Did you know that the term ‘interview’ was once considered jargon? This word is now understandable to most people who speak English and even many who do not speak English as being a verb (to interview) or a noun (an interview), involving people meeting to ask and respond to probing questions. But once upon a time, the word was likely seen as a more complicated word to replace ‘to talk’.
There are many jokes about scientists struggling to use common words when even describing something seemingly simple about their work. Often, when science is communicated poorly, people think it is because jargon was used. It is true that jargon, i.e. ‘special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand​​’ can pose a barrier to communication. A recent study showed that when jargon was used in communication of emerging scientific technology, people became more resistant to persuasion, they perceived more risk, and had lower support for adopting new technology.
But does that mean we must shun all jargon when trying to communicate science?
Not entirely. It depends on who you are talking to and what the goal of the communication is. If it is important for your audience to know a specific word or term to be able to get the key message of your talk, or if it influences how they might respond to a call of action then use the jargon.
But use the jargon well!
If you want or need to use jargon to reach your communication goal, here are some things to remember:
- Explain the jargon word using simple words and examples.
“Vaccines are given to prepare our bodies’ defense system to recognize antigens, which are different pieces and parts of a harmful bacteria or virus. These antigens are proteins, sugars or fats that have a unique shape which differentiates them from other bacteria.”
(Here, one jargon word ‘antigen’ is used and explained. Note that some people may not readily know the exact definition of vaccine or protein, but they are common enough words.)
- Avoid using multiple jargon words in succession.
“Vaccines are given to prepare our bodies’ defense system to recognize antigens, which are different pieces and parts of a pathogen. These antigens are proteins, sugars or fats that have a unique shape which differentiates them from other bacteria or viruses.”
(Here, two jargon words are used ‘antigen’ and ‘pathogen’, and only the former is explained.)
- Try to repeat use of the same jargon word throughout the communication.
“Vaccines are given to prepare our bodies’ defense system to recognize antigens, which are different pieces and parts of a harmful bacteria or virus. These antigens are proteins, sugars or fats that have a unique shape which differentiates them from other bacteria or viruses. Because they are unique to the bacteria or virus, antigens are often used as clues for diagnostic tests to identify whether someone is sick from a particular bacteria or virus. “
(Here, the jargon word ‘antigen’ is repeated three times.)
It isn’t easy to avoid using jargon all the time. Knowing the baseline understanding of the audience on the subject matter helps you determine what words you may need to explain.
The problem with jargon in communication is that it often assumes that the audience understands what the word means, even when there is no reason why the audience would.
The audience then not only becomes distracted by use of a word they do not know, they then struggle to process any other information associated with the jargon, and if the use of unexplained or too many jargons persist, they begin to put up a wall, likely thinking to themselves ‘I can’t understand what this person is saying! I feel stupid. I don’t like feeling stupid. I will just stop listening and think about what I will have for dinner.’
Good use of jargon, however, can really help empower an audience that may not have had a chance to learn about these words previously. Eventually, once more people outside of a typical field understand what a particular jargon means, they are able to use it themselves in different contexts and before you know it, a jargon has become a common term.
Here’s looking at you, ‘antibody’.
Malaysian Science Communication Network 