Discuss The Importance Of Language Or Voice When Writing The Research Narrative
Discuss The Importance Of Language Or Voice When Writing The Research Narrative
Educational institutions require that students follow specific rules and utilize academic voice when they complete their written assignments. This means that papers written in an academic voice will sound differently as compared to, for example, an email written to a friend. Academic writing implies the proper use of declarative sentences, precision of thought, reliability of facts, and the correct introduction of the author’s personal ideas.
Declarative Sentences
One of the main aspects of academic voice is the creation and use of declarative statements instead of sentences with the first-person singular personal pronoun “I”. In particular, such statements may carry the same meaning, but it is essential to omit the use of this personal pronoun to make the sentence sound formal, neutral, and objective. In the majority of cases, such a statement may be created by simply getting rid of the “I” part of the sentence. Overall, the use of declarative sentences allows the author of the text to ensure their claims sound authoritative and informed, and declare their position regarding the issue in a clear way. The two examples below illustrate an “I” statement and a declarative one.
Example:
I believe global warming is a major international problem, which is caused by gas emissions.
Global warming is a major international problem, which is caused by gas emissions.
Casual Language
Another crucial requirement of academic voice is to avoid casual language that individuals use in informal settings and daily interactions when communicating with other people. It is important to keep the narration formal and use those grammatical and lexical structures that will allow building statements that are scientific and professional. The author of the text could imagine that they are addressing the academic community rather than their peers. To learn how to use formal structures and academic voice effectively, it is advisable to read scientific articles, textbooks, professional publications, and other reliable sources. A few recommendations on how to achieve a professional communication style include:
Do not use contractions such as “won’t”, “shouldn’t” and so on.
Do not use such indicators as “okay”, “well” and phrases like “you know”.
Never use foul language.
Do not include jokes or examples that may come across as off-color humor.
Do not interact with the reader using the personal pronoun “you”.
Being Concise
Academic voice is characterized not only by the correct use of grammatical and lexical structures and appropriate tone but also by precision and clarity. In professional writing, any statement should reveal its essence to the reader straight away. Therefore, it is necessary to try to express the idea in three words instead of extending it to ten by filling the sentence with vague-sounding phrases. Below are some tips on how to write clearly and concisely:
Use those words that reveal the intended meaning clearly.
Use “this/that” together with a noun.
Avoid redundancies and do not start statements with “there is/are”. They take up space but contribute nothing to the meaning (see Example below).
Do not repeat the same statement or idea twice.
Example:
Statement with RedundanciesConcise StatementThe team consisting of several researchers gathered the results from different groups that were under study.The research team gathered the results from the control and experimental groups.
