Example 50 linking words to use in academic writting
Describing similarities: likewise, correspondingly, equally, not only… but also, in the same way, similarly
Showing cause and effect: consequently, as a result, thus, hence (never ‘hence why’), since (try to avoid ‘as’ when showing cause and effect), because, therefore, accordingly, this suggests that, it follows that, for this reason
Comparing and contrasting: alternatively, however, conversely, on the other hand, instead, yet, on the contrary
Showing limitation or contradiction: despite/in spite of, while (not whilst!), even so, on the contrary, nevertheless, nonetheless, although, admittedly
Emphasis, addition or examples: to illustrate, to clarify, further (not ‘furthermore’), first, second and third (not firstly, secondly and thirdly), for instance, moreover, typically, especially, in fact, namely, in addition
Concluding: to summarise, it can be concluded that, as can be seen, ultimately, given the above, as described, finally
Blog explanation from Grammarly on the use of firstly
It is not wrong to use firstly, secondly, and so on to enumerate your points. Nor is it wrong to use the simpler first, second, etc.
I have three reasons for wanting to visit Rome. Firstly, I would love to see the Colosseum. Secondly, I’m sure the pope is dying to meet me. Thirdly, they have great pizza.
I have three reasons for wanting to visit Rome. First, I would love to see the Colosseum. Second, I’m sure the pope is dying to meet me. Third, I need better pizza.
“These statements are equivalent in meaning. Nevertheless, there are good reasons for choosing the “first” sequence over the “firstly” sequence. First, using first is a sure win. If your writing is being published or evaluated, or even if you would like to seem proficient to your coworkers, use the construction that is never criticized rather than the one that is frequently criticized.”
academicguides.waldenu.edu conjunctions
“Coordinating conjunctions connect words or phrases that serve the same grammatical purpose in a sentence. There are seven main coordinating conjunctions in English, which form the acronym FANBOYS:
F: for: The teachers were frustrated, for the school had cut funding for all enrichment programs.
A: and: In this course, I will write a literature review, a case study, and a final paper.
N: nor: The students did not complete their homework, nor did they pass the test.
B: but: The study is several years old but still valuable to this study.
O: or: At the end of the class, the students can choose to write an essay or take a test.
Y: yet: The patient complained of chronic pain, yet she refused treatment.
S: so: I have only been a nurse for one year, so I have little experience with paper charting.*
academicguides.waldenu.edu conjunctions
Subordinating conjunctions join a subordinate clause to a main clause and establishes a relationship between the two. There are many subordinating clauses, but here are some of the most common:
after, although, as much as/as soon as/as long as, as though, because, before, how,
if, in order to/in order that, once, since, than, that, though, unless, until,
when/whenever, where/wherever, whether, whileacademicguides.waldenu.edu conjunctions
“For example,
Smith (2015) reported that more research was necessary. Smith (2015) = subject reported = verb that more research was necessary = dependent clause, direct object of the verb “reported” The authors hypothesized that there would be significant results. The authors = subject hypothesized = verb that there would be significant results = dependent clause, direct object of the verb “hypothesized” Jones (2014) asserted that confidentiality was maintained throughout the study. Jones (2014) = subject asserted = verb that confidentiality was maintained throughout the study = dependent clause, direct object of the verb “asserted” Rephrasing these sentences into questions and answers is one way to see that the “that” clauses are acting as direct objects. What did Smith (2015) report? Answer: that more research was necessary What did the authors hypothesize? Answer: that there would be significant results What did Jones (2014) assert? Answer: that confidentiality was maintained throughout the study
In formal written English, for clarity, most academic writers choose to keep “that” when it introduces a noun clause (Caplan, 2012). Leaving out “that” can cause the reader to misread (at first anyway) the subject of the dependent clause as being the object of the reporting verb (Jamieson, 2012).
For example, if readers see the sentence, “Smith (2015) reported more research was necessary (without ‘that’),” they may understand “more research” as the thing Smith reported and then have to backtrack and reread upon seeing “was necessary.” Any structure that leads to misinterpretation, even temporarily, can be an unwanted distraction from the writer’s message. In spoken English, however, “that” may be dropped in such sentences. (Intonation patterns—rising and falling pitch—give the listener clues that may not be present in writing.)”
editage.com impressive verbs to use in your research paper
| Purpose | Verbs |
|---|---|
| To show analysis | analyse, appraise, define, diagnose, explore, identify, investigate, observe |
| To summarize | assess, conclude, feature, highlight |
| To indicate control (to be stable or to maintain at a level) | constrain, control, govern, influence, inhibit, limit, maintain, prohibit, regulate, secure |
| To discuss findings | attest, confirm, contend, demonstrate,document, indicate, reveal |
| To state | comment, convey, elaborate, establish,identify, propose |
| To show increase | advance, development, enlarge, exceed, extend, facilitate, improve,increment, maximize |
| To show decrease | alleviate, cease, decline, depress, descent, deteriorate, minimize, subside, reduce |
| To show change | alter, accommodate, difference, evolve, fluctuate, generate, transform, transition, vary |
| To indicate information in a figure | depict, display, illustrate, portray, reveal |
| To indicate information in a table | classify, enumerate, gives, lists, presents, summarizes |
| To stress that a task has been performed in-depth | adequately, comprehensively, exhaustively, extensively, thoroughly |
| To show parts | comprises, compose of, constitutes, encompasses, includes, incorporates |
| To indicate negative stand | challenge, contradict, disagree, dispute, reject, question |
| To indicate positive stand | confirm, compliment, corroborate, substantiate, support, uphold, validate, verify |
| To show approximation | approximate, estimate, resemble, predict |
Message from a colleague.
” the research problem needs to be framed very precisely”
Paul’s reply
Yes I have the feeling the analysis can slip very quickly into a wider and wider questioning, leading nowhere. Hopefully some form of spinal chord comes out of our brain storming.
See the Latex and lyx page.
See also the markdown page.
The Journal of Open Source Software requires papers to be written in markdown format. An example paper on their website illustrate how to use the markdown format and the bibliography.
The bibliography uses the Pandoc citation style guide.
Atlassian page on scrum sprints. Applies to software project but can also be applied to research projects. Some insights in the dos and don’t section from that page.
“A sprint is a short, time-boxed period when a scrum team works to complete a set amount of work.”
Blog post on how to put machine learning models into production
“One of my favorite books ever is Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott. It’s about how to write. The story she tells in the book, of how the book got its title, is a book report her brother had to write.”
“Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he’d had three months to write. [It] was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said. ‘Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.’”