Scientific evidence in biodiversity conservation rarely crosses language barriers in citation networks

Using relevant scientific evidence is crucial to effectively conserve species and ecosystems worldwide. Currently, evidence that is available only in non-English languages is severely underutilised. To understand most underutilised languages of evidence and factors that facilitate the use of non-English-language evidence, this study analyses the citation patterns of articles testing the effectiveness of conservation actions, published in English and 15 non-English languages. Our results showed that non-English-language articles received significantly fewer English citations than English-language articles. Hungarian, Polish, Korean, and Russian articles were particularly under-cited in English. Despite lower English citations, many non-English-language articles had high citations within their own languages, indicating their value within local conservation communities. Non-English-language articles with English abstracts received more English citations. The content of the article, such as having a more robust study design or assessing threatened species, was not significantly associated with the number of English citations received. Our findings highlight the importance of increasing the visibility and recognition of non-English-language articles, especially those in currently underutilised languages, for a more comprehensive understanding of global conservation challenges. Providing a translated English abstract has a potential to increase the readership of an article by increasing the accessibility to those who can understand English.