Academic Writing Style
Objective, precise and hedged.
Examples
- The data suggest that...
Key rules
- Academic style is objective, precise and formal
- Avoid contractions, first-person opinion statements and vague words such as things
- Hedge claims carefully and use the passive when the actor is unimportant
Common mistakes
- The data show that everyone loves this idea. → The data suggest that most respondents support this idea.
Use cases
- Journal articles
- Dissertations and theses
- Research reports
💡 Tip: Write each claim with the evidence that supports it, rather than summarising from memory.