Supplementary material to "Exploring multilingualism in research"

This is the English version of the questionnaire originally developed in Italian, whose results are documented in the following publication: Peruginelli, G., & Faro, S. (2025). Exploring Multilingualism in Research: A Survey to Researchers at the National Research Council of Italy. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15262952 The survey was addressed to researchers and technologists of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR). This initiative represents a first step in exploring perceptions of multilingualism in research practices across different scientific sectors within the Italian research community, and in examining how linguistic diversity is perceived and valued in both research activities and their assessment. The questionnaire was conceived by the Institute of Legal Informatics and Judicial Systems (IGSG-CNR), as part of the CoARA Working Group “Multilingualism and Language Biases in Research Assessment”. This work is published under the Creative Commons Attribution – ShareAlike 4.0 International license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en DOI 10.5281/zenodo.17512397 1 Survey on Multilingualism and Language Biases in Research Assessment CoARA is the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment, which includes universities, funding bodies, national and regional authorities, and scientific and research societies that have signed the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment (ARRA). CoARA includes organizations involved in the research assessment process to facilitate the exchange of information and good practices and initiate a comprehensive reform of the research assessment system. The National Research Council (CNR), which has signed the ARRA, is also cocoordinator of the Italian Chapter of CoARA. The survey proposed here was developed by the Istituto di Informatica Giuridica e Sistemi Giudiziari [Institute of Legal Informatics and Judicial Systems] (IGSGCNR), which is part of the CoARA working group "Multilingualism and Language Biases in Research Assessment" and technically implemented by the Istituto di Ricerche sulla Popolazione e le Politiche Sociali [Institute for Research on Population and Social Policies] (IRPPS-CNR). This is the first step to explore the perception of multilingualism in research practices across various scientific sectors; aimed at the scientific community of the CNR, it aims to investigate how linguistic diversity is perceived in research activities and their assessment. Instructions for completing the survey The survey considers Italian as the reference language for respondents. In particular, the questions concern the research activities carried out by researchers and include various competencies such as text writing, oral interaction, reading, teaching, and outreach activities. Personal data processing The survey is anonymous and does not request information that would allow identification of the participant. If an access code was used to access this survey, 2 this code will not be recorded together with the answers provided. The participant code is managed in a separate database and is only updated to indicate whether the survey has been completed (or not). There is no way to match access codes to survey responses. The collected data and their analysis in aggregate form will be published on Zenodo. Thank you for the help you will give to this survey! 3 Introductory Questions Q01. What is your professional profile? Choose only one of the following options Researcher Technologist Senior Researcher Senior Technologist Research Director Technology Director Q02. What is your age? Please select your age range Choose only one of the following options < 30 31-39 40-49 50-59 >60 Q03. To which gender identity do you identify? Choose only one of the following options Woman Man Non-binary Prefer not to answer Q04. How many years of research activity do you have? Choose only one of the following options 1-9 years 10-20 years 21-30 years more than 30 years Q05. What is your field of study? Select at most 2 answers ☐ PE1 Mathematics - All areas of mathematics, pure and applied, plus mathematical foundations of computer science, mathematical physics and statistics ☐ PE2 Fundamental Constituents of Matter - Particle, nuclear, plasma, atomic, molecular, gas, and optical physics ☐ PE3 Condensed Matter Physics - Structure, electronic properties, fluids, nanosciences, biological physics 4 ☐ PE4 Physical and Analytical Chemical Sciences - Analytical chemistry, chemical theory, physical chemistry/chemical physics ☐ PE5 Synthetic Chemistry and Materials - New materials and new synthetic approaches, structure-properties relations, solid state chemistry, molecular architecture, organic chemistry ☐ PE6 Computer Science and Informatics - Informatics and information systems, computer science, scientific computing, intelligent systems ☐ PE7 Systems and Communication Engineering - Electrical, electronic, communication, optical and systems engineering ☐ PE8 Products and Processes Engineering - Product and process design, chemical, civil, environmental, mechanical, vehicle engineering, energy processes and relevant computational methods ☐ PE9 Universe Sciences - Astro-physics/-chemistry/-biology; solar system; planetary systems; stellar, galactic and extragalactic astronomy; cosmology; space sciences; astronomical instrumentation and data ☐ PE10 Earth System Science - Physical geography, geology, geophysics, atmospheric sciences, oceanography, climatology, cryology, ecology, global environmental change, biogeochemical cycles, natural resources management ☐ PE11 Materials Engineering - Advanced materials development: performance enhancement, modelling, large-scale preparation, modification, tailoring, optimisation, novel and combined use of materials, etc. ☐ LS1 Molecules of Life: Biological Mechanisms, Structures and Functions - Molecular biology, biochemistry, structural biology, molecular biophysics, synthetic and chemical biology, drug design, innovative methods and modelling ☐ LS2 Integrative Biology: from Genes and Genomes to Systems - Genetics, epigenetics, genomics and other 'omics studies, bioinformatics, systems biology, genetic diseases, gene editing, innovative methods and modelling, 'omics for personalised medicine ☐ LS3 Cell Biology, Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration - Structure and function of the cell, cell-cell communication, embryogenesis, tissue differentiation, organogenesis, growth, development, evolution of development, organoids, stem cells, regeneration, therapeutic approaches ☐ LS4 Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing - Organ and tissue physiology, comparative physiology, physiology of ageing, pathophysiology, inter organ and tissue communication, endocrinology, nutrition, metabolism, interaction with the microbiome, non-communicable diseases including cancer (and except disorders of the nervous system and immunity-related diseases) ☐ LS5 Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System - Nervous system development, homeostasis and ageing, nervous system function and dysfunction, systems neuroscience and modelling, biological basis of cognitive processes and of behaviour, neurological and mental disorders ☐ LS6 Immunity, Infection and Immunotherapy - The immune system, related disorders and their mechanisms, biology of infectious agents and infection, biological basis of prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, innovative immunological tools and approaches, including therapies 5 ☐ LS7 Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment of Human Diseases - Medical technologies and tools for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of human diseases, therapeutic approaches and interventions, pharmacology, preventative medicine, epidemiology and public health, digital medicine ☐ LS8 Environmental Biology, Ecology and Evolution - Ecology, biodiversity, environmental change, evolutionary biology, behavioural ecology, microbial ecology, marine biology, ecophysiology, theoretical developments and modelling ☐ LS9 Biotechnology and Biosystems Engineering - Biotechnology using all organisms, biotechnology for environment and food applications, applied plant and animal sciences, bioengineering and synthetic biology, biomass and biofuels, biohazards ☐ SH1 Individuals, Markets and Organisations - Economics, finance, management ☐ SH2 Institutions, Governance and Legal Systems - Political science, international relations, law ☐ SH3 The Social World and Its Interactions - Sociology, social psychology, education sciences, communication studies ☐ SH4 The Human Mind and Its Complexity - Cognitive science, psychology, linguistics ☐ SH5 Texts and Concepts - Literary studies, literature, philosophy ☐ SH6 The Study of the Human Past - Archaeology and history ☐ SH7 Human Mobility, Environment, and Space - Human geography, demography, health, sustainability science, territorial planning, spatial analysis ☐ SH8 Studies of Cultures and Arts - Social anthropology, studies of cultures, studies of arts Q06. What type(s) of research do you perform and what percentage of your time do you dedicate to each? Enter a percentage. The sum must equal 100. Enter percentage of use Basic research Applied research Experimental development Q07. Is Italian your mother tongue? Choose only one of the following options Yes No 6 Q08. What languages other than your first language(s) do you know, and what is your level of proficiency? Choose the appropriate answer for each element. Indicate at most five languages. The level of knowledge refers to the indicators provided by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages Basic user (PreA1, A1, A2) Independent user (B1, B2) Advanced user (C1, C2) I don't know Bulgarian Croatian Czech Danish Dutch English Estonian Finnish French German Greek Hungarian Irish Italian Latvian Lithuanian Maltese Polish Portuguese Romanian Slovak Slovenian Spanish Swedish Other language 7 Linguistic behaviours in research activities Q09. Do you use language(s) other than Italian across all aspects of your research activity? Choose only one of the following options Yes, I use Italian and other languages Yes, I use only other languages No, I use only Italian Q09a. Why don't you use languages other than Italian? This question applies only to those who answered “no” to question 09 Choose all that correspond ☐ Because in my field Italian is a language used by the international research community. ☐ Because I do not feel confident in other languages. ☐ Because it is not necessary for my career. ☐ Because I do not participate in activities that specifically require the use of languages other than Italian. ☐ Because I am specifically interested in sharing the results of my research with Italian researchers, the general public and/or policymakers in Italy. ☐ Because Italian is my mother tongue and I believe that giving up one's own language is a cultural regression. ☐ Because my research is focused on Italy and is of interest mainly to Italian speakers. ☐ Other: [free text] 14 Q13a. How has the use of languages other than Italian changed in your reading activity over the course of your career? * How has the use of languages other than Italian changed in your reading activities throughout your career? Choose only one of the following options I have constantly used the same language (or languages) throughout my career Over time I began to prefer the use of languages other than Italian In the past I used languages other than Italian more frequently, but this use has decreased over time I am unable to clearly describe how my use of languages other than Italian has changed throughout my career Q14. Have you engaged in teaching activities in the last five years? By teaching we mean: Dissemination of knowledge through formal education, including course design, organizing lectures and student mentoring. Choose only one of the following Yes No Q14a. Which language(s) have you used in your teaching activities over the past five years, and what percentage of use does each language represent? This question applies only to those who answered “no” to question 14 Enter the percentage of use. Indicate at most five languages. The total must equal 100. Enter percentage of use Bulgarian Croatian Czech Danish Dutch English Estonian Finnish French German Greek Hungarian Irish Italian 15 Latvian Lithuanian Maltese Polish Portuguese Romanian Slovak Slovenian Spanish Swedish Other language Q14b. How has the use of languages other than Italian changed in your teaching activities throughout your career? Choose only one of the following options I have constantly used the same language (or languages) throughout my career Over time I began to prefer the use of languages other than Italian In the past I used languages other than Italian more frequently, but this use has decreased over time I am unable to clearly describe how my use of languages other than Italian has changed throughout my career I have never carried out teaching activities during my career Q15. Which language(s) do you use when engaging in outreach activities (oral presentation)? By outreach activities we mean: Sharing research results in contexts other than the scientific world through various channels (popular publications, presentations, informational materials...). Choose all that correspond ☐ Bulgarian ☐ Croatian ☐ Czech ☐ Danish ☐ Dutch ☐ English ☐ Estonian ☐ Finnish ☐ French ☐ German ☐ Greek 16 ☐ Hungarian ☐ Irish ☐ Italian ☐ Latvian ☐ Lithuanian ☐ Maltese ☐ Polish ☐ Portuguese ☐ Romanian ☐ Slovak ☐ Slovenian ☐ Spanish ☐ Swedish ☐ Other [free text] Q16. Which language(s) do you use when engaging in outreach activities (written text production)? Choose all that correspond: ☐ Bulgarian ☐ Croatian ☐ Czech ☐ Danish ☐ Dutch ☐ English ☐ Estonian ☐ Finnish ☐ French ☐ German ☐ Greek ☐ Hungarian ☐ Irish ☐ Italian ☐ Latvian ☐ Lithuanian ☐ Maltese ☐ Polish ☐ Portuguese 17 ☐ Romanian ☐ Slovak ☐ Slovenian ☐ Spanish ☐ Swedish ☐ Other [free text] Q17. How difficult is it for you to communicate research results produced in languages other than Italian to non-scientific audiences in Italian? Choose only one of the following options 1. Does not involve any difficulty 2. 3. 4. 5. Involves great difficulty Q18. Do you participate in funding application procedures when the use of a language other than Italian is required? Choose only one of the following options I do not participate I participate I participate but request the support of my institution Q19. Do you feel disadvantaged if you are required to use a language other than Italian to participate in funding application procedures? Choose only one of the following options Yes No 18 Tools and services Q20. Have you published texts that were translated into a language different from the original? Choose only one of the following options Yes No Q20a. If your publications have been translated, specify into which language(s) This question applies only to those who answered “yes” to question 20 Choose all that correspond ☐ Bulgarian ☐ Croatian ☐ Czech ☐ Danish ☐ Dutch ☐ English ☐ Estonian ☐ Finnish ☐ French ☐ German ☐ Greek ☐ Hungarian ☐ Irish ☐ Italian ☐ Latvian ☐ Lithuanian ☐ Maltese ☐ Polish ☐ Portuguese ☐ Romanian ☐ Slovak ☐ Slovenian ☐ Spanish ☐ Swedish ☐ Other [free text] 19 Q20b. What are the main reasons that led to the translation of your texts? This question applies only to those who answered “yes” to question 20 Choose all that correspond ☐ Personal initiative ☐ Request from colleagues ☐ Request from journals or editors of collective works ☐ Request from publishers ☐ Request from funders ☐ Other: [free text] Q21. Do you use automated translation tools (e.g., Google Translate, DeepL) in your research activities? Choose only one of the following options Yes, I use these tools Yes, I use them to some extent Not yet, because I do not consider them reliable enough No, I do not use these tools and will not use them in the future Q21a. If you use automated translation tools, how often do you use them when reading? This question applies only to those who answered “yes” to question 21 Choose only one of the following options Often Sometimes Rarely Q21b. If you use automated translation tools, how often do you use them when writing? This question applies only to those who answered “yes” to question 21 Choose only one of the following options Often Sometimes Rarely Q22. Do you use generative artificial intelligence tools (e.g., ChatGPT) to produce texts in various languages? * Choose only one of the following options Yes, I regularly use these tools for producing texts in various languages 20 I have experimented with these tools for producing texts in various languages, but have not fully integrated them into my work practices No, I have never experimented with these tools 21 English language usage This section is dedicated to those who responded that they are Italian native speakers. Q23. When you use the English language, why do you do so? Choose all that correspond ☐ it is the lingua franca of my research field ☐ it ensures international visibility ☐ it is necessary to collaborate with foreign researchers ☐ I am more familiar with English terminology ☐ Journals I am interested in, accepting manuscripts only in English ☐ it is necessary to obtain funding or a research position ☐ I assume English papers are better evaluated ☐ I never use English ☐ Other: [free text] Q24. How would you describe the distribution of your peer-reviewed manuscripts throughout your career, distinguishing between those in English and those in languages other than English? Percentage distribution. The total must equal 100. Percentage distribution Manuscripts in English (%) Manuscripts in other languages (%) Q25. How would you describe the distribution of your participation in conferences in your specific research field throughout your career, distinguishing between those in English and those in languages other than English? Percentage distribution. The total must equal 100. Percentage distribution Conferences in English (%) Conferences in other languages (%) Q26. How frequently have you avoided participating in a conference in English (either to present your research or simply to attend) due to a lack of confidence in communicating in English? Choose only one of the following options Always (I have never participated) Often Sometimes Rarely Never (I have always participated) 22 Q27. What is your stance on the language policy of journals that publish exclusively in English? Choose only one of the following options The journal takes precedence over the requirement of using exclusively English I only publish in journals that accept contributions in multiple languages I never consider the requirement to use English a problem Other [Free text] Q28. Have you ever had a manuscript rejected by an English-language journal due to insufficient language quality? Choose only one of the following options Yes No Q29. What percentage of your English-language publications have you paid for a professional service to improve the language quality? Choose only one of the following options I have never published in English 0% 1-25% 26-50% 51-75% 76-100% 23 The scientific community's perceptions on multilingualism and evaluation Q30. What is your opinion regarding the following statements about language choice and evaluation practices? My choice to use a particular language is influenced by the consideration that: Choose the appropriate answer for each element Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree In recruitment/promotion procedures in Italy, certain languages may be preferred. In project funding procedures in Italy, certain languages may be preferred. In the national evaluation exercise (VQR), certain languages may be preferred In recruitment and project funding procedures abroad, certain languages may be preferred. Academic conventions require the use of certain languages to effectively communicate research findings. Maximising the impact and accessibility of research globally requires the use of certain languages.