Word Choice in Academic Writing: Commonly Confused English Words
As an academic researcher, a part of the writing process that often causes confusion and leads to common mistakes is the word choice. While writing in English, maintaining the…
Browsing Category
Reporting Research
Does the Length of an Abstract Really Affect the Citation of a Paper?
In today’s scientific landscape, the number of times a study is cited makes considerable difference to the significance of the study and the reputation of authors themselves. The…
Why Keywords Are Necessary to Build a Comprehensive Literature Review
The Importance of Preparation
The quotation, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend four sharpening my axe,” has been attributed to Abraham Lincoln. Whether or…
Defining Your Research Problem
What is a Research Problem?
The terms research question and research problem are used interchangeably to reference the problem or issue you intend to investigate and/or solve with…
Risks Involved in Using Online Options for Research Translation
An Increasing Need for Academic Translation
As open access publishing offers greater availability of journals from around the globe, the need for accurate translation of academic…
How Much Research Is Enough for a Good Literature Review?
The Purpose of a Literature Review
The key to any research study is the research question itself. A poorly written question that is too broad will generate questionable…
A Vs. An Vs. The: Knowing When to Use the Right Article
According to linguists, the earlier forms of English did not have articles to accompany nouns as the necessary information concerning number and specificity were conveyed…
Is Basic Research Becoming Dependent on Private Donors?
Since the recession of 2009, research funding in the United States has become increasingly partisan and risk averse. As a result, funding for basic research (also known as pure or…
How to Effectively Use Pronouns in Academic Writing
Pronouns are simple to define but can be confusing to use. For example, the statement, "Each person should follow their dreams," represents a failure to correctly balance the…
What is the Value of Citation Metrics?
What are Citation Metrics?
The extent to which a research paper or academic text is cited in other pieces of academic work such as papers, thesis, dissertations, or other texts…
Presenting in a Non-Native Language: Turn It to Your Advantage
Throughout history there always seems to have been a predominant language for communication. Greek once served this role in the ancient Mediterranean until it was displaced by…
The Mystery of Capital Letters
Capital Compensation
When writers are looking to emphasize a word, but they’re not sure if they should bold it, underline it, italicize it, or upper case it, the go-to action…