BMJ : British medical journal
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Historical Article
Use of positive and negative words in scientific PubMed abstracts between 1974 and 2014: retrospective analysis.
To investigate whether language used in science abstracts can skew towards the use of strikingly positive and negative words over time. ⋯ Our lexicographic analysis indicates that scientific abstracts are currently written with more positive and negative words, and provides an insight into the evolution of scientific writing. Apparently scientists look on the bright side of research results. But whether this perception fits reality should be questioned.