The enduring value of the local-language journal

Caption: National working languages from Ethnologue 2016, based on UN population data and data from the British Council.

Scientific journals that do not publish in English undoubtedly have value when you assess the contribution they make to the understanding and application of science and medicine in their disciplines and communities. However, I think it’s also fair to say that their value is not always reflected in the traction and citations their articles receive. This prompts important questions about how to demonstrate the true value of local language journals — and how to ensure that authors receive recognition for publishing with them.

Adhering to international standards

Reflecting its value, the Journal Français d’Ophtalmologie, which publishes original research, quality review articles, images and letters to the editor, has seen submissions rise to nearly 1,000 in 2020. What’s more, it is referenced in PubMed/Medline and has a CiteScore and Impact Factor.

Christophe, who is also a department head at the Quinze-Vingts National Ophthalmology Hospital  opens in new tab/windowand director of several research units at the Institut de la Vision opens in new tab/window, goes on to say:

It remains that there is a problem with our metrics because French articles are not as well cited as articles written in English of the same quality. We could join the large number of English ophthalmology titles, but here again, do we want to be useful to the French-speaking readers and authors or will we slip into the great anglophone melting pot? We think it’s difficult to fight with the others when we don't have their weapons. As Julius Caesar already said, I would rather be first in a village, than second in Rome.

Bridging the gap between research and clinical practice

Michel believes that the use of English terms (“Franglais”) is starting to threaten the quality of discussion among health professionals in their own country simply because their language skills are poorer and less specific in English than in French:

It is now widely understood: the use of a single language penalizes actors at all levels of healthcare, consumption and production. Facilitating the implementation of knowledge, requiring diversity, demanding respect for one's own language, improves the quality of care — if only because of the principle of reality, in which the impact of the language and the liveliness of its speakers are intertwined.

Further evidence of Michel’s focus on the reader comes in the form of the journal’s format. Despite providing online access, Kinésithérapie, La Revue still distributes a significant number of print copies, respecting the fact that 35% of its subscribers are students and young professionals who prefer this format.

Giving a voice to diversity in research

As we know, English is not the only native language for researchers and healthcare professionals. Beyond English, the most spoken languages in the world are Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese and French, and the latter is the first or second language of a number of the world’s fastest growing populations: by 2050, French will be spoken by 85% of the African continent.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, we understand more than ever the global nature of the research world, but the ability to communicate and act effectively at a local level is also critically important. Maintaining non-English journals adds diversity to global knowledge and disseminates vital research outcomes between communities. Further, publishing in their native language allows young or less experienced authors to receive substantial feedback by reviewers and editors in their first language, which in turn helps them progress.

As a publisher of French language journals myself, I am very lucky to be able to see firsthand the value they bring. Long may they live!