Category Archives: Style
Complete and unambiguous complementarity
In writing research papers, should we be more careful in how we cite literature that supports our own findings? All too often, the nuances and tensions are overlooked. But they are the most important aspects Continue reading
Posted in Guidance, Style, Writing
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Secondary referencing (and the problem with aphorisms)
Secondary referencing is considered to be poor academic practice. It is important to find the original papers and cite them, or explain in a footnote why the original papers are no longer available or accessible. Merely mentioning that someone else has … Continue reading
Why do journals insist that data ‘are’?
Why do journals insist that data 'are'?.
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How to decide on active or passive voice
A common problem in writing is deciding on whether to use active or passive voice. There is a general feeling among authors that writing in the third person is somehow better than writing in the first person. But that is … Continue reading
Posted in Guidance, Style, Writing
Tagged active voice, passive voice, writing style
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How to compose an introduction
The introduction should provide the setting for the paper, introduce the reader to the topic under investigation and provide at least a partial description of what is to come. It can be useful to also explain how you have structured … Continue reading
Posted in Guidance, Style, Writing
Tagged guidance, Literature review, Opening sentence, Writing
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How to avoid desk-rejection
Before papers are sent for refereeing, editors check newly-submitted papers for a range of features. Authors can check these things themselves, and increase the likelihood that their papers will proceed from the editor’s desk and into the refereeing process. This … Continue reading
How to write informative abstracts
Abstracts are frequently the least informative part of a paper. They should be the most informative part. Continue reading
Posted in Editorial policies, Guidance, Style, Writing
Tagged abstract, Author, Paper, Research, Writing
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Author guidelines
Like many journal editors, when I was involved with Construction Management and Economics, we were constantly thinking about how we explain, concisely, our expectations for the style in which papers are written. All journal editors struggle with this. There are … Continue reading
Effective writing
There are many good books about effective writing. They are generally an enjoyable read, because they are written so well. I recommend Kirkman, H and Turk, C (1988) Effective Writing: Improving Scientific, Technical and Business Communication, 2nd ed, Taylor & … Continue reading
Writing style in a literature review
The style of writing in a literature review is very important. There is a lot of sloppy practice in the research literature. These guidelines and suggestions might help to overcome some issues that are commonly found in the way that … Continue reading
Management and Economics in Construction 