Who has not been told that their writing is filled with jargon? The use of field-specific language makes it harder for colleagues to understand what we try to say, and for our work to have a potential impact outside of academia. One recent study, for example, found that work using less jargon was more likely to be cited, even within academic circles (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/09/science/science-jargon-caves.html). If we want to promote our scholarship beyond academia, we must work to communicate in ways that are accessible to everyone.
Achieving the goal of more accessible language is no easy feat, however. We would thus like to challenge convention attendees to develop the most accessible and understandable version of their work possible and submit it for review against others. This competition will culminate at the Annual Convention. The winner will receive a free registration for the following Annual Convention. The final competitors will participate in a roundtable at the Annual Convention to discuss their work and the challenges of effective professional communication.