The Semiperiphery of Academic Writing: Discourses, Communities and Practices

Researchers around the world are under increasing pressure to publish in high-profile international journals, which requires them to bring their academic writing into line with the norms enforced at the centre of the system. This book explores some of the issues affecting authors from countries on the semiperiphery, who often find themselves torn between conflicting academic cultures and discourses. Through a series of case studies from 10 countries in Southern and Eastern Europe, the chapters discuss themes such as the dominance of English and its effects upon traditional scholarly discourses, the difficulties these researchers face in trying to negotiate a dual identity as members of both the global and local academic discourse communities, knowledge flows on the semiperiphery, and discrepancies between state policy and de facto practice on issues such as academic recruitment and intellectual property.