After you have worked on cohesion and clarity in your thesis, it is time to focus on the word level and ensure concision and precision.

The longer it takes you to get to the point in your thesis, the more your reader's attention drops. Your thesis will always improve if you can convey information as concise and precise as possible, in as few words as possible. In your first draft the most important thing is to get your ideas down on paper, but once you get to your second and third draft, you need to start shortening your sentences and make them as specific as possible.

Academic writing is often unclear because the writer uses long sentences and includes a lot of information that may be irrelevant. Sentences are disturbed by adding extra explanations and it takes too long to get to the point. This can be improved by focusing on concision and precision in your writing.

Precision

Precision in scientific writing is about using accurate and exact expressions. Imprecision is often caused by generalizing and using imprecise and vague words. Imprecise words often have several meanings and you have to make sure that your reader knows what you are talking about.

Imprecise words:

Area              System
Situation        Nature
Character      Level
Structure       Field
Condition     Case
Process        Problem

Another type of imprecision is when you claim something, but you are not clear about who is actually claiming this. Are you claiming it? Has it been claimed in previous research? In that case, which exact research? Always state clearly where you get your information from. Avoid formulations such as:

It was shown that…
It is speculated…
It has been found…
Generally speaking…
In general, everyone knows…
There are many papers written on this topic…

Double negatives

In scientific writing, it is not uncommon to use double negatives, which usually makes your writing unclear and less precise. A double negative statement means that you expressing two negatives, which then turns the sentence into a positive outcome. Often these can be simplified by replacing the double negative with just one word:

It is not uncommon for experiments to fail. = It is common for experiments to fail.

It is unlikely that it will not succeed. = It will likely succeed.

Instead of using these double negative statements, try to replace them with one affirmative statement instead.

Example

Not many = few
Not the same = different
Did not remember = forgot
Not important = unimportant/minor
Did not pay attention = ignored
Not possible = impossible
Did not allow for = prevented

Affirmative statements reduce confusion for your reader, makes your language more precise, and you save unnecessary words. Always try to say something in as few words as possible, chose your words carefully and apply the most powerful and precise words. Instead of writing:

The patient did not want to receive additional medical support and their reason stemmed from their strong belief in religion.

Rather write:

The patient rejected medical treatment because of their strong religious beliefs.

This is shorter, more precise and powerful sentence using accurate and more analytical words.

Precision removes doubts

If you are certain about something, make a clear stance in your writing. Instead of saying:

Students can enhance their papers by revealing insight.
Additional funding may lengthen the research period.
Precision might be ranked among the most important qualities of good writing.

Be precise and show that these are certainties:

Students enhance their papers by revealing insight.
Additional funding will lengthen the research period.
Precisions ranks among the most important qualities of good writing

This clearly illustrates that you know what you are talking about, and being precise makes your thesis easier to read. When you are certain about something it is better to display this certainty clearly. Save doubt for when you are uncertain:

A new cancer treatment could save the lives of millions.

According to our findings, efficiency may be increased by as much as 73% if the company applied this new management approach.

When you want to express uncertainty and show that something is not guaranteed use words such as:

Would              Should
Could               May
Might              Can

Casual expressions and slang

Remember that you are probably writing for an international audience in your thesis and try to avoid casual expressions and slang that people from other countries may not be familiar with or that may even mean something completely different in their culture. Here is an example of a text full of such language, which may not be easily understandable from someone in a different culture:

We needed to think outside the box, to search for the holy grail. However, it was neither found to be a magic bullet nor a slam dunk. So, we rolled with the punches and let the chips fall where they will. In the end, we saw the glass was not half empty. It really was a no-brainer. The team ended up being tickled pink and happier than a pig in mud.

Additionally, imprecision and confusion can easily occur when making comparisons to try and make complex ideas more simple. You need to be aware whether your comparison can be misunderstood or represents a cliche.

Further resources

Concision and simplicity

Double negatives

Appropriate language