Writing tips

Noun clusters

A combination of nouns often creating, unintended, confusion Noun clusters combine several nouns into one term creating unclear writing. If used sparingly, this is a useful way to better define what you want to say. But when you place too many nouns consecutively, it is not easily identifiable how they relate to each other, and you end up with confusing sentences.   The main rule with noun clusters is to avoid using them as much as possible, especially if there are more than two or three nouns.   Most of the time including a verb will make the cluster understandable and the sentence clearer. Verbs bring the concept to life usually focusing on an action or a movement.   Another way is to add in prepositions (on, after, before, etc) between the nouns to clarify how they connect to each other.   Download the poster for a list of examples of noun clusters.    

Abbreviations

A shortened form of a word or phrase

Abbreviations are useful to help the reader quickly understand a sentence. However, an excessive use of uncommon abbreviations can make a text difficult to read. It is always best to use abbreviations sporadically and avoid those that are not used often or in everyday language.
Commonly used abbreviations are, for instance, metric units. These are standardized by the International System of Units (SI) and will therefore be familiar to readers.
Less common abbreviations that are repeated several times should be familiar for readers of your target journal. Introduced them the first time, with the full wording and the abbreviation in brackets, and then replace them with the abbreviation only in the rest of the text.
There are some suggested rules to follow when you abbreviate.
Download the poster to read the other rules for abbreviation.

Sentence length

Sentences should be short and clear, with a maximum of about 22 words

When writing your manuscript in English, you should always try to write short and clear sentences. ESL authors tend to write long sentences, as many of their native languages use longer sentences compared to English.

 

Shorter sentences are easier to understand and will help you communicate your message more accurately.

 

Two key points to keep in mind:

1. Only introduce one idea per sentence; other ideas can go in a new sentence.
2. Aim for no more than 22 words per sentence. For non-scientific or non-technical English, 15 words are the ideal sentence length. However, because scientific writing demands greater precision slightly longer sentences may be required.

 

Writing concisely means focusing on your message and avoiding wordiness and redundancy. You can read more about wordiness and redundancy in our Top tips.

 

Download the poster to read more about sentence construction.

Key terms

Key terms are words or short phrases that identify important ideas

Using key terms throughout a sentence, paragraph or even the entire article helps create continuity and highlight the focus of the manuscript. Most commonly, key terms are used to identify the main concept in the topic sentence.

It is important to repeat the exact same term, instead of replacing it with synonyms or alternative words. This helps readers stay clear on what the key idea is, especially as they might not be familiar with the subject of your article.

However, make sure you don’t start all your sentences with the same word, but create a paragraph that flows well.

When you need to change key term to use a more specific one, link the generic and specific term together in a sentence to introduce the new key term to create continuity.

Download the poster to read examples of links between generic and specific key terms.

Impact Factor

The impact factor (IF) reports the average citation frequency of a journal article

The IF is intended to measure the importance of a journal. The IF of a journal is the ratio between the citations in a given year to all published articles and the research articles published in the previous two years.

 

Example:

2020 IF = Citations during 2020 to all articles published in 2018 and 2019
———————————————–

Research articles published in 2018 and 2019

All citations of an article are counted above the line. Below the line only the number of research articles are counted.

While the IF is widely used by researchers, there are a number of issues that we want to highlight.

Download the poster to read about issues with the Impact Factor and alternatives.

Paragraphs

Paragraphs follow a logical structure that is essential for a clear message.

Similar to sentences, paragraphs follow a logical structure. It is the structure that allows for easy reading. The information should be placed where your reader expects this.

A first rule is that, like a sentence, a paragraph should only discuss one topic.

In academic writing, everything is about order and structure. Paragraphs have a logical structure, and we advocate that paragraphs consist of three distinct elements.

1. The Topic Sentence is the first element of your paragraph. The topic sentence is a signpost to your reader about what will be discussed in the subsequent sentences.
2. The second element is The Body, also called the argumentation. This is where you provide your reader with the relevant information to support your argument, your narrative.
3. The third and final element is The Conclusion. This sentence brings your paragraph to an end and should function as a link to the next paragraph.

Download the poster to read what each element should cover and see an example of a structured paragraph.

Linking terms

Linking terms are words or phrases that show the relationship between parts of your story.

Using linking terms in your article is useful to add ideas together, contrast them, or show the reason for a concept. They help the reader to read more efficiently, by creating ‘flow’. They are like bridges connecting different ideas and they can help associate thoughts that are introduced throughout your article.

Linking words are used in various ways including:

• Giving examples
• Adding information and ideas
• Summarizing
• Sequence information
• Showing a reason or a result
• Contrasting ideas

Here is an example:

To determine the correct temperature needed to obtain the desired results we ran a series of tests during different seasons. From these tests we observed that temperature oscillated between 5 ° and 7°, clarifying that the phenomenon could not happen in warmer countries.

Wordiness

Using more words than needed.

Scientific manuscripts often present complex information. Being able to describe concepts clearly, with simple and direct language, is essential for the acceptance of your submission.

Wordiness, also known as verbosity, is when you use more words than needed. Your reader will need more time to read and might get confused.

Examples of verbosity:

• Using more words than strictly needed
  (“based on the fact that” instead of “because”)
• Choosing complicated words over simple words.
  (“caveat” instead of “warning”)
• Explaining more than needed
  (“white snow” instead of “snow”)
• Adding unneeded adjectives.
  (“very excellent” instead of “excellent)

Download the poster for the complete list of wordiness instances you should avoid in your manuscript.

Research question

The core question(s) you aim to answer

The research question is the question(s) that your project aims to answer. Often singular, sometimes plural it addresses the issue, which, through analysis and interpretation of data, hopefully, will be answered in your conclusion.

The research question is at the core of your article as it clarifies the purpose of your research. Making sure you have established a well-developed research question will help you to stay focused. Moreover, with a clear research question presented in the introduction, the reader will understand immediately what your work is about, and can follow your thinking.

You will probably have already presented your research question when laying out the foundation for your project. Go back to that proposal and identify the parts that you will be addressing in your manuscript. This will remind you of the focus of your work and help you reflect on how this manuscript fits into the larger project.

Once you have clarified your goals, we have outlined the key steps to write the research question, and the criteria it should follow.

Download the poster to read the key steps and criteria your research question should follow.