In search of the right word: a statement of the HEART Group on scientific language.

For scientists, the world consists of facts, as the seminal philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein put it almost a century ago. Facts are observed and measured by equipment and devices of ever greater precision, and eventually described using highly accurate and well-defined words—usually of Latin descent to give them greater weight. In any case, the expressions we use should match what they describe. Ever since its existence, science has stood for precision, both in quantifying phenomena and with regard to the language used. In contrast to fiction and poetry, where uncertainty, double-meaning, and symbolism are part of the art, scientific writing utilizes words with well-defined meanings. Widely accepted definitions—from the Latin word definere for restricting—are the basis of scientific communication, be it in logic, mathematics, physics, life sciences, or medicine.