Language barriers in conservation science citation networks

Kelsey Hannah , Richard Fuller, Rebecca K Smith, William J Sutherland, Tatsuya Amano

Using relevant scientific evidence is crucial to effectively conserve species and ecosystems worldwide. Currently, evidence that is available only in non-English languages is severely underutilized. We examined many underutilized non-English languages in the conservation evidence literature and factors that facilitate the use of non-English-language evidence based on citation patterns of articles testing the effectiveness of conservation actions published in English and 15 non-English languages. Multivariate models incorporated explanatory variables, such as lexical distance from English, availability of an English abstract, study design complexity, conservation status of studied species, and language of citing articles. Non-English-language articles received significantly fewer English citations (i.e., citations in English-language articles) than English-language articles. Hungarian, Polish, Korean, and Russian articles were particularly undercited in English. Despite fewer English citations, many non-English-language articles had high citation rates in their own languages, indicating their value in local conservation communities. Non-English-language articles with English abstracts received more English citations. The content of the article, such as a more robust study design or assessment of threatened species, was not significantly associated with the number of English citations received. Our findings highlight the importance of increasing the visibility and recognition of non-English-language articles, especially those in currently underutilized languages, for a more comprehensive understanding of global conservation challenges. Providing a translated English abstract has the potential to increase readership of an article by increasing the accessibility to those who can understand English.