PSYC02H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Scientific Writing, Personal Pronoun, Jargon
Document Summary
Before beginning to write, consider the best length and structure for the findings you wish to share. Ordering your thoughts logically will strengthen the impact of your writing. The optimal length of a manuscript is the number of pages needed to effectively communicate the primary ideas of the study, review, or theoretical analysis. Discursive writing obscures an author"s main points, and condensing long manuscripts often improves them. If a paper is too long, shorten it by stating points clearly and directly, confining the discussion to the specific problem under investigation, deleting or combining data displays, eliminating repetition across sections, and writing in the active voice. Journals differ in average length of articles published. Sound organizational structure is the key to clear, precise, and logical communication this includes the use of headings to effectively organize ideas within a study and seriation to highlight important items within sections.
