Postgraduate resources

tends to, indicates that, suggests that, the majority of) is often appropriate. For example:
This tends to occur whenever there is a downturn in commodity prices.
However when you know something always happens and you can be confident it will happen the same way in the future you should not be tentative.
This occurs whenever there is a downturn in commodity prices.
Third person voice (unless the personal aspect is an important part of the work)
The third person voice (it, they, he, she, the authors, rsearchers) distances the self from the work and appears more
objective than the first person I, we or second person you.
Third person.
Vocabulary choice evidently plays a role in determining which topics are taken up by speakers.
First person
I found that the vocabulary choice played a role in determining which topics speakers take up.
However, in some types of writing (such as reflective journal writing and creative arts exegeses) the first person is
used to reflect the personal, subjective, process‐based, exploratory nature of the study or project. You may need to
negotiate this aspect with your lecturers.
Contractions (shortened forms)
Use the full forms of words, e.g. do not instead of don’t; cannot instead of can’t; it is instead of it’s. For example:
Unemployment figures will not improve until the economy is stronger.
Contractions are acceptable if you are quoting from transcripts, personal journals or diaries or as part of a highly personal thesis style.
Nominalisation (noun forms)
Academic writing usually has more noun structures than verb structures. These noun forms are useful in condensing
text and when the focus is on conditions or results rather than actions. However, too much nominalisation can make
the writing very dense and difficult to read.
For example:
Heavily nominalised (noun forms underlined)
The companyʹs original conclusion that the establishmentof increased flexibilityin attendance hours has resulted in a decrease in absenteeism, was endorsed in the most recent analysis.
Rewritten for greater clarity (verb forms underlined)
In a recent analysis the company confirmedits earlier conclusion that greater flexibility in attendance hours for workers reduces absentee rates.
Passive and active voice
The passive voice emphasises the action over the person doing the action (the actor). It is a very useful technique when the actor
is not important to the event. For example.
Active
My classmates and I measured the refractive index of the liquid.
Passive
The refractive index of the liquid was measured.
However, the passive voice (particularly in conjunction with nominalization) can contribute to writing sounding very formal and losing clarity.
Passive
Agreement as to the need for revisions in the terms of the treaty was reached by the two sides.
Active (and part passive)
The two sides agreed that the terms of the treaty should be revised.
Direct questions
In general your writing should restrict direct questions to:
·	your specific research questions (thesis, exegesis, a research paper, project, report, reflective journal)
·	an emphasis of the relationship between aspects of your writing
Example: Natural resource management
So how can the desire for environmental protection and the equally, if not more, potent desire for economic development be resolved? This is where theorists tend to contradict one another….. Smith (2003) recommends that…..while Jones (2004) believes that without ….any resolution is unlikely.
This question is called a rhetorical question. It is used to engage the reader in a kind of ‘conversation’. It is a question
that has strong reflexive powers, since it is the person who asks the question who then attempts to answer.
Formal forms of quantity with positive verbs
No	The analysis yielded no new results (more formal) The analysis did not yield any new results
Little	The recent budget allocated little funding to the program (more formal) The recent budget did not allocate much funding to the program
Few	There seem to be few viable solutions to this problem (more formal) There do not seem to be many viable solutions to this problem
Note: few means ‘hardly any ʹ ; a few means ‘three or four’
Much	Much research has been conducted into global warming
Many	(these are more formal than "a lot of")
Conciseness
Try to use the most straightforward term and reduce unnecessary words. Here are some common ʺwordyʺ phrases that can be reduced into more concise forms.
Wordy (or redundant)
Concise
in recent years
recently
with a high degree of certainty
certain
at this moment in time
currently, now (not nowadays)
in close proximity (to)
close (to)
advance planning
planning (all planning is in advance)
co-operate together
co-operate (means together)
few in number
few
crisis situation
crisis (this is a situation)
a great deal of
much/many
in order to
to
make adjustments
adjust
is reflective of
reflects
is capable of
can
In text referencing (using sources)
You will need to support the points you make with evidence and examples from other research. It is important to do this thoughtfully and carefully so you do not plagiarise.
Look at the student paraphrased versions of Harden’s idea, with evaluative comments.
Original material:
‘…nurses can be viewed as an oppressed group, a view supported by the fact that nurses lack autonomy,
accountability and control over their own profession. Yet nursing is by far the largest occupational group within the sphere of healthcare, so why is it so powerless? For me the history of the domination of nursing is inextricably linked
to that of the domination and oppression of women.’
Harden, J 1996, Enlightenment, empowerment and emancipation: the case for critical pedagogy in nurse education
Student version 1:
Nursing is by far the largest occupation group in healthcare. Yet, nurses can be seen as an oppressed group. This view
is supported by the fact that nurses lack control over their own profession. They do not have autonomy or
accountability. The history of the domination and oppression of women is the link to explaining the domination of
nursing.
The student has copied most of the original. There is no indication of where the student’s voice ends and the cited
writer’s voice begins. There is no author or date (no reference). Therefore the text is plagiarised.
Student version 2:
Although nurses form the largest occupational group in the healthcare profession, they can be seen as an oppressed group. Harden (1996) states that the domination of nurses is inextricably linked to the historical oppression and domination of women in society. For nurses, she claims this oppression is illustrated by the extremely limited professional independence they have as seen by their lack of accountability and control over their profession.
It is still not clear which ideas come from the reference and which from the student. Although the source has been
acknowledged, many sections have been taken directly from the original, and should have been acknowledged as quotes. Moving a few words around or using a few synonyms does not make it your writing or your ideas.
Therefore, this is also a plagiarized version.
Student version 3:
Despite nurses forming the largest group in the healthcare professions, Harden (1996) claims they can be categorised
‘as an oppressed group’ (p.33). She explains the domination of nurses as a reflection of the historical oppression and domination of women in society. For Harden (1996), this subservient role of nurses is illustrated by their ‘lack of autonomy, accountability and control over their own profession’ (p.33).
Here the student has made much better use of the original. Some words have been paraphrased. Words taken
directly from the original are clearly marked as quotes (note that they are only in italics in this example to show what has been quoted).
Also, the source is clearly documented.
Alison Brown, SLC	10
How to develop as a writer
Read for structure and clarity.
Improving your reading strategies and your judgement of writing quality will have an impact on your writing skills. Note how other writers:
·	present their main position
·	define key terms
·	structure headings and sub‐headings
·	organise paragraphs
·	use visual support materials (charts, tables, illustrations)
·	link ideas (cohesive devices)
·	cite other sources as evidence or support for discussion and analysis
Get started and write regularly
·	Donʹt put off writing – you need to leave plenty of time for thinking and revision.
·	Try to write something every day: notes, personal reflections, mind‐maps.
·	Let your ideas flow freely at the start and then impose a structure upon them
Write with awareness
·	Be clear: writing is a link between your own understanding and your ability to make others understand what you mean.
·	Use a simple, structured approach if you are not confident to test out new ground within the discipline.
·	If and when you break with tradition, make sure that you can justify this decision.
Alison Brown, SLC	11
References
Brown, H.D 2000, Principles of teaching and learning, 4th Ed. Addison Wesley Longman, New York
Dyson, F. 1979, Disturbing the Universe, Harper & Row, New York.
Fowler, H.R and Aaron, J.E. 2001, The little brown handbook, Longman, New York
Gee, J. P 1992, The social mind: language, ideology and social practice, Bergin and Garvey, New York
Harden, J. 1996, ‘Enlightenment, empowerment and emancipation: the case for critical pedagogy in nurse education’,
in
Nurse Educator Today, Vol.16, pp. 32‐37
Leinwand, A. and Fang, K 1993, Network management: a practical perspective, Addison‐Wesley, Reading, MASS, p.102
O’Leary, M. and Meas. N. 2001, Learning for transformation: a study of the relationship between culture, values, experience
and development practice in Cambodia Krom Akphiwat Phum, Battambang, Cambodia
Alison Brown, SLC	12