Common Stylistic Problems
When writing or editing a research document, there are many stylistic problems that need to be explored by researcher. Exploring the different problem areas through different level of explanations, the individual challenges of the researchers could be met with a more pragmatic approach. Some of the common stylistic problems in writing/ editing research is of:
- Linking Short Paragraphs and Sentences: in general research guidelines, there is a lot of emphasis on very short paragraphs. It is similar to the style that is followed in newspapers and magazines. It is done because the writer/researcher finds it difficult to conclude that the reader would be concentrating on longer coherent paragraphs. The same logic remains applicable for smaller sentences. There should be a focus on linking short sentences that are related. This makes the reading all the more interesting. Another concern in paragraph writing is linked to change of paragraph. For every time that the writer starts a new paragraph there should be a concrete reason why it has ended and a new one has begun. All the content that has been clubbed in one single paragraph should have a logical connection with each other. The suggestive approach is that there should be no artificial breaks in paragraphs. If there is no logical point to break a long paragraph the recommendation is to retain the longer paragraph always.
- Repetition of Words: Sometimes the writer has a tendency to repeat words unnecessarily. So as to ensure that the flavour in reading be maintained, it is important to add more variety and use of appropriate synonyms which have the same or nearly the same meaning. The tricky part here is to be careful that at times there are subtle changes in meaning when similar words are being used.
- Use of complex Language and Jargon: It may not always be great to use broad vocabulary as sometimes it deters the sole purpose of communication. Sometimes writers and researchers borrow language from one field and apply it on another field. This is not a generally acceptable trend. Using of Jargons is acceptable provide that there exists a common agreement on the meaning of the jargon and all the targeted readers understand it well enough. When in doubt, it is always suggested to define each piece in the jargon and use it multiple times in the document without any further definitions.
