Jargon refers to specialized or technical language a particular group uses that may be difficult for outsiders to understand and should be avoided in scientific writing.
Understanding Jargon in Scientific Writing
Jargon refers to the specialized terms, abbreviations, or phrases that are commonly used within a particular field or profession. In the context of social science research, jargon often includes terminology that experts in the field might use to communicate complex ideas efficiently. While jargon can facilitate communication among professionals who share the same expertise, it can also create significant barriers for those outside the field, including students, interdisciplinary researchers, and the general public.
Because of these barriers, scientific writing, particularly in social science, aims to avoid jargon whenever possible. Clear, precise, and accessible language ensures that research findings and theoretical concepts are understandable to a broader audience. This is especially important when communicating research results, publishing academic papers, or presenting findings to policy makers, educators, or community groups.
Why Avoid Jargon in Scientific Writing?
There are several reasons why avoiding jargon in scientific writing is important:
1. Enhancing Accessibility
One of the key goals of scientific writing is to share research findings with a wide audience. When jargon is used, it can alienate those who do not have the same level of expertise. In social sciences, where research often focuses on topics like human behavior, society, and policy, it is especially important to ensure that the public, decision-makers, and professionals in other disciplines can understand the work. Writing in clear, simple language makes research more accessible, which increases its impact and relevance to society.
2. Encouraging Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Social science research frequently intersects with other fields, such as psychology, economics, public health, and education. To collaborate effectively across disciplines, researchers need to communicate their findings in ways that others outside their specific field can understand. Avoiding jargon helps to break down communication barriers between disciplines, encouraging collaboration and innovation.
For instance, a social scientist working on poverty alleviation may need to collaborate with public health experts. If the social scientist uses complex, field-specific terminology that public health experts do not understand, the research findings may not be properly communicated or applied. On the other hand, using clear language makes it easier to share ideas and work together toward shared goals.
3. Increasing Reader Engagement
When readers encounter unfamiliar jargon in a research paper, they may struggle to follow the author’s argument. This can lead to confusion or disengagement, as the reader becomes focused on deciphering unfamiliar terms rather than engaging with the research findings or analysis. By avoiding jargon, writers help their readers stay focused on the main points of the paper, which improves overall understanding and retention.
4. Promoting Clarity and Precision
Jargon can sometimes obscure meaning rather than clarify it. In scientific writing, precision is critical to ensure that ideas are clearly communicated and easily understood. Using clear language allows researchers to present their findings and arguments without ambiguity. When writers rely on jargon, they risk making their work more difficult to understand, which can lead to misinterpretations or misunderstandings.
For example, the term “confounding variable” might be well understood by statisticians, but to a layperson or someone from a different academic background, the concept may be unfamiliar. Instead of using the jargon, a writer can clarify by explaining that a confounding variable is an external factor that might affect the relationship between the variables being studied.
Common Jargon in Social Science Research
To better understand how jargon appears in social science research, let’s consider a few common examples of field-specific terminology that might confuse non-experts:
- Operationalize: In social science, researchers often talk about “operationalizing” variables, which refers to defining how abstract concepts will be measured in a study. Instead of using this term, writers could explain that they are determining specific, measurable indicators for a concept like “socioeconomic status” or “job satisfaction.”
- Epistemology: While this term refers to the study of knowledge and understanding, it can be more easily explained by discussing how researchers approach questions about what we can know and how we can know it.
- Longitudinal study: This is a research method that involves repeated observations of the same subjects over a long period. A more straightforward explanation could be: “a study that tracks the same participants over time to observe changes.”
- Sampling frame: Rather than using this technical term, a writer could explain that it refers to the specific group from which participants in a study are selected.
Each of these examples illustrates how replacing jargon with clear, simple explanations can help make research more accessible.
Tips for Avoiding Jargon in Writing
Avoiding jargon in scientific writing takes practice, especially because researchers are often immersed in their own field’s terminology. Here are some tips to help writers avoid jargon and ensure clarity:
1. Know Your Audience
When writing for a general or interdisciplinary audience, it’s important to assume that not everyone will be familiar with the specialized language of your field. Writers should take the time to define any necessary terms in simple language. For example, in an article aimed at public policy makers, terms like “regression analysis” or “triangulation” should be clearly explained or replaced with simpler descriptions.
2. Use Plain Language
Writers should focus on using plain, straightforward language to explain their ideas. This means choosing simple words over complex ones and avoiding overly technical terms when possible. If a technical term is essential, the writer should define it clearly and offer examples to help illustrate the concept. For example, instead of writing, “The data was disaggregated according to demographic variables,” a clearer statement might be, “We separated the data based on characteristics like age, gender, and income.”
3. Provide Context
When technical terms or complex concepts must be used, providing context can help readers understand their meaning. Writers can do this by explaining why a term is important and how it relates to the broader discussion. For example, if discussing “causal inference,” a writer could explain that this term refers to how researchers determine whether one factor causes another, which is essential for understanding the relationships between variables in a study.
4. Test Your Writing on a Non-Expert
A helpful strategy for identifying and avoiding jargon is to have someone outside your field read your work. If they struggle to understand certain terms or concepts, that may indicate the presence of jargon. Revising based on this feedback can make your writing clearer and more accessible to a broader audience.
5. Use Examples and Analogies
Examples and analogies can be powerful tools for explaining complex concepts in simple terms. By relating unfamiliar ideas to common experiences or widely understood concepts, writers can make their research more accessible. For instance, to explain the concept of “sampling bias,” a writer could use an analogy like a sports coach selecting players based only on height, which might overlook important skills.
Balancing Technical Accuracy and Simplicity
While avoiding jargon is important, social science research often deals with complex concepts and requires a certain level of precision. Therefore, writers need to balance the use of clear language with the need for technical accuracy. Not every technical term can or should be replaced with simpler language, but when jargon is used, it should always be defined and explained in a way that makes sense to the intended audience.
In some cases, footnotes or appendices can be used to provide more detailed explanations of technical terms, allowing the main text to remain clear and accessible while still offering experts the depth of information they may require.
Conclusion
In summary, jargon refers to specialized language that can create barriers in scientific writing, especially in the social sciences. Avoiding jargon helps make research more accessible, promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, and ensures clarity and precision. By using plain language, providing context, and testing their writing on non-experts, researchers can communicate their findings effectively without relying on technical terms that might confuse their audience.