Original title: Disadvantages in preparing and publishing scientific papers caused by the dominance of the English language in science: The case of Colombian researchers in biological sciences
Most major science journals publish in English, so Colombian researchers often write papers in a language they learned later. The study found that paying for translation or editing can cost between a quarter and half of a Colombian doctoral student’s monthly salary. Students also reported trouble reading and writing in English, anxiety, and papers rejected or sent back over grammar. The authors argue that science needs ways to communicate across languages without placing all the burden on researchers who speak English as a foreign language.
Imagine joining a group project where everyone must write and present in a language that is not your own. You can have good ideas, but checking every sentence takes time, and getting help with the wording costs money. In this paper, the project’s shared language stands for English in science, while the extra effort and expense show what Colombian researchers face when publishing and presenting.
Researchers who do not grow up speaking English can face extra costs, longer writing and reading, and anxiety when publishing or presenting their work. The paper shows how a shared language for science can also make it harder for some researchers to take part.
The abstract focuses on Colombian researchers in biological sciences and reports student experiences, article language, service costs, and a correlation with socioeconomic origin. It does not establish that English alone causes every disadvantage, or show whether the findings apply to other countries or fields.
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Disadvantages in preparing and publishing scientific papers caused by the dominance of the English language in science: The case of Colombian researchers in biological sciences — Valeria Ramírez‐Castañeda — PLoS ONE — doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0238372
Abstract licence: CC BY
Explanation generated by Synthesis from the abstract — it is not the original paper.