Japanese materials scientists' experiences with English for research publication purposes

The importance of English in the professional lives of multilingual scholars worldwide has been well documented in recent decades. While the various challenges that ensue have been a central focus in the field of English for Research Publication Purposes (ERPP), these experiences vary across multilingual scholars, leaving scope for more nuanced investigations into specific populations. This paper examines Japanese materials scientists' experiences with English as a professional language; particularly, in the publication of their research in English-language journals. Through a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative data sets from a questionnaire and interviews, respectively, this study first investigates junior and senior Japanese materials scientists' writing processes in preparing research articles for publication. It then examines these scientists' perceptions of both the benefits and burdens of using English as a professional language. Finally, it explores their experiences in the English-language publication process, in particular their perception of language errors within the process. Findings from this study illuminate the socially-situated, complex picture of ERPP in the Japanese context, and inform a range of pedagogical implications.