Science Communication and Jargon Effects
Summary
Science communication bridges the gap between complex research and diverse audiences, with jargon exerting a pivotal influence on comprehension, engagement and trust. While specialised terminology ensures precision among experts, it often impedes understanding for non-specialists, generating cognitive barriers and reducing message effectiveness. Research has explored how linguistic complexity affects readers’ processing ease, persuasion and attitudes towards science, revealing that strategic simplification—through concise framing, jargon avoidance or translation tools—can enhance public acceptance and informed decision-making. This interplay holds significance for policy dialogues, health advisories and public debates, where clarity must be balanced with technical accuracy.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Science Communication and Jargon Effects publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in science communication and jargon effects across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Jargon: specialised vocabulary used by experts that may impede comprehension among non-specialists.
Processing fluency: the subjective ease with which information is understood, influencing judgments of credibility and persuasiveness.
Lay summary: an accessible overview of scientific findings intended for audiences without specialised backgrounds.
References
- Shorter message, stronger framing increases societal acceptance for hydrogen. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (2024).
- Automatic jargon identifier for scientists engaging with the public and science communication educators. PLOS ONE (2017).
- Don’t dumb it down: The effects of jargon in COVID-19 crisis communication. PLOS ONE (2020).
- The Interplay of Jargon, Motivation, and Fatigue While Processing COVID-19 Crisis Communication Over Time. Journal of Language and Social Psychology (2021).
- From complexity to clarity: How AI enhances perceptions of scientists and the public's understanding of science. PNAS Nexus (2024).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.