Setting ambitious goals is a great way to start the new year, but as much as it is important to set new goals, it’s also important to acknowledge, in hindsight, the challenges we’ve faced — and the progress we’ve made — in the last 12 months. As we wrap up the year, we present an end-of-year roundup, where we share Paperpal’s most-read articles of 2022, exploring topics as broad as how to write a research summary to articles as detailed as understanding passive and active voices while writing research. Read on.
1. A quick guide on how to write a research paper summary
Whether you’re writing a summary to include in your essay or dissertation, or you need to draft a compelling abstract for your own paper, distilling complex research into an informative, easy-to-read snapshot can be one of the most daunting parts of the research process. This article enlists 3 points you must remember while writing a research paper summary, and also mentions the common errors you may make while writing one. A must read for all researchers!
Blog Highlight: Remember to not evaluate the findings but maintain an objective, unbiased view while reading the research paper to write the summary.
2. 13 Tips for writing a PhD thesis
We agree that the PhD journey is a bumpy ride and many students drop out of it at many different points for many different reasons. Some leave because the course work is too difficult or time consuming. Some leave for personal or financial reasons. One common cause of non-completion, or late completion, is the daunting spectre of writing a PhD thesis. This article addresses that problem really well – giving you tips to write your PhD thesis efficiently. And you get 13 expert tips – pretty good a number since good advice is rare on this planet, isn’t it?
Blog Highlight: Use a database, such as EndNote or Mendeley, to keep your references organized and under control; check and double check citations and references with the bibliography to ensure they all match. Don’t forget to use the PhD thesis style required by your university.
3. How and when to use active or passive voice in research papers
You might often be wondering while writing your research, as to what the difference between active and passive voice is and why it matters so much when only the research should be of concern. Well, it does matter because choosing the right writing style is key to convey your ideas in your research paper in a clear and convincing manner. Read this article that covers some common questions one might have regarding use of active and passive voice in research writing.
Blog Highlight: Scientific articles should be simple to read and comprehend, and most sentences written in the active voice are succinct, straightforward, and vigorous. It does not imply that sentences in the passive voice have no place in your research articles. Passive sentences are formal, impersonal, and occasionally even shorter, making them just as significant as active voice sentences if used in the right way.
4. Quotation marks: When and how to use quotations in academic writing
One of the easiest punctuation marks that you can get wrong while writing your research, is quotation marks. Why? Because the grammar rules may differ depending on the journal’s preferred style. This article answers your concerns, the why, when and what of using quotation marks in your academic writing in a comprehensive manner.
Blog Highlight: In both American and British English styles, a question mark always appears inside the quotes when the person quoted is asking the question and outside if you are asking the question.
5. Essential research paper grammar checks every author must do
Researchers feel a sense of worth when their research gets published, and a researcher’s heart can sink when a paper is rejected due to grammatical errors. This article gives you 5 common grammatical mistakes in academic writing. If you are someone who tends to make such mistakes frequently, this article will be able to help you pinpoint those mistakes and fix them.
Blog Highlight: An important grammar tip for researchers is that the subject and verb should always agree in number. Singular nouns should take singular verbs and plural nouns, plural verbs.
6. Abbreviations in research: Common errors in academic writing
While using abbreviations in academic writing is a common feature in many academic and scientific papers, most journals prefer keeping their use to a minimum or restricting their use to standard abbreviations. What can be the possible errors while using abbreviations in research? Read the article to find out.
Blog Highlight: Avoid Alphabet Soup which means using too many abbreviations in academic writing. Do not abbreviate the words if their frequency of appearance in the document is less than three.
7. Using metaphors in academic writing
Academics are often told that the language of science is formal, precise and descriptive with no space for the abstract. But using metaphors in your academic writing could be helpful if used to explain complex scientific concepts. Read the blog of you want some insight into what a metaphor is, its types and how to use it in academic writing.
Blog highlight: Use metaphors wisely and only when needed so that they do not distract the reader. They should flow naturally and enhance the content rather than detract from the point.
If these interest you, and you would like more such informative content in 2023, head to our blog and stay tuned!
Paperpal for China
Paperpal for Korea
Paperpal for Japan
Speak to us
