sense, the driving force behind this data collection phase is the organization of the data into different fields, which is an essential point to consider when dealing with the creation of databases, as pointed out by Cabré (1999) – “the structure of the information in each database must be defined and organized into fields” (p. 171). The proper organization of the subject fields will have a direct impact on the effectiveness of the access structure of the reference tool. The particularities of our access structures will be discussed further when analysing our results, but what can be said circles back to the pillars of the project – The access route should be simple, efficient and easy to use in order to fulfil users’ needs. Regarding this subject, Bergenholtz and Gouws (2017) mention that “An easy search route and a short search time are important elements when trying to satisfy certain information needs” (p. 103). Q1: What subject fields related to refugees' needs have to be included? •Interview: qualitative gathering of needs Q2: How can the design reflect inclusiveness and the needs of the refugees in a user-friendly manner? •Survey: participatory design-inspired workshop 38 Furthermore, not only is this information related to Q1 relevant regarding the macrostructure, but it is also an important element of the microstructure, as the subject field is an essential concept-oriented data category in our project. Together with the context, we could consider the subject field to be the one of the most important data categories in the database. After all, we aim to make the users familiar not only with the definition and/or translation of a term, but provide enough context, notes, and information so that they can understand the underlying system within each subject field. As a result, then, we need to include users in this initial step of the conceptualization process, so that their needs can guide us towards the inclusion of relevant subject fields, which also serve as thematical divisions within the database. Therefore, to answer Q1 (see Fig. 7) and collect the intended data, the proposed methodology is to conduct an initial semi-structured interview with prospective users, namely people in Portugal who are included in our definition of refugee as an umbrella term. The choice of method here is not arbitrary, as it allows our interviewees or participants to be the focus. This means that not only do we want to create a database with the purpose of making them feel included, we also want the methods used to reflect the striving principles of the project, and thus create a safe, inclusive space for refugees, where they feel they can express themselves and talk about their story, an advantage of the qualitative method according to Goodkind and Deacon (2004)- “Qualitative methodologies often enable participants to express themselves in a more natural way, allowing for exploration of participants’ experiences and meanings and providing more opportunities for their voices and perspectives to emerge” (p. 730). In fact, studies have shown that involving refugees in the research is beneficial both to the researcher and to the participants, as “It produces better research, and it develops the skills and confidence of the refugees themselves” (Sagovsky, 2006). A more quantitative-focused method, on the other hand, would probably not reveal very relevant information, as our sample size is quite small. The restricted number of participants was a conscious choice taken given the scope of the dissertation and the data we required to reach our goals. In that sense, the sample size proved to be enough to inform our project which aims to get a more general idea of the pressing needs of the average refugee. Furthermore, quantitative strategies such as surveys have the potential to overwhelm the participant due to their formality in style, as well as contribute to the silencing of a community that we aim to empower through the establishment of direct contact. Goodkind and Deacon (2004) highlight this issue: “(…) some participants, particularly those from 39 cultures in which interpersonal relationships are emphasized, may experience forced-choice surveys as silencing (Zea et al., 2003), and many refugee women are not accustomed to the formality and structured nature of these processes” (p. 730). 26 5.1. Interview stage The preparation of the initial interview was not to be taken lightly, as it is a valuable opportunity to gather useful data. In the interview planning process, the interviewer should ensure that the questions asked provide the interviewee with the opportunity to address the issues that are important for the study. Fontana and Frey (2000) put it best – “Asking questions and getting answers is a much harder task than it might seem” (p. 645). After all, we are taking time from busy people and should aim to be efficient and straight-forward to safeguard both the research and those being researched, to whom we owe respect and consideration. The best way to ensure a positive outcome is without a doubt to invest in the preparation of interviews “(…) that [consider] the focus and the scope of the research question” (McGrath et al., 2019, p. 1003). Semi-structured interviewing allows for enough organization that ensures our goals are met and, simultaneously, enough flexibility so that we are open to new and unexpected information that can enrich the research. Much like Rabionet (2011) describes, the presence of some structure minimizes the risk of not answering the research questions while also considering the enriching nature of letting respondents answer freely and share their life stories. The orientation provided by McGrath et al. (2019) helped lay out the different pathways that can be considered when conducting this type of qualitative research. After having decided on the method and realizing its advantages, the review of literature relevant to the conception of the interview guide (see Appendix 2) took place. For this, some articles were analysed, including papers theorizing on the refugee experience (worldwide and in Portugal), as well as reflections on conducting research with this specific focus group. In addition, it was also pertinent to start selecting the texts with the potential to make up a Corpus, so that we could test whether the specific subjects and domains of the texts were relevant to the refugee experience. 26 After conducting the interviews and getting to know the participants, we decided to use a survey for the second part of the research, to complement the information we gathered from the interviews. This was due to not only the nature of the information we were gathering (clarity of language and documentation), but also because some trust had already been built with the respondents, from whom we also wanted to avoid taking up more time with another lengthy interview. 40 The interview script includes questions on different dimensions, each hopefully providing us with enough data on refugees’ needs: “Proposed interview questions must be sufficiently detailed to convince evaluators that no harm will befall research participants yet open enough to allow unanticipated material to emerge during the interview. A well-thought-out list of open-ended questions helps” (Charmaz, 2008, p. 29, as cited in Roberts, 2020). More specifically, our guide begins with the collection of information to allow us to build the respondent’s profile, namely by considering sociodemographic aspects, from age to country of origin. At this stage, it was important to have some heterogeneity, so that our sample is diverse enough to be able to capture the heterogenous community of refugees in Portugal. The fact that the interviews were not all conducted on the same day at the same time gave us the space to improve, reshape and restructure the interview as the research evolved. In particular, the first interview also served as a test which helped us understand that some of the questions would not lead us to relevant information or needed to be reformulated. An important addition was the transformation of open-ended questions using the Likert-scale, allowing for a better contextualization of the information that was being given to us in a more laid-back format through these open-ended questions. 5.1.1. Participants The strategies employed for the gathering of our sample are a combination of two sampling methods, namely convenience sampling, “(…)in which individuals who fit the criteria of a study are identified in any way possible” (Emerson, 2015, p. 166), and snowball sampling ,“in which researchers ask the participants they have identified to tell their friends and acquaintances about the study” (Emerson, 2015, p. 166) . The decision to use these two strategies despite the flaws they entail was taken not only due to a general difficulty in gathering participants who were willing to talk to us and who could speak either English or Portuguese, but also because of the issue of being able to reach people in these situations, even through contact with organizations and associations. The time constraints further hampered these circumstances. Despite these limitations, we were still able to obtain a diverse and engaged group of respondents, one of whom was a Syrian woman, two were men from Afghanistan and one a man from Guinea-Conakry, their ages spanning from 20 to 30 years of age. We are aware that the young age of our respondents slightly skews the research, but it is important to consider how older refugees, like the parents of some 41 of the interviewees, were generally not able to communicate in English nor Portuguese, and we did not have the resources to have an Interpreter with us. At the time of the interview, participants had been in Portugal for a timespan of between 8 months to about 4 years. Most were living in the district of Lisbon, with one living in the Castelo Branco district. Table 2 lays out some essential characteristics pertaining to our four participants, which will be identified from this point forward by the letters shown bellow. Table 2 Characterization of the participants of our study 5.1.2. Data collection All interviews took place between the months of May and July 2022 and lasted between 45 to 75 minutes. Both during the initial contact established with the participants and in the moments prior to the interview, the scope of the study was explained, and the researcher provided clarifications. After this introductory description of the goals of the research, the participants signed a term of consent (see Participants Age Gender Country of Origin First language(s) Time in Portugal Participant X 20 Female Syria Arabic Approx. 3 years Participant Y 30 Male Afghanistan Dari and Pashto Approx. 8 months Participant W 26 Male Afghanistan Dari and Pashto Approx. 8 months Participant Z 21 Male GuineaConakry Fula Approx. 4 years 42 Appendix 1) specifying the anonymity and the confidential nature of the data collected, having then been asked for permission for the interview to be audio recorded for subsequent transcription. All interviewees gave permission except for one. Two of the interviews were conducted in English, while the other two were done in Portuguese. In all cases, the language spoken was not the mother tongue of the people interviewed. Regarding the location, all these talks took place online through video chat. 5.2. Survey stage 5.2.1. Participatory Design Simply answering Q1, despite its inherent complexity, would prove to be lacking for our research. While the interviews are essential to the understanding of users’ needs and to inform the design of the database, our goal is to take the inclusion of refugees in this conceptualization even further, through an expanded methodological approach, Participatory Design (PD). A PD study is “a set of practices and theories that aim to involve the end users of a technology in its design” (Abou-Khalil et. al, 2019, p. 4). As abovementioned, the interviews allowed us to extract relevant data, but PD calls for further interaction with our users, which is what we aimed to achieve when dealing with the second research question, Q2. Since the scope of this study is limited to an early stage of conceptualization, the aspects of the design we will focus on are mostly related to the notions of Plain Language and ensuring an inclusive, userfriendly design. The tests conducted on Plain Language focused on the English language, since not all the respondents (only half) had significant knowledge and proficiency in Portuguese. Nevertheless, in future developments, it would be interesting to see how the rules clarified in section 4 of Chapter II would play out in Portuguese. Spinuzzi (2005) proposes three stages to conduct PD research. Stage 1 refers to the Initial Exploration of the Work, and it includes the use of ethnographic methods such as interviews, in which the designers can familiarize themselves with the participants and the way they work with the existing technology. In our case, the interview stage did not focus on the technological usage aspect of existing apps or websites, which can be justified both by the lack of pre-existing databases like the one we are conceptualizing, as well as by the fact that this research does not plan on going as far as actually 49 ’Cause we are new like a baby in here. My son was born in this country three months ago, so we are also born in this country eight months ago. We are like a baby and we have to start learning when we go outside we have to see people and what they are doing, how they can speak, how is their behaviour (…). (Participant Y, 2022) In that sense, it was often revealed that they needed extra guidance due to the lack of familiarity with living in Portugal or simply living outside of their home country: Well, many times I just try to tell them if there’s other way, you can tell me, you can guide me, this is the way, you can go to this place, … But they didn’t get any results so you try by yourself, they guide me what to do, because I am new here and I don’t know much about rules of education, where should I go, how to get that information. (Participant W, 2022) Often enough, though, it was revealed that people who wanted to help, particularly outside of the sphere of social workers and volunteers, namely acquaintances and friends, simply were not able to due to a lack of familiarity with the laws and particularities of a refugee. This lack of knowledge from the general public, although completely justified and predictable, can have certain consequences associated with the “Curse of Knowledge” (Heath & Heath, 2007) that can make refugees feel more isolated. The “Curse of Knowledge” recognizes how it can be difficult for someone who was born into the system to perceive the difficulties that someone foreign to it may have understanding it - “ Once we know something, we find it hard to imagine what it was like not to know it. Our knowledge has "cursed" us. And it becomes difficult for us to share our knowledge with others, because we can’t readily recreate our listener’s state of mind.” (Heath & Heath, 2007). What this entails is that we must be mindful of our bias as people who have assimilated the structure of the Portuguese society, and not take for granted or overestimate what this group of people knows. Need for Independence The interviewees revealed this need for independence in two major ways: by displaying the struggles that come with being dependent on someone and by showcasing a need to be able to go through the different processes without needing extra aid. This is not to say they were ungrateful in any way by the help provided, and as we just saw, the need for guidance can often be satisfied by receiving this assistance: 50 (… I already had my goals and dreams, but I didn’t know how I would be able to put that into practice and how I would work to make it come true but with the help of people, they believed in me, they helped me realize, ok that’s what I want to do, that’s the right path, that’s the path I’m gonna follow. (Participant Z, 2022) Regardless of the helpfulness of people, the participants reported the need to have their own lives as self-sustaining adults. This could be seen in the lens of financial autonomy, with most expressing concerns related to job seeking and the difference it makes in their ability to live out the life they seek: So it’s really difficult, the most important thing is when refugee come in here, before doing anything, they just find a job for them so that they earn from somewhere and they make their money on their own so they can’t be dependent on someone else. So it’s really important, when you have a job, slowly you can find a home for residence, you can make your life you can go for your studies… But when you don’t have (…) income, so you can’t do anything. (Participant W, 2022) What is more, they also make it clear that being dependent on someone else to take care of their problems, whether that be finding housing or enrolling in university, can seriously delay the achievement of their goals. This is once again related to the need to be guided and informed, in the sense that the respondents would prefer to be told what steps they need to take to reach their desired outcome or merely be able to access that information, as opposed to simply having someone else go through those steps for them: INTERVIEWER: Yeah, it would be faster if they just told you how to do it than “we’ll do it for you”, right? PARTCIPANT W: Yeah, if they told me they are doing this way, and they don’t get any result, “You can too, you can also do by yourself, you go to this university, you go to there, you do this and this”. In the University they give me things, but, unfortunately, they didn’t do it. (Participant W, 2022) Additionally, they express this need for independence in the context of language proficiency, meaning that proficiency in the national language (Portuguese) is considered a major factor when it comes to improving both autonomy and integration: 51 INTERVIEWER: (…) do you think that knowing Portuguese made you more independent and gave you more confidence to be well integrated in Portugal? Participant Z: That is obvious. Because I am working and the type of work I’m doing is very important, if I didn’t know how to speak Portuguese my job would be very difficult. We provide training and talking to people, explaining things and inform and to do that it’s very important, the Portuguese language really helped me in my integration and understand new things and to build more connections and friendships. (Participant Z, 2022) Language proficiency is thus essential to achieve integration : “Instituições, sociedade civil e os próprios migrantes são unânimes em afirmar que o acesso à língua e o seu aprendizado é um dos principais fatores que possibilitam a integração social” (Silva & Costa, 2020, p. 135). Help provided at the capital city VS elsewhere A stark contrast in the experiences of those who lived in Lisbon and those who did not was clear, especially with the case of one person who had moved from Lisbon, where the Refugee Centre is located, to a neighbouring city. While those who had had experiences in the capital city showed no problems with meeting people who spoke English or even their native language, as well as getting by in day-to-day life, those who lived in other cities revealed that they did not feel as much of a support: So after three months we spent in the refugee centre, they decided to give us a house and we have to come here to start our lives. So when I came to my house, day by day the challenges started. Ok: finding job, the language, far from Lisbon, and we are from our country, far from our friends, our relatives, (…) Ok, nobody speaking in here, especially in our area, can speak English. The challenges began then already growing. Ok, now it become a little harder. (Participant Y, 2022) Some even noted the difference between Lisbon and the Portugal’s second biggest city, Porto: (…) a month ago I was in Porto, I had some work in there, I came and I wanted to buy tickets for my return to Lisbon. I went to an agency and I tried to talk to them in English, but they couldn’t talk in English. So at that time I realize that I have to learn Portuguese as well, that it’s difficult to communicate because in Lisbon most people can speak English, but in Porto I came, I just faced a little problem with English. (Participant W, 2022) 52 One of the biggest problems that refugees encounter when living outside of the capital is the lack of interpreting services. According to our interviewees, they would have to call interpreters in advance if they had an important appointment coming up, but it did not work particularly well for urgent needs, as explained by Participant Y: “So when we came to here [outside of Lisbon], we can’t call the interpreter, because here there is only one social worker, and they just came after two weeks to our house (…)”. English as a lingua franca ? The question of whether to make this a bilingual or multilingual terminological database is addressed later on in the thesis, but it was clear that at least one of the languages had to be Portuguese, since it is the national language of the country we have as a background for our research. Nevertheless, the question of exactly how useful both Portuguese and English are in the lives of refugees, the latter being widely considered a lingua franca as well as the foreign language made available most often in public service websites and guides, is one we found should be researched. To learn more about the significance of these two languages in our interviewees’ lives, we asked them about how useful and important they were in a myriad of contexts. The answers were varied but the most significant conclusions reached revealed the following: Regarding the importance of English: 1. It is very important to build relationships, particularly with other refugees or foreign people. At the same time, the interviewees spoke of how a big majority of the Portuguese population can speak English which facilitated communication when their level of Portuguese was limited. (…) nowadays most people in Portugal speak English, and those who don’t speak Portuguese can find someone who speaks English and still I don’t see a big influence of the Portuguese language in this sense (Participant Z, 2022). 2. It adds value when searching for employment: Foreign language proficiency usually adds value to a potential employer, which our interviewees also found to be true in their situation. It allows them to communicate with the employer while they do not yet master Portuguese. (…) those who speak English nowadays have more advantages in general because companies always need people who speak two languages or three languages, and so people feel more at ease. (Participant Z, 2022) 53 3. It can stunt growth in Portuguese proficiency: An interesting perspective offered by one of the respondents is that knowing English can actually cause some commodity and put the development of Portuguese language proficiency in the background. (…) it’s not good for me knowing English, because if I didn’t know English, I would need to and soon I will learn Portuguese. Because people would try to communicate to me in Portuguese, so it would be good for me to learn and use it (Participant W, 2022). 4. Language of teaching in Portuguese classes: Those who reported they were or had attended Portuguese classes referred that these were usually taught with English as the language of teaching, which made the learning process for those who did not know either language more difficult. Even, we had class in Portuguese, but our Professora she speaks English and Portuguese, and there were some people who can’t even speak Portuguese and English, so it’s really difficult for them (Participant W, 2022). Regarding the importance of Portuguese: 1. It is easier to navigate the supporting institutions: Some interviewees reported that institutions aiding their integration sometimes did not speak English (particularly for those living outside of Lisbon) or, even if they did, were more helpful to those who knew Portuguese as it was easier to communicate with them. Here I would say sometimes, in organizations, the people who don’t speak per example at ACM (Alto Comissariado para as Migrações), and the person who speaks more Portuguese is much more attended to and appreciated or the person’s situation is easy to solve (Participant Z, 2022). 2. It is essential to find a job: The difficulty finding a job, for those looking for one and not to further their studies, was a struggle often associated with the lack of proficiency in Portuguese. (…) at the moment, people hiring others to work, they will always prefer the person who speaks Portuguese to those who don’t speak it, because understanding is primordial in any kind of job. And if there’s no understanding between people there’s no job. Comprehension comes from the language, knowing how to speak, knowing how to express yourself… (Participant Z, 2022). 54 3. It is essential when resorting to public services: Regarding this subject, most interviewees spoke of their experience in hospitals and health services, and it was made clear that speaking Portuguese could make a significant difference in establishing communication. This is not only in cases of medical emergencies, but insurance matters, per example, as Participant Z recalls: Ok, so I was saying here the language is very important, because I am talking about my situation, I went to the health centre and at the time I had not been here for long, I didn’t speak Portuguese that well and I had to do, to renew my hm, I don’t know how to say it in Portuguese but like the people who have International Protection at the hospitals they can’t pay, so it was to renew that and the lady who was there, I couldn’t follow her because I didn’t speak Portuguese that well, I was explaining what I wanted, she renewed it, but when I went to the hospital I was going to pay , but I had to renew it because at that moment I didn’t have the possibility to pay and so she renewed it, but then when I would go to the hospital I would have to pay. And I went there twice to try and solve it and I couldn’t, I talked to my técnica and told her I had tried to do this and I wasn’t able to, maybe you should go instead. Only when she went was I able to get this solved so in that case it applies that without mastering the language you struggle a lot, and in this case it is very important. Regarding the learning and mastering of the Portuguese language, it is worthwhile to once again mention the concept of PLAC – Português Língua de Acolhimento (Portuguese as a Host Language), which is distinct from that of PLE – Português Língua Estrangeira (Portuguese as a Foreign Language) and sees language teaching beyond linguistic proficiency and towards community building, empathy and intercultural dialogue: Posicionado como uma abordagem de ensino referenciada/reconhecida no Brasil há aproximadamente dez anos, o PLAC caracteriza-se como uma prática orientada para a ação em que “ensinante e aprendente cooperam e aprendem juntos (...) e integram-se pelo bem-estar e pela confiança” (Grosso, 2010, p. 71), por meio de uma cultura de ensino que privilegia a participação e que “propõe a abrir-se à compreensão do outro.” (p. 74). Trata-se de uma prática que considera as questões psicossociais e discriminatórias pelas quais sofrem os aprendizes e que abrange competências comunicativas em diferentes níveis (Silva & Costa, 2020, p. 127). 55 7. Surveys The analysis of the surveys conducted was achieved by both relying on the presentation of the data on Google forms, and the representation of some of the most complex statistical components. Some of the findings will be present in this chapter, while others more relevant to the design of the database will be included in the chapter related to that content. 7.1. Findings 7.1.1. Testing Plain Language guidelines Passive VS Active One of the most common guidelines in Plain language guides is the avoidance of the passive and a subsequent preference for the active voice. Even though it might seem arbitrary, the respondents did reveal quite plainly that, as presented in Figure 10, the sentence becomes clearer when we use the active voice and focus on what this issuance will result in for them. In the first sentence, it is not quite as apparent that the positive decision will result in them receiving a temporary residence permit. About the use of the passive voice, the Oxford Guide to Plain English points to how a common side effect of it is to lose the ‘doers’ and subjects in the sentence: “This happens a lot in business and official documents, making reading more difficult than it needs to be. It may also sound formal, evasive, and defensive” (Cutts, 2020). Figure 10 Results for the question “Which of these phrases is easier/clearer to understand?” Pompous vs simple terms and words In theory, one of the easiest ways to apply Plain Language strategies is simply to replace certain words (such as legal jargon, technical terms, wordy adverbs, and unfamiliar terminology) with clearer, simpler, 56 and easily understandable terms and words. In other words, terminological accessibility is the focus, where we aim to clarify technical or scientific terminology – “Portanto, a acessibilidade terminológica, em meio aos textos que normalmente tratam de termos científicos ou técnicos, diz respeito à busca de uma (boa) compreensão dos termos “técnicos”, cujos significados precisarão ser explicados de algum modo” (Finatto & Paraguassu, 2022, p.23). As stated before, there are even several glossaries and dictionaries available online designed with this goal of finding alternatives. 30 Of these, though, Cutts (2020) warns that “the alternatives aren’t always synonyms, so use them with a proper care for meaning and for the job they have to do in the sentence” (p. 47). When analysing the documents, the sentence “These countries are to be named as ‘Dublin Countries’ henceforth” grabbed our attention for two reasons. Firstly, the passive voice was once again preferred. But secondly, and perhaps easier to spot, is the use of the adverb henceforth , which Cambridge Dictionary Online 31 considers to be a “formal or specialized” mostly used in the legal context. If there were further doubts about the clarity and the validity of using such an adverb in the context of a document for refugees who do not speak English as a second language, the Oxford Guide for Plain English can enlighten us. This is because, in the word list incorporated in the Guide, we find an alternative for henceforth , which is from now on (Cutts, 2020, p. 51). The The A - Z of alternative words 32 also suggests from today . With this in mind, we decided to test whether replacing this word would make for a clearer sentence in the opinion of our respondents. At the same time, we decided to invert the sentence structure, use a more personal tone and the active voice. 30 For the English language, see The A-Z of alternative words , provided by The Plain English campaign: http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/the-a-z-of-alternativewords.html; For Portuguese, Palavras Claras: Dicionário de compliquês was launched in September of 2022 and can be accessed here: https://www.palavrasclaras.pt/. 31 Cambridge University Press. (n.d.). Henceforth. In Cambridge dictionary . Retrieved September 10, 2022, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/henceforth. 32 The list of alternatives can be found here: http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/the-a-z-of-alternative-words.html 57 Figure 11 Results for the question “Which of these phrases is easier/clearer to understand?” (2) The result was interesting, as half of the respondents still opted for the sentence with the “formal”, legal jargon term. We theorize that the sentence structure was the main reason why respondents still chose the first option, since the anaphoric position of “from now on” might have affected the clarity of the message and delayed the goal of the communication: to say that the countries will be referred to in that manner. Perhaps the placement of this alternative in the middle or the end of the sentence would have proven to be less divisive. In fact, we can also theorize that the placement of henceforth as the last element of the first statement reduces its impact in the overall comprehension of the phrase, as the reader has already obtained the most important information by then and henceforth loses its relevance. In this second example, though, where the sentence structure remained unaltered in all three options, it is easier to spot the preference for simpler words. The original included in the document was Pursuant to , which, once again, is a “formal or specialized” adjective mostly used in the legal context according to the Cambridge Online Dictionary 33 . Due to the multiple suggestions for this word available across these word lists, we decided to provide three rather than just two alternatives. Cutts (2020) simply suggests under (p.57), which ended up being the word used in preferred sentence by our respondents. 33 Cambridge University Press. (n.d.). Pursuant. In Cambridge dictionary . Retrieved September 10, 2022, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/pursuant. 58 Figure 12 Results for the question “Which of these phrases is easier/clearer to understand?” (3) Impersonal writing and addressing the user Using personal pronouns in a formal text is commonly avoided as it can be regarded as unprofessional. Plain Language principles argue that using you , we or even I greatly simplifies and shortens sentences and that it is a sound strategy to “resist the urge of being formal” (Taglialatela, 2015). The sentences provided in this next question showcase this: the second sentence avoids the passive while also being more concise and to the point. In addition, using pronouns engages and centres the user – “Pronouns help the audience picture themselves in the text and relate to what you’re saying. More than any other single technique, using “you” pulls users into the information and makes it relevant to them” (Plain Language Action and Information Network). It is not surprising, then, that the answers to the survey overwhelmingly preferred the second option where the personal pronoun you was used. Results for the question “Imagine you are reading about how to apply for Asylum. Which of these phrases is clearer/easier to understand?” 65 insurance works. Although the website seems to have been created for a perhaps more privileged audience, the sentiment the author expresses in the About section of the platform is one that can certainly be shared and felt among everyone from a foreign country trying to navigate their lives in Portugal, where refugees can also be included – “The site was started by James Cave in 2016 after he became frustrated with the lack of good quality information about Portugal that he could find online – everything was either top-level or worse, out-of-date or inaccurate” (About, 2022). Figure 17 Screenshot from the opening page of the “PORTUGALIST” website 8.1.3 MunichRefugee.Guide Although this website is focused on the city of Munich, in Germany, it checks a lot of our boxes in terms of how we want to build this resource. For once, it is organized in different thematic groups, which are then tackled through a number of questions refugees might ask themselves. The articles corresponding to these questions are in themselves quite small, which could be seen as a strategy to not overwhelm the user. The arrows, which serve as non-typographical indicators, pointing to different phrases, help provide some structure to the text and might give the user some ease by establishing a logical relation between each step. The incorporation of media elements such as videos and pictures also add to the user-friendliness of the website and help make the screenshot structure more visually appealing, and it is something we also consider including in our resource. 66 Figure 18 Screenshots from the “MunichRefugeeGuide” website 8.2 Refugee Guides prepared by the welcoming Government Other sources of inspiration include Welcome Guides (available for download online) offered to refugees upon arrival by the government services responsible for welcoming them. We have skimmed the guides offered by the United Kingdom, Portugal, and France (for this country, two examples are provided). The table of contents and chapters in which they are divided can yet again provide us with a sharp notion of which themes and areas are more pertinent to the life of refugees who have arrived in the country. We will use these pre-defined categories in our interviews in order to get a better perception of their relevance to refugees. In addition, some of the strategies used in these guides to make them well-suited to the audience are of value to us. Per example, the content is well-grouped in a relevant order, there are clearly devised steps for different procedures, like getting social security, and an overall pleasant and attention-grabbing design with different, harmonious colours and icons (see Fig. 19). All of these are also available in a number of languages. Interestingly, it is the Portuguese guide that seems to be lacking the most in these items (Figure 21). There are no images to support the content, infographics or diagrams explaining the different information, it is extremely short compared to the ones offered in other countries, and has different dense texts scattered across the pages making the visual hierarchy a bit confusing to figure out - “Visual hierarchy controls the delivery of the experience. If you have a hard time figuring out where to look on a 67 page, it’s more than likely that its layout is missing a clear visual hierarchy” ( 5 Principles of Visual Design in UX , n.d.). The dictionary offered by the kit seems to be almost like an incomplete body of work, and it is above all just a vocabulary list of different themes. Figure 19 “Welcome: A guide for new refugees” published by the UK Government Figure 20 Le guide du Refugiée (A) from « Welcome Bordeaux » vs Guide for asylum seekers in France (B) from the Directorate General for Foreign Nationals in France 68 Figure 21 The “Welcome Guide” (right) and the “Dictionary” offered as part of the Welcome Kit provided by the Portuguese High Commission for Migration (ACM) Additionally, I would like to mention both guides present in Figure 20. While the guide produced by Welcome Bordeaux seems to do a good job at compartmentalizing life in France and has a visually interesting guide, the one that is actually offered by the French Directorate General for Foreign Nationals in France is yet another poor example of a guide that did not seem to prioritize the needs of the audience. While visually it has similar faults to the Portuguese guide previously analysed in Figure 21, the language that is used throughout the text is dense, overly technical and has the potential to affect comprehension for the reader. The tone is also not warm and there are some expressions reminiscent of bureaucratise and that even native speakers of English could struggle with, such as “hasten the handling of your file” or “without further delay”. What the writer simply cannot forget is that there will be a wide range of asylum seekers, coming from different cultures, educational backgrounds, language proficiency and literacy levels. Using complex language and sentence structures will only reinforce the inequities and hinder those most in need of obtaining vital information – “The audience determines the amount of permissible clarification, and a constant effort should be made to avoid any part of that audience to be excluded” (Taglialatela, 2015, p. 177). While these design and clarity problems might seem arbitrary and inconsequential, we would like to avoid such mistakes in our resource, by making it as user-oriented and as pleasing for them to read as possible, so that the information they need can reach them effectively, which is one of the reasons why we frame this project in the light of inclusivity . 69 9. Conceptualizing the database 9.1. Information and Lexicography In addition to being inclusive, the database aims to be informational . This is because we will not only deal with terms in different subject fields, but we will also provide context and essential information about these topics, to create a useful and complete tool for refugees in Portugal. One might wonder about the relevance of lexicography in our project if the goal is not to create a dictionary, even if the database still falls within the scope of a reference work (defined by Macmillan Dictionary as a “a book or digital product that is intended to be used when you need a fact or piece of information, for example a dictionary” 37 ). As Tarp argues, lexicographic theory has undeniable value to other specialized disciplines and areas of knowledge, especially in the Information age (Tarp, 2007). This is because, in my understanding, the author does not view lexicography in a restricted sense, where traditional dictionaries (regardless of format) and their applications in different disciplines are the centre of the research (Tarp 2009, p. 129). Instead, he considers “the core speciality of lexicography” is “(…) to provide access routes that can guarantee a quick and easy consultation process when information about punctual issues is needed” (Tarp 2008, p. 129). Regardless of the fact that we are not creating a dictionary, these core values are in line with our own pillars for the creation of the database, and our resource could be interpreted as an extension of what a terminological database or a dictionary could be, particularly a resource that focuses on adding essential information and context to the traditional aspects of terminological databases and lexicographical resources. Nielsen (2011) believes lexicographers should begin to “think outside the box of linguistics” and Tarp (2007) argues that “lexicography must (…) project itself far beyond its traditional limits” (p. 178). Our resource aims to follow that line of thinking and go beyond these traditional reference works. If “the real essence of lexicography [is] the capacity of providing information” (Tarp, 2007, p. 178), then our project is based on this essential feature. 9.2. User needs As stated before, though, providing this information to our users will only be done effectively if we tailor it to them and their needs. Our goal is not only to make hypotheses about what our audience should 37 Macmillan Dictionary. (n.d.). REFERENCE WORK. In Macmillan Dictionary. Retrieved September 10, 2022, from https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/reference-work. 70 obtain from the database, but also to include them and have them take centre stage in this conceptualization process. But why should we pay so much attention to our user? Over the last few years, the field of lexicography has theorized and researched extensively on the role of the user in the conception, updating and evaluating of reference works – “The dominant role of the user has had a definite effect on the compilation of dictionaries as well as on the evaluation of their quality” (Gouws & Prinsloo, 2010, p. 39). The driving force behind this user-centred perspective is the idea that “dictionaries should be designed with a special set of users in mind and for their specific needs” (Householder 1967, p. 279, as cited in Tarp, 2009). For Tarp (2000), one of the first questions lexicographers must consider about users’ characteristics is their language proficiency, which includes taking their mother tongue and foreign languages competences into account. This is clearly a challenge for our project, as the heterogeneity of refugees’ language skills, and even literacy levels cannot be overlooked. In that sense, other questions brought about by Tarp (2000), such as “What is the level of their general cultural and encyclopaedic knowledge?” and “At what level have they mastered the special subject field in question?” are of utmost importance to our research, since our target users are generally not familiar with the essential citizen services in Portugal (how the health system works, how to apply to university, amongst many other quests). Tarp (2000) makes a distinction between primary and secondary user needs, the former relating to the needs that lead the user to consult a dictionary and the latter being those needs that come from the dictionary consultation, such as instructions on how to use the dictionary. In the following point, the situations that motivate the user to consult the resource and that might lead to the fulfilment of their primary needs will be discussed. Nevertheless, secondary needs must also be considered, particularly for our database, as taking them into account might maximize user-friendliness, per example, by including user guides and by ensuring the accessibility of the resource – “(…) userfriendliness is not only a question of selecting the relevant data but also of presenting them in such a way that the user can actually retrieve the information” (Tarp, 2008, p. 121). 9.3. User situations Answering these questions posed by Tarp and simply being familiar with the profile of our user will not suffice. We also must be aware of the situations in which the user might be consulting our resource – 71 “What determines the specific relevance of each question is the social situation in which the user’s needs originally occur.” (Fuertes-Olivera & Tarp, 2014, p. 51). There are currently four user situations that lexicographic theory points to and considers: communicative (text production, reception, translation, proofreading), cognitive (users need to obtain sporadic or systematic information about a subject), operative (users need instruction-like information that assists them in how to proceed in specific situations) and interpretive (users need to understand non-linguistic signs) (Fuertes-Olivera & Tarp, 2014; Tarp, 2008; Bergenholtz & Abergo, 2017). Let us consider our database for a moment and the situations which are relevant to its conceptualization. Firstly, we consider communicative situations, which, according to Bergenholtz & Abergo (2017), make up the “(…) need to get information which in a specific situation is necessary in order to accomplish successful communication” (p. 27). These situations have often been the focus in lexicography, as they are related to text production and reception, and bridging gaps in communication, goals which have traditionally been at the forefront of several lexicographic works. Our database is not conceptualized exclusively with these objectives in mind, but we certainly expect it to be helpful in these situations, so that users can look for the equivalents of some Portuguese terms in English and therefore improve and establish communication with service workers when trying to benefit from a certain service, per example. Cognitive situations refer to the need to acquire knowledge that the user did not previously have, whether that be while reading, during discussions or in relation to a specific subject field (Tarp 2008, p. 124). Bergenholtz points out that “(…) it is the data itself that is the goal of the lookup” (Bergenholtz, 1997, as cited in Bergenholtz, 2017), as opposed to using the data available in the dictionary to understand or produce a text, per example. Tarp (2008) distinguishes between sporadic and systematic user situations, a distinction which is especially relevant when designing lexicographic tools since: (…) the needs arising from a systematic study of a given subject field will require a more sophisticated lexicographic data-distribution structure as well as a highly developed system of cross-references or links that allow users to navigate in order to get full use of the data made available through the lexicographic tool (Tarp, 2008, p. 124). The relevance of these notions to our project is significant, as we aim to give our users the chance to expand their knowledge on a myriad of relevant subject fields. Even if they have punctual issues and 72 consult the database to “meet an immediate knowledge need,” each consultation of our database could be adding to the previous knowledge the user holds and ultimately leading them to fully understand the way the Portuguese health system works, for instance. This is why the resource will be built with this systematic consultation in mind, and cross-references and links to related data, as suggested by Tarp (2008), will allow the user to navigate the database and expand their knowledge in a user-friendly manner. Thirdly, we must consider operative user situations, which relate to the need of acquiring information on how to act or proceed in specific situations. In this regard, we must also consider the operational skills of the users in the specific situation. Tarp (2008) mentions guides, handbooks, and manuals as examples of reference works designed to meet these user needs and highlights what they have in common with lexicographic work: (…) they are utility tools exclusively or partially designed to be consulted by specific types of users in order to satisfy specific types of information needs and specific types of social situations and, as such, they are expected to provide easy and quick access to the data from which the needed information and be retrieved (p. 126). In a way, our idea in this project stems from this belief that lexicographic theory can inform dictionaries, yes, but other kinds of reference works too. Our resource, for once, functions as a terminological database but also as handbook, or a user guide to help refugees adapt and feel integrated in Portugal. This resource is thus highly operational and cognitive, as we aim to bridge gaps of knowledge in our users and, at the same time, instruct them on how to proceed to solve problems or engage in different areas of society. These issues span beyond the linguistic scope that is highlighted in communicative user situations and relate to broader informational needs that help close contextual, informational, and operational gaps related to life as a refugee in Portugal: All these reference works (…) could benefit from a lexicographic approach that analyses the types of information needs that may arise for specific types of users in the various types of operational situations in order to prepare new types of lexicographic tools with quick and easy access to the relevant data (Tarp, 2008, p.127). Interpretive needs are not particularly relevant to our project, as there will not be a big focus on nonlinguistic signs and their interpretation, at least not at this stage. However, I would argue that in future developments, the interpretation of street signs, per example, to help our audience become familiar 73 with traffic rules and labelling, could be an example of how the resource could be updated to incorporate elements that meet interpretive needs. At the moment, though, we aim to discuss the most urgent and pressing areas of knowledge for the refugees, like health and education. 9.4. Database In the theory of lexicography, a database is an essential component of online dictionaries where lexicographical data is stored and organized. This element can actually be the source for more than one dictionary, and, as Fuertes-Olivera and Tarp (2014) explain, “electronic dictionaries are not databases, but consultation tools based upon databases from which they take in the data required to meet their users’ information needs”. To reach the final resource, the lexicographer must add a component that acts as an intermediary between the database and what the user sees, by, extracting the relevant information from the database and presenting it to the user in a user-friendly matter, which we will refer to as the User Interface (UI): On top of a database, we can build as many UIs as we like, for example one for the lexicographer to create and edit the contents of the database and one or many for the users of the database, each designed to meet a specific use (Bergenholtz & Nielsen, 2013, p. 80). When we speak of our inclusive database, though, we refer to the concept of a terminological database, which Fuertes-Olivera and Tarp (2014) consider to be one of many reference works that fall under the scope of specialized lexicography – “Specialised lexicographical works may be published under a whole range of different names such as dictionary, encyclopaedia, encyclopaedic dictionary, lexicon, vocabulary, glossary, terminological database, knowledge bank, resource, tool, etc” (p. 12). Other terms used to refer to terminological databases include databanks, termbanks and termbases . Cabré (1999) makes an initial distinction between a databank and a terminological databank. For the author, then, “a data bank consists of information organized into records, each of which is subdivided into data fields” (p. 169). The goal is thus to organize information and data centrally and represent it in a simple manner that reveals the relation between the different data. In a way, this concept already mirrors the idea of our database, yet we would be specifically organizing terminological information. Cabré (1999) defines terminological databanks in the following way: A terminological data bank is a structured collection of information about the units of meaning and designation of a special subject field addressed to the needs of a specific group of users. It 74 usually consists of a main database, which has the terms, and a variable number of databases related to the main database and sometimes to each other. Each of these databases has information on some aspect of the terms (p. 176). Melby (2012) provides another definition for termbase (or terminological database): A termbase is a computer database consisting primarily of information about domain-specific concepts and the terms that designate them. Specialised translation deals with domains of knowledge, and every domain is organised through concepts that are linked to objects or ideas relevant to that domain. Termbases may be monolingual, bilingual, or multilingual (p. 8). In a broad sense, then, creating a terminological database allows us to compile terms of certain domains and to treat that data. In our case, the terms relate to the subject fields we have deemed as essential from the qualitative data gathered but these are not necessarily technical. The approach used to manage our entries will be concept-based, which means that all terms relating to one single concept will be treated together and listed in the same entry and conceptual relations will be established between them. In line with that, our terminological database will not follow a semasiological structure (from word to concept) as is more usual in lexicography, but rather an onomasiological one (from concept to term). A dictionary based on this approach can be defined as “a type of reference work which presents words or phrases as expressions of semantically linked concepts, which may be meanings, ideas, notions, word families and similar relationships” (Hartmann & James, 1998, p. 101). This choice is not arbitrary, and it relates to the needs and usage situations that arose from our research, as well as the thematic organization of our database. Our inclusive database is not mainly a translation resource, but an informational resource which also provides translation equivalents. Therefore, we can assume our users will mostly not be looking up equivalents of words but be on the lookout for information about a specific subject. Per example, when trying to obtain information on the banking system in Portugal, terms like multibanco or NIF will most likely be used and thus available to consult in the terminological database. Consequently, the browsing and access structure will reflect a more thematic-oriented approach, leading users to find the information they need within a larger subject field. Even if it is a more typical approach in terminology than in lexicography, lexicographers have begun to take notice of the advantages of an onomasiological approach: 81 We can conclude, then, from both our own research and complementary ones, that it would be preferable to build this database as an application which is available offline. The idea is to create a resource that serves the double purpose of a terminological database and an informational interactive website. 10.3. User Interface At this stage of the conceptualization process, it is crucial to revert to the main principles behind our project, mainly the perception of the user as the central element. Right now, we must look beyond the database, the core of this type of specialized lexicographical resources, and consider the way in which the information will be presented. After all, we want our users to have a good relationship with the software they are interacting with: “The user interface is the window into the software. In many cases, the interface molds a user’s perception of the quality of the system. If the “window” is smudged, wavy, or broken, the user may reject an otherwise powerful computer-based system” (Sridevi, 2014). Marcos et al. (2006) concluded, through their research based on Nielsen’s Usability Heuristics, that there were ten aspects to consider when designing a terminology database: 82 Table 3 Marcos et al. (2006) on the ten usability aspects to consider when building a terminological databas 1. Navigation. Information overload in the user's memory when querying a database should be minimized. It is always better to recognize than to remember. A well-designed navigation system aids information retrieval in these databases. 2. Functionality. The functions should be explicitly stated in the description of the database: languages treated, profiles of targeted users, thematic areas covered, etc. 3. User control. The users should feel that they control the tool and that they are free to navigate within it. It is very important that the interface and method of information retrieval be flexible depending on the user's familiarity with the database. 4. Language and content. The information conveyed in the form of text should be understandable to the targeted users of the application, typically linguists in a broad sense (translators, correctors, technical writers, etc.) or specialists in a specific thematic area. 5. Online help. The system should incorporate means for recognizing, diagnosing, and solving problems. 6. System feedback. The users should have be aware at all times whether the interface allows searches or is simply a display of results, so that they always know what actions are possible. 7. Accessibility. The database should consider accessibility guidelines, both for users with disabilities as well as those with technological limitations. 8. Consistency. The pages within a website should respond to the same criteria in terms of graphic design (use of color, fonts, etc.), position of the elements in the pages, means of operation, etc. The web pages that conform to the W3C standards already meet this accessibility criterion, at least in part. 9. Error prevention. The system should be designed to avoid user errors and should employ necessary means to keep users from committing them. 10. Architectural clarity. The user interface should follow clear and minimalist design principles that help users find information quickly. 83 With these principles in mind, in addition to the opinions of our users we have gathered from the research, as well as the principles of Plain Language and Inclusive Design, the following section will describe the User Interface, mainly through considering the macrostructure, the microstructure and the outer texts that make up the resource. The access structure is also an essential element not only in lexicographic tools in general but specifically with the one we are conceptualizing. 10.4. Macrostructure The macrostructure is particularly important when designing the terminological database, as it will directly reflect in its capacity for optimal user-friendliness. However, although we refer to it as macrostructure in the thesis, it is important to point out that some authors disagree with the term within the scope of online lexicography, and prefer to refer to it as a data presentation structure – “This new structure is supported technically by an output device that arranges the data retrieved from the database according to type, and presents these data in predetermined order depending on user needs” (Nielsen, 2011). Regardless of this, it is the interactions between these structures that should be optimized: An interactive relation should prevail between different structures in internet dictionaries. The interactive relation should, among others, help to improve the access of the target users of the dictionary to the relevant data and the subsequent retrieval of information from the data on offer. Structures that are candidates to participate in such an interactive relation to enhance access include the data distribution structure, the dictionary portal structure, the macrostructure, microstructure and article structure. (Gouws, 2018, p. 228) The onomasiological nature of the database must be reflected in the macrostructure: “Um dicionário de tipo onomasiológico deve contar com modelos de macroestrutura e de microestrutura capazes de permitir a busca de uma palavra tendo como ponto de partida seu conteúdo” (Babini, 2006). 41 For this reason, our resource will be organized thematically and be composed of eight main conceptual or subject fields which have been deemed the most essential from the research undertaken. These fields can themselves be further subdivided. At this point of the conceptualization process, it is significant to look back at the outcomes of the survey, which was done not only to test Plain Language strategies or understand the best device to be 41 EN: “A dictionary of the onomasiological type must have macrostructure and microstructure models capable of allowing the search for a word taking its content as a starting point". 84 used with the database, but to further encourage the involvement of the users in the design process, by testing prototypes and evaluating the response these macrostructural differences had on them. The two prototypes can be seen in the Figure below, which showcase two potential screenshot structures. This structure arose from the development of online and digital lexicography, and it is essential as it relates to the layout of the resource and the distribution of the data. The first model was compiled using texts from the DGES ( Direção-Geral do Ensino Superior ), the Portuguese Directorate General for Higher Education, which were available in their website. For the second model, we decided to adapt these long texts into a more concise question-answer format and apply the principles of Universal Design and Cultural Humility. Figure 22 Screenshot of prototypical structures shown in the survey The first prototype was also inspired by the structure of the website 42 we took the information from, which is laid out with a number of lengthy texts and without much attention paid to the abovementioned concept of Visual Hierarchy. Bullet points, despite adding some dynamism to the screenshot structure, are simply not enough to make it user-friendly, and a mix of brevity and cohesiveness must be considered, especially so that users can quickly skim through to find the information that they may need. The format obliges the readers to go through the whole text. 42 The DGES website and, more specifically, the page we based our prototype on, can be accessed here: https://www.dges.gov.pt/en/pagina/portuguesehigher-education-system. 85 On developing the second prototype, which we can already acknowledge is close to the final proposal for the conceptualization of the database, we began by considering the aspect of Cultural Humility and representation, by choosing an image that can be relatable to more than one culture and therefore hopefully make refugees feel recognized, accepted and welcomed. A good addition to the image that could enhance accessibility would be to add alternative text describing the contents of the picture, which can not only assist those with visual impairment but also those for whom the internet connection is not strong enough to load the picture, a problem we have already seen is widespread. In addition, we opted to enhance the Visual Hierarchy by choosing different font sizes and organizing the information through a Q&A format, so that the users can quickly skim through the questions and see their informational needs met. The texts are thus more concise and only focus on the information relevant to each question. In addition, this format allows us to directly address our reader which, paired with more familiar language and personal pronouns like I or We , helps us establish a closer relationship with our user, create more engagement and make them feel understood. When asked to choose between the two prototypes, all the respondents opted for the second option. Even if already revealed how our respondents felt about them, it was still relevant to the research to understand why there was such a strong preference for the second prototype, and which general feelings were connected to each option provided. We thus selected five positive feelings that could be induced from simply looking at the screenshot structure, and five negative ones. The goal of this focus on feelings is connected to our abovementioned idea of inclusivity, not only in the sense of building something that optimizes the users’ experience and therefore makes them want to use the resource, but also in doing so by considering notions such as cultural humility, tone and trauma-informed responses. The results showed a clear correlation between negative feelings (particularly boredom, stress, lack of excitement or of feeling welcomed) and the first prototype, as seen in Figure 23. 86 Figure 23 Results for the question “App 1 makes me feel…” from the survey App 2, on the other hand, had a significantly more positive response in the surveyed audience, who overwhelmingly reported feeling welcomed, inspired, helped, and denied any feelings of tiredness, boredom, or stress (see Figure 24). The conclusions that can be extracted from this part of the survey are that the strategies we tried to employ to create a well-tailored and user-friendly design appear to have the desired effect with our users. This is of course just one example of one screenshot structure of the resource, but these rules, techniques and features should guide us throughout the entire conceptualization process. Figure 24 Results for the question “App 2 makes me feel…” from the survey 87 10.5. Outer texts Beyond the termbase and the informational texts that make up our resource, we can mention outer features, which, when set up and developed properly, can greatly increase the user-friendliness of lexicographical tools. An example is the user guide or guidelines, an outer feature that should help with the navigation of the terminological database, namely, in how to access the terms and each subject field, what different typographical and non-typographical elements represent, how to consult the sources, amongst others. It is especially important that the guidelines make mention of the different access routes that lead to the terms, as well as to expand further on the specifics of the entries in the termbase section. This part of the resource should be less familiar to the users, as none of the interviewees appeared to have had any contact with terminological databases before. This should not only be reflected in the structure and layout, but also in the user guidelines. As mentioned before, the question-answer format is an extremely concise and user-friendly way to structure these guidelines, as it makes it quicker for the user to answer their doubts, as opposed to having to look through an entire manual. This is regularly employed in other termbases, namely through a FAQ section, such as the one in the FAO Term Portal 43 , a terminological database dedicated to the terminology surrounding all of the fields within FAO’s (Food and Agriculture Organization) scope. Due to the fact that the acronym FAQ could be unfamiliar to the users, and the term User guidelines might not be as straightforward, we would suggest this feature to simply be signalled as instructions on How to Use the database. In the About section, users will be able to find background information on this project, how the team behind it ensures its up-to-datedness, as well as information about the sources used to compile the entries, the informational sections and the images. In addition, contact numbers would be provided, as well as a segment where users can fill in a form and give suggestions, comments, and feedback on the database. After all, reliability is an essential characteristic of any reference work, and most respondents reinforced that when classifying trustworthiness as an Important or Very Important factor. 10.6. Access structure Burke (1998) sees macrostructure in online dictionaries in a different light from that of printed dictionaries, thinking of this macrostructure as the set of procedures the user follows to get to the 43 The FAO Term Portal can be accessed in the following link: https://www.fao.org/faoterm/en/. 88 desired entry, a process which is often referred to as that of following a search route . A resource such as ours calls for a robust and user-friendly access structure, which determines this route the user takes to reach the specific term or, in our case, the specific information they are looking for, retrieving this data from the main database. A fast and efficient search route should be a major goal when conceptualizing this database: An easy search route and a short search time are important elements when trying to satisfy certain information needs (Bergenholtz & Gouws, 2017). In short, then, with all the new possibilities online dictionaries offer, lexicographers should attempt to make the access structure (which determines the search route) more and more efficient, so that the user can rapidly access the information they intend to get. In this regard, we can distinguish the outer (leads to the lemma sign and therefore the article) and the inner (within the article, leads to specific information) texts. In respect to our database, we must consider that although it is a resource informed by lexicographic theory, it is not simply a dictionary. That is, the destination we can arrive to from following a certain search route is not a lemma. Instead, it can be said that there are two distinct ultimate purposes this resource can lead us to: a term, more specifically, an entry focusing on a term which is presented within a terminological database; and, parallelly, the search route can lead us to practical information on varied topics, which is presented in a question-and-answer format as a guide. This duality of our resource must be reflected and well-articulated within the access structures, so that the user can switch between the formats seamlessly, which is usually achieved through cross referencing. As stated beforehand, the resource is concept-oriented and as such, would give the user the option to select a specific subject field and from there, to find practical and essential information on that topic. Another viable search option which is particularly user-friendly is the search bar, which should allow users to directly type in a query. Before pressing enter , the user should decide if they want to search within the termbase or within the informational guide, while also having the option to opt for results in both formats. This search route is represented in Figure 25. 89 Figure 25 Prototypical search bar in our inclusive database The value of this search route in providing user-friendliness is highly connected with some of its search features and algorithms, such as the ability to auto-complete a query or to provide accurate fuzzy matching - “(...) the “fuzzy match” algorithm will be able to match headwords which approximately match the user’s query” (Burke, 1998). This way, even if users make spelling mistakes, which is even more likely to happen in our case, as most refugees would be dealing with languages which are not their mother tongues, the resource should signal that to the user and provide approximate suggestions of other terms. This is clearly advantageous to the user and is something that could be considered a gap, per example, in printed dictionaries since an incorrect spelling of the headwork can make it quite difficult to find the respective entry. In addition to the structures mentioned by Gouws (2018), lexicographic theory mentions the mediostructure – “The mediostructure, that is the system of cross-referencing, is a lexicographic device that can be used to establish relations between different components of a dictionary” (Gouws & Prinsloo, 1998, p. 17). Cross-referencing is extremely important in our resource, as it is what allows us to connect the terminological database with the informational guide section, which provides the tool with a dynamism that, in turn, enhances the user-friendliness. We can discuss the mediostructure on an internal (within the entry) or an external level (beyond the entry), and a common way to achieve this interactivity between entries is through the use of hyperlinks. In our case, and as can be seen in App 2 of Figure 22, the idea is to have specific terms used in the informational section (such as polytechnic ) be hyperlinked (represented in Figure 22 with the underlined term in orange) and lead to the terminological database, where they can find the entry and can expect to obtain information on different data categories, which we will soon expand further on. Conversely, the database will link to any article within the informational guide relevant to the term being treated. The advantage of this format is that users can find the more straight-forward and concise information included in the terminological database, and, if they decide they need further data on a specific subject, it can be acquired by accessing the informational guide. At the same time, the nature of the terminological base is of course more terminological and linguistic, therefore better suited for translation and text production and 90 reception purposes, while the informational guide complements this linguistic information by providing further contextual cues and data that enhances the clarity of the concepts. This interconnected duality of the resource is represented in the Figure below. Internally, in addition to relevant sources, the entries can also lead to other terms, namely synonyms, antonyms and superordinate terms. This will help establish concept systems - ‘Set of concepts structured according to the relations among them (International Organization for Standardization, 2000). Figure 26 Diagram describing the two dimensions of the database and how they are interconnected 10.7. Data categories In this section, we will be looking at the microstructure of the termbase, particularly the data categories that we believe to be essential for this resource to fulfil its role in the users’ life. The termbase adds a dimension to the final product which allows for the expansion of the target users beyond refugees and becomes an advantageous tool to assist linguists and translators at various stages of their workflow– “With data banks translators can have at their fingertips larger quantities of information in a single reference work” (Cabré, 1999, p. 177). Despite this, it is crucial to remember that our main target audience is most likely not familiar with the layout of a traditional online terminological database, and thus we should continue to ensure this dimension of the resource is just as user-friendly as the other components. The International Standards Organization (ISO), in addition to Plain Language strategies, provides a number of guidelines focused on how to best conduct terminology work, underlying terminology work to their application. The ISO 12620 standard defines data category as a “class of data items that are 97 truly expand on these concepts further. Therefore, the notes should contain hyperlinks leading back into the informational guide. Figure 29 Results regarding the question “Which of these things would you like to know about it?” regarding the NIF number 10.7.1.5. Source or reference When questioned about the importance of certain aspects related to accessing information online, the respondents considered complete , updated ’ and trustworthy as some important pillars in their research (see Figure 30). For this reason, revealing the sources and the relevant metadata and presenting them both in the termbase and in the informational guide is an essential element to increasing the trust users have in our resource. They can simultaneously check that the information comes from reputable sources and further inform themselves on different matters. Furthermore, the way this information is presented is very relevant and must be in line with our accessibility and clarity prospects: “The representation of sources must be simple, easy to memorize and short” (Cabré, 1999, p. 140). 98 Figure 30 Results for the question “How important are the following factors when you look for information online?” 10.7.2. Language-oriented As has been previously discussed, for the time being, our termbase is bilingual, with the inclusion of concepts and terms in Portuguese and English. The layout should thus include the option to view the equivalent in the other language, and to look up the entry in that very same language, as can be seen in the example shown in section 9.8. 10.7.3. Term-oriented 10.7.3.1. Grammatical information As the main target audience for our resource is not necessarily concerned with the more linguistic component of the termbase, data categories on grammatical information should not include more than reference to the gender and the part-of-speech and should not be considered mandatory fields. This information can however still be of interest to refugees, and especially to translators, lexicographers or terminologists who might still use the termbase as a reference and resource for their work. 10.7.3.2. Context The context helps establish a relation between the term and the field and is particularly relevant to our database. After all, one of our main goals is to be inclusive by attending to users’ informational needs, 99 which heavily rely on the proper contextualization of the concepts being treated. In this case, the context is more focused on the presence of a term in a particular text or sentence which should be extracted from the Corpus. The choice of the right context is delicate – it has to be clear and truly showcase the role of the term within the field: “The contexts that best describe the concept and are more representative of its use in the text are chosen” (Cabré, 1999, p. 141). We can distinguish between three types of contexts. Defining contexts are usually preferred as they provide a definition and explain the meaning of the term. It is not always the case that texts contain definitions, though, and we must rely on explicative or associative contexts instead. The latter does not provide relevant information about the concept and only reveals that it is used within the subject field in question. Often, it is possible to find explicative contexts: they do not explicitly define the terms but rather contain information that characterizes them which is nonetheless of value. For our termbase, it is important that the contexts come from the more specialized texts in the Corpus. Per example, if we are defining a term within the scope of Health, it might be preferrable to use texts from the Corpus which come from the National Healthcare Service (SNS), per example, which is a more reputable and reliable source, instead of texts included in other refugee guides. 10.7.3.3. Related terms Cross-referencing has already been treated as a major macrostructural element of our resource. When it comes to cross referencing within the terminological records, other than the hyperlinks to the informational guide already mentioned, it will also be used to indicate the relationships between terms. This is essential to establish concept systems, defined by ISO as a “Set of concepts structured according to the relations among them” (International Organization for Standardization, 2000). These relationships can have an informative and a prescriptive nature. According to Cabré (1999), in informative cross-referencing “a term refers to another in order to broaden the information about its designation or concept” (p. 142). They can be connections made between synonyms, antonyms, or superordinate and subordinate concepts (hierarchical relationship) within the same field. Prescriptive cross-referencing, on the other hand, happens when “a term refers to another in order to favour its use, to deprecate a designation, or to indicate the existence of alternatives on the same sociolinguistic level” (Cabré 1999, p. 142). 100 10.8. Screenshot structure of the termbase Figure 31 presents a prototype for the termbase section of our resource, in line with the data categories and design features abovementioned. App 2 in Figure 22 remains a good contender for the layout of the informational guide section of the database. The term chosen to exemplify the structure of the termbase was the notion of NIF, the tax identification number in Portugal. The users can thus look up this term in Portuguese but obtain the information in English or Portuguese. Figure 31 Prototype for the termbase section of the inclusive database A conscious choice was made to organize the information in blocks to result in a more user-friendly data distribution structure. In the first block of the entry, we have the indication and denomination of the concept and head term, the part-of-speech, gender and a multimedia feature related to pronunciation. Some of the more relevant typographical structural indicators that can be pointed out in this entry are the use of italics for the grammatical information on gender and part of speech, with the headword being highlighted by the usage of a larger font and the bold function. So as to not overly clutter the screenshot structure, abbreviations were used to refer to the grammatical information as well as to signal related terms and the equivalent in English. While the user guide will provide information on these types of structural indicators, a more user-friendly manner of identifying them would be to add hover text over each abbreviation ( SYN -> Synonym , per example). In addition to these elements, it is possible to identify the various instances of cross-referencing and hyperlinking in this prototype. The words underlined and in orange refer to other terms available to 101 consult in the termbase. This is both possible to see within the text and in the lower right block in the screenshot structure, which is used to include related terms to the concept being described. Underlined in blue, in the lower left block, the user can be led to relevant articles and questions in the informational guide which relate in some way to the concept being described. Icons are used all throughout the database to identify the subject field in question. In this case, the purple icon in the shape of a bag of money is associated with finances. Lastly, we can mention the figure chosen, which is merely representative of the theme in question, but should include an alternative text description made available to the user when they hover over the image. It is important to point out that the prototype was put together so all the major information would be represented for the purpose of the dissertation. However, in the real application of the content, there should be more white spaces and not as much information overload, so the users can scroll up and down to continue reading up on the information. 102 11. CHAPTER VI - CONCLUSION 11.1. Limitations The major limitation surrounding the project has to do with the target user and has already been discussed at certain points in the dissertation and should be viewed as more of a challenge that we aimed to overcome than a limitation. This challenge is the heterogeneity of this group we call refugees, which could hamper the development of resources that are truly adapted to their every needs. As we saw during our research, even within a small group of young people, there were often completely divergent ideas. Per example, Participant Y claimed that they did not find Education to be particularly important, neither for himself, due to already having studied, nor for the other refugees he interacted with - “So because during the three months I didn’t hear from anybody that I need to go to school, I have to develop my education, these things.” Participant Z, on the other hand, made it a point to repeatedly state that his main goal was to study – “I sacrificed my life, I went through everything that I’ve been through, for one single goal, studying”. This reinforces the conclusion that refugees are of course individuals, distinct people who might have suffered similar difficulties and gone through parallel issues, but who ultimately come from all kinds of cultures, educational backgrounds, age groups, etc. In the end, it is a set of circumstances and experiences that shape peoples’ goals in life and those who seek refuge in a new country can too be striving towards different goals, even if they fall under the same statute. Not only do their objectives differ somewhat, but their trials and needs will most likely differ too. Participant Y told us about his need for a resource like the one we conceptualized throughout the dissertation, but he went further and revealed the need for a platform that specifically helped refugees coming from his country, Afghanistan: (…) most of the time I am trying to get some information, about how we can process this document, when we search in Youtube, you see most of the people are talking from Pakistan (…) They explain everything for the Pakistan people. For Afghan people no one is doing this information (…) So for that reason these are the challenges that I am finding every day, and I am trying to find a platform and put all the platform and I should distribute it for the people so they can get this information. (Participant Y, 2022) This is an extremely valid concern which represents a real challenge for a project like ours. That is why the notion of inclusivity is so central to the project, because it is also a way to tackle this barrier. As we saw earlier in the dissertation, this term is defined as striving to include all kinds of people. At this stage, then, the goal is to conceptualize a resource that is suitable for a wide range of people with 103 refugee status, even if that means it will not tackle, per example, situations so specific as to consider the situation according to each country of origin, each status of international protection or each financial, social, and personal situation individually. What the resource can do instead, is to provide easily accessible information which equips refugees with the necessary tools and information to solve their individual questions, doubts, concerns, and issues. Another limitation that must be considered and which can be easily associated with the previous one, particularly our small sample size. While this group still permitted us to obtain a lot of interesting information, a larger user research project could potentially have brought our attention to other kinds of needs that could already be reflected at the present stage of the project. In addition, certain characteristics of our respondents, such as their young age, may have led to results that are relevant in their age group but may not translate in older audiences as was already mentioned previously. Nevertheless, our goal with this smaller user research was to obtain a more general idea of the experience of the refugee by taking a magnifying glass to analyse this sample. Regardless of that, as previously mentioned, the interview methodology is not full-proof and does not always guarantee accurate results. The fact that not all of our interviewees spoke Portuguese caused a limitation in terms of the testing of Plain Language and textual accessibility guidelines throughout the research, which would have been interesting. In particular, we would have liked to explore resources such as SIMPLIFICA and the Dicionário de Compliquês and test how the simplification process would occur with this language and not only with Engllish. 11.2. The way forward The dissertation presented thus far has, above all, been a reflection on the different concerns at play when we consider the inclusion of refugees. What this means is that there are a number of institutions, organizations, social workers, services and everyday businesses whose actions, attitudes and outlook towards the integration of refugees can make a tremendous difference in the lives of these people. What has been laid out in the present work is a proposal on how lexicographers and terminologists can create a more inclusive environment for refugees, which does not only help them as individuals, but which could complement the work being carried out by social workers and supporting institutions. What is more, the impact that considering Plain Language strategies has when writing for this audience was 104 highlighted throughout the thesis and corroborated by our survey, which suggests that the institutions and organizations welcoming refugees could only benefit from the opinion and thorough analysis of their texts by Plain Language experts. Clear language leads to efficient communication which more often than not ends in a successful exchange between services and users, and, ultimately, creates a more inclusive society. We thus invite the abovementioned institutions and organizations to connect with not only Plain Language experts, but all kinds of language experts, be it lexicographers, translators or terminologists, who can help ease communication and improve the relationship between refugees and the services essential to their livelihood. Governments and public services appear to have slowly begun taking notice of the issue of language complexity and how it negatively affects refugees, so it is only logical that these ideals migrate to the supporting organizations. As we explored throughout the dissertation, the issues detected span beyond language complexity, though, and the need for quality assurance, linguistic research that reflects on the skills of the users and the language employed, and accurate translation paired with proofreading, calls for the participation of these experts. Figure 32 schematizes this connection where a mutual understanding and cooperation between language professionals and institutions can benefit from the experience of refugees, not only in Portugal but worldwide. This type of collaboration should of course not be limited to our research with refugees, and we encourage any project that considers the benefits of it. The abovementioned MedSimples project, per example, highlights the importance of governments, health professionals and linguists working together to accomplish the same mission through language. Figure 32 Cooperation between Institutions and Language Experts and its effect on refugees: a visual representation 105 Regarding future developments for the database, steps should be taken to raise the awareness among key stakeholders of the importance of such a database that depends on the active participation of all parties involved. This collaboration will contribute to enrich the database with the information refugees need and can interpret, thus contributing to their integration and empowerment in Portuguese society. 11.3. Conclusion In this dissertation we have proposed a process on how to conceptualize an inclusive database for refugees living in Portugal. From the beginning, the users were established as the main focus of the research, whether that be through the methodology employed, where the goal was to involve them and engage with them, or through the end-goal, the conceptualization of a database that is suited for refugees taking into consideration the following aspects: design, content and language employed. To achieve this, it was essential to understand the role of refugees and their welcoming institutions in Portugal, to acquire an initial perception of the needs and problems they face via the application of interviews and surveys. From these qualitative methods, we were able to have a better understanding of what it means to be a refugee in Portugal and the ways in which a database like ours could be beneficial to them. Indeed, we did not simply hope to conceptualize a tool relevant for translation purposes and linguistic matters, but also to break free from the traditional informational purposes of terminological databases and dictionaries. The idea was thus to consider how to further integrate refugees by providing them with the tools and necessary information to build a good and independent life. We propose a database with an informational guide section to help refugees through the navigation of the public services which play an essential role at least in an initial stage of refuge. The subject fields were based on the consideration of prior work and reinforced when the opinion of the interviewees regarding these domains was made available. This database can of course only be truly useful if the refugees are able to retain this information easily and understand the message behind the guidelines, which is why we turned to notions of Plain Language and accessibility. 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Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2015. https://www.unhcr.org/statistics/unhcrstats/576408cd7/unhcr-global-trends-2015.html UNHCR. (2016, March 16 ). “Refugees” and “Migrants” – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). https://www.unhcr.org/news/latest/2016/3/56e95c676/refugees-migrants-frequently-askedquestions-faqs.html UNHCR. (2021). UNHCR’s Grandi concludes visit to Lisbon, commends Portugal’s longstanding commitment to refugee protection as the country takes over the EU Presidency. https://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2021/1/5ffed1554/unhcrs-grandi-concludes-visit-lisboncommends-portugals-longstanding-commitment.html UNHCR. (n.d.). Digital Inclusion . https://www.unhcr.org/innovation/digital-inclusion/ Vieira, A., Marques, J. C., Gomes, M. P., & Vieira, R. (2017). The inclusion of the other in ourselves: reception and comprehension of refugees in Portugal. Intercultural Education , 28(2), 196–205. https://doi.org/10.1080/14675986.2017.1308658 Warburton, K. (2022). 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Proceedings of Translating and the Computer: Potential and practice , 145-153. 115 Plain language resources: CDC’s Plain Language thesaurus for health communications (2007): https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/11500/ MedSimples: https://www.ufrgs.br/textecc/acessibilidade/page/cartilha/ Palavras claras: https://www.palavrasclaras.pt/ The A-Z of Alternative words: http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/the-a-z-of-alternative-words.html Websites mentioned: Dictionary for refugees (ACM): https://www.acm.gov.pt/documents/10181/377055/03Dictionary.pdf/286b2051-262c-4196-9dfb7ff68526ad0b FAO Term Portal: https://www.fao.org/faoterm/en/ Language on the Fly: http://languageonthefly.eu/en/ Guide du Refugié (Welcome Bordeaux) : https://leguidedurefugie.com/pdf/guide-du-refugie-version-fr.pdf Guide for asylum seekers in France: https://www.immigration.interieur.gouv.fr Icoon for refugees: https://icoonforrefugees.com/ Munich Refugee Guide: https://munichrefugee.guide/ Portugalist: 116 https://www.portugalist.com/ REFUGEE GUIDE: http://www.cidadevirtual.pt/cpr/integra/guia_ig.html Welcome guide for refugees (ACM): https://www.acm.gov.pt/documents/10181/377055/01WelcomeGuide.pdf/51f11151-6e55-485c910b-92207e19e143 Welcome: a guide for new refugees (UK Government): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/ 962463/English_only_-_web_accessible.pdf 117 APPENDICES Appendix 1 – Informed Consent Form presented to the interviewees Informed Consent Form for research interviews You have been selected to participate in the research entitled: "Conceptualizing an inclusive database for refugees in Portugal: a linguistic and terminological approach", of the European Master in Lexicography at the University of Minho. The aim of this study is to obtain information to assist in the conceptualization of a database to help refugees in Portugal to better integrate into society and, in turn, facilitate their reception. Your answers will be treated anonymously and confidentially, that is, at no time will your name be disclosed. Questionnaire responses provided in Portuguese will be transcribed into English. The data collected will be used only IN THIS research and the results disclosed in the public defense of the work, in events and/or in scientific journals. Your participation is voluntary, that is, at any time you may refuse to answer any question or withdraw your consent to participate. Your participation in this research will consist of answering the questions to be carried out in the form of interviews. The interview may be recorded, with your prior consent, for later transcription. □ I give my consent for the recording of this interview in audio format for later transcription and analysis. You will receive a copy of this form with the cell phone/email of the responsible researcher, and you can ask questions about the project and your participation, now or at any time. Margarida Oliveira Ramos de Castro University of Minho Escola de Letras, Artes e Ciências European Master in Lexicography Phone number: 924472243 e-mail: [email protected] 118 Term of Consent. I declare that I am aware of the full content of this TERM OF CONSENT and agree to participate in the proposed study, knowing that I can withdraw from it at any time, without suffering any punishment or jeopardy. …………………………………………… Place, Date ………………………………………………… Signature ……………………………………………… Name (in capital letters) 119 Conceptualizing an inclusive database for refugees: a linguistic and terminological approach Margarida Oliveira Ramos de Castro European Master in Lexicography (EMLex) Master’s Thesis Appendix 2 – Interview guide Guia de Entrevista Primeira fase de entrevistas – Avaliar as necessidades dos refugiados, e as lacunas nos serviços que lhes são oferecidos e a clareza da documentação necessária à sua integração em Portugal. A entrevista tem um caráter semiestruturado, isto é, segue um conjunto de perguntas pré-estabelecidas admitindo a possibilidade de incluir ou excluir certas questões e explorar certos aspetos de acordo com o decorrer da entrevista. Introdução / Introduction ☐ Fazer a Apresentação pessoal / Introduce myself ☐ Apresentar o Mestrado Europeu em Lexicografia / Introduce the European Master in Lexicography EMLex ☐ Introduzir o estudo / Introduce the research ☐ Assinar termo de consentimento / Sign Term of Consent ☐ Pedir autorização para gravação áudio da entrevista / Get consent for the audio recording of the interview Entrevista / Interview I. Recolha de dados sociodemográficos / Sociodemographic data collection:  Idade/Age  País de origem/ Country of origin  Género / Gender  Ocupação / Occupation  Associação / Association  Cargo na associação / Role in institution II. Papel na associação / Initial process of arrival in Portugal  Fale-me de como se começou a envolver nesta associação e a trabalhar com refugiados. / Tell me about the process to arrive here.  Em que estado / Who were your main contact person(s) or institution(s) on arrival? 120  Fale-me dos seus primeiros tempos cá em Portugal. Que dificuldades sentiu? / Tell me about your first few days here in Portugal. What difficulties did you encounter? III. Questões sobre língua(s) utilizada(s) em situações de interação social / Questions about language(s) used in social interactions  Quando chegou, que línguas sabia falar? / When you arrived, what languages did you know?  Em que línguas percebeu que conseguia comunicar? / Which languages did you realize you could communicate in?  Qual foi a principal língua que usou inicialmente para: / What was the main language you used initially to:  Aceder a informação essencial para a sua chegada e integração / access essential information to your arrival and integration  aceder aos serviços públicos ( p.ex. saúde, educação, apoio legal) em Portugal? / access public services in Portugal ( e.g. health, education, legal support)?  comunicar com as organizações e instituições de apoio aos refugiados / communicate with the organizations and institutions supporting refugees? Neste caso, teve mais oportunidade de falar a sua língua nativa ou o inglês ou o francês, por exemplo?  No dia-a-dia (p. ex. em lojas) / in daily life (stores, per exemple)  Com habitantes locais / with members of the local community  Qual a importância do Inglês, considerada geralmente uma lingua franca, na sua integração em Portugal? / How important was English, which is generally considered a língua franca, for your integration in Portugal? IV. Questões sobre a Língua Portuguesa / Questions about the Portuguese language  Teve a oportunidade de começar a aprender português logo que chegou a Portugal? / Did you have the opportunity to start learning Portuguese as soon as you arrived in Portugal ?  Se sim, sentiu que o conteúdo das aulas estava apropriado às suas necessidades? / If yes, did you feel the contents of the classes were in line with your needs?  O quão importante considera dominar o português para viver em Portugal? / How important do you think mastering Portuguese is to live in Portugal?  O que geralmente faz quando tem uma pergunta linguística? / What do you usually do when you have a question regarding the language? o Que recursos lexicográficos/ dicionarísticos usa? / What kind of lexicographical/ dictionary resources do you use?  Acha que os recursos existentes respondem às suas necessidades? / Do you think the available resources meet your needs?  Teve alguém a ajudá-lo/a a perceber a língua, nomeadamente em documentos e procedimentos de saúde, direitos, etc numa fase inicial? / Did you have someone help you understand the language, namely while reading documents or health procedures, etc?  Alguma vez sentiu receio, desespero ou mesmo se sentiu insegura por não dominar bem o português? / Did you ever feel fear, hopelessness or uncertainty due to not having a good grasp on Portuguese? 121  Alguma vez se sentiu demasiado dependente/a de outras pessoas (assistentes sociais, intérpretes,) e desejou ter mais independência no seu dia-a-dia em Portugal? / Have you ever felt too dependent on other people (social workers, interpreters...) and wished you had more independence in your daily life in Portugal?  O conhecimento da língua tornou-a mais independente e contribuiu para a sua integração na sociedade portuguesa? / Has the knowledge of the language made you more independent and contributed towards your integration in the portuguese society? V. Questões sobre clareza da documentação relevante à integração / Questions about the clarity of documentation relevant to the integration  Quando lia documentos sobre o seu estatuto ou quando tratava de algum aspeto burocrático, alguma vez sentiu que a forma como o texto estava escrito tornava tudo mais difícil de compreender, mais assustador, aborrecido…? / When reading documents about your status or when dealing with some bureaucratic aspect, did you ever feel that the way in which the text was written made everything harder to understand, more frightening, boring...?  O quão fácil para si era obter informações claras? / How easy was it for you to obtain clear information?  Sentiu-se sobrecarregado/a de informação em algum ponto? / Did you feel overwhelmed with information at any point?  Como é que as pessoas explicavam os processos? Por exemplo, recebia panfletos ou infográficos? (Mostrar o do SEF) / How did people explain the processes? For example, did you get pamphlets or infographics? (Show the one from SEF)  Percebia sempre as indicações que lhe eram dadas? As pessoas nos serviços eram compreensivas e mostravam-se pacientes para o/a ajudar? / Did you always understand the instructions you were given? Were the people in the services understanding and patient to help you?  Alguma vez sentiu que as diferenças culturais eram também um fator que poderia contribuir para a dificuldade de comunicação? / Did you ever feel that cultural differences were also a factor that could contribute to communication problems? VI. Questões sobre a organização por categorias / Questions about the organization in categories Como sabe, estamos a preparar um recurso que permite organizar por categorias informações indispensáveis para alguém com estatuto de refugiado em Portugal. Por favor, classifique as seguintes categorias por ordem de relevância. O que achas destas categorias? Sentiste dificuldades ao lidar com estes contextos? Que tipo de ajuda gostava de lá ver para além do significado de cada termo? / As you know, we are preparing a resource that allows you to organize by categories indispensable information for someone with refugee status in Portugal. What do you think about these categories? Did you experience difficulties when dealing with these contexts? What kind of help would you like to see there beyond just knowing what the terms mean?  Saúde / Health  Educação / Education 122  Emprego e Formação profissional / Employment and professional training  Sistema legal (os seus direitos) / Legal system ( your rights)  Transportes e mobilidade / Transportation and mobility  Acesso a habitação / Access to housing  Religion / Religião  Finanças / Finances 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138