Is the readability of abstracts decreasing in management research?

Artikel

The readability of scientific texts is critical for the successful distribution of research findings. I replicate a recent study which found that the abstracts of scientific articles in the life sciences became less readable over time. Specifically, I sample 28,345 abstracts from 17 of the leading journals in the field of management and organization over 3 decades, and study two established indicators of readability over time, namely the Flesch Reading Ease and the New Dale–Chall Readability Formula. I find a modest trend towards less readable abstracts, which leads to an increase in articles that are extremely hard to read from 12% in the first decade of the sample to 16% in the final decade of the sample. I further find that an increasing number of authors partially explains this trend, as do the use of scientific jargon and corresponding author affiliations with institutions in English-speaking countries. I discuss implications for authors, reviewers, and editors in the field of management.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Journal: Review of Managerial Science ; ISSN: 1863-6691 ; Volume: 16 ; Year: 2021 ; Issue: 4 ; Pages: 1063-1084 ; Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Management ; Business Administration: General
• Subject: Readability ; Management research ; Replication

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Graf-Vlachy, Lorenz
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Springer
• (where): Berlin, Heidelberg
• (when): 2021

Further information

• DOI: doi:10.1007/s11846-021-00468-7
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:44 AM CET