Using simple language when we write scientific papers is a modern and important communications approach. Often this shows up in papers as word substitutions where a complicated term is written when a simple one will do. One of the word substitutions that I see all the time when I am proofreading articles is “employ” or “utilize” when the word “use” also fits.
In my dogeared copy of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, the first definition of “employ” is “use; keep in one’s service; busy”. They mean the same thing! This means that it is not wrong to say employ in place of use, but use is simpler, clearer and the right choice in many sentences. Similarly, the OED defines “utilize” as “make use of….”. Similar. Again, there are sentences where utilize would be okay. But if they mean the same thing, use “use” to simplify a sentence.
It is perfectly natural in science to try to find precise wording. Sometimes words with more syllables seem that way. “Use” seems generic, while “utilize” and “employ” are very specific. They are, but often in different contexts than in sentences where I often see them, well, used. Was this useful?
John @ ProofreadCanada