Writing papers with overly oblique and overly specialised words that don't really make sense?
Tong Guo Simple, unambiguous language works best, especially if you not writing in your home language. Younger scholars sometimes spoil their work because they want to show they have mastered high-flown jargon. They use this language to show off rather than to communicate. Simple language aids direct communication. Of course, specialized language is required for specialized purposes. That's my view.
Tong Guo Just to add to Laurence Wright's excellent comment, if the specialized language is appropriate to the topic, then be sure to briefly define those terms, preferably in the introduction, for the benefit of readers from other fields who will appreciate the context you provide. Also, be consistent and use the same defined term throughout the paper. Finally, avoid the thesaurus approach. If you paraphrase then do so simply and clearly: make the oblique more direct, and cite.
Cheers,
Leo
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