TIPS FOR IMPROVING YOUR ACADEMIC WRITING SKILLS

Whether you are embarking on your first research paper, or ready to submit it for publication, there is one thing you need to bear in mind —make sure it’s in good shape for your readers.

Honing your writing skills is one of the most important things you can do for your career progression. It’s crucial to know how to communicate your research findings clearly, otherwise you risk all your hard work and brilliant ideas going unrecognized. Here are some tips to help you address your writing skills.

Go for clarity
Do not let your style of writing be a distraction. You want to make reading your paper as easy as possible, so keep your language simple and avoid jargon. Keep it concise and avoid repeating yourself. Avoid too many nouns and use active vocabulary which will inject life into your paper. Above all your language must be clear – you don’t want readers to lose track of what you’re trying to convey.

Stick to the point
Whatever you’re writing, you need to capture the readers’ attention. Tell the reader what’s new and compelling about your research – keep the focus on this one key message throughout, and make sure the title reflects it. Everything else in your paper should support this idea, helping your readers understand why it matters.

Overcome any language barriers
English is the global language of science., Publishing in English language journals helps your research reach as wide an audience as possible. Here’s an example of why it’s so important to make research accessible: in 2004, the first signs of the H5N1 virus were reported by scientists in a small Chinese journal. It took six months for this research to emerge in the West, prompting the WHO to rush to translate it. (A sobering thought in the era of COVID-19.)

We realize that if English isn’t your first language, it may be more difficult to produce a top-class paper. But there’s plenty of help available if you decide to take this path. There are translation agencies who handle all types of technical matter, and journal publishers often offer translation services themselves. Qualified subject specialists at AIP Publishing offer translation into English from Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Russian.

Fine tune it
Once your paper’s finished, read it and read it again. Does it flow well? If you read it out loud does it sound good? Ask someone to listen to it and give you honest feedback. By scrutinizing your paper this carefully, you’ll pick up repetitions or awkward phrases and it’ll be that much easier to read. If you’re not sure how to improve your paper, enlist the help of a professional editing service. This will ensure your research is presented in the most accurate and readable language possible. It doesn’t take long either – AIP Publishing’s Language Editing Service offers a turnaround time of just two days for urgent submissions.

Practice, practice, practice
Practice really does make perfect. Try to write something every day, however short. The more you practice, the easier writing will come to you and the better writer you will become. Read as many papers as you can as well. You’ll pick up tips from reading other people’s work.

Make the most of online resources and workshops
As well as seeking help, you can tap into a lot of expert advice via online tutorials and workshops. AIP Publishing Academy offers resources to help you get your research published. You’ll find courses on every aspect of science writing online as well, for every level of ability.

Follow these simple steps to improving your writing and you’ll soon see the difference. You’ll produce a paper that will not only be published and read but will inspire discussion and get cited – helping you grow professionally.

Find out more about the fast and reliable support we can offer at https://authorservices.aip.org
You’ll be one step closer to publication success.