A recent study published in Learned Publishing explores the impact of bilingual publishing on international authorship, revealing that translating academic articles into English can significantly enhance a journal’s global reach. Conducted by Xiangdong Li from Xi’an International Studies University, the study analyzed four Spain-based journals that adopted bilingual publishing through translation in 2014, comparing them to a similar journal that retained its Spanish-only policy.
The research, using an interrupted time series design, found that bilingual publishing led to a substantial increase in foreign contributions and expanded the geographical distribution of contributing authors. Before the language shift, the journals primarily attracted submissions from Spain and Latin America, but after transitioning to bilingual formats, they received a more diverse array of international submissions.
Key Findings:
- The proportion of foreign contributions increased significantly in the bilingual journals, with one journal seeing international submissions grow from 16% to 37%.
- The number of foreign contributing countries also expanded, with one journal increasing its reach from 7 to 26 non-Hispanic countries.
- In contrast, the Spanish-only journal did not experience any notable growth in international authorship.
The study highlights the benefits of bilingual publishing in striking a balance between global visibility and local research identity. However, it also raises concerns about whether increased international authorship could reduce publication opportunities for local researchers.
With English continuing to dominate global scholarly communication, bilingual publishing may serve as a viable strategy for non-English journals seeking international recognition while maintaining cultural and linguistic diversity.
This research provides valuable insights for journal editors, policymakers, and academic institutions aiming to enhance the global impact of their publications while ensuring inclusivity in scientific communication.
Chinese version
双语出版促进国际作者投稿：基于西班牙期刊的研究
最近发表在Learned Publishing期刊上的一项研究探讨了双语出版对国际作者投稿的影响，研究结果表明，通过将学术论文翻译为英语，期刊可以显著提高其全球影响力。该研究由西安外国语大学的李向东（Xiangdong Li）教授主导，分析了四本自2014年起实施双语出版的西班牙期刊，并将其与仍采用纯西班牙语出版的对照期刊进行比较。
研究采用中断时间序列分析方法，发现双语出版不仅提高了国际投稿比例，还拓宽了投稿作者的地域分布范围。在转向双语出版之前，这些期刊的投稿主要来自西班牙和拉丁美洲，而采用双语出版后，它们吸引了更多来自不同国家和地区的研究者投稿。
主要研究发现：
- 国际投稿比例大幅增加，其中一本期刊的外国投稿比例从16%增长至37%。
- 外国投稿来源国数量显著增加，某期刊的投稿国家数量从7个扩大到26个。
- 仍保持单语出版的西班牙期刊，其国际作者投稿比例未见明显增长。
该研究强调了双语出版在提高期刊国际知名度和保持本土研究特色之间的平衡作用。然而，研究也指出，随着国际作者投稿数量的增加，本土研究人员的发表机会是否会受到影响仍值得进一步关注。
随着英语在全球学术交流中的主导地位持续增强，双语出版或将成为非英语期刊提升国际影响力的一种有效策略，同时也有助于维护学术出版的文化多样性。
本研究为期刊编辑、政策制定者和学术机构提供了重要见解，帮助它们在提升期刊全球影响力的同时，确保学术传播的包容性和多元化。