In September 2020 I started what became a long #Twitter thread on #MultilingualResearch.https://twitter.com/petersuber/status/1307774697531113474
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Update. Good line from the previous piece (this thread, above).
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/english-may-be-sciences-native-language-but-its-not-native-to-all-scientists/"When it comes to language, we often think of Gloria Pritchett, a character in the popular American television show Modern Family. Gloria is a native Spanish speaker living in a fast-paced English-speaking family. 'Do you even know how smart I am in Spanish?' she says in one episode.”
Update. Can #AI solve the problem of #language #discrimination (good research by non-native speakers rejected from English-language journals on the ground of weak English)?
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/ai-writing-tools-will-not-fix-academias-language-discrimination-problem
(#paywalled)Natalia Kucirkova argues no. The best bots may be good enough. But they are not accessible to all who need them, and "non-native researchers still have to invest extra time & more dollars to fix their papers than their native colleagues."
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Update. Can #AI solve the problem of #language #discrimination (good research by non-native speakers rejected from English-language journals on the ground of weak English)?
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/ai-writing-tools-will-not-fix-academias-language-discrimination-problem
(#paywalled)Natalia Kucirkova argues no. The best bots may be good enough. But they are not accessible to all who need them, and "non-native researchers still have to invest extra time & more dollars to fix their papers than their native colleagues."
Update. All too often scholars researching global attitudes toward something will write a survey in English and only English. Because I've criticized this practice, I'm happy to spotlight and applaud this research team for writing its survey (on data sharing and re-use in the field of traumatic stress) in seven languages — and publishing its abstract in three languages.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/20008066.2023.2254118 -
Update. All too often scholars researching global attitudes toward something will write a survey in English and only English. Because I've criticized this practice, I'm happy to spotlight and applaud this research team for writing its survey (on data sharing and re-use in the field of traumatic stress) in seven languages — and publishing its abstract in three languages.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/20008066.2023.2254118Update. New study: Chinese scholars decide whether to publish in Chinese or English based on the "perceived value" of the "best-fitting" journals.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1249857/full -
Update. New study: Chinese scholars decide whether to publish in Chinese or English based on the "perceived value" of the "best-fitting" journals.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1249857/fullUpdate. I missed this from 2020: "Among the researchers [from seven European countries] who published at least three [#SSH] journal articles [in 2013-15] over one-third…had written their work in at least two languages…Research is international, but multilingual publishing keeps locally relevant research alive with the added potential for creating impact."
https://asistdl.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/asi.24336 -
Update. I missed this from 2020: "Among the researchers [from seven European countries] who published at least three [#SSH] journal articles [in 2013-15] over one-third…had written their work in at least two languages…Research is international, but multilingual publishing keeps locally relevant research alive with the added potential for creating impact."
https://asistdl.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/asi.24336Update. The Confederation of #OpenAccess #Repositories (#COAR) just released an important set of recommendations on managing multilingual and non-English language content in #OA repositories.
https://www.coar-repositories.org/news-updates/managing-multilingual-and-non-english-language-content-in-repositories/ -
Update. The Confederation of #OpenAccess #Repositories (#COAR) just released an important set of recommendations on managing multilingual and non-English language content in #OA repositories.
https://www.coar-repositories.org/news-updates/managing-multilingual-and-non-english-language-content-in-repositories/Update. I missed this from last year: "We broadly review the advantages and limitations of…machine #translation…and propose that translation can serve as both a short- and a long-term solution for making science more…accessible, globally representative, and impactful beyond the academy. We outline actions that individuals and institutions can take to support multilingual science."
https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/72/10/988/6653151 -
Update. I missed this from last year: "We broadly review the advantages and limitations of…machine #translation…and propose that translation can serve as both a short- and a long-term solution for making science more…accessible, globally representative, and impactful beyond the academy. We outline actions that individuals and institutions can take to support multilingual science."
https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/72/10/988/6653151Update. See some new comments on the previous article (this thread).
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/machine-translation-a-game-changer-in-science/"The real benefit of machine translation lies elsewhere, said [Vincent] Larivière. 'In an ideal world, the #metadata, #abstracts and titles of scientific articles would be available in [many] languages, increasing their #discoverability…Readers could then choose to translate the text into any language they want. We wouldn’t always have to use English.' "
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Update. See some new comments on the previous article (this thread).
https://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/machine-translation-a-game-changer-in-science/"The real benefit of machine translation lies elsewhere, said [Vincent] Larivière. 'In an ideal world, the #metadata, #abstracts and titles of scientific articles would be available in [many] languages, increasing their #discoverability…Readers could then choose to translate the text into any language they want. We wouldn’t always have to use English.' "
Update. "Non-native English speakers face additional barriers to scientific publishing, from journal guidelines accessible only in English to higher rates of language-related manuscript rejection. Journals, congresses, and others are beginning to offer support ranging from English language mentoring programmes, training, and buddy systems to free AI proofreading tools."
https://thepublicationplan.com/2023/11/07/language-barriers-in-scientific-publishing-how-many-hurdles-are-there/ -
Update. "Non-native English speakers face additional barriers to scientific publishing, from journal guidelines accessible only in English to higher rates of language-related manuscript rejection. Journals, congresses, and others are beginning to offer support ranging from English language mentoring programmes, training, and buddy systems to free AI proofreading tools."
https://thepublicationplan.com/2023/11/07/language-barriers-in-scientific-publishing-how-many-hurdles-are-there/Update. "Much scientific evidence is still published in non-English languages, and excluding non-English-language evidence can introduce biases in evidence synthesis."
https://ecoevorxiv.org/repository/view/6342/ -
Update. "Much scientific evidence is still published in non-English languages, and excluding non-English-language evidence can introduce biases in evidence synthesis."
https://ecoevorxiv.org/repository/view/6342/Update. 2nd Helsinki Initiative Webinar on #Multilingualism in Scholarly Communication
https://www.helsinki-initiative.org/en/events/2nd-helsinki-initiative-webinar-multilingualism-scholarly-communication -
Update. 2nd Helsinki Initiative Webinar on #Multilingualism in Scholarly Communication
https://www.helsinki-initiative.org/en/events/2nd-helsinki-initiative-webinar-multilingualism-scholarly-communicationUpdate. "To what extent are minority languages excluded from scholarly publishing infrastructure and initiatives…This is the provocative question we ask in this opinion piece, drawing on our experience of publishing the world’s only academic journal in our minority language [Sámi]."
https://insights.uksg.org/articles/10.1629/uksg.640 -
Update. "To what extent are minority languages excluded from scholarly publishing infrastructure and initiatives…This is the provocative question we ask in this opinion piece, drawing on our experience of publishing the world’s only academic journal in our minority language [Sámi]."
https://insights.uksg.org/articles/10.1629/uksg.640Update. "GPT detectors frequently misclassify non-native English writing as #AI generated, raising concerns about fairness and robustness…GPT detectors could spuriously flag non-native authors’ content as AI #plagiarism, paving the way for undue harassment."
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666389923001307 -
Update. "GPT detectors frequently misclassify non-native English writing as #AI generated, raising concerns about fairness and robustness…GPT detectors could spuriously flag non-native authors’ content as AI #plagiarism, paving the way for undue harassment."
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666389923001307Update. "The need to publish in English even when it is not the local language affects the type of research undertaken & further consolidates the global North-centric view of scientific approach. The bibliometric databases on which assessments of universities and journals are based are owned by two large [corporations], and this concentration of the market has in turn concentrated the research environment. #OpenInfrastructure offers an alternative option."
https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/c8yq3 -
Update. "The need to publish in English even when it is not the local language affects the type of research undertaken & further consolidates the global North-centric view of scientific approach. The bibliometric databases on which assessments of universities and journals are based are owned by two large [corporations], and this concentration of the market has in turn concentrated the research environment. #OpenInfrastructure offers an alternative option."
https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/c8yq3Update. "Most journals [make] minimal efforts to overcome language barriers. The impact factor of journals [#JIF] was negatively associated w/ adopting a number of inclusive policies…Ownership by a scientific society tended to have a positive association. Contrary to our expectations, the proportion of both #OpenAccess articles & editors based in non-English speaking countries did not have a major positive association w/ the adoption of linguistically inclusive policies."
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.2840 -
Update. "Most journals [make] minimal efforts to overcome language barriers. The impact factor of journals [#JIF] was negatively associated w/ adopting a number of inclusive policies…Ownership by a scientific society tended to have a positive association. Contrary to our expectations, the proportion of both #OpenAccess articles & editors based in non-English speaking countries did not have a major positive association w/ the adoption of linguistically inclusive policies."
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.2840Update. The authors of the previous piece in this thread just released a summary.
https://theconversation.com/prestigious-journals-make-it-hard-for-scientists-who-dont-speak-english-to-get-published-and-we-all-lose-out-226225"Linguistically inclusive policies come in many forms, and can be implemented at each stage of the editorial process. They might aim to make publishing more #multilingual. Alternatively – if sticking with English – they may aim to reduce the burden on non-native English speakers."
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Update. The authors of the previous piece in this thread just released a summary.
https://theconversation.com/prestigious-journals-make-it-hard-for-scientists-who-dont-speak-english-to-get-published-and-we-all-lose-out-226225"Linguistically inclusive policies come in many forms, and can be implemented at each stage of the editorial process. They might aim to make publishing more #multilingual. Alternatively – if sticking with English – they may aim to reduce the burden on non-native English speakers."
Update. New study: "Academics who perceive high #pressure to publish tend to employ instrumental publication strategies rather than normative ones…Publishing results in open-access outlets or in native languages other than English is less important for those under pressure."
https://academic.oup.com/rev/advance-article/doi/10.1093/reseval/rvae011/7634754 -
Update. New study: "Academics who perceive high #pressure to publish tend to employ instrumental publication strategies rather than normative ones…Publishing results in open-access outlets or in native languages other than English is less important for those under pressure."
https://academic.oup.com/rev/advance-article/doi/10.1093/reseval/rvae011/7634754Update. "Too often, scientific research in any language other than English is automatically seen as second tier, with little consideration for the quality of the work itself. This harmful prejudice ignores the work of those involved, especially in the humanities and social sciences. It also profoundly undermines the global academic community’s ability to share knowledge with society."
https://theconversation.com/english-dominates-scientific-research-heres-how-we-can-fix-it-and-why-it-matters-226198 -
Update. "Too often, scientific research in any language other than English is automatically seen as second tier, with little consideration for the quality of the work itself. This harmful prejudice ignores the work of those involved, especially in the humanities and social sciences. It also profoundly undermines the global academic community’s ability to share knowledge with society."
https://theconversation.com/english-dominates-scientific-research-heres-how-we-can-fix-it-and-why-it-matters-226198Update. Results of two surveys of authors whose first language is not English, mostly from China, on the use of #AI tools to publish in English-language journals. "The top reported use cases for AI tools were grammar corrections/proofreading, rewriting, translation, and drafting abstracts/lay summaries."
https://www.csescienceeditor.org/article/ai-what-the-future-holds/ -
Update. Results of two surveys of authors whose first language is not English, mostly from China, on the use of #AI tools to publish in English-language journals. "The top reported use cases for AI tools were grammar corrections/proofreading, rewriting, translation, and drafting abstracts/lay summaries."
https://www.csescienceeditor.org/article/ai-what-the-future-holds/Update. Wonderful project. "Climate Cardinals is a youth-led nonprofit that’s accomplished quite a bit with almost no funding: translating 2 million words in four years to make scientific literature more accessible to non-English speakers." #Google just gave the project $400k.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffkart/2024/04/22/climate-cardinals-plans-to-double-its-science-translation-efforts-with-new-google-backing -
Update. Wonderful project. "Climate Cardinals is a youth-led nonprofit that’s accomplished quite a bit with almost no funding: translating 2 million words in four years to make scientific literature more accessible to non-English speakers." #Google just gave the project $400k.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffkart/2024/04/22/climate-cardinals-plans-to-double-its-science-translation-efforts-with-new-google-backingUpdate. This new study follows up on three recommendations from #COAR on #multilingualism in #repositories — "[1] declaring the language(s) of the resource and…its #metadata, [2] writing personal name/s using the writing system used in the deposited document while providing a persistent identifier to disambiguate author/s…and…[3] enabling UTF-8 support so as to promote use of the original alphabet / the writing system whenever possible."
https://zenodo.org/records/11060284
