An important feature of academic writing is the use of cautious language when making a claim - known as hedging. As well as being important in terms of logical reasoning and all that clever philosophical stuff that underpins academic work, it also helps to give your writing the right tone.
One of the things I have noticed in many students who are new to academic writing is a need to write in first person when undertaking evaluations or making recommendations.
"I think that......"
STOP!
Your tutor won't like that. Even though you are brimming with knowledge and brain power and entrepreneurial spirit that you are eager to show-off, for some reason they prefer you to be....a bit vague. It's not that your opinion isn't valuable, you just need to express it tentatively.
The use of cautious, hedged language written in the third person allows the writer to make claims that sound objective and authoritative but allow for alternative views.
"It is possible that..."
"It appears..."
"It might be suggested that..."
The key is that if something is not 100% factual, it should not be stated with 100% certainty. Also, it mustn't sound like something that just popped into your head without careful reasoning and evidence.
So, you can make your points based on your knowledge and the evidence in front of you, but not sound like a know-it-all who has the answer for everything.
In your head you may think: 'The culture of the NHS needs to change.'
Better: 'The NHS might need a change of culture.'
Even Better: 'The NHS may benefit from changes to aspects of it's organisational culture.'
Is that sufficiently on the fence? Even though it has become more vague, it is still a very big claim about a very large and complex organisation.
I hope this has been helpful albeit short and sweet. Send me a comment or an e-mail with any questions.
Key learning points:
- Use cautious, tentative language when stating something that is not a fact.
- Write in the third person (unless your assignment requires otherwise!)
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