A simple approach often leads to good results, so this case study that considered professional multilingual and multimodal communications within an Israeli global startup is intriguing. The conclusion is that a complex, dynamic array of text, tools, actors and objects is involved and coordinated. Some of the observations and take-away points can be powerful and guiding.

Unfortunately, the written implementation, even within a specific academic text, is lacking. The text is not accessible, being made more complicated and fluffy than it needs to be, despite allowing for the precise and focused use of language. It feels a little as if someone believes that ‘big words’ indicate academic rigour and the transfer of knowledge. It means that you have to be especially interested in the subject and the specific paper to want to fight through its text, which is a shame as the research does deserve a more extensive, broader audience.

Even better packaging may have helped, allowing the reader to access the paper to the extent they need and understand, leaving additional material for the uber-dedicated specialist. The implementation felt to be lacking, barely encouraging a read, despite its contents.

It is frustrating as not only could one possibly gain much from the case study and its findings, but some benefit from the cited references. For this reader, even with English as a mother tongue, it just was a source of anguish. It felt like wading through porridge, with no prospect of real benefit or salvation, despite trying to stay positive and waiting for more comfortable times. A damn good rewrite would help, allowing the natural heart of this research shine, rather than be muddied by mediocrity (in its packaging).