Language and scientific communication: The case of the reprint request

This paper reports on a study of Reprint Requests (RRs). It is estimated that tens of millions of RRs are mailed each year, most being triggered by Current Contents . A sample of RRs generated by three papers, plus a questionnaire-survey of the requesters for one paper, form the basis of this study into language use patterns in the RR genre. English is ubiquitous, German and French infrequent, Russian and Spanish rare. This language data is significant because it provides unit-level language decision making (as opposed to that at other levels). Various applications of RR research are discussed, including its relevance to the issue of “Third World Science”.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43668/1/11192_2005_Article_BF02017177.pd