20 years ago, I struggled to articulate my research.
Sleepless nights and relentless revisions were my best teachers.
Here are 9 writing mistakes I made (and how I'd fix them today):
Here's what you'll learn by reading this:
1. Dodging causation errors
2. Keeping sentences tidy
3. Smart conjunction choices
4. Nailing the specifics
5. Right grammar
6. Picking terminology
7. Trimming data fat
8. Clarifying goals
9. Sticking to one style
Let's go ↓
1. Implying Causation
Don't suggest causation without clear evidence.
❌ "The treatment caused the observed decrease in symptoms."
✅ "The treatment coincided with a decrease in symptoms, warranting further investigation for causality."
Indicate potential relationships.
2. Overcomplex Sentences
Don't complicate sentences unnecessarily
❌ "In an investigation that was extensive and involved numerous complex variables, the outcomes were not as definitive as anticipated."
✅ "The investigation yielded inconclusive outcomes."
Strive for clarity.
3. Conjunction Misuse
Don't use conjunctions ineffectively.
❌ "The drug was found to be highly effective, and there were side effects noted."
✅ "Although the drug was highly effective, notable side effects were observed."
Clearly contrast ideas for better understanding.
4. Vagueness in Descriptions
Don't be vague in describing research contexts.
❌ "Several studies have addressed these issues in recent years."
✅ "Recent studies, such as Lee et al. (2022), have specifically addressed these issues."
Provide specific references for clarity.
5. Grammatical Disruptions
Don't disrupt the text with grammatical errors.
❌ "Research indicates that, students benefit from faculty mentorship."
✅ "Research indicates that students benefit from faculty mentorship."
Use correct punctuation and grammar for smooth reading.
6. General Terminology
Don't use general terms when specific ones are required.
❌ "The reaction was fast, and the substance changed."
✅ "The reaction proceeded rapidly, resulting in a substantive chemical change of X."
Use precise terminology to convey exact meaning.
7. Excessive Detail in Data
Don't overwhelm with excessive data details.
❌ "Table 3 includes exhaustive details of the 120 measured variables from the experiment."
✅ "Table 3 selectively summarizes the experiment's key dependent variables."
Present only your result data.
8. Ambiguous Objectives
Don't write ambiguous aims.
❌ "This study will explore the relationship between several relevant factors."
✅ "This study will explore the relationship between sleep quality and memory retention in adults over 50."
Clear and precise research goals.
9. Inconsistent Formatting
Don't mix formatting styles.
❌ "As argued by Smith (2019), the results are inconclusive [12]."
✅ "Throughout the document, in-text citations are formatted consistently in one style, for example, (Smith, 2019)."
Maintain a consistent style.