Languages of Publication in the Polish Humanities and Social Sciences

Various social and economic transformations, membership in international organisations, and aspirations to achieve a high level of scientific research and international recognition often involve publishing in more than one language, which enables the dissemination of research results worldwide. By sharing research results in different languages, scholars have the opportunity to establish dialogue and cooperation with colleagues who represent various scientific institutions abroad. These practices are becoming part of modern scholarship, enhance the exchange of ideas, and foster academic mobility. On the other hand, however, there are voices within the academic community which express concern that publishing in languages other than Polish may lead to impoverishment of academic Polish and limit the potential recipients to members of the academic community. This article aims to discuss the results of a study on language practices of Polish scholars representing various disciplines of social sciences and humanities. The data were collected in an online survey among researchers affiliated with twenty Polish universities. The results helped establish the languages in which the scholars publish, the main languages of publication across disciplines, the languages of publication preferred by authors of various academic ranks, and the share of foreign-language publications in scholars’ total output. Another aspect of the research involved scholars’ choices and plans concerning future publication. The results indicate in what languages scholars intend to publish and what factors they consider when choosing the language of publication