Science is getting harder to read | Nature Index
peter.suber's bookmarks 2020-09-17
Summary:
"From obscure acronyms to unnecessary jargon, research papers are increasingly impenetrable – even for scientists....
Kipling Williams, a psychologist at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, who has written about jargon and acronyms hampering science communication, says the increase in technical language only isolates non-specialist readers.
He adds that academic papers should be written in a more accommodating way for informed readers who are not researchers, such as policymakers, journalists, and patients.
“The public is paying for a lot of this research, and so they should be able to at least get a reasonable handle on what’s being said.” "