Many of us have probably heard the terms ivory tower or intelligentsia, but if you are unfamiliar with these terms, you have just experienced jargon. Jargon refers to specialised language that limits a person's understanding if that person is outside of the specialised field.

This week, Niklas and Clay talk about the benefits and downsides of using jargon when writing. We go over how technical language is a form of useful jargon, and explain why complex, wordy, and pompous writing is a form of jargon that is less useful. If you have ever struggled to understand an author, there is a good chance that the author was using jargon, or writing in incomprehensible ways.

There is a debate about whether academic and scientific research should be more accessible, or if it should remain jargon-laden. Our understanding is that knowing your intended audience and choosing to either sound smart or to be easily understood are choices that you need to make as an author. However, we hope this podcast gives you some clues about how to identify and even avoid excessive jargon in your writing.

Resources:

The Writer's Diet Test: http://writersdiet.com/test.php

Gunning-Fog Index: http://gunning-fog-index.com

Thesaurus: https://www.thesaurus.com

NMBU Writing Centre on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfB2LMgctwc5I3tLGLwPeww