Promotional Language (Hype) in Abstracts of Publications of National Institutes of Health–Funded Research, 1985-2020

Abstract

In this analysis of journal abstracts reporting NIH-funded research from 1985 to 2020, levels of promotional language were found to be increasing and trends were closely associated with previously reported trends in the related NIH funding applications. This suggests that increasing levels of salesmanship may in part be a downstream effect of salesmanship infused during earlier stages of the research cascade.