Open AccessStriving for modernity: Layout and abstracts in the biomedical literature
Author(s) -
Carlo Galli,
Maria Teresa Colangelo,
Stefano Guizzardi
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
naučnyj redaktor i izdatelʹ
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2541-8122
pISSN - 2542-0267
DOI - 10.24069/sep-21-02
Subject(s) - similarity (geometry) , reading (process) , space (punctuation) , information retrieval , computer science , psychology , history , linguistics , artificial intelligence , philosophy , image (mathematics) , operating system
Most academic journals have a fairly consistent look: they are structured similarly, their text is divided into similar sections; for example, they have an abstract at the beginning of the manuscript, and their text is usually organized in two columns. There may be different reasons for this similarity, ranging from the need to contain publication costs by using less page space to conforming to an internationally well-accepted format that may be perceived as the hallmark of academic articles. We surveyed 37 medical journals founded before 1960 and looked for their change in format over time and how this was experienced by and explained to readers. We then discussed what recent research has shown about the effects of layout on reading, looking for further explanations as to why this format was so successful.