Scripta Manent (Dec 2018)
Writing research articles in English: Perception and practice of Serbian writers
Abstract
As English has become the dominant language of academic communication, researchers around the world face an increased pressure to publish their results in English. Non-Anglophone writers generally face problems caused by differences in rhetorical or argumentative styles and inadequate understanding of academic writing and discipline-specific standards and requirements. This paper seeks to explore how writers from Serbia approach the demanding task of writing research articles in English. Applying a qualitative research design based on interviews conducted with a selected group of researchers and scholars from the University of Novi Sad, Serbia, this small-scale study analyses the socio-organizational, linguistic and strategic aspects of this process. Two research questions are addressed: what are the most common difficulties perceived by the researchers and what strategies are most often employed to solve the problems of writing research articles in English. The results are interpreted in terms of their potential application in developing courses in academic writing for young researchers.
