Notes on Similarities and Differences between Abstracts from a Local and a Top-Ranked Computer Science Journal from a Text-Analysis Point of View

Abstract

Aim This paper presents a comparison between abstracts of papers published in a national level journal from Romania and one considered top - ranked in computer science with the aim of identifying possible common features or differences. Method The comparison is based on a registry variation text analysis that computes potential indicators of scientific writing (number of nouns, verbs, and adverbs used, lexical density and type - token ratio) Results Results show a significant difference in terms of number of nouns, adverbs and verbs used, indicating that there is a need for the Romanian researchers to take into account some aspects related to scientific writing (particularly the use of nouns in academic texts). Conclusion While this analysis does not aim to account for any qualitative differences regarding content between the two journals, in an era in which open-access publication may change the way article impact is measured, it does emphasize the importance of academic writing skills development and of targeted academic writing programs.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n1s1p82