Common Errors in Scholarly Writing, 2017
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This document lists common errors seen in scholarly writing beyond grammar, spelling, and punctuation issues. These errors include vacuous or padded citations, selective attention to evidence, providing only superficial "CliffsNotes" level summaries rather than deeper analysis, excessive use of direct quotations, plagiarism through failing to properly cite sources, making empirical claims without citations, lack of critical perspective or analysis, over-reliance on secondary sources, excessive passive voice, lack of consistency, misplaced modifiers, use of contractions, subject-verb disagreement, anthropomorphizing non-human elements like figures and tables, unclear referents, imprecise language, and failure to consider the reader's knowledge and needs.
Common Errors in Scholarly Writing, 2017
- 1. Common errors in scholarly writing (beyond grammar, spelling, punctuation) • Vacuous citations • Selective attention • “Cliff Notes” level of detail • Too much direct quotation • Failure to cite: Plagiarism • Failure to provide citations to the facts • Lack of a critical perspective • Absence of an analytical perspective • Favoring secondary over primary sources • Overuse of the passive voice • Failure to maintain consistency • Misplaced modifiers • Use of contractions • Lack of subject-verb plurality agreement • Animating the inanimate • Diffuse referents • Imprecise language • Failure to consider the reader
- 2. Vacuous citation padding The world is round (Columbus, 1493; Finch, 1878; Gogul, 1969).
- 3. Vacuous citation padding Organization development professionals are essential assets for any growing firm (Chermack, 2001; Jacobs, 1998; McLean, 2014; Swanson, 2008).
- 4. Vacuous citation padding Organization development professionals are essential assets for any growing firm (Chermack, 2001; Jacobs, 1998; McLean, 2014; Swanson, 2008).
- 5. Vacuous citation padding Organization development professionals are essential assets for any growing firm (Chermack, 2001; Jacobs, 1998; McLean, 2014; Swanson, 2008).
- 6. Vacuous citation padding Organization development professionals are essential assets for any growing firm (Chermack, 2001; Jacobs, 1998; McLean, 2014; Swanson, 2008).
- 7. Selective attention Paying attention to some matters because they support your argument. Neglecting other matters because they fail to support their argument. For example, describing only studies that support charter schools.
- 8. “Cliff Notes” level of detail An attempt to be breezy and provide too much simple summary of what might be complex ideas.
- 9. Too much direct quotation Over-reliance on long direct quotations. You might as well tell others to read the other work rather than yours.
- 10. Overt or inadvertent failure to cite: Plagiarism Directly using others’ words as your own. OR, presenting others’ ideas as your own.
- 11. Failure to provide citations to the facts Making an empirical statement without qualifying and referencing its source. “Most schools are in urban areas.”
- 12. Lack of a critical perspective and mere appeal to authority Accepting assertions made by others without reflection or on the basis of social status. “Bill Rothwell, a leader in HRD, believes that competency modeling is the most important research topic facing HRD researchers.”
- 13. Absence of an analytical perspective Failure to recognize similarities and differences among ideas and organize them appropriately. Nothing more than serial summaries of articles.
- 14. Favoring secondary over primary sources Citation of sources that cite other, more original sources. “The Centre Daily Times indicated that unemployment is increasing in State College, PA.”
- 15. Overuse of the passive voice The sentence construction “(noun) (verb phrase) by (noun)” is known as passive voice or passive construction, because the true subject is relegated to the end of the sentence and is thus acted on, rather than acting, which often weakens the statement.
- 16. Overuse of the passive voice “There is a considerable range of expertise demonstrated by the spam senders.” The actors are the “spam senders.” “The spam senders demonstrate a considerable range of expertise.”
- 17. Overuse of the passive voice “We were invited by our neighbors to attend their party.”
- 18. Overuse of the passive voice “The proposed initiative will be bitterly opposed by abortion rights groups.”
- 19. Failure to maintain consistency “The career and technology schools…” “Schools that focus on career and technology….” “Technology and career schools….”
- 20. Misplaced modifiers “The young girl was walking the dog in a short skirt.”
- 21. Misplaced modifiers (proper placement clarifies meaning) “The young girl was walking the dog in a short skirt.” “The young girl in a short skirt was walking the dog.”
- 22. Misplaced modifiers (proper placement clarifies meaning) “The dog was chasing the boy with the spiked collar.”
- 23. Misplaced modifiers (proper placement clarifies meaning) “The dog was chasing the boy with the spiked collar.” “The dog with the spiked collar was chasing the boy.”
- 24. Use of contractions Don’t use don’t…. You can’t use can’t…. You shouldn’t use shouldn’t….
- 25. Lack of subject-verb plurality agreement “A central part of my life goals have been to go to law school.”
- 26. Lack of subject-verb plurality agreement “A central part of my life goals have been to go to law school.” “A central part of my life goals has been to go to law school.”
- 27. Lack of subject-verb plurality agreement “Each of these designs coordinate with the others.”
- 28. Lack of subject-verb plurality agreement “Each of these designs coordinate with the others.” “Each of these designs coordinates with the others.”
- 29. Lack of subject-verb plurality agreement “Johnson was one of the athletes who was disqualified.”
- 30. Lack of subject-verb plurality agreement “Johnson was one of the athletes who was disqualified.” “Johnson was one of the athletes who were disqualified.”
- 31. Animating the inanimate “Table 1 concludes….” “Figure 1 demonstrates….”
- 32. Animating the inanimate “Table 1 concludes….” “Figure 1 demonstrates….”
- 33. Diffuse referents “The professors met the students in the garden. They were interested in playing chess.”
- 34. Diffuse referents “The professors met the students in the garden. They were interested in playing chess.”
- 35. Imprecise language “Heart rate”…when you mean “number of arterial pulsations per minute” “Achievement” when you mean “% correctly answered test items”
- 36. Failure to consider the reader Providing definitions stating assumptions, and expressing limitations when the reader does not require them. Not anticipating reader’s information/vocabulary requirements.
- 37. Failure to consider the reader Providing definitions stating assumptions, and expressing limitations when the reader does not require them. Not anticipating reader’s information/vocabulary requirements.
- 38. Common errors in scholarly writing (beyond grammar, spelling, punctuation) • Vacuous citations • Selective attention • “Cliff Notes” level of detail • Too much direct quotation • Failure to cite: Plagiarism • Failure to provide citations to the facts • Lack of a critical perspective • Absence of an analytical perspective • Favoring secondary over primary sources • Overuse of the passive voice • Failure to maintain consistency • Misplaced modifiers • Use of contractions • Lack of subject-verb plurality agreement • Animating the inanimate • Diffuse referents • Imprecise language • Failure to consider the reader
- 39. A plug…