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Readability is decreasing in language and linguistics

Author

Listed:
  • Shan Wang

    (University of Macau
    University of Macau)

  • Xiaojun Liu

    (University of Macau)

  • Jie Zhou

    (University of Macau)

Abstract

Readability reflects the ease of reading a text and high readability indicates easy texts. Based on a corpus consisting of 71,628 abstracts published in SSCI journals in language and linguistics from 1991 to 2020, this paper employs nine readability indexes to analyze their readability and relationship with citations. The results show that the readability of abstracts in journals of language and linguistics is low. Moreover, in the past 30 years, the abstract readability in language and linguistics abstracts is decreasing. Meanwhile, readability is significantly negatively correlated with the number of citations, even though the effect size is very small. The results above suggest that abstracts are very difficult to read; they are becoming more and more difficult than before; the abstract of the articles with more citations appear to be less readable. Faced with decreasing readability, it is suggested that scholars make themselves understood when expressing their ideas with jargon. This study not only has implications for scholars to use linguistic features to improve readability, but also provides quantitative support for the research on readability.

Suggested Citation

  • Shan Wang & Xiaojun Liu & Jie Zhou, 2022. "Readability is decreasing in language and linguistics," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(8), pages 4697-4729, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:127:y:2022:i:8:d:10.1007_s11192-022-04427-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-022-04427-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. James Hartley & James W. Pennebaker & Claire Fox, 2003. "Abstracts, introductions and discussions: How far do they differ in style?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 57(3), pages 389-398, July.
    2. Dolnicar, Sara & Chapple, Alexander, 2015. "The readability of articles in tourism journals," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 161-166.
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    4. Dowling, Michael & Hammami, Helmi & Zreik, Ousayna, 2018. "Easy to read, easy to cite?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 100-103.
    5. Lei Lei & Sheng Yan, 2016. "Readability and citations in information science: evidence from abstracts and articles of four journals (2003–2012)," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 108(3), pages 1155-1169, September.
    6. Michael Dowling & Helmi Hammami & Ousayna Zreik, 2018. "Easy to read, easy to cite?," Post-Print hal-01958017, HAL.
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    Cited by:

    1. Farrell, Michael & Murphy, Dermot & Painter, Marcus & Zhang, Guangli, 2023. "The complexity yield puzzle: A textual analysis of municipal bond disclosures," Working Papers 338, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State.
    2. Xi Zhao & Li Li & Wei Xiao, 2023. "The diachronic change of research article abstract difficulty across disciplines: a cognitive information-theoretic approach," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-12, December.

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