Iranian scholars and scientific publication in English: Attitudes, problems, and strategies

Abstract

This study reports the results of an investigation which sought Iranian scholars’ attitudes, problems, and strategies publishing research articles in English. To this end, interviews were conducted with 72 academics across different disciplines (Sciences, Social Sciences, and Art and Humanities); then, a coding scheme was developed based on the relevant literature and the information provided by interviewees to codify the interviews. Findings revealed a detailed categorization of the participants’ attitudes, problems, and strategies. It was found that Iranian scholars had a positive attitude towards publishing papers in English as a means of knowledge production. The results also supported the findings of previous research that the most important problems during writing research articles for non-native scholars and scientists were the introduction and discussion sections. Also, the major strategies reported were revising and editing, discipline-specific reading, and practicing writing. Implications are discussed for EAP courses, university authorities, and the editorial boards and reviewers of the journals.