Abstract

Content or packaging? The article examines which of the two is more important to scholars in their academic writing. It is based on the results of a survey of linguists working in France, Italy, and Spain. According to their statements, style plays a fundamental role for them: most of them report making a stylistic distinction between their oral and written communication, and some also reveal having sought stylistic models in their teachers at the beginning of their careers. Almost all state that they pay attention to stylistic issues while editing and set aside a period for stylistic revision after having finished. Although semantic precision tends to be weighted higher than aesthetics and elegance, pure content is not all that matters to them. Particularly in Italy, many of the surveyed also see academics as artists of their language. The value attributed to packaging is especially pronounced in Italy and Spain, while clearness is weighted somewhat higher in France. Overall, style is gaining importance if defined as an internationally accepted wording and organization of knowledge. In times of artificial intelligence and standardized procedures for being accepted by international journals, this style can easily be produced and is not insignificant in the dissemination of one’s research. At the same time, however, style varies less between authors and is, therefore, losing its importance if defined as an individual feature, including idiosyncrasies.