Writing Guidelines:• Organization and Content |
Writing in a Scholarly Manner
General Principles
- Clarity
Communicate your ideas clearly and with precision. - Efficiency
Use as few words as possible to express ideas. - Simplicity
Prefer the simpler to the more complex. - Coherence
Link ideas to achieve “flow”
Clarity
Write in the Active Voice / Avoid Passive Constructions
- Active: The lawyer wrote the brief.
- Passive: The report was written.
- More passive constructions:
The motion was lost in the first phase of the trial.
The supervisor was seen by us, and we were ignored by her.
Sometimes, passive voice is appropriate when there is no actoror or if the writer wishes to avoid blaming someone: :
- The bridge was torn down in 1992.
- Errors were made in the report. (rather than Our accountant made errors).
However, prefer the active voice when you can:
The authors stated. . . .
rather than
It was stated by the authors. . . .
Use sentence structure to your advantage
- Use a variety of sentence structures:
Sentence Types Characteristics Simple sentence 1 independent clause Compound sentence 2 independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction Complex sentence 1 independent clause + 1 dependent clause Compound/complex sentence 2 independent clauses; at least one of the independent clauses has a dependent clause attached - Use sentence structure to show relationships and to give emphasis.
Place your most important ideas in simple sentences:
The proposed framework addresses the problem of supply chain configuration
Use compound sentences to show equality between two ideas:
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) affects 1 in every 100 people over the age of 60, and it is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s.
Use complex sentences to emphasize one idea over the other:
Aside from the writing attributed to his first-person narrators, Salinger has his characters writing notes, letters, diaries, poetry, and stories.
In the example above, the independent clause (Salinger has his characters writing notes, letters, diaries, poetry, and stories) is given more importance.
Efficiency
Avoid Unnecessary Jargon and Inflated Diction
- Example:
The most recent discrepancy compilation demonstrates the origin of the dysfunction, resulting in the immediate implementation of corrective action. - Revision:
The new list of errors shows where the breakdown begins. The errors must be corrected immediately.
Avoid Wordiness and Redundancy
| Do Not Use | USE Instead |
|---|---|
| due to the fact that | because |
| based on the fact that | based on |
| along the lines of | similar to |
| at all times | always |
| until such time as | when |
| popular with the people | popular |
| eight a.m. in the morning | 8:00 a.m. |
| past history | history |
| each individual | each |
| in my opinion | Avoid Using |
| it seems that | Avoid Using |
Avoid Expletives
(there is and there are constructions, including variations such as there was/were, there has/have/had been)
Example:
There is another module that tells the story of Charles Darwin and introduces the theory of evolution.
Better:
Another module tells the story of Charles Darwin and introduces the theory of evolution.
Simplicity
Avoid Nominalizations and Long Noun Strings
- Nominalizations (turning verbs into
nouns)
Use the simple verb rather than the nominalization
Decide - make a decision
Fail - experience a failure
Recall - recollection
Example: Failure of recollection is common.
Better: People often fail to recall.
Example: The author presented a discussion of her book.
Better: The author discussed her book. - Noun Strings
Unclear:
operator-initiated default-prevention technique
Clear:
a technique for preventing defaults that are initiated by the operator
Avoid Negatives and Double Negatives
Example: The problem cannot be solved without the aid of further research.
Better: The problem can be solved with research.Example: Innocent mis-recollection is not uncommon.
Better: Innocent mis-recollection is common.
Coherence
Use these tactics to link information and ideas
- Begin with the general before providing the specific details.
Provide familiar information before introducing new
information.
Example:
The implementation of Sharia law, or Islamic law, into many Nigerian legal systems has prevented the development of women's human rights in the social sphere of the nation (GENERAL IDEA). Sharia laws in nations like Nigeria allow for the devaluation of women's testimonies by treating them as a minor or as a person without the necessary legal capacity (DETAIL). This practice has allowed for the imposition of puritanical sexual codes as well as the denial of basic human rights in some northern Nigerian states (DETAIL). Under these laws, sex outside of wedlock is a crime punishable by death (DETAIL).
- Use transitions to link ideas within paragraphs
and to link one paragraph to the next one. Be sure to use a variety
of transitions and use the appropriate transition to
show the relationship between the ideas.
Example:
By using a scalogram, Rohde and Spaeth (1999) were able to to rank the Justices according to their liberal number of votes. In 1986, for example, the scalogram shows Marshall, Brennan, and Stevens had the most liberal votes. Blackmun also voted more liberally than conservatively. On the other hand, Rehnquist, O'Connor, White, Scalia, and Powell had the most conservative votes.
- Repeat key words or ideas when you move from one sentence to the
next.
Example:
Timpone cites the work of Merriam and Gosnell, a study conducted nearly 80 years ago, as a springboard from which his study has progressed. In their article, Merriam and Gosnell implied that the structural factors surrounding those making electoral decisions could affect their patterns of voting. It is Timpone's goal to further study these structural factors to see if they do indeed make a difference in voting participation.
Example:
The coup of President Sukarno was backed by the United States CIA which hoped to eliminate the communist backing in the country. This movement allowed General Suharto to come to power. General Suharto used the purge to turn in communist supporters from within the parliament, eliminate labor organizations, and increase media censorships. Suharto call these changes the New Order and made himself the last step in all political decisions.
Samples of Effective Sentence Revisions
(Revision follows original sentence)
- Americans need to take into
consideration (nominalization) many issues
while viewing the treatment of women in Iraq.
Americans should consider many issues while viewing the treatment of women in Iraq. - There are (explative) two ways in which equality
of opinion assignment can be examined.
Equality of opinion assignment can be examined two ways.
Or better: We can examine equality of opinion assignment two ways. - There have been (expletive) many methods employed to
define important cases.
Many methods have been employed to define important cases.
Or better: Scholars employ many methods to define important cases. - Democrats put their recovery plan through
the Senate Finance Committee which is a $66.4 billion
plan which has
an expansion of programs (nominalization) to help the unemployed,
a tax rebate for low income people, and tax breaks for some people. (overuse
of subordinating clauses)
Democrats put their recovery plan through the Senate Finance Committee. The $66.4 billion plan expands programs to help the unemployed and provides a tax rebate for low income people and tax breaks for some people. - Our intention is to implement the verification
of the reliability of the system in the near future. (wordiness)
We will test the system’s reliability soon. - Both methods may be utilized by recording several experimental
data points and then calibrate the theoretical curve to fit them. (faulty
parallel structure)
Both methods may be utilized by recording several experimental data points and then calibrating the theoretical curve to fit them. - We have developed a criterion to determine whether traps are
distributed throughout the depletion region or are being concentrated
near the surface. (faulty parallel structure)
We have developed a criterion to determine whether traps are distributed throughout the depletion region or are concentrated near the surface. - Palygorskite is known to form by
hydrothermal alteration of mafic rocks in soil zones under arid conditions,
in deep-sea sediments, and hypersaline playa lakes. (faulty parallel
structure)
Palygorskite is known to form by hydrothermal alteration of mafic rocks in soil zones under arid conditions, in deep-sea sediments, and in hypersaline playa lakes. - The goal of future experiments is therefore
to measure the properties of the top quark, compare them with the standard
model, and to learn whether the top quark is indeed special. (faulty
parallel structure)
The goal of future experiments is therefore to measure the properties of the top quark, compare them with the standard model, and learn whether the top quark is indeed special. - Not only will this
research benefit cancer research in general, but the specific area of
sarcoma. (faulty parallel structure)
This research will not only benefit cancer research in general but also the specific area of sarcoma.
