Tag: Word choice

The terms e.g. and i.e. mean different things, and it is important to use the correct abbreviation to ensure that the meaning of a sentence is retained.

• 'Due to' and 'because of' can sometimes be interchanged but actually have some nuances related to their use
• 'Due' is an adjective, although the phrase 'due to' is increasingly used adverbially or prepositionally
• 'Due to the fact that' can often be replaced by 'because,' shortening text considerably

English has over 250,000 words, so it's easy to confuse some. Here are some more similar-sounding words found in academic writing and how to avoid their misuse.

Plagiarism is a form of academic misconduct and can thus lead to dismissal from universities and other research institutions, article rejections or retractions from journals, and decreased credibility as a researcher. How do you know if you're plagiarizing?

• You can use several tactics to achieve unbiased language in your manuscript
• Replace any references of 'man' to overall personas with broader terms, ensure job titles do not stereotype, and use 'he or she' intermittently

• 'Main' and 'mainly' are commonly confused words in English, although they should be used differently
• 'Main' describes something that is principal, while 'mainly' equates more to 'for the most part'
• Several synonyms for each term can be used to add variety to a manuscript

In this article, we outline 10 prepositional verbs that are commonly misused in academic writing. Correct usage may improve the flow and clarity of your writing, helping to better convey your intended meaning.

This free guide provides an overview of the most common spelling differences in research papers when choosing American English or British English.

How can you avoid plagiarism and increase your manuscript's likelihood of publication, especially in journals using plagiarism detection tools?