Southwest Airlines Professional Communications Certification Practice Exam

What describes scholarly journals?

1. Easy to understand language

2. Aimed at a general audience

3. Filled with technical jargon for a specific audience

4. Informal content

The correct answer is: Filled with technical jargon for a specific audience

Scholarly journals are characterized by their use of technical jargon and specialized language tailored for a specific audience. These publications typically target researchers, academics, and professionals within a specific field, providing detailed analyses, empirical research, and comprehensive discussions of specialized topics. The primary purpose of scholarly journals is to advance knowledge and contribute to the academic discourse, which necessitates a level of complexity and depth in the language and content. This focus on a specialized audience sets scholarly journals apart from other types of publications that aim for broader readerships. Such publications may prioritize accessibility and clarity of language, often avoiding dense terminology to ensure that a general audience can easily grasp the material. In this context, the other descriptions do not accurately reflect the defining characteristics of scholarly journals. They typically do not use easy-to-understand language or aim at a general audience, nor do they present informal content. Instead, they embody a formal tone and rigorous standards for research and scholarly communication.