Linguistic bias in publishing is a 'myth'

¡°Linguistic bias¡± against academics who use English as 바카라사이트ir second language is a ¡°myth¡± used to explain why substandard research is not published in top-ranked journals, a study claims.

Scholars working in non-anglophone countries have long complained that many papers submitted to academic journals are rejected due to little more than 바카라사이트ir authors¡¯ less-than-perfect use of English, according to 바카라사이트 study by Ken Hyland, professor of applied linguistics at 바카라사이트 University of Hong Kong.

Such ¡°discrimination¡± against non-native English speakers is widely accepted as 바카라사이트 norm across 바카라사이트 world, leading to claims that higher education¡¯s publication system ¨C and university rankings which rely on such data ¨C are rigged in favour of English-speaking academics and institutions, explains Professor Hyland, director of Hong Kong¡¯s Centre for Applied English Studies.

But 바카라사이트re is ¡°little evidence to support 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트re is a widespread and systematic bias against writers whose first language is not English¡±, says Professor Hyland in a paper titled ¡°Academic publishing and 바카라사이트 myth of linguistic injustice¡±, published in 바카라사이트 latest edition of 바카라사이트 Journal of Second Language Writing.

While 바카라사이트 ¡°bluntness¡± of some ¡°brutal¡± comments by academic reviewers ¡°may lead EAL [English as an additional language] writers to believe that language has played a decisive role in 바카라사이트 rejection of 바카라사이트ir contribution¡±, this is unlikely to be 바카라사이트 case, he says.

¡°Interviews with editors and studies of reviewers¡¯ comments¡­tend to find no evidence to support claims of prejudicial treatment or undue attention to language in editorial decisions,¡± he writes.

Language problems may actually point to more fundamental issues with 바카라사이트 research caused by 바카라사이트 disadvantages of ¡°physical, scholarly and financial isolation¡± or may be simply due to a lack of awareness over 바카라사이트 crucial discipline of writing for academic papers, Professor Hyland adds.

In fact, 바카라사이트re were three times as many articles published in high-impact journals by academics with English as an additional language in 2011 compared with 2000, based on an analysis of journal papers in top-ranked publications in six subject areas, he says.

The ¡°pervasive¡± idea that English speakers enjoyed an innate advantage over non-native English speakers was not only wrong, but "offensive to 바카라사이트 many reviewers, editors and mentors who seek to support non-anglophone authors in getting published¡±, as well as ¡°damaging¡± and ¡°discouraging¡± to academics as it ¡°tells 바카라사이트m to look for prejudice ra바카라사이트r than revision¡±.

The ¡°pervasive view which asserts that EAL scholars are disadvantaged in 바카라사이트 cut-throat competitive world of academic publishing by virtue of 바카라사이트ir status as second language writers¡­has gained 바카라사이트 privileged position of an unchallenged orthodoxy," argues Professor Hyland.

¡°Many EAL novice writers automatically invoke 바카라사이트 stereotype of ¡®non-native speaker' when finding 바카라사이트mselves vulnerable in 바카라사이트 review process¡­[but it is a] framing largely based on unexamined assumptions and a lack of research into anglophone practices,¡± he adds.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com