Based on a recent study by University of Cambridge scientists, it has been argued that science is missing out on important non-English research because English has been adopted as a sort of 'lingua franca' (common language) in the scientific community. The study revealed that over one-third of current science journals are published annually in non-English languages, which can result in the findings being overlooked.
According to the study, the existing language barriers in influential academic circles means that practitioners and researchers struggle to access new knowledge, while a focus of research only on English may lead to biases in the understanding of key issues.
Based on their findings published in PLOS Biology, the Cambridge researchers argue that whenever scientific findings are published only in one language, barriers to the transfer of knowledge are created.
As a result, the scientists have requested various scientific journals to publish basic summaries of the key findings of studies in multiple languages. They have also encouraged universities and funding bodies to encourage translations as part of their "outreach" evaluation criteria.
Adding to his statement that the scientific community should not assume that all important information is published in English, Tatsuya Amano from the Department of Zoology and lead author of the study said that language barriers continue to impede the global compilation and application of scientific knowledge.
There is an imbalance in knowledge transfer in countries where English is not the mother tongue. A lot of scientific knowledge that has originated there and elsewhere is available only in English and not in local languages. This is a particular problem in subjects where both local expertise and implementation is vital, such as in environmental sciences.
The study calls on journals, funders, authors, and institutions to be encouraged to supply translations of the summary of a scientific publication - regardless of the language it was originally published in.