Academic style is the form of writing used in journal articles and research reports. It is a more formal writing style than that used in novels or social media, but it should still be interesting and easy to read.
What should you aim for?
- Clear and precise language, e.g. "This study investigated obesity and hypertension in diabetes"should be "This register-based study investigated the association between visceral obesity and hypertension in individuals with type 2 diabetes".
- Consistent use of terms and abbreviations, e.g. consistent spelling of REDCap throughout a manuscript.
- Appropriate sources (references) are provided for quotes, claims, and reported evidence, e.g. "Tobacco smoking is associated with a reduced risk of hypothyroidism (REF)".
- Avoid dramatic language, e.g. "an incision was carefully made…" should be "an incision was made…"
- Use inclusive language, e.g. "Diabetics were interviewed at the clinic" should be "Patients with diabetes were interviewed at the clinic" or "Patients suffering from arthritis…" should be "Patients with arthritis..."
- Active voice is now accepted (and often preferred), e.g. "The chi-squared test was use to compare…." could be "We used the chi-squared test to compare…"
- Simple grammar and sentence structure (avoid long, complicated sentences with several parts broken up by commas), e.g.: "The signs and symptoms of a stroke, which may include an inability to move or feel on one side of the body, problems understanding or speaking, or loss of vision to one side, often appear soon after the stroke has occurred" could be "The signs and symptoms of a stroke may include an inability to move or feel on one side of the body, problems understanding or speaking, or loss of vision to one side. Signs and symptoms often appear soon after the stroke has occurred".