Issues of scientific transparency in small-language countries

Abstract

The pursuit of scientific transparency is not a simple matter in small-language countries.

Such scientific communities face well known issues: a narrow circle of researchers capable of reviewing certain works, often knowing each other personally, working together, and collaborating on shared projects. At times, the opposite is true—they may be in competition, which can also lead to biased perspectives on each other’s work.

One way to ensure scientific transparency under these conditions is to publish in English, which opens the door to going beyond the limits of a small country and involving foreign experts in the peer review process, project evaluation, and research assessment.

This may seem like a solution—a way to ensure transparency and quality in science. However, such a solution also implies significant challenges in the scientific landscape of that country.

Firstly, it can affect the thematic scope of research in the country, especially in the social sciences and humanities. When planning to publish in English, researchers naturally orient themselves toward a broader, international audience. Yet what is relevant to the local community is not always of interest to others. As a result, both authors and publishers, motivated by visibility and commercial viability, may favor topics with broader appeal. In turn, local topics may gradually disappear from the academic discourse of small-language countries. The uniqueness of certain themes may also diminish.

Secondly, publishing scientific work in English to promote transparency also impacts the development of scientific vocabulary in the national language. This vocabulary typically evolves through publication in the native language and local scholarly discourse. The use of a lingua franca no longer fosters such discussions, leading to a stagnation or even decline in the development of scientific language within the country.

Is there a way out of this dilemma?