COMPREHENSIVE READABILITY ASSESSMENT OF SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES IN HEC RECOGNIZED JOURNALS USING FLESCH-KINCAID METHOD

Abstract

Readability is an essential factor in the accessibility and impact of scientific research, influencing how effectively information is communicated to diverse audiences. This study presents a comprehensive readability analysis of scientific articles published in HEC-recognized journals using the Flesch-Kincaid readability method, an extensively used tool that evaluates text complexity based on sentence length and word difficulty. This study is focused on analyzing the readability of scientific articles published in journals that are recognized by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan. The HEC plays a significant role in accrediting and overseeing the quality of academic publications within the country, ensuring they meet high standards of scholarly excellence. Despite these standards, the readability of these articles can vary widely, influencing their accessibility to different audiences. The research analyzes a large corpus of articles across various disciplines to determine readability scores, identifying patterns and trends that influence the clarity of scientific writing. Results indicate that many articles exhibit high levels of linguistic complexity, potentially limiting their accessibility to readers outside the academic community, such as policymakers, educators, and the general public. By bringing attention to these readability challenges, this research advocates for improved writing standards and encourages journals to consider readability as a critical factor in the publication process. The study concludes with recommendations aimed at enhancing the clarity of scientific communication, ultimately making research more inclusive and ensuring that knowledge can be more widely disseminated and understood.