Should I avoid jargon in my academic text? Jargon refers to specialist vocabulary that is difficult to understand for people outside a certain profession or group. Because academic papers are written for, and read by, researchers that are specialists in their field, technical vocabulary is unavoidable and often necessary. But you should aim to restrict …
Using bold and italics Using bold in the body of your scientific text is not usually done. The use of italics is normally confined to book and journal titles in reference lists, in accordance with APA referencing guidelines. Italics may also be used for emphasis purposes, but it is best to check formatting guidelines such …
What words are too informal or vague to use in an academic text? What are jargon and hedging, and how do you deal with these in your paper or thesis? Read all about academic word use here.
It’s important to make your academic text structured, so that the reader can follow your narrative. Read more about the expected organization here, and how to guide the reader through your paper or thesis.
How do reuse a sentence without plagiarizing? If you add a citation, are minor changes to the sentence enough, or should you paraphrase more? These are fuzzy lines! Check the Table below for a few example sentences reused in two ways: with and without committing plagiarism. Also find an explanation further down. Sentence Original Sentence …
What is plagiarism and why it matters Plagiarism refers to using someone else’s words, ideas, and information without giving them due credit, that is, without citing them. If you quote an author’s words without quotation marks, or paraphrase an idea without acknowledging where it came from, you are plagiarizing. Using someone else’s ideas as if …
To avoid plagiarism, make sure you:
What is paraphrasing? Paraphrasing means rephrasing or rewriting sentences in your own words. It is important in academic writing, where you need to show your understanding of other sources without copying them. To paraphrase sentences thoroughly, you must do more than just replace a few words: you must also make changes in word order and …
Paraphrasing in academic writing: what, when, and how Read More »
