mistakes to avoid when writing a research paper

7 Common Writing Mistakes to Avoid in Your Research Paper 

Common writing mistakes can negatively impact your manuscript’s chance of acceptance. With rejection rates in some top international publications as high as 97%, 1 this is something that researchers should worry about. Unlike general day-to-day writing, academic writing requires a special skill set that needs to be nurtured and developed. This requires authors to be objective, concise, and formal in their writing, which should ideally be devoid of common English grammar mistakes. However, an interesting statistic from the 2018 Global Survey Report by Editage reveals that 76% of research authors find it difficult to prepare a well-written, error-free manuscript for journal submission. 2 This is not surprising given that the manuscript writing process can be as challenging and time-consuming as conducting research. 

However, you can ensure that you deliver high-quality manuscripts that meet the stringent standards set by leading journals. Just make sure to check your work and avoid the most common writing mistakes that budding academics and researchers with English as a second language tend to make.

Here’s a quick list of the seven most common writing and grammar mistakes to look out for before submitting your manuscript. 

1. Language errors (word choice, phrasing)

Academic writing is meant to be professional and straightforward, on point but easy to understand, and precise, with no room for misinterpretation. One of the most common mistakes in writing is not using the appropriate tone and style to communicate your research. Keep in mind that language that is generally acceptable in informal writing, such as slang and irregular abbreviations, is considered inappropriate for academic writing.

Another common writing mistake is mixing up words that look or sound similar or not the right words and phrases to convey your meaning clearly and accurately. When using synonyms or rephrasing text, make sure you choose words and phrases that fit the context. Avoid using excessive technical terminology, jargon and cliches, such as “ think outside of the box”  and “ at the end of the day.”   

2. Poor grammar (voice, tenses, punctuation)

In academic writing it’s essential to check your work to eliminate common grammar mistakes. Using grammar and punctuation properly helps to emphasize pauses, thoughts, ideas, and even the accuracy of the text. Experts suggest the use of active voice instead of passive voice when writing, for example, “we carried out research”, rather than “research was carried out”. Although some sections of your paper will benefit from the use of passive voice. Similarly, consistency in verb tense usage within a paragraph or between adjacent paragraphs helps to ensure better flow of ideas.

The incorrect use of punctuation marks, such as commas, apostrophes, quotations, colons, and semi-colons, is among the most common grammar mistakes in English that can change the way a message is interpreted, so it is important to understand how to use punctuations properly. Other grammar mistake examples include the misuse of articles, sentence fragmentation, parallelism, and subject-verb agreement.  

3. Repetition of ideas (winding sentences)

While writing your thesis, dissertation, or research paper, you will need to keep within the recommended word count. However, academics often resort to describing established concepts or repeating ideas and arguments in different sections of their paper to meet this word count requirement. This common writing mistake shows a lack of proper research and a dearth of original perspectives and can make your research manuscript seem bloated and incoherent.

Academic writing is expected to be clear and concise, so it’s important to maintain a balance between restating key points to highlight critical messages for the reader and becoming overly repetitive to the extent of being irritating or boring. If you find yourself repeating phrases often, avoid this common mistake in writing by using contextual synonyms or rephrasing text differently to convey your research in the most effective way possible. 

4. Weak introductions

One of the most common writing mistakes made by early career researchers is that they do not pay sufficient attention to the introduction of the research manuscript. The introduction serves as the reader’s first impression of the article, influencing their decision to either continue reading or skip it. Ensuring that the introduction is captivating and concise is vital. A good introduction helps highlight your topic, main concepts, and background information, which sets the context for your research.

When writing the introduction, researchers must try and find answers to why they chose a specific topic for research – why it is important, why you adopted a particular method or approach, and why it is relevant today. Avoid this type of common writing mistake by striking a balance between being concise and engaging while providing a comprehensive overview of the major concepts in the introduction. 

5. Neglecting editing

Having spent long hours on research studies and academic writing, it is tempting to submit your research manuscript to your target journal as soon as it is completed. This is especially true if you are racing against tight deadlines. However, submitting your work without proper editing and final proofreading checks is one of the most common mistakes in writing. Identifying breaks in logic and flow, ensuring consistency in terms of fonts and formatting, eliminating spelling and grammatical mistakes, checking your references and citations, and ensuring that your submission is complete are all essential and critical checks for your manuscript to be accepted for publication.  

6. Ignoring recommended guidelines

Most universities and international journals have their own specific set of stringent author guidelines that include instructions about appropriate structure, word count, formatting, fonts, etc. However, a common writing mistake that some budding academics make is ignoring, missing out on, or misinterpreting these important guidelines; this may be seen as a lack of effort or an inability to follow instructions.

In such cases, even if your research may potentially offer a breakthrough in your field, you are likely to be rejected or asked to submit with major revisions. One way to avoid this common writing mistake is to carefully examine the specific guidelines and make notes or checklists on key aspects to include/keep in mind before you start writing to ensure your work is not desk rejection.  

7. Plagiarism

One of the most common writing mistakes is plagiarism, which is also the most frequently observed ethical offence. Plagiarism is when text, ideas, concepts, and images are used as is from previously published work without properly crediting the source. Writing that is presented as original, without proper citations is deemed unethical and is considered a copyright infringement by the journal.

Even if this was done inadvertently – failing to cite your sources, paraphrasing, or quoting someone without credit – plagiarism is considered a serious offence and could result in manuscript rejection, penalties, and sometimes even legal action. In fact, even quoting your own previous studies without proper attribution is deemed as plagiarism . To eliminate this common writing mistake and avoid any ethical misconduct, researchers must check their work and ensure that it has all the required citations and is an original piece of work. 

References:

• Ghost, M. 11 Reasons Why Research Papers Are Rejected. Scispace, October 2021. Available online at https://typeset.io/resources/11-reasons-why-research-papers-are-rejected/  
• Fernandes, A. Our secret recipe (with 5 key ingredients) for a winning manuscript. Editage Insights, December 2020. Available online at https://www.editage.com/insights/our-secret-recipe-with-5-key-ingredients-for-a-winning-manuscript  

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Related Reads:

• How and When to Use Active or Passive Voice in Research Papers
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10 Common stylistic mistakes to avoid when writing a research paper

By deepti thapa, on april 1, 2019.

Oftentimes a research paper is rejected on stylistic/linguistic grounds, rather than its scientific excellence, which is a bit unfair as a researcher invests a lot of time and effort in conducting his research. However, in the scientific world, publishing and communicating a research work and its findings is as important as conducting the actual research. A competently conducted research and a well-written resulting paper will enhance the chances of having your manuscript accepted by a reputable publication. In this blog article, we are going to list the 10 common stylistic mistakes you should avoid when writing your research paper.

1. Vague research question and going off-topic While choosing a research topic, be very clear about the question it is going to answer. Ask yourself – Why do you want to look into this topic and how can the findings help you and others? This will help you organise the information in your paper. If your research work focusses on more than one topic, address each in a different paper. Do not deviate from your research points at any part of the paper and keep each section direct and to the point.

2. Misformatting the paper Never forget to read carefully the author guidelines of the journal you wish to submit your paper to. Do your homework and study the guidelines well before you make the submission, which will not only help you in structuring your paper correctly but also save you from a number of stylistic flaws. You can also visit the journal website and have a quick look at the recently published articles of the journal. This will help you in implementing the guidelines onto the paper. However, if there is a conflict between the author guidelines and the published articles of the journal, always stick by the guidelines!

3. Using complex language Don’t fill your paper with too much technical jargon or with long and complex sentences. Think from the reader’s perspective and keep your tone as simple as possible. This will help retain the reader’s interest in your paper. Don’t go overboard with the writing and avoid being redundant. If at all an expression needs to be explained more than once in your paper, be creative and consult a Thesaurus.

4. Poor abstract Never stretch your abstract beyond the stipulated word limit. It should highlight only the significant points of your work, covering the essence of each section in a clear and concise way. Do not cite references in the abstract; the only exception to this is citing the work most crucial for the paper (usually limited to one or two citations). The abstract will be the first section of your paper that the readers are going to read, so make it attractive and compelling enough for them to go ahead and read the whole article.

5. Ineffective keywords Choosing too many or ineffective keywords for your article is another common mistake. Picking the right keywords (usually 4–6 words) will determine how a search engine indexes your article. Try to use keywords that recur most frequently throughout the article (including article title and subheadings).

6. Disordered/uncited floating elements

Floating elements refer to the tables, figures, charts, graphs, illustrations, etc. in a paper. These elements should be numbered sequentially throughout the paper and be cited appropriately in the text. You should always acknowledge the original source of the element if any of these have been adapted from a different source.

7. Unexpanded abbreviations

Unexplained abbreviations can be a little confusing for the reader. The general rule is to provide the full expansion at the first occurrence and use the abbreviated form at all the subsequent occurrences. This will bring more clarity to the readers. Acronyms (a set of initial letters from a phrase usually forming a word in itself such as NASA and RADAR) on the other hand need no expansion.

8. Misformatted, uncited/unlisted and incomplete references

The three most important things to remember when dealing with references are: (1) formatting them all consistently as per the required journal style; (2) listing each reference cited in the text at the end of the article and, vice versa, citing each listed reference in the text; and (3) providing complete reference details, if available. Doing this will improve the discoverability of both your research and the cited references.

9. Untranslated metadata for non-English papers

If you are writing your paper in a language other than English, don’t forget to provide the English translations for the article metadata. This mainly includes the paper title, author name(s), author affiliation(s), abstract, keywords, and the list of references.

10. Not proofreading your paper Never forget to proofread your paper (if possible, more than once) before submitting it to a journal. Run a spell-check, make sure that everything is in order and that the written content is sensible and adequate enough to justify the research. If possible, have a friend, colleague or copy editor revise your paper as well.

We hope these tips will help you get your papers published very soon, minimising your chances of being rejected on linguistic or stylistic grounds. Wishing you all the very best!

Knowledge E provides Editing Services and Workshops on Academic Writing. To know more about our editing services, click here ; to request a training for your organisation, click here.

By Deepti Thapa , Production Copy Editor – Knowledge E

Top 20 Errors in Undergraduate Writing

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The Top Twenty: A Quick Guide to Troubleshooting Your Writing

Readers judge your writing by your control of certain conventions, which may change depending on your audience, purpose, and writing situation.  For example, your instructor may or may not mark errors in your paper if he’s more concerned with its argument or structure than he is with sentence-level correctness; he could also decide an error is not serious.  Some instructors may even see the errors listed below as stylistic options. However, a large-scale study by Andrea Lunsford and Karen Lunsford (2008) found that these errors are the most likely to attract readers’ negative attention.  Before handing in your papers, proofread them carefully for these errors, which are illustrated below in the sentences in italics.  

THE TOP TWENTY

1. wrong word.

Wrong word errors take a number of forms. They may convey a slightly different meaning than you intend ( compose instead of comprise ) or a completely wrong meaning ( prevaricate  instead of procrastinate ). They may also be as simple as a wrong preposition or other type of wrong word in an idiom.

Use your thesaurus and spell checker with care. If you select a word from a thesaurus without knowing its precise meaning or allow a spell checker to correct spelling automatically, you may make wrong-word errors. If prepositions and idioms are tricky for you, look up the standard usage.

Here are a couple of wrong word examples:

Did you catch my illusion to the Bible?

Illusion means “an erroneous perception of reality.” In the context of this sentence,  allusion was needed because it means "reference.”

Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene is a magnificent sixteenth-century allergy.

A spell checker replaced allegory with allergy.

2. Missing Comma after an Introductory Element

Use a comma after every introductory element—whether word, phrase or clause—to clarify where it ends and the rest of the sentence begins. When the introductory element is very short, you can skip the comma, but including it is never wrong.

Without a comma after the introductory element, it’s hard to see the location of the subject (“they”) in this sentence:

Determined to make their flight on time they rose at dawn.

3. Incomplete or Missing Documentation

Documentation practices vary from discipline to discipline.  But in academic and research writing, it’s a good idea to always cite your sources: omitting documentation can result in charges of plagiarism.

The examples below follow MLA style.  In this example, the page number of the print source for this quotation must be included.

The Social Media Bible defines social media as the “activities, practices, and behaviors among communities of people who gather online to share information, knowledge, and opinions using conversational media.”

And here, the source mentioned should be identified because it makes a specific, arguable claim:

According to one source, it costs almost twice an employee’s salary to recruit and train a replacement. 

Cite each source you refer to in the text, following the guidelines of the documentation style you are using. 

4. Vague Pronoun Reference

A pronoun (e.g., he, this, it) should refer clearly to the noun it replaces (called the antecedent).  If more than one word could be the antecedent, or if no specific antecedent is present, edit to make the meaning clear.

In this sentence, it possibly refers to more than one word:

If you put this handout in your binder, it may remind you of important tutoring strategies .

In some pronoun usage, the reference is implied but not stated.  Here, for example, you might wonder what which refers to:

The authoritarian school changed its cell phone policy, which many students resisted.

To improve this sentence, the writer needs to make explicit what students resisted.

5. Spelling

Even though technology now reviews much of our spelling for us, one of the top 20 most common errors is a spelling error.  That’s because spell checkers cannot identify many misspellings, and are most likely to miss homonyms (e.g., presence/presents), compound words incorrectly spelled as separate words, and proper nouns, particularly names. After you run the spell checker, proofread carefully for errors such as these:

Vladmir Putin is the controversial leader of Russia.

Every where she walked, she was reminded of him.

6. Mechanical Error with a Quotation

When we quote other writers, we bring their voices into our arguments.  Quotation marks crucially show where their words end and our own begin. 

Quotation marks come in pairs; don’t forget to open and close your quotations.  In most documentation styles (e.g., MLA Style), block quotations do not need quotations marks.  Consult your professor’s preferred style manual to learn how to present block quotations. 

Follow conventions when using quotation marks with other punctuation. Here, the comma should be placed inside the quotation marks:

"A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction", Virginia Woolf argues.

7. Unnecessary Comma

We often have a choice about whether or not to use a comma.  But if we add them to our sentences when and where they are not needed, then we may obscure rather than clarify our meaning.

Do not use commas to set off restrictive elements that are necessary to the meaning of the words they modify.  Here, for example, no comma is needed to set off the restrictive phrase  of working parents , which is necessary to indicate which parents the sentence is talking about.

Many children, of working parents, walk home from school by themselves.

Do not use a comma before a coordinating conjunction (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet) when the conjunction does not join parts of a compound sentence.  In this example, no comma is needed before the word  and  because it joins two phrases that modify the same verb, applies.

  This social scourge can be seen in urban centers, and in rural outposts.

Do not use a comma before the first or after the last item in a series.

The students asked their TAs to review, the assignment rubric, a sample paper and their comments, before the end of the quarter.

Do not use a comma between a subject and verb.

Happily, the waiters, sat down during a break.

Do not use a comma between a verb and its object or complement.

On her way home from work, she bought, a book at the bookstore.

Do not use a comma between a preposition and its object.

On her way home from work, she bought a book at, the bookstore.

8. Unnecessary or Missing Capitalization

Capitalize proper nouns and proper adjectives, the first words of sentences, and important words in titles, along with certain words indicating directions and family relationships. Do not capitalize most other words. When in doubt, check a dictionary.

Financial Aid is a pressing concern for many University Students.

9. Missing Word

If you read your work outloud before submittingit, you are more likely to notice omitted words.  Be particularly careful not to omit words from quotations.

Soccer fans the globe rejoiced when the striker scored the second goal.

10. Faulty Sentence Structure

If a sentence starts out with one kind of structure and then changes to another kind, it will confuse readers.

The information that families have access to is what financial aid is available and thinking about the classes available, and how to register.

Maintain the grammatical pattern within a sentence.  Each sentence must have a subject and a verb, and the subjects and predicates must make sense together.  In the example above, thinking about the classes available does not help the reader understand the information families have access to.  Parallel structures can help your reader see the relationships among your ideas.  Here’s the sentence revised:

Families have access to information about financial aid, class availability, and registration.

11. Missing Comma with a Nonrestrictive Element

A nonrestrictive phrase or clause provides additional information that is not essential to the basic meaning of the sentence.  Use commas to set off a nonrestrictive element.

David who loved to read history was the first to head to the British Library.

The clause  who loved to read history does not affect the basic meaning of the sentence.  The clause could be taken out and the reader would still understand that David was the first to head to the British Library.  

12. Unnecessary Shift in Verb Tense

Verbs that shift from one tense to another with no clear reason can confuse readers.

Martin searched for a great horned owl.  He takes photographs of all the birds he sights.

13. Missing Comma in a Compound Sentence

A compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses.  When the clauses are joined by a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), use a comma before the conjunction to indicate a pause between the two thoughts.

Miranda drove her brother and her mother waited at home.

Without the comma, a reader may think at first that Miranda drove both her brother and her mother.

14. Unnecessary or Missing Apostrophe (including its/it's)

To make a noun possessive, add either an apostrophe and an s (Ed's phone) or an apostrophe alone (the girls’ bathroom). Do not use an apostrophe in the possessive pronouns ours, yours, and hers. Use its to mean belong to it; use it's only when you mean it is or it has.

Repeated viral infections compromise doctors immune systems.

The chef lifted the skillet off it’s hook.  Its a fourteen-inch, copper skillet.

15. Fused (run-on) Sentence

A fused sentence (also called a run-on) joins clauses that could each stand alone as a sentence with no punctuation or words to link them. Fused sentences must be either divided into separate sentences or joined by adding words or punctuation.

The house was flooded with light, the moon rose above the horizon.

He wondered what the decision meant he thought about it all night.

16. Comma Splice

A comma splice occurs when only a comma separates clauses that could each stand alone as a sentence. To correct a comma splice, you can insert a semicolon or period, connect the clauses with a word such as and/or/because, or restructure the sentence.

The students rushed the field, they tore down the goalposts. 

17. Lack of pronoun/antecedent agreement

Pronouns typically must agree with their antecedents in gender (male or female, if appropriate) and in number (singular or plural). Many indefinite pronouns, such as everyone and each, are always singular.  However,  they can be used to agree with a singular antecedent in order to use inclusive or gender-neutral language.  When antecedents are joined by or or nor, the pronoun must agree with the closer antecedent. A collection noun such as team can be either singular or plural, depending on whether the members are seen as a group or individuals.

Every guest left their shoes at the door.

18. Poorly Integrated Quotation

Quotations should be logically and smoothly integrated with the writing around them, the grammar of the quotation complementing the grammar of the neighboring prose.  They usually need to be introduced (with a signal phrase) rather than dropped abruptly into the writing.

An award-winning 2009 study of friendship "understanding social networks allows us to understand how indeed, in the case of humans, the whole comes to be greater than the sum of its parts" (Christakis and Fowler 26).

"Social networks are intricate things of beauty" (Christakis and Fowler xiii). Maintaining close friendships is good for your health.

19. Missing or Unnecessary Hyphen

A compound adjective requires a hyphen when it modifies a noun that follows it.

This article describes eighteenth century theater.

A two-word verb should not be hyphenated. 

The dealers want to buy-back the computers and refurbish them.

20. Sentence Fragment

A sentence fragment is part of a sentence that is presented as if it were a complete sentence.  The following illustrate the ways sentence fragments can be created:

Without a subject

The American colonists resisted British taxation.  And started the American Revolution.

No complete verb

The pink geranium blooming in its pot.

Beginning with a subordinating word

We visited the park. Where we threw the Frisbee.

These 20 most common errors can be avoided in your writing if you reserve time to proofread your final draft before submission.

Works Cited

Lunsford, Andrea A. and Karen J. Lunsford.  “Mistakes are a Fact of Life: A National Comparative Study.”   CCC 59 (2008) 781-806.

6 Common mistakes in research paper writing: And how to avoid them

• June 2, 2021
• PRODUCTIVITY

My supervisor frequently mentions the following phrase: “Scientific articles are not written in English. It is a different language that you must learn separately”. I only grasped the significance of that remark when I attempted to write my first scientific article.

Despite the fact that conducting scientific research is always thrilling, one thing is certain: scientific writing is difficult to master. Scientific papers are essentially well-presented pieces of information. You’ve been given the challenge of conveying your ideas in a simple, easy-to-understand manner while maintaining high standards. But, how do you go about doing it?

To begin, you must recognize that the sole purpose of conducting research is to educate one another . When you have that mindset, you’ll discover new methods to “communicate” with others more effectively. This endeavour will immediately elevate you to the status of “expert” in your field — a perfect win-win!

On top of that mindset, consider the following recommendations to help you write your perfect scientific essay by avoiding common mistakes in research paper writing. Simply avoiding these mistakes can put you light years ahead of the pack. Let’s get started!

1.Poor organization : one of the most common mistakes in research paper writing

Poor organization is one of the most common mistakes in research paper writing, according to various studies on the subject.

“Even if a scientific report is uninteresting or contains long phrases and big words, if the reader feels the topic is important to him, he can plough through it. But if it’s disorganized, there’s no way someone is willing to go through the text. It’s impossible to make sense of what’s written.”

It’s important to stick to standard formats in general. An abstract; table of contents; summary; introduction; main body (theory, apparatus and methods, findings, and discussions); conclusions and suggestions; nomenclature; references; and appendices, for example, are all included in a general scientific article.

Because you will have a clear sense of the “flow” of the entire text, you can always make suitable adjustments to the structure in the end. However, if you begin without an unconventional framework or no framework at all, your project will fail miserably. So, when you’re working on the first drafts, make sure you have a properly defined framework in mind.

You can use a note taking app to jot down notes and come up with a structure — eliminating these common mistakes in research paper writing.

2.Not clearly understanding your audience.

One of the most common mistakes in research paper writing, that researchers make when they first start is not knowing who would benefit from their work, which is an issue right from the bat. You may write an outstanding essay on your study. Still, if you don’t identify your target audience beforehand, you’ll be in trouble. Never lose sight of your audience. As a result, it’s critical to begin your research endeavour with a deeper grasp of your target audience. Knowing who you want to read your article can help you pick the right journal, come up with a proper title, and be clear about your argument.

Your paper aims to chronicle your results and share them with the rest of your community. It is the exchange of ideas, not the documentation of them, that advances science. Consider your paper to be the initiation or continuation of a dialogue. It’s simpler to remember that you’re speaking to someone else rather than merely preserving your work for posterity by just documenting them.

Also, in your writing, avoid seeming overly intellectual. Despite the fact that your audience is likely to represent the same scientific community, be courteous and clarify acronyms the first time you use them. Don’t get carried away with technical language that’s hard to understand. Consider how well-informed your targeted audience is on the subject. Rather than assuming, it’s always better to clarify.

3.Not having a clear hypothesis or argument.

This is a typical blunder committed by many graduate and undergraduate researchers at the start of their careers. When writing their first scientific article, most of them find they don’t have a well-defined hypothesis. This is a significant component of the list of the most common mistakes in research paper writing.

Authors frequently use this section to discuss the study’s objectives and the problem they are addressing. However, many authors make the error of leaving it up to the reviewer to figure out “why” the problem is significant and challenging.

This is why it is critical to begin writing your first paper as soon as possible. Even if you comprehend it afterwards, having a clear grasp of your study hypothesis as you start your literature review is probably a good idea.

Suppose you discover that you need adequate hypotheses for your study when writing your first paper. In that case, it is usually a better idea to alter your priorities for a bit and focus solely on defining your research hypotheses rather than attempting to write the paper. Yes, indeed! It’s that critical.

4.Writing in a complex language.

This is simply one of the most common mistakes in research paper writing. Anyone who has read detailed reports understands the dangers of “technicalese,” a pretentious, exaggerated language that makes your work look like it was created by a computer or corporation rather than a human. By my definition, “technicalese” is a more sophisticated language than the topics it is used to explain. Technicians and bureaucrats hide behind a mess of incomprehensible memos and reports using jargon, clichés, outdated words, passive sentences, and an excess of adjectives in their works.

It’s tempting to employ technical terms to demonstrate our understanding of a subject. Jargon, clichés, archaic words, and passive sentences, on the other hand, make your work more complicated than it has to be. To counteract this problem, use the active voice to make your writing more direct and dynamic.

For example:

Passive: The metal beams were entirely corroded by the usage of saltwater.

Active: The usage of saltwater entirely corroded the metal beams.

How can you avoid using “technicalese” in your writing? To begin, stay away from jargon. Use a technical phrase only if it clearly explains your purpose. When you minimize jargon, your writing will be understandable to both novices and experienced experts. Make use of contractions. Avoid using cliches and out-of-date language. Write straightforwardly. As much as possible, use the active voice. Always keep in mind that the goal is to spread information to as many people as possible, not to please a limited intellectual elite.

 5.Not writing for skim-readers

The title will be read by the majority of individuals who look at your paper. The majority of folks who are interested in the title will read merely the abstract. Many people who go past the abstract will only glance at the figures and figure captions (to get a quick overview of your findings), as well as the final line of the Intro (to understand why you undertook the study) and the last line of the Conclusions or Discussion (to find your take-home message). Your article should make sense to all of these readers. It should not be easily misunderstood by those who aren’t paying attention.

So, in your title, tell as much of the story as concisely as possible, as clearly as possible in your abstract (covering what you did, why, and why the results matter), think carefully about the last line of each section, and try to make the figures tell the story on their own.This way , you will have the opportunity to not only make the content look much nicer but to avoid these types of common mistakes in research paper writing which is a huge advantage.

Yes, I admit it! I also used to write several pages at the start of several chapters BEFORE stating the objectives and what will be accomplished. I eventually got the message when my professors criticized me for not putting the important ideas front and centre on the first or second page of multiple papers. If at all possible, include all of your research objectives in the first two pages of your paper rather than later. This entails writing succinctly. Background information can be more verbose once the objectives are provided, but it should emphasize coherence.

“Show your audience what you’re about to tell them, then tell them, and lastly summarize what you just told them,” one of my lecturers said. It’s indeed easier stated than done. When I was pondering “what to write” between chapter segments, I didn’t understand how effective this statement was until I found myself writing “new” concepts in the paper that hadn’t been presented earlier. This involved going back through earlier portions of the document to see whether any “new” points were added accidentally (“I told the audience more than I initially promised”) or if any information was missing (“I didn’t tell the audience everything as promised”). What are the key takeaways you’re “communicating” to the audience?

Suppose a skim reader can comprehend the general picture by skimming. In that case, there is a far better probability that they will read the entire text.

6.Not understanding what your advisor expects.

While some advisors may just approve your paper, many will insist on reading it and providing feedback before you submit it. If you’re in a large group, your adviser is likely to be preoccupied with a variety of tasks, such as reading the dissertation of a graduate student who is defending next week or planning a week-long trip (Happened to me once!). Many students would not take this as one of the common mistakes in research paper writing, but this would easily be someone’s worst nightmare if they did all the hard work but could not submit the paper on time .

As a response, be respectful and allow enough time. While one professor may be permitted to work on a paper until the very last minute, another may stipulate that a complete draft be submitted a specified amount of time before the due date.

If your advisor prefers to talk about the research before you finish your draft, you should do so. A competent adviser, for example, may assist you in determining what to emphasize, what is innovative and why, what the flow and structure of the paper should be, what to emphasize in the assessment, which earlier work and study you must analyze, and so on. This can result in a far better first draft that just takes little editing than a paper that is not well focused and may require extensive reworking.

These suggestions should help you overcome some of your fears and anxieties about writing and make the process smoother and more productive – eventually, come up with a proper text by eliminating most of the common mistakes in research paper writing.

Finally, bear in mind that success in writing — or any kind of communication — is primarily a question of attitude: if you don’t believe writing is important enough to devote the time and effort necessary to do it well, you won’t. If, on the other hand, you feel writing is essential and want to improve, you will!

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Aruna Kumarasiri

Founder at Proactive Grad, Materials Engineer, Researcher, and turned author. In 2019, he started his professional carrier as a materials engineer with the continuation of his research studies. His exposure to both academic and industrial worlds has provided many opportunities for him to give back to young professionals.

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• Taboo words in academic writing

Words and Phrases to Avoid in Academic Writing

Published on February 6, 2016 by Sarah Vinz . Revised on September 11, 2023.

When you are writing a dissertation , thesis, or research paper, many words and phrases that are acceptable in conversations or informal writing are considered inappropriate in academic writing .

You should try to avoid expressions that are too informal, unsophisticated, vague, exaggerated, or subjective, as well as those that are generally unnecessary or incorrect.

Bear in mind, however, that these guidelines do not apply to text you are directly quoting from your sources (including interviews ).

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Too informal, too exaggerated, too subjective, generally incorrect, other interesting articles.

Academic writing is generally more formal than the writing we see in non-academic materials (including on websites). It is also more formal than the ways in which we normally speak. The following words and phrases are considered too informal for a dissertation or academic paper.

Informal sentence starts

Some words are acceptable in certain contexts, but become too informal when used at the beginning of a sentence. You can replace these with appropriate  transition words  or simply remove them from the sentence.

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Using vague terms makes your writing imprecise and may cause people to interpret it in different ways. Always try to be as specific as possible.

Academic writing is usually unadorned and direct. Some adverbs of frequency (such as always and never ) and intensifiers (words that create emphasis, such as really ) are often too dramatic. They may also not be accurate – you’re making a significant claim when you say something is perfect or never happens.

These terms do sometimes add value, but try to use them sparingly.

Some words and phrases reveal your own bias. For instance, if you state that something will obviously happen, you are indicating that you think the occurrence is obvious – not stating a fact.

Expressing your opinion is appropriate in certain sections of a dissertation and in particular types of academic texts (such as personal statements and reflective or argumentative essays ). In most cases, though, take care when using words and phrases such as those below – try to let the facts speak for themselves, or emphasize your point with less biased language.

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Certain words and phrases are often used incorrectly, even by native speakers of a language. If you’re exposed to such mistakes often enough, you may start to assume they are correct – but it’s important that you don’t let them creep into your writing.

You should also bear in mind that some of these mistakes relate to things we all frequently mishear (for instance, we often think the speaker is saying would of instead of would have ).

In general, you should also try to avoid using words and phrases that fall into the following categories:

• Jargon (i.e., “insider” terminology that may be difficult for readers from other fields to understand)
• Clichés (i.e., expressions that are heavily overused, such as think outside of the box and at the end of the day )
• Everyday abbreviations (e.g., approx. , ASAP, corona, stats, info )
• Slang (e.g., cops , cool )
• Gender-biased language   (e.g., firemen , mankind )
• Generally unnecessary (e.g., redundant expressions that do not add meaning, such as compete with each other instead of simply compete)

Reflective reports and  personal statements  sometimes have a less formal tone. In these types of writing, you may not have to follow these guidelines as strictly. The preface or acknowledgements of a dissertation also often have a less formal and more personal voice than the rest of the document.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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6 Common Mistakes Students Make With Research Papers — and How to Avoid Them

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• Post date July 5, 2023

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Embarking on a research paper can be an intimidating prospect for students, but steering clear of common mistakes will greatly enhance the process.

To get you up to speed, we’ll delve into six frequent errors and offer valuable tips on how to circumvent them, ensuring you produce a well-crafted and successful academic piece.

Mistake 1: Insufficient Research and the Art of Note-taking

A prevalent issue among research paper novices is inadequate preparation before diving into writing. Undertaking extensive research on your chosen topic and distilling critical information are vital steps that lay the groundwork for a well-rounded argument.

To avoid this mistake, dedicate sufficient time to explore diverse sources like books, articles, or online databases. Also, develop an effective note-taking system to clearly identify key points, themes, and evidence relevant to constructing your narrative later on. As you invest in researching properly upfront, you’ll save valuable time during the actual writing process.

Mistake 2: Plagiarism Pitfalls – How to Properly Credit Sources

Plagiarism is a major academic offense that can result in severe consequences for students. To sidestep this trap , ensure you attribute credit where it’s due, whether quoting or paraphrasing someone else’s work. Familiarize yourself with proper citation styles like APA, MLA, or Chicago to accurately reference your sources.

Additionally, using plagiarism detection tools and double-checking your writing for originality will help guarantee the integrity of your research paper. By conscientiously acknowledging the scholarship and ideas of others in your field, you’ll build credibility while avoiding repercussions tied to plagiarized content.

Mistake 3: Not Fully Understanding the Guidelines

Misinterpreting or overlooking crucial guidelines can be detrimental to your research paper’s success, causing unnecessary setbacks in an already demanding task.

To write a research paper with academic writing standards , thoroughly read and internalize the criteria provided by your instructor, including format, citation style, length constraints, and deadline expectations. Seek clarification on any ambiguous points before you commence writing.

Adhering closely to these requirements ensures that you deliver precisely what educators expect while also demonstrating your diligence and mastery of academic conventions.

Mistake 4: Ineffective Thesis Statements and Crafting Your Argument

A clear, compelling thesis statement is the cornerstone of a solid research paper. It sets the stage for presenting your argument confidently and coherently throughout the piece. Weak or vague statements can hinder readers’ engagement, leaving them puzzled over your central claim’s purpose and relevance.

To improve upon this aspect, meticulously refine your thesis by focusing on brevity, precision, and significance to your research question. As you analyze evidence during the writing process, continually reassess whether it supports your assertion effectively or demands further revisions.

Mistake 5: Failure to Structure and Organize Your Paper Efficiently

A well-organized research paper is crucial for maintaining the reader’s interest and making your argument more accessible. Disjointed thoughts or insufficient transitions between sections can hinder the overall flow.

To avoid this pitfall, compose a detailed outline that breaks down each segment of your paper – including introduction, body paragraphs, sub-topics, and conclusion. Logical progression, smooth transitions, and concise headings will make it easier for readers to follow your train of thought while proving you’ve mastered critical thinking skills necessary in academic writing.

Mistake 6: Neglecting Proofreading, Editing, and Revision Techniques

Many students underestimate the significance of reviewing their research papers for mistakes or areas requiring improvements. To avoid this:

• Conduct multiple rounds of proofreading to eliminate errors in grammar, syntax, punctuation, and consistency.
• Edit your paper by trimming any wordiness or repetitiveness while enhancing clarity.
• Investing time in revisions and feedback from peers or professors

This will ultimately polish your research paper into a comprehensive piece that reflects competence and skillful writing.

Wrapping Up

The overarching misstep students make is underestimating the amount of time and effort they need to put into a research paper, so get this aspect right and the rest will fall into place.

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Avoid These Common Grammar Mistakes!

Cartoonist Doug Larson once observed: "If the English language made any sense, a catastrophe would be an apostrophe with fur" [ The Quotations Page ]. Because the English language has complicated grammar and usage rules and most of those rules have multiple exceptions in how they are applied, there are many online sites that discuss how to avoid mistakes in grammar and word usage. Here are a few that may be particularly helpful:

• English Grammar
• Lingua Franca Column , Chronicle of Higher Education
• Plain Language.gov

Listed below are the most common mistakes that are made by writers and, thus, the ones you should focus on locating, correcting, and/or removing while proofreading your research paper.

• Affect / effect -- welcome to what I consider to be the most confusing aspect in the English language. "Effect" is most often a noun and generally means “a result.” However, "effect" can be used as a verb that essentially means "to bring about," or "to accomplish." The word "affect" is almost always a verb and generally means "to influence." However, affect can be used as a noun when you're talking about the mood that someone appears to have. [Ugh!]
• Apostrophes -- the position of an apostrophe depends upon whether the noun is singular or plural. For singular words, add an "s" to the end, even if the final letter is an "s." For contractions, replace missing letters with an apostrophe; but remember that it is where the letters no longer are, which is not always where the words are joined [e.g., "is not" and "isn't"]. Note that contractions are rarely used in scholarly writing.
• Capitalization -- a person’s title is capitalized when it precedes the name and, thus, is seen as part of the name [e.g., President Zachary Taylor]; once the title occurs, further references to the person holding the title appear in lowercase [e.g., the president]. For groups or organizations, the name is capitalized when it is the full name [e.g., the United States Department of Justice]; further references should be written in lowercase [e.g., the department]. In general, the use of capital letters should be minimized as much as possible.
• Colorless verbs and bland adjectives –- passive voice, use of the to be verb, is a lost opportunity to use a more interesting and accurate verb when you can. Adjectives can also be used very specifically to add to the sentence. Try to avoid generic or bland adjectives and be specific. Use adjectives that add to the meaning of the sentence.
• Comma splices -- a comma splice is the incorrect use of a comma to connect two independent clauses (an independent clause is a phrase that is grammatically and conceptually complete: that is, it can stand on its own as a sentence). To correct the comma splice, you can: replace the comma with a period, forming two sentences; replace the comma with a semicolon; or, join the two clauses with a conjunction such as "and," "because," "but," etc.
• Compared with vs. compared to -- compare to is to point out or imply resemblances between objects regarded as essentially of a different order; compare with is mainly to point out differences between objects regarded as essentially of the same order [e.g., life has been compared to a journey; Congress may be compared with the British Parliament].
• Confusing singular possessive and plural nouns –- singular possessive nouns always take an apostrophe, with few exceptions, and plural nouns never take an apostrophe. Omitting an apostrophe or adding one where it does not belong makes the sentence unclear.
• Coordinating conjunctions -- words, such as "but," "and," "yet," join grammatically similar elements [i.e., two nouns, two verbs, two modifiers, two independent clauses]. Be sure that the elements they join are equal in importance and in structure.
• Dangling participial -- a participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence must refer to the grammatical subject of the sentence.
• Dropped commas around clauses –-place commas around words, phrases, or clauses that interrupt a sentence. Do not use commas around restrictive clauses, which provide essential information about the subject of the sentence.
• The Existential "this" -- always include a referent with "this," such as "this theory..." or "this approach to understanding the...." With no referent, "this" can confuse the reader.
• The Existential "it" -- the "existential it" gives no reference for what "it" is. Be specific!
• Its / it's --"its" is the possessive form of "it." "It's" is the contraction of "it is" or "it has." They are not interchangeable and the latter should be avoided in scholarly writing.
• Fewer / Less -- if you can count it, then use the word fewer; if you cannot count it, use the word less.
• Interrupting clause –- this clause or phrase interrupts a sentence, such as, "however." Place a comma on either side of the interrupting clause. An interrupting clause should generally be avoided in academic writing.
• Know your non-restrictive clauses –- this clause or phrase modifies the subject of the sentence, but it is not essential to understanding the sentence. The word “which” is the relative pronoun usually used to introduce the nonrestrictive clause.
• Know your restrictive clauses –- this clause limits the meaning of the nouns it modifies. The restrictive clause introduces information that is essential to understanding the meaning of the sentence. The word “that” is the relative pronoun normally used to introduce this clause. Without this clause or phrase, the meaning of the sentence changes.
• Literally -- this word means that exactly what you say is true, no metaphors or analogies. Be aware of this if you are using "literally" to describe something. The term literally should never be applied to subjective expressions [i.e., "literally the most comfortable meeting"] or to imprecise measurements [i.e., "literally dozens of protesters"].
• Lonely quotes –- unlike in journalistic writing, quotes in scholarly writing cannot stand on their own as a sentence. Integrate them into a paragraph.
• Misuse and abuse of semicolons –- semicolons are used to separate two related independent clauses or to separate items in a list that contains commas. Do not abuse semicolons by using them often; they are best used sparingly.
• Overuse of unspecific determinates -- words such as "super" [as in super strong] or "very" [as in very strong], are unspecific determinates. How many/much is "very"? How incredibly awesome is super? If you ask ten people how cold, "very cold" is, you would get ten different answers. Academic writing should be precise, so eliminate as many unspecific determinants as possible.
• Semicolon usage -- a semicolon is most often used to separate two complete but closely related clauses. Consider the semicolon as marking a shorter pause than a period but a longer pause than a comma (this is easy to remember since a semicolon is the combination of a period and a comma). In the same way, semicolons are also used to separate complicated lists of three or more items.
• Sentence fragments –- these occur when a dependent clause is punctuated as a complete sentence. Dependent clauses must be used together with an independent clause.
• Singular words that sound plural -- when using words like "each," "every," "everybody," "nobody," or "anybody" in a sentence, we're likely thinking about more than one person or thing. But all these words are grammatically singular: they refer to just one person or thing at a time. And unfortunately, if you change the verb to correct the grammar, you create a pedantic phrase like "he or she" or "his or her."
• Split Infinitive -- an infinitive is the form of a verb that begins with "to." Splitting an infinitive means placing another word or words between the "to" and the infinitive verb. This is considered incorrect by purists, but nowadays it is considered a matter of style rather than poor grammar. Nevertheless, in academic writing, it's best to avoid split infinitives.
• Subject/pronoun disagreement –- there are two types of subject/pronoun disagreements. Shifts in number refer to the shifting between singular and plural in the same sentence. Be consistent. Shifts in person occurs when the person shifts within the sentence from first to second person, from second to third person, etc.
• That vs. which -- that clauses (called restrictive) are essential to the meaning of the sentence; which clauses (called nonrestrictive) merely add additional information. In general, most nonrestrictive clauses in academic writing are incorrect or superfluous. While proofreading, go on a "which" hunt and turn most of them into restrictive clauses. Also, "that" never follows a comma but "which" does.
• Verb Tense Agreement -- this refers to keeping the same tense [past, present, future] throughout a clause. Do not shift from one tense to another if the time for each action or event is the same. Note that, when referring to separate actions or events, the tenses may be different.
• Who / whom -- who is used as the subject of the clause it introduces; whom is used as the object of a preposition, as a direct object, or as an indirect object. A key to remembering which word to use is to simply substitute who or whom with a pronoun. If you can substitute he, she, we, or they in the clause, and it still sounds okay, then you know that who is the correct word to use. If, however, him, her, us, or them sounds more appropriate, then whom is the correct choice for the sentence.

Attending to Grammar. Institute for Writing Rhetoric. Dartmouth College; Avoiding Common Grammar Mistakes. Department of English Writing Guide. George Mason University; Carter, Ronald. Cambridge Grammar of English: A Comprehensive Guide: Spoken and Written English Grammar and Usage . New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006; Conrad, Jordan. Confusing Words. WritingExplained.org; Grammar. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Danesi, Marcel. Basic Grammar and Usage: An ESL/EFL Handbook . Hauppauge, NY: Barron's Educational Series, 2006; Grammar and Mechanics. The Reading/Writing Center. Hunter College; Grammar and Punctuation. The Writer’s Handbook. Writing Center. University of Wisconsin, Madison; Taylor, Dena and Margaret Procter. Hit Parade Of Errors. In Grammar, Punctuation, And Style . The Lab Report. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Peters, Mark. Grammar and Style . New York: Alpha, Pnquin Group, 2014.

Writing Tip

Grammar and Spell Check Programs Are Not Infallible

A basic proofreading strategy is to use the spelling and grammar check tools available from your word processing programs. This can be a quick way to catch misspelled words, unintentionally repeated words [e.g., "the the"], different spellings of proper nouns, or identify incorrect grammar and sentence construction. These tools, however, are not perfect. Always proofread what has been “corrected” after running a spell or grammar program for the following reasons:

Spell Checkers : There are several limitations to be aware of. Research has shown that “spell checkers alone cannot eliminate the written expression deficits of many students with learning disabilities” [Montgomery, 2001: 28]. Examples of this can include identifying contextual errors, such as, writing “then” for "than" or misusing homophones, such as, “to,” “too,” or “two.” If you have a learning disability, be extra aware of these issues when running a spell checker. Also, the level of a mismatch between a misspelled word and the target word provided in the list of suggested words determines whether the target word is available to choose from [or whether there are no suggestions]. In these cases, correct the word as best you can and rerun the spell checker to see if the target word appears or use a different word with the same meaning. Finally, if computer-assisted spell checking identifies two or more spellings of a proper noun in your paper [e.g.,  Allison, Alison ], then you will need to independently confirm the correct spelling. This is particularly important for proper nouns of people, places, or things derived from languages other than English if that is your first language.

Grammar Checkers : Beyond correcting obvious errors, these tools will suggest how to rearrange text based on the preferred way of writing a sentence. This, however, does not necessarily mean the sentence was grammatically incorrect to begin with; the program's algorithm may have been tagged it as “awkward.” The word structure of English can be arranged in different ways while retaining the meaning of a sentence. Therefore, if you accept a grammar checker’s changes, review the new sentence and determine if the auto corrected text still reflects the context of what you want to say and how you want to say it. Also, check the narrative flow of the paragraph. Does the preceding and following sentences around the new text still retain the narrative flow that you originally intended [i.e., the author's voice]? If not, you may need to further edit the paragraph.

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Research Writing: Tips and Common Errors

• First Online: 24 March 2020

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Academic writing should be precise and objective. It should not include jargon, circumlocution, tautology, or clichés. Effective academic writing requires the use of good grammar, a logical structure, precise verb and word choice, and information. Each paragraph has a single theme that is developed in several connecting sentences. Punctuation is important in academic writing. Examples are provided to highlight what is required in academic writing.

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Munro, L., Ramlaul, A. (2020). Research Writing: Tips and Common Errors. In: Ramlaul, A. (eds) Medical Imaging and Radiotherapy Research: Skills and Strategies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37944-5_20

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Writing A Research Proposal

8 common (and costly) mistakes to avoid 🤦.

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) & David Phair (PhD) . Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | June 2021

At Grad Coach, we review a lot of research proposals , including dissertation proposals and thesis proposals. Some are pretty good, while others are, well, not fantastic. Sadly, many students only approach us after their proposal has been rejected , meaning they’ve wasted a lot of time and effort.

We’ll look at 8 common mistakes and issues we see cropping up in research proposals so that you can craft your proposal with confidence and maximise the chances of it being approved.

Overview: 8 Research Proposal Killers

• The research topic is too broad (or just poorly articulated).
• The research aims, objectives and questions don’t align .
• The research topic is not well justified .
• The study has a weak theoretical foundation .
• The research design is not well articulated well enough.
• Poor writing and sloppy presentation.
• Poor project planning and risk management.
• Not following the university’s specific criteria .

#1: The research topic is too broad.

One of the most common issues we see in dissertation and thesis proposals is that the research topic is simply too broad . In other words, the focus of the research is not ringfenced tightly enough (or just not defined clearly enough), resulting in a proposal that has an unclear direction or attempts to take on too much.

For example, a research project that aims to “investigate trust in the workplace” would be considered very broad. This topic has no specific focus and leaves many questions unanswered, for example:

• What type(s) of trust?
• Between whom?
• Within what types of workplaces?
• Within what industry or industries?

As a general rule of thumb, you should aim for a fairly narrow focus when you craft your research topic. Doing this will allow you to go deep and investigate the topic in-depth , which is what the markers want to see. Quality beats quantity – or rather, depth beats breadth – when it comes to defining and refining your research topic.

A related problem is that oftentimes, students have a more refined topic within their mind, but they don’t articulate it well in their proposal. This often results in the proposal being rejected because the topic is perceived as being too broad. In other words, it’s important to ensure you not only have a clear, sharp focus for your research, but that you communicate that well in your dissertation or thesis proposal. Make sure that you address the who , what , were and when, so that your topic is well defined.

Let’s look at an example.

Sticking with the topic I mentioned earlier, a more refined and well-articulated research aim could be something along the lines of:

“To investigate the factors that cultivate organisational trust (i.e. a customer trusting an organisation) within the UK life insurance industry.”

As you can see, this is a lot more specific and ringfences the topic into a more manageable scope . So, when it comes to your research topic, remember to keep it tight .

#2: The research aims, objectives and questions don’t align.

Another common issue that we see with weaker research proposals is misalignment between the research aims and objectives , as well as with the research questions . Sometimes all three are misaligned , and sometimes there’s only one misfit. Whatever the case, it’s a problem that can lead to proposal rejection, as these three elements need to link together tightly.

Let’s look at an example of a misaligned trio.

Research Aim:

To identify factors that cultivate organisational trust in British insurance brokers.

Research Objectives:

To measure organisational trust levels across different demographic groups within the UK.

To investigate the causes of differences in organisational trust levels between groups.

Research Question:

What factors influence organisational trust between customers and insurance brokers within the UK?

As you can see, the research aim and research question are reasonably aligned (they are both focused on the factors that cultivate trust). However, the research objectives are misaligned, as they focus on measuring trust levels across different groups, rather than identifying what factors stimulate trust. This will result in a study that’s pulling in different directions – not good.

A related issue we see is that students don’t really understand the difference between research aims (the broader goal), research objectives (how you’ll achieve that goal) and research questions (the specific questions you’ll answer within your study). So, when you’re preparing your proposal, make sure that you clearly understand how these differ and make sure they’re all tightly aligned with each other.

#3: The research topic is not well justified.

A good research topic – in other words, a good set of research aims, research objectives and research questions – needs to be well justified to convince your university to approve your research. Poor justification of the research topic is a common reason for proposals to be rejected.

So, how do you justify your research?

For a research topic to be well justified, you need to demonstrate both originality and importance .

Originality means that your proposed research is novel , or at least that it’s novel within its context (for example, within a specific country or industry). While the extent of this novelty will vary depending on your institution, programme and level of study (e.g. Masters vs Doctorate), your research will always need to have some level of originality. In other words, you can’t research something that’s been researched ad nauseam before.

Simply put, your research needs to emerge from a gap in the existing literature . To do this, you need to figure out what’s missing from the current body of knowledge (by undertaking a review of the literature) and carve out your own research to fill that gap. We explain this process in more detail here .

Importance is the second factor. Just because a topic is unique doesn’t mean it’s important . You need to be able to explain what the benefits of undertaking your proposed research would be. Who would benefit? How would they benefit? How could the newly developed knowledge be used in the world, whether in academia or industry?

So, when you’re writing up your research proposal, make sure that you clearly articulate both the originality and importance of your proposed research, or you’ll risk submitting an unconvincing proposal.

#4: The study has a weak theoretical foundation.

As I mentioned in the previous point, your research topic needs to emerge from the existing research . In other words, your research needs to fill a clear gap in the literature – something that hasn’t been adequately researched, or that lacks research in a specific context.

To convince your university that your topic will fill a gap in the research, your proposal needs to have a strong theoretical foundation . In other words, you need to show that you’ve done the necessary reading and are familiar with the existing research. To do this, you need to provide an integrated summary of the existing research and highlight (very clearly) the theoretical gap that exists.

Some common signs of a weak theoretical foundation that we’ve encountered include:

• A general lack of sources and a reliance on personal opinion and anecdotes, rather than academic literature.
• Failing to acknowledge and discuss landmark studies and key literature in the topic area.
• Relying heavily on low-quality sources , such as blog posts, personal websites, opinion pieces, etc.
• Relying heavily on outdated sources and not incorporating more recent research that builds on the “classics”.

While it’s generally not expected that you undertake a comprehensive literature review at the proposal stage, you do still need to justify your topic by demonstrating a need for your study (i.e. the literature gap). So, make sure that you put in the time to develop a sound understanding of the current state of knowledge in your space, and make sure that you communicate that understanding in your proposal by building your topic justification on a solid base of credible literature.

#5: The research design is not articulated well enough (or is just impractical).

Once you’ve made a strong argument regarding the value of your research (i.e., you’ve justified it), the next matter that your research proposal needs to address is the “how” – in other words, your intended research design and methodology .

A common issue we see is that students don’t provide enough detail in this section. This is often because they don’t really know exactly what they’re going to do and plan to just “figure it out later” (which is not good enough). But sometimes it’s just a case of poor articulation – in other words, they have a clear design worked out in their minds, but they haven’t put their plan to paper.

Whatever the reason, a dissertation or thesis proposal that lacks detail regarding the research design runs a major risk of being rejected. This is because universities want to see that you have a clearly defined, practical plan to achieve your research aims and objectives and answer your research questions.

At a minimum, you should provide detail regarding the following:

• Research philosophy – the set of beliefs your research is based on (positivism, interpretivism, pragmatism)
• Research approach – the broader method you’ll use (inductive, deductive, qualitative and quantitative)
• Research strategy – how you’ll conduct the research (e.g., experimental, action, case study, etc.)
• Time horizon – the number of points in time at which you’ll collect your data (e.g. cross-sectional or longitudinal)
• Techniques and procedures – your intended data collection methods, data analysis techniques, sampling strategies , etc.

For more information about each of these design decisions, check out our post detailing the Research Onion.

Of course, your research design can (and most likely will) evolve along the way , but you still need a starting point. Also, your proposed research design needs to be practical, given your constraints. A brilliant design is pointless if you don’t have the resources (e.g. money, equipment, expertise, etc.) to pull it off. So, get detailed in this section of your proposal and keep it realistic to maximise your chances of approval.

Need a helping hand?

#6: Poor writing and sloppy presentation.

As with any document, poor writing and sloppy presentation can heavily detract from your research proposal, even if you tick all the other boxes. While poor writing and presentation alone probably won’t result in your proposal being rejected, it will definitely put you at a disadvantage , as it gives a negative impression regarding the overall quality of your work.

The main issues we see here are:

• Directionless or scattered writing – for example, writing that jumps from one point to another with poor flow and connectivity, disjointed points, etc.
• Poor argument formation – for example, a lack of premises and conclusions, disconnected conclusions and poor reasoning (you can learn more about argument development here ).
• Inappropriate language – for example, using a very informal or casual tone, slang, etc).
• Grammar and spelling issues, as well as inconsistent use of UK/US English.
• Referencing issues – for example, a lack of references or incorrectly formatted references.
• Table and figure captions – for example, a lack of captions, citations, figure and table numbers, etc.
• Low-quality visuals and diagrams.

The good news is that many of these can be resolved by editing and proofreading your proposal beforehand, so it’s always a good idea to take the time to do this. It’s also a good idea to ask a friend to review your document, as you will invariably suffer from blindspots when editing your own work. If your budget allows, having your work reviewed by an academic editor will ensure you cover all bases and submit a high-quality document.

#7: Poor project planning and risk management.

While different universities will have varying requirements, there is usually a requirement (or at least an expectation) for a project plan of sorts. As I mentioned earlier, a strong research proposal needs to be practical and manageable, given your constraints. Therefore, a well-articulated project plan that considers all the practicalities (and risks) is an important part of a strong research proposal.

We generally recommend that students draw up a fairly detailed Gantt chart , detailing each major task involved in the dissertation writing process. For example, you can break it down into the various chapters ( introduction , literature review, etc.) and the key tasks involved in completing each chapter (research, planning, writing, etc). What’s most important here is to be realistic – things almost always take longer than you expect, especially if you’re a first-time researcher.

We also recommend including some sort of risk management plan . For this, you could make use of a basic risk register , listing all the potential risks you foresee, as well as your mitigation and response actions, should they occur. For example, the risk of data collection taking longer than anticipated, the risk of not getting enough survey responses , etc.

What’s most important is to demonstrate that you have thought your research through and have a clear plan of action . Of course, as with your research design, plans can (and likely will) change – and that’s okay. However, you still need to have an initial plan, and that plan needs to be realistic and manageable, or you’ll risk your proposal getting rejected.

#8: Not following the university’s specific criteria.

While research proposals are fairly generic in terms of contents and style, and tend to follow a reasonably standardised structure, each university has its nuances in terms of what they want to be included in the dissertation or thesis proposal.

Some universities want more or less detail in certain sections, some want extra sections, and some want a very specific structure and format (down to the font type and size!). So, you need to pay very close attention to whatever institution-specific criteria your university has set out.

Typically, your university will provide some sort of brief or guidance document to direct your proposal efforts, so be sure to study this document thoroughly and ask the faculty for clarity if you’re uncertain about anything. Some universities will also provide a proposal template . Pay careful attention to any specific structure they recommend as well as formatting requirements (such as font, line spacing, margin sizes, referencing format, etc.).

If your university provides an assessment criteria matrix , you’ve hit the jackpot, as that document will detail exactly what you need to achieve in each section of the proposal. Study that matrix inside out and make sure that your research proposal tightly aligns with the assessment criteria.

Recap: 8 Research Proposal Mistakes

We’ve covered a lot here – let’s recap on the 8 common mistakes that can hurt your research proposal or even get it rejected:

• The research design is not articulated well enough.
• Not following the university’s specific criteria.

If you have any questions about these common mistakes, leave a comment below and we’ll do our best to answer. You may also want to have a look at some examples of successful proposals here . If you’d like to get 1-on-1 help with your research proposal , book a free initial consultation with a friendly coach to discuss how we can move you forward.

Psst… there’s more!

This post is an extract from our bestselling short course, Research Proposal Bootcamp . If you want to work smart, you don't want to miss this .

Thanks a lot for sharing these tips, very usefull and help me a lot, Many thanks

I just want to express my sincere gratitude for everything you guys are doing. You held my hand when I was doing my dissertation. I successfully completed it and got good marks. I just got myself reviewing this so I could help others struggling. May God bless you. May he bless you abundantly.

Thank you so much, I got it very important, and your presentation is also very attractive.

I find the text very educative. I am just preparing to start work on my PhD thesis. I must admit that I have learnt so much about how to organize myself for the task ahead of me. Thank you so much for being there to support people like me.

I found this video highly educative, it gave me a full glance at what is ahead of me – starting my Ph.D. now! Thank you for these amazing facts.

Thanks a lot for such an insightful video and explanation on Research Proposal design. I’m a beginner and pursuing my B.ed , these tips are really helpful to get a good start.

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Research Voyage

Research Tips and Infromation

• Top Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a Research Paper

1. Solicitation Titles

2. designations in author listing, 3. official email addresses, 4. acronyms in titles, 5. citations in abstracts, 6. detailed results in abstracts, 7. visuals in abstracts, 8. acronyms in keywords, 9. results in methods section, 10. overreaching in conclusions and future directions, 11. citations in conclusions, 12. excessive self-citations, 13. confidential data, 14. inappropriate acknowledgements, 15. redundant information, 16. informal language, 17. unverified data, introduction.

Writing a research paper is a challenging but rewarding endeavour that requires a great deal of precision, clarity, and adherence to academic standards. Whether you are a novice researcher or a seasoned academic, it’s essential to be aware of common pitfalls that can undermine the quality and impact of your work. This guide highlights some of the key elements you should avoid including in your research paper. By steering clear of these common mistakes, you can ensure that your research is presented in the most professional and effective manner possible. From avoiding unnecessary titles and designations to ensuring the clarity of your abstract and keywords, these tips will help you refine your writing and enhance the overall quality of your paper. Let’s dive into the details and explore what not to include in your research paper to make it a compelling and credible piece of academic work.

Writing a research paper requires meticulous attention to detail and adherence to academic standards. Here are some key things you should avoid including in your research paper to maintain its integrity and quality.

Things You Should Avoid in a Research Paper

Explanation : Titles like Dr., Mr., Ms., or Prof. should be omitted when listing authors.

Reason : Including solicitation titles can seem unprofessional and unnecessary in an academic context. The focus should be on the research, not the titles of the authors.

• Incorrect : Dr. John Doe, Mr. Jane Smith
• Correct : John Doe, Jane Smith

Explanation : Avoid listing designations such as Professor, Associate Professor, etc.

Reason : Instead, simply list the author’s name and their affiliated institution. This keeps the focus on the research rather than the authors’ ranks.

• Incorrect : John Doe, Associate Professor, University of XYZ
• Correct : John Doe, University of XYZ

Explanation : Do not use official email addresses for corresponding authors.

Reason : Authors may change workplaces, making it difficult for future researchers to contact them. Use a personal or permanent email address instead.

• Incorrect : [email protected]
• Correct : [email protected]

Explanation : Avoid using acronyms or abbreviations in the title of the research paper.

Reason : Titles should be clear and understandable at first glance. Acronyms can be confusing and may not be universally recognized.

• Incorrect : “AI Techniques for Image Processing”
• Correct : “Artificial Intelligence Techniques for Image Processing”

Visit my blog post on ” How to write Compelling Research Paper Title “

Explanation : Do not include citations in the abstract.

Reason : The abstract is meant to be a concise summary of your research. Citations can clutter it and are better placed in the main body of the paper.

• Incorrect : “This study follows the methodology proposed by Smith (2020).”
• Correct : “This study employs a novel methodology.”

Explanation : Avoid presenting detailed results in the abstract.

Reason : The abstract should provide an overview. Detailed results should be discussed in the main sections of the paper. Instead, indicate whether results are better, moderate, or comparable.

• Incorrect : “The experiment showed a 12% increase in efficiency.”
• Correct : “The experiment showed a significant increase in efficiency.”

Explanation : Do not include diagrams, charts, or tables in the abstract.

Reason : The abstract should be a text-only summary that is quick to read.

Visit my blog post on ” How to Write Research Paper Abstract “

Explanation : Avoid using acronyms or abbreviations in the keywords section.

Reason : Keywords should be clear and universally understood to improve searchability.

• Incorrect : “AI, ML, NLP”
• Correct : “Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing”

Visit my article on ” How to Identify Keywords for Your Research Paper”

Explanation : Do not include results in the methods section.

Reason : The methods section should strictly describe the procedures and methodologies used in the study.

• Incorrect : “The experiment yielded a 10% increase in efficiency using this method.”
• Correct : “This method involves three main steps: data collection, preprocessing, and analysis.”

Visit my articles on

“How to Write Method Section” &

“How to Write Results Section for a Research Paper”

Explanation : Avoid including recommendations or future directions that are beyond the scope of immediate implementation.

Reason : Conclusions and future directions should be realistic and directly related to your findings.

• Incorrect : “This method could potentially solve all issues in machine learning.”
• Correct : “This method shows promise for improving efficiency in specific machine learning tasks.”

Visit my article on “How to Write Conclusion Section of Your Research Paper”

Explanation : Avoid adding citations in the conclusion section.

Reason : The conclusion should summarize your findings without introducing new references or data.

• Incorrect : “As referenced by Smith (2020), the results indicate…”
• Correct : “The results indicate a significant improvement in efficiency.”

Explanation : Do not overuse self-citations unless they are part of a series of related works.

Reason : Excessive self-citations can be seen as self-promotional and can detract from the paper’s perceived objectivity.

• Incorrect : “Our previous works (Doe, 2018; Doe, 2019) provide further context.”
• Correct : “This study builds on previous research in the field.”

Explanation : Do not share or disclose confidential data without permission.

Reason : It’s crucial to respect privacy and confidentiality agreements. Always seek permission before sharing sensitive data.

• Incorrect : Including patient images without consent.
• Correct : Use anonymized data and seek necessary permissions.

Explanation : Do not acknowledge individuals who have not contributed to your research.

Reason : Acknowledgements should be reserved for those who have directly supported your work, either intellectually, financially, or technically.

• Incorrect : Acknowledging a friend who did not contribute to the research.
• Correct : Acknowledging colleagues who provided feedback or funding agencies.

Explanation : Avoid repeating the same information in multiple sections of the paper.

Reason : Redundancy can make the paper unnecessarily long and tedious to read.

• Incorrect : Repeating the methodology in both the introduction and methods section.
• Correct : Clearly delineate each section’s purpose and content.

Explanation : Avoid using informal language or colloquialisms.

Reason : Academic papers should maintain a formal tone to ensure clarity and professionalism.

• Incorrect : “This study was a game-changer in the field.”
• Correct : “This study represents a significant advancement in the field.”

Explanation : Do not include data that has not been thoroughly verified.

Reason : All data presented should be accurate and reliable to maintain the integrity of the research.

• Incorrect : Including speculative or unconfirmed results.
• Correct : Only presenting data that has been rigorously tested and confirmed.

Writing a research paper requires careful consideration of what to include and what to omit. By avoiding these common pitfalls, you can enhance the clarity, credibility, and overall quality of your research paper. Always aim for precision, conciseness, and professionalism to ensure your work is respected and valued in the academic community.

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How to Write a Title for Your Research Paper – The 10 Most Common Mistakes

The title of your research paper is your shop front. If it doesn’t appeal to your reader they won’t read further. Here are 10 common mistakes I see researchers make when they choose a title for their research paper. Make sure to not be one of them!

How many references did you discard after reading the title the last time you made a literature search? And how often have you wasted time because the paper you retrieved wasn’t about what it seemed to promise? Exactly… 

And think about this: When a journal editor assesses your paper, they are also likely to read the title first. So, that’s your chance to make a first impression. Surely, you don’t want to confuse, or — even worse — annoy them.

How to write a title for a research paper: Mistakes to avoid

In the Researchers’ Writing Academy, our academic writing online course, we teach researchers how to write an effective title for a research paper and give feedback. Here are the ten most common mistakes I found researchers make in the titles of their research papers:

1. The title doesn’t describe the main result of the paper

Different from headlines in magazines and newspapers, the title of a research paper isn’t as much a teaser. Your reader wants to know what exactly you added to the field. It isn’t enough to just give them hint about the general topic area.

For this, it is important to know your main message. In fact, this is crucial for the whole paper writing process and is one of the very first steps of the system for writing papers that we teach inside the Researchers’ Writing Academy .

You might also be interested to know that papers with titles that describe the result are more likely to get picked up by the press or discussed on social media .

2. The title contains too much detail

This happens either when people want to cram in too much information, or when they are unclear about their main message. Sometimes authors also try to convey several key messages instead of focusing on the main one.

Does writing for a high-impact journal feel intimidating? Partly because you’ve never received proper academic writing training?

In this free online training, Dr Anna Clemens introduces you to her template to write papers in a systematic fashion — demystifying the process of writing for journals with wide audiences.

3. The title is too long

Long titles take longer to read and comprehend. A study found that papers get more views and citations if the title contains fewer than 95 characters.

4. The title is unspecific

If you provide a title that isn’t very specific, your reader won’t know if your article provides what they are looking for. Here, it counts to maintain a balance between being general enough for your target audience (see mistake 9) and specific enough to convey your key result (see mistake 1). Being specific in your title is also important for indexing purposes. So, make sure to provide the most important keyword(s) of your paper in the title.

5. The title contains question marks, hyphens and colons

By phrasing your title as a question, you merely present your research question instead of your key message. If people include a colon or hyphen in their title they often present too much detail (mistake 2) or they chose a title too broad and general (mistake 4). If you need more convincing, the study I cited earlier also found that papers receive fewer citations if they contain question marks, hyphens or colons.  

6. The title is too noun-heavy

You only have seconds to tell potential readers what your study is about. So, it’s important to make it easy for them. If your title is full of nouns, it will take your reader longer to read and comprehend than if it contains a verb. Chances are your reader will just give up without even considering opening your paper. However, not all journals permit using active verbs (“Eating spinach strengthens the teeth” – I made this up). Therefore, be sure to check the journal guidelines (see also mistake 10).

7. The title contains unnecessary filler words

The goal is to make your title as short as possible (see mistake 2). Don’t waste the space with phrases such as “an observation of” or “a study of” or filler words such as “on…” (as in “On the energy efficiency of solar cells…”). Tell the reader instead what you observed or what your study found (see mistake 1). Be specific about your result (see mistake 4).

8. Using acronyms in the title

A general rule is to always spell out acronyms. If your reader doesn’t know what an acronym means they are more likely to discard your paper. Nobody wants to do extra research. That said, it’s worth knowing your target audience. Perhaps there are some abbreviations or acronyms that you can expect the readership of the journal to know?

9.  The level of jargon doesn’t match the target audience

This is linked to the previous point (mistake 8). Always consider the audience of the journal you intend to publish in. If it is read by biologists, geologists, chemists and physicists all the same, you need to make sure they can all understand your title. Just be careful to not make your title too general, it should still reflect your specific result (see mistake 2).

10.  The title doesn’t adhere to the journal guidelines

Something I always suggest my clients to do before they start writing is to check the journal guidelines. Most journals have either strict rules or recommendations on how long a title should be and what they should or shouldn’t contain. For example, Nature doesn’t permit any acronyms, punctuation, technical terms  or active verbs .

There you have it. If you want to see examples of good research paper titles and get customised feedback on your title, join us inside the Researchers’ Writing Academy ! Check if this online course is a good fit for you by taking the free training class. 👇

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