Getting to terms with terminology at Swedish public agencies

This paper describes on-going work aimed at assisting public agencies in Sweden to conform to the new Swedish Language Act (passed in 2009). The Language Act highlights terminology as a key factor for a public agency, as well as a responsibility for a public agency to ensure that its terminology is made available, used and developed. Term-O-Stat is an action program to help public agencies to improve their terminological efforts. Term-O-Stat is divided into four distinct steps: 1) term inventory, 2) term classification, 3) conceptual analysis and term choice, and 4) term implementation. We describe the four steps and also experiences from the realization of step 1 and 2 at the Swedish Social Insurance Agency.