On the importance of consistent word choice in academic writing (or your creative writing teacher was wrong). (Part Two).
I often counsel my early career coauthors to focus on consistent word choices to sharpen the precision of their writing.
I couch it in terms of clearly communicating with three audiences: in-discipline, global, & practice.
You can find that post here: https://lnkd.in/effdPv8s
Given that your secondary school English teacher likely taught you to vary word choices to keep the reader's interest, I recognize that varying word choices can be a hard habit to break.
So how to do it?
First, you have to be mindful that it is an issue.
Before you start writing, create the tables & figures that define key elements of your paper.
Populate the these
As you do, you will find it easier to assess how to a) label a concept & b) consistently use word choices.
Second, step back & ask yourself - are these the terms used in my literature?
This does not mean the terms can't be used in other literature - in fact, you may want to acknowledge that the same idea is described using different words in another literature - but again - think about your audience.
How does your literature describe ideas & elements of a study.
Align your language with your field.
Third, quell the impulse to use unfamiliar word choices.
Unless it is necessary, don't use unfamiliar or overly technical words that feel fabricated or forced.
For example, unbanking refers to people who lack access to financial services.
Where unbanking is perfectly appropriate to use when writing about financial services, to a casual reader, outside of financial services, it feels made-up.
So, ask yourself, do I need to use this term or is there a simpler, common way to describe the concept.
Fourth, define or introduce key concepts using the same language throughout your paper.
So, say "XYZ refers to" every time you introduce a new concept or definition.
OR.
"Hence, we hypothesize" as you introduce each hypothesis.
While dull, using similar word choices lowers the cognitive burden on your reader, so it's not a cat * mouse game to map concepts to their definitions. It also makes it easier for you to write.
Fifth, & this likely should come first, your team needs arrive at shared labels & definitions early in the project.
Nothing is more frustrating than having to go back through a document tweaking labels & definitions for consistency.
Even as an author, it's hard to do.
So when you create the tables and figures, share a document with your collaborators & use it to synch your language.
You will find it makes you MUCH happier over time.
Finally, as you polish the paper, go through the entire document again to ensure your language is consistent.
If you do, you will find you receive fewer comments on word choices.
I hope this helps - additional tips in the comments are welcome!
Best of luck!
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