QUICK TIPS FOR WRITING YOUR RESEARCH PAPERS DO NOT ANNOUNCE the thesis of your paper with phrases such as “I will discuss……” or “This paper will…...” A thesis statement is a sentence that makes an assertion about a topic and predicts how the topic will be developed. It does not simply announce a topic: it says something about the topic. NO: In this paper, I will discuss how ABC…….. YES: ABC has made a significant impact on the teenage population due to its . . . A thesis statement makes a promise to the reader about the scope, purpose, and direction of the paper. It summarizes the conclusions that the writer has reached about the topic. A thesis statement is focused and specific enough to be proven within the boundaries of the paper. Key words (nouns and verbs) should be specific, accurate, and indicative of the range of research, thrust of the argument or analysis, and the organization of supporting information. STYLE and ACADEMIC WRITING Academic writing is FORMAL, not casual or informal. Do not use first person point of view: I, me, we, our, us, etc. NEVER use second person point of view: you, your, etc. Do not use phrases such as I think that, I believe that, I feel that, in my opinion, etc. Do not use these words: IT, OF, BY, BEING, ONE, Do not use slang or other informal diction. BE PRECISE AND CLEAR. AVOID Wordiness: the fact that, at that point in time. in other words, play a role, due to, as a result of, as to why, whereas, thus, therefore, which is, the most common, one of, not only, but also, very, extremely, really, a lot, great, best, usually, greater, many, most, some, a little, a few, often, sometimes, oftentimes, can be established, such as, just as, of this, is that, the fact that, means that, for many reasons, all these, serve to, to name a few, in order to, when it comes to, as noted, on the part of, by means of, after all, this means that, the reason is, in general, again, once again, etc. Don't give readers commands such as: Be sure to ..... or any similar sentences. Avoid negatives (use failed rather than did not, for example) Don't use words like important, imperative, vital, essential, valuable, key, inevitable, paramount, significant, necessary, core, fundamental, priority, pivotal, evident, unique, or other synonyms for these words Do not editorialize your writing, including words like: unfortunately, virtually impossible, well worth, obviously, hopefully, fortunately, invaluable, undoubtedly, assuredly, literally, etc. Write out all contractions: can't should be cannot, for instance. Do not begin sentences (or phrases/clauses within sentences) with ANY of the following words: AS, IT, IN, THERE, THIS, THAT, THEY, THEIR, BY, IF, WHEN, WHILE, WITH, BECAUSE, THROUGH, WITH Do not use THAT when referring to people. The pronoun WHO refers to people. Under no circumstances should you use these words at all: NEED, MUST, SHOULD --these words imply that you are giving instructions to your reader. "To be" verbs should be used sparingly: is, are, was, were, etc.. Use commas and semi-colons properly. In a series of three or more nouns or noun phrases, insert a comma before the word "and" or "or" Do not make announcements such as this paper will, in this paper I will, in the article, in the essay, etc. Do not use pretentious words intended to impress readers. If you use words your reader might not know, explain them. Example: utilize should be use. Other examples: plethora, elicit, ensue, illustrative, empowerment. Never use words that seem uncertain: could, might, may, maybe, probably, etc. U se TH AT and WHICH correctly. Possessive nouns --use apostrophes properly for singular and plural possessive noun forms. Do not use scenarios or anecdotes or other examples to illustrate points. This is a research paper, not a creative writing assignment. Do not use passive voice in your writing. Be concise and clear. Passive voice makes the sentence too wordy. Use active voice, clear, precise, and concise sentences Point of view No first and second person points-of-view (e.g., I, you, we) are used in academic writing. Always write from third person point-of-view. Third person points-of-view (e.g., he, she, it, and they) should be used unless writing a reflective paper. Verb/Subject Agreement: main verbs agree with the subject in person and number Verb Tense: writing does not shift inappropriately back and forth from present to past Articles: articles should be properly placed ("a," "an," and "the") Punctuation: Commas, semi-colons, colons; ending punctuation INSIDE quotation marks Pronoun Reference: every pronoun has a clear referent; do not use "he," she," "they," etc. more than twice per paragraph. Vague Pronouns: Make sure that pronouns such as "it" and "this" refer to something specific. NO: In the report it suggests that moderate exercise is better than no exercise at all. YES: The report suggests that moderate exercise is better than no exercise at all. NO: The group wanted to meet in January, but this didn't happen until May. YES: The group wanted to meet in January, but the conference didn't take place until May. PRONOUNS SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH PRECISE NOUNS to improve clarity. Use precise language. Avoid “it.” "You" and other personal pronouns are never used in an academic report. "This" and "these" need a noun referent for clarity. "One" is generally a formal and acceptable pronoun, but if overused, it can make your writing sound stuffy or stilted.. Make sure the modifier clearly refers to the element you want it to modify. NO: The council advises physicians at regular intervals to administer the drug. YES: The council advises physicians to administer the drug at regular intervals. YES: At regular intervals, the council advises physicians to administer the drug.Make sure that a modifying phrase or clause has something to modify. NO: By manipulating the lower back, the pain was greatly eased. (implies the pain was doing the manipulating) YES: By manipulating the lower back, the therapist greatly eased the pain. NO: When not going to school, my hobbies range from athletics to automobiles. (implies the hobbies go to school) YES: When I am not going to school, my hobbies range from athletics to automobiles. Parallelism (Examples) NO: Boy Scouts at the camp can learn cooking, canoeing, swimming, or how to make ropes. YES: Boy Scouts at the camp can learn cooking, canoeing, swimming, or rope-making. NO: I enjoy biking and to walk down by the pier. YES: I enjoy biking and walking down by the pier. NO: Non-traditional students often study long hours, get limited sleep, and up again with the sunrise. YES: Non-traditional students often study long hours, get limited sleep, and are up again with the sunrise. Using That and Who In academic writing that refers only to things. Who (or its forms whom and whose) refers only to people. Examples: These are the books that I need for the class. He is the man who will be teaching the class. Use "it" "they" and "you" carefully NO: In Chapter four of my autobiography it says that I was born out of wedlock. YES: Chapter four of my autobiography states that I was born out of wedlock. NO: In the restaurant they gave me someone else's linguini. YES: In the restaurant, the server gave me someone else's linguini. NO: In the fourteenth century, you had to struggle to survive. YES: In the fourteenth century, English peasant farmers had to struggle to survive. Antecedent Agreement The antecedent of a pronoun is the word which the pronoun stands for. In the first sentence on this page the pronoun which is taking the place of word. Therefore, word is the antecedent. NO: Every student must have their pencils. (Both every and student are singular; therefore, his, her, or his or her must be used. Their is plural and cannot refer to a singular noun.) YES: Every student must have his or her pencil. NO: I never go to that place because they have stale bread. (What does they refer to? Both I and place are singular.) YES: I never go to that place because it has stale bread. NO: He ought to speak French well. He lived there for twenty years. YES: He ought to speak French well. He lived in France for twenty years. NO: The suitcase was on the plane, but now it's gone. (What is gone? The suitcase or the plane?) YES: The suitcase was on the plane, but now the suitcase is gone. OR The suitcase was on the plane, but now the plane is gone. (Depends on which you mean...) WORDINESS Omit the filler phrases "it is," "there is," and "there are" at the beginning of sentences; these often delay the sentence's true subject and verb. NO: It is expensive to upgrade computer systems. YES: Upgrading computer systems is expensive. Omit "this" from the beginning of a sentence by joining it to the preceding sentence with a comma. NO: Chlorofluorocarbons have been banned from aerosols. This has lessened the ozone layer's depletion. YES: Chlorofluorocarbons have been banned from aerosols, lessening the ozone layer's depletion. Change "which" or "that" constructions to an "-ing" word. NO: The committee, which meets monthly, oversees accounting procedures and audits. YES: The committee, meeting monthly, oversees accounting procedures and audits. Omit "which" or "that" altogether when possible. NO: Because the fluid, which was brown and poisonous, was dumped into the river, the company that was negligent had to shut down. YES: Because the brown, poisonous fluid was dumped into the river, the negligent company had to shut down. Replace passive verbs with active verbs. In passive constructions, the subject of the sentence is being acted upon; in active constructions, the subject is the actor. NO: Rain forests are being destroyed by uncontrolled logging. YES: Uncontrolled logging is destroying rain forests. Change "is" or "was" when they occur alone to a strong verb. NO: A new fire curtain is necessary for the stage. YES: The stage needs a new fire curtain. Replace "is," "are," "was," "were," or "have + an -ing word" to a simple present or past tense verb. NO: The South African government was undergoing significant changes. YES: The South African government underwent significant changes. Replace "should," "would," or "could" with strong verbs. NO: The environmental council could see several solutions. YES: The environmental council saw several solutions. Substitute strong verbs for "-tion" and "-sion" words whenever possible. NO: I submitted an application for the job. YES: I applied for the job. Redundant Pairs: Many pairs of words imply each other. Finish implies complete, so the phrase completely finish is redundant in most cases. So are many other pairs of words: past memories various differences each individual _______ basic fundamentals true facts important essentials terrible tragedy future plans end result final outcome free gift past history unexpected surprise sudden crisis very unique large in size often times of a bright color heavy in weight period in time round in shape at an early time economics field of cheap quality honest in character of an uncertain condition in a confused state unusual in nature extreme in degree of a strange type NO: Before the travel agent was completely able to finish explaining the various differences among all of the many very unique vacation packages his travel agency was offering, the customer changed her future plans. YES: Before the travel agent finished explaining the differences among the unique vacation packages his travel agency was offering, the customer changed her plans.