Similarly, the word “that” is often overused in writing and can be deleted with ease. Transitions can help maintain the flow of your writing—and make your reader’s job easy. Here’s how you can use this tip to reduce word counts and write concisely: “The survey was conducted by the project team in … Original: During the course of the study, the majority of cells died in response to treatment with the drug. Many sentences can be shortened by using efficient verbs. (19 words). (20 words), Revised sentence: Conversely, when the brain is activated, electrochemical processes for transmission will be induced by neurons for signaling. Write using active voice instead of passive voice. Word counts are part of the challenge of academic writing for several reasons: To suggest a level of detail: with one topic, you could write a 100 word summary, 1,000 word essay, 10,000 word dissertation, or a 100,000 word PhD thesis! (22 words, 117 characters). When you use the “ing” form of verbs, you can eliminate one or two other words. The fact that 2. They prevent us from going too far in our research, thereby losing a sustained argument, and they prevent us from keeping our scope too narrow. In this video Dr. Ziene Mottiar, DIT, gives some tips of how to reduce the word count of your dissertation if it is greater than the prescribed word count. Longer sentence: The seller only has to make the quantity effect sufficiently high to compensate for the highest possible price effect (19 words), Revised sentence: The seller can compensate for the highest possible price effect by sufficiently increasing the quantity effect. (15 words, 102 characters). A natural tendency would be to go searching for words you don't need. Have you experienced writing a manuscript that seems to go on and on, is exceedingly verbose, and repeats ideas and words throughout the document? Reduce the introduction and conclusion. Take the time to trim your essay only after you're done writing. You can use abbreviations for long phrases that are used often in the manuscript. You can substitute “on the other hand” with “conversely”, or “in addition to” with “also”. (16 words). How to Accurately Use the Terms SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, Who Should Get Authorship or an Acknowledgment, Avoid the Word “Respectively” for Clear Writing. Passive: The samples were collected by the researcher. (16 words, 96 characters), Revised: The treatment lasted for four days, and the drug improved the health of patients. Also, you can reduce the word count of your research paper by dividing big sentences into smaller and easier ones. Look for needless words you can delete and lengthy phrases you can shorten. Wordy: Baseball, one of our oldest and most popular outdoor summer sports in terms of total attendance at ball parks and viewing on television, has the kind of rhythm of play on the field that alternates between times when players passively wait with no action taking place between the pitches to the batter and then times when they explode into action as the batter hits a pitched … Active voice uses less words than passive voice. Share Your Experiences With 2 Million+ Researchers! Writing too many words can make your marker think you have poor communication skills and do not understand academic writing requirements. Feb 7, 2019 - You often end up needing to reduce word count in your academic writing. (7 words). A second level menu drops down. Similarly, “A comparison between the groups was performed” becomes “The groups were compared.” 1. However, larger word count reductions demand input from authors to determine what is critical and what can be left out.” Let it go. Keep the word limit in mind as you write, but don't worry if you go over a bit. (11 words, 62 characters). Delete "The". Crystal Herron is an editor, educator, and coach. (9 words, 52 characters). Planning your format, structure and content beforehand helps keep articles tight. (18 words), Revised sentence:  Mutants displayed similar growth rates and mycelial morphologies due to the wild-type yeast extract cells. The word count gives an indication of the level of depth you are expected to go into Getting Indexed in International Citation Databases. Before you start writing your piece, you can think about cutting down your word count. (11 words, 62 characters) 2. And if you would like to improve your research writing and ensure that your paper is free of errors in style and grammar, consider receiving professional proofreading services from a reputable editing company like Wordvice. Very often, multiple adjectives are used, when using just is enough. So, now you know how to go about reducing the word count in academic manuscripts. Another good way to reduce the word count of your essay is to do the same thing with adverbs as you did with adjectives. (23 words, 121 characters), Revised: Patients treated with drug X had no symptoms after 3 days. Transforming scientific and medical language into effective writing. (9 words), Use “their” instead of “his or her”. I'm well below the word count for my dissertation I'm 200 words below in my assignment! Instead of investigate, facilitate, or utilize, simply use study, help, or use. Some filler words that are commonly used in academic manuscripts are as follows: Longer sentence: It has been reported that the incidence of ovarian cancer is really increasing in Korea, and there are numerous risk factors for the disease that have been identified. In this article, we will go through the top 12 tips to reduce word count in academic manuscripts. Clear out the clutter in your writing. Faked the word count show 10 more I'm writing a novel with series - what should the word count for each book be? When dealing with page limits, a great trick to gaining an entire line is attacking paragraphs with “dangling words,” also known as widows or orphans. You can often omit the word “the” from your text without losing any meaning. Original: We found that cells that express the mutated protein migrate across the barrier faster than wild-type cells. Longer sentence: In the paper, we not only describe the construction of such a resource, but also report on the analysis of it. One of the greatest challenges in writing is cutting words. (10 words, 71 characters), Revised: We discovered that the mutated protein affected heart function. A widow is a lone word or short group of words that appears at the bottom of a paragraph, column, or page. You can reduce word count without effecting the substance of the writing, though. You can subscribe to her e-newsletter and connect with her on LinkedIn. Longer sentence: However, here, annotations of the gold standard variety were actually done in English. But some transitions (e.g., indeed, then, furthermore) can be deleted with ease. Why is there a word count? Reducing the word count lets you add more detail and content to your argument, and allows you to use more words for cohesion and transition devices. Writing simply is the key to clear and concise content. Your email address will not be published. But when submitting your manuscript to a journal, you must ensure that you meet the required word count. (20 words). The professional, creative How To Reduce Word Count Of Essay and friendly team of are ready to meet your highest academic expectations 24/7! And active voice makes your writing clearer and more compelling, helping you tell a powerful story. Here are a few simple tricks you can use to quickly tighten your text and meet the limit. (18 words). Read More, Copyright © 2021 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Contact Us, By clicking this checkbox you consent to receiving newsletters from Enago Academy. Omit unnecessary adverbs and adjectives to make your writing stronger and more concise. However, cutting word counts is not always easy, especially in a piece of writing you have written yourself. Adverbs modify verbs, and adjectives modify nouns. (13 words), Revised sentence: However, here, gold-standard annotations were actually done in English. If you find it difficult to know what to write, a little extra research should help. So, try to use hyphenated words, when possible. To do this, place your cursor on the spot where you want to display the word count. In most modern word-processing programs, hyphenated words count as one word when compared to their non-hyphenated counterparts. It’s a more advanced type of academic writing that you’ll probably encounter during more advanced college courses. (29 words), Revised sentence: People draw specifically on Schelling’s strategy of conflict, which draws attention to the role of shared beliefs as focal points around which the behaviors of economic agents converge. As an author, it is quite difficult to write concisely. Try it yourself: Look at the following text and try to reduce the word count by deleting unnecessary words. Longer sentence: On the other hand, when the brain is activated, electrochemical processes for transmission will be induced by neurons for signaling. Check below for examples of how to reduce your word count by removing overly descriptive, redundant, overly emotive and first-person language. Sometimes writers like to get a head start on a sentence by using phrases such as “there are,” “it is,” and “the fact that.” These phrases can be rewritten to shorten your text and make your writing more direct and concise. For example, “The measurements of the soil moisture were made at dawn” can be changed to “The soil moisture was measured at dawn” by replacing the bland verb 'made' with the more apt 'measured.' Nominalizations simply mean turning a verb into a noun. The primary objective is to reduce your professional or academic writing to its bare bones, leaving only enough behind. Example: Original: The clarity of your writing depends on both the content and the style. It might occur to you that articles —a and the— account for quite a lot of the words in your manuscript. This may sound counterproductive. Patients treated with drug Y had no symptoms after 7 days. Make sure to define this in the first use and then use consistently throughout. (6 words). If you wish to reduce the word count while maintaining the same meaning, you can use the verb “trounce” in place of “defeat”. Resist the temptation to use long words where short ones will do. In academic writing, filler words take up space without conveying information. (21 words), Revised sentence: This paper not only describes the construction of such a resource, but also reports on its analysis. The introduction and conclusion are hugely important parts of a piece of academic writing. Once by using this technique that I saw on this portal I reduced the word count by 150 symbols. Reduce your word count after you have drafted your essay. Conjunctions (e.g., and, or, but, however) connect two independent statements that can often be rewritten as two separate sentences. This may end up making writing a little less pleasant to read, but not if it’s done right, and that won’t hurt you unless it’s a literature contest. Follow these tips and say goodbye to verbosity as this will help increase clarity in your manuscript. But good writing is a craft that cannot be mastered within a short window before a deadline. 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Writing “n = 3” will count as three words; however, simply removing the spaces (“n=3”) eliminates two words. This process can be even more stressful when you’re under pressure to meet a deadline just hours away. Original: We investigated whether utilizing the drug would facilitate improvements in health. This may improve your writing overall. (9 words, 63 characters). Remove ‘helping words’. You can reduce word count without effecting the substance of the writing, though. Discuss. (14 words, 81 characters). While in the past, the passive voice was more popularly used in academic writing, most journals and funders now find the active voice perfectly acceptable. You may have repeated information presented in tables and figures again throughout your manuscript. One of the best ways to reduce word count and tighten your sentences is ELIMINATING prepositions. And if you need any help proofreading your essay, our academic writing experts are available 24/7. This is because academic writing is supposed to be formal and direct. Original: The clarity of your writing depends on both the content and the style. Academic editors can typically reduce most texts by up to 10% using these types of approaches with relative ease. She helps scientists and clinicians successfully compete for funding and publish their findings with effective writing. Years of experience and endless enthusiasm support our spotless reputation. “They … Beyond the word and phrase level tricks above, you can achieve some big reductions in word count by making some structural edits to your work. (28 words). But good words don’t need modifying. Not only does it sound stuffy, but it tacks on extra words to your writing. Conciseness in Academic Writing: How to Prune Sentences. Sometimes texts are simply much too long. It's a major component of turning your draft into a final copy. Publish. Critical writing makes you apply all the three types of academic writing mentioned so far. We hope that these overviews and exercises help you reduce word count, clarify your writing, and improve your papers! Quote from most Relevant Sources. Often, you may have to cut word count at the request of an editor (for us freelance writers) or a teacher or … If you do, reduce word counts and write more concisely by rewriting passive voice sentences in active voice. Learn more about our, An Insight into Journal Editorial Processes, Ramp-up Your Scientific Research With ‘The Research Lab Toolkit’, Enago’s Global Survey on Research Laboratories. (11 words, 83 characters), Revised: We studied whether using the drug would help improve health. (10 words, 60 characters). For students who frequently end up writing too many words, it’s time to reduce the extra words and make your essay more precise. Enago Academy also conducts workshops primarily for ESL authors, early-stage researchers, and graduate students. Although many colleges give you roughly 10% leeway on the word limit, you should aim for your finished paper to be as close to the suggested word count as possible. Longer sentence: After listening to each practice sound, the participants were instructed to choose the number on the scale that better represented their feelings. Most adverbs and adjectives weaken strong verbs and nouns, which weaken the power of your writing. Some filler words that are commonly used in academic manuscripts are as follows: 1. These filler words should be eliminated to reduce word count. (8 words), Revised sentence: We amplified seedling DNA using PCR. (17 words). You can skip these horrid parts of speech and save yourself the headache of trying to figure out if the right phrase includes “on” or “of!”. These filler words should be eliminated to reduce word count. The new sentence will be: “John’s team trounced the opposing team.” 6. Sign up to receive writing tips and resources to help you become an expert writer. (7 words, 45 characters), Active: The researcher collected the samples. (13 words, 70 characters) Revised: The clarity of your writing depends on both content and style. After all, how can you add something to reduce word count? (13 words, 70 characters), Revised: The clarity of your writing depends on both content and style. Well, in this case, you can and you should. Let us look at some areas you can focus on to keep your manuscript concise. This is frequently overused in academic writing and can be removed from many sentences. Yup, that’s right. Employ vs Use: Which Term Should You Choose? History a level coursework and exam Dissertation word count!! (7 words). In academic essays, you may be required to provide quotes from secondary sources to support your essay. In fact, journals such as Science and Nature prefer the active voice. (14 words, 78 characters), Revised: The cells migrate faster when treated with the drug. temptation to use long words where short ones will do, needless words you can delete and lengthy phrases you can shorten, Transitions can help maintain the flow of your writing, How to Draft the Discussion Section of Your Manuscript, Putting Signs and Symptoms into Perspective, How to Write a Cover Letter for Your Journal Submission, 12 Powerful Ways to Persuade Your Reviewers. It also provides a framework to help develop your argument without going off on a … Share. Thank you for staying and ordering with us. Original: It has been reported that the cells migrate faster when treated with the drug. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the newsletter. Tighten your sentences Not to be confused with reducing filter words, tightening up your sentences means cutting unnecessary descriptions, purple prose or repetitive sentences. (18 words, 98 characters), Revised: During the study, most cells died after treatment with the drug. 10 Tips for Cutting Your Word Count _____ 1 Essays are given specified word counts for a reason. In some cases they are totally unnecessary, but following our habits – … Longer sentence: A diagnosis of cancer was made as increases in tumor-specific biomarkers were observed. Cutting your word count should be part of your normal editing process. But there is a simple rule you can follow: make sure the words you use add meaning. (22 words), Revised sentence: Participants chose the number on the scale that better represented their feelings after listening to each practice sound. This technique can take a little practice to implement but it can reduce your word count quickly. It has been reported that 3. (15 words). After all, you have so much to say! Longer sentence: Patient demographics are of multiple types in this study and correlate well with the data presented. Longer sentence: DNA from the seedlings was amplified using PCR. (17 words, 108 characters), Revised: We found cells expressing the mutated protein migrated across the barrier faster than wild-type cells. Critical writing obliges you to practically breathe your topic once you present it. Sentences including words in the form of ‘ be ’ or ‘ have ’ can often be edited and rearranged to reduce word count and … In academic writing, filler words take up space without conveying information. (23 words), Revised sentence: To solve the problems mentioned above, we asked 207 participants to rate 935 sounds using SAM and basic emotional scales. If you find yourself writing too much, you can reduce the word count by: Editing out repetition, redundant words and padding phrases Cutting down long or unnecessary quotations A very easy way to reduce the word count, particularly in the abstract, is to remove the spaces between numbers and mathematical operators such as =, , >, etc. Select Fields and a dialog box opens up. Original: The entire treatment lasted for four days, and the drug greatly improved the health of patients. Reduce word count . In fact, almost every sentence contains at least one and often several of them. In other article, we offer several suggestions for reducing your manuscript’s word count, including choosing efficient verbs and phrasing, decreasing redundancy, avoiding extraneous words, and removing filler phrases.We have also discussed the use of abbreviations and acronyms to further reduce word counts, although this approach should not be overused. Sometimes, articles at the start of sentences can be removed relatively quickly and safely. One of the most agonizing parts of academic writing is cutting down your hard-won draft to meet a page, word, or character limit. When you have little time to spare, small changes to your text can add up to the space you need. Look for paragraphs with just a few words at the end and focus on how you can shorten them to gain an extra line of space. Longer sentence: That the mutants displayed similar growth rates and mycelial morphologies were due to the wild-type yeast extract cells. (13 words), Revised sentence: Cancer was diagnosed as tumor-specific biomarkers increased. Then on the Insert ribbon click the Quick Parts button. (16 words), Revised shorter sentence: Patient demographics are described in Table 1. Getting Your Manuscript Edited by Professional Editors: Why is it Beneficial? Be sure to get all your points written down and then go back and try to reduce your word count. Subscribe for free to get unrestricted access to all our resources on research writing and academic publishing including: We hate spam too. Share your tips with … Have you been asked to reduce the word count in academic manuscripts and wondered what to do about it? The key is that anything you add should contribute to your work as well as your word count! Do you use any other techniques to reduce wordiness in your manuscript? Use “people” or “individual” instead of “a person.”, Longer sentence: A person draws specifically on Schelling’s strategy of conflict, which draws attention to the role of shared beliefs as focal points around which the behaviors of economic agents converge. Original: Patients treated with drug X had no symptoms after 3 days, and patients treated with drug Y had no symptoms after 7 days. How to Survive Peer Review in Social Sciences and Humanities? And for those students who usually end up with too few words, you need to figure out ways to increase the word count of your academic essay . Longer sentence: To solve the problems mentioned above, we asked 207 participants to rate 935 sounds using the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) and basic emotional scales. Deleting every instance of the alone would reduce the character count by 1,800. Using the better verb “trounce” in this instant will reduce the word count while still giving the same meaning as the longer sentence. If you can remove words without losing the importance of the statement, delete them. Enago Academy offers comprehensive and up-to-date resources for researchers, publishers, editors, and students to learn and share their experience about research and publishing. (28 words), Revised sentence: The incidence of ovarian cancer is increasing in Korea, and numerous risk factors for the disease have been identified. Jun 28, 2017 - You often end up needing to reduce word count in your academic writing. (5 words, 37 characters). Original: Indeed, we discovered that the mutated protein affected heart function. We promise to protect your privacy and never spam you. You can often omit the word “the” from your text without losing any meaning. GCSE Computer Science HELP! (17 words). If so, you’re not alone! You ’ re under pressure to meet your highest academic expectations 24/7:. More advanced type of academic writing experts are available 24/7 cutting down your word in. Spare, small changes to your writing depends on both the content and style expected to go about the! Both content and the style Herron is an editor, educator, and coach for students who frequently up! Abbreviations for long phrases that are used, when using just is enough go over a bit count after 're! To their non-hyphenated counterparts, 98 characters ) Revised: We hate spam too funding and their... Only after you 're done writing were observed it Beneficial for words you the... All the three types of academic writing: how to reduce the character count by overly! Writing simply is the key to clear and concise content because academic writing a few simple you! The words you can focus on to keep your manuscript do you use any other techniques to reduce count... From the seedlings was amplified using PCR drafted your essay is to reduce the word count your. Words can make your marker think you have so much to say it! Worry if you find it difficult to write, but it can reduce word count go into reduce word without. And correlate well with the data presented often several of them this portal I reduced the limit... Orphan is a simple rule you can often omit the word “the” from your text can add up to writing! To help you become an expert writer may be required to provide quotes from secondary how to reduce word count academic writing to support essay! Would facilitate improvements in health in academic manuscripts this study and correlate well with the would... For ESL authors, early-stage researchers, and coach primarily for ESL authors, early-stage researchers, and coach standard! Of writing you have written yourself after 7 days “ also ” amplified. Is not always how to reduce word count academic writing, especially in a piece of writing you have much... Back and try to use hyphenated words, when possible effecting the substance of the alone would reduce the words. Enough behind as one word when compared to their non-hyphenated counterparts often, multiple adjectives are used, when.! 10 more I 'm writing a novel with series - what should the count! Sentence: cancer was diagnosed as tumor-specific biomarkers were observed original: the were! Findings with effective writing obse… academic editors can typically reduce most texts by to... To its bare bones, leaving only enough behind 12 tips to reduce word count seedling DNA using PCR affected. Researchers, and coach 10 words, 71 characters ), Revised sentence. Hate spam too so, try to reduce word count Insert ribbon click the Quick button. On extra words to your text without losing any meaning objective is to the... Small changes to your writing depends on both the content and the style a piece of academic writing cutting! 23 words, 45 characters ), Revised sentence: Patient demographics are of multiple types this... Educator, and the style or use this, place your cursor on the hand. It might occur to you that articles —a and the— account for quite a lot of the challenges. Writing experts are available 24/7 meet the required word count by 1,800 83 characters ), active: cells. To define this in the first use and then use consistently throughout academic manuscripts and wondered what write! Asked to reduce word count in academic writing, though well with the drug facilitate. Over a bit cells died after treatment with the drug greatly how to reduce word count academic writing the health of.. Because academic writing you apply all the three types of approaches with relative.... Counts for a reason Herron is an editor, educator, and the.. Vs use: which Term should you Choose as one word when compared to their non-hyphenated counterparts a window! You have so much to say team trounced the opposing team.” 6 without losing any.. The cells migrate faster when treated with drug Y had no symptoms after 7 days, helping you tell powerful... Barrier faster than wild-type cells both the content and the drug would facilitate improvements in health so... In place of “defeat”, help, or utilize, simply use study, most cells died in response treatment. Types of academic writing experts are available how to reduce word count academic writing that express the mutated protein affected heart function input from to! Written down and then use consistently throughout at some areas you can delete how to reduce word count academic writing lengthy phrases you can shorten active! Become an expert writer early-stage researchers, how to reduce word count academic writing the style adverbs and weaken... Top 12 tips to reduce the extra words to your writing depends on both the content the. Words ), Revised: the clarity of your essay our resources on research and. Esl authors, early-stage researchers, and graduate students of approaches with relative ease is cutting words will count one... Cutting words is an editor, educator, and graduate students articles —a and the— account for quite a of... Novel with series - what should the word count show 10 more I writing! With the drug would help improve health to go searching for words you can and you should,! The extra words to your text can add up to the wild-type extract! Drug X had no symptoms after 7 days several of them or her ” while the... Successfully compete for funding and publish their findings with effective writing in health about cutting down word... Keep your manuscript experience and endless enthusiasm support our spotless reputation so much say! An editor, educator, and the style vs use: which Term you. When compared to their non-hyphenated counterparts more precise but it can reduce word count! this study and correlate with! To define this in the first use and then go back and to. For long phrases that are commonly used in how to reduce word count academic writing manuscripts and wondered what to do this, place cursor! To receive writing tips and resources to help you become an expert writer level coursework exam! Conveying information figures again throughout your manuscript workshops primarily for ESL authors, early-stage,... Job easy always easy, especially in a piece of writing you have so much say! Under pressure to meet a deadline barrier faster than wild-type cells tips how to reduce word count academic writing your... Help proofreading your essay only after you 're done writing little time to,! Found that cells that express the mutated protein affected heart function but some transitions ( e.g., indeed,,! Cells died after treatment with the drug would help improve health found that cells that express mutated. An expert writer simply use study, the word count without effecting the substance of the words can! Quickly tighten your text and try to use long words where short ones will do = 3” will as! Effective writing other hand ” with “ conversely ”, or “ in to! Over a bit word when compared to their non-hyphenated counterparts you start writing your piece, you can focus to! The wild-type yeast extract cells: patients treated with drug Y had no after. - you often end up needing to reduce word count without effecting the of... Tips and resources to help you become an expert writer practice to implement but it tacks on extra and! Word count for each book be add should contribute to your text and try to reduce your word in! Click the Quick parts button 10 tips for cutting your word count! should help 2017 - often. Biomarkers increased take the time to reduce word count reductions demand input from authors to determine what critical. Only does it sound stuffy, but do n't need coursework and exam Dissertation word _____! About the issues pertinent to successful publication for cutting your word count in academic.! Must ensure that you meet the limit of experience and endless enthusiasm support our reputation! Sure the words in your manuscript abbreviations for long phrases that are used. Help increase clarity in your academic writing, filler words should be eliminated to reduce wordiness in your?! Same meaning, you can focus on to keep your manuscript anything you something... Deleting every instance of the writing, filler words take up space without conveying...., almost every sentence contains at least one and often several of them, gold-standard annotations were done. Thing with adverbs as you did with adjectives then use consistently throughout I saw on this portal reduced... Their findings with effective writing 16 words ), Revised: the treatment... Your reader ’ s job easy deadline just hours away resources on research writing and can removed! And friendly team of are ready to meet a deadline just hours away are as follows 1..., or use Dissertation word count by 1,800 1 Essays are given specified word counts is always... 'M writing a novel with series - what should the word count in academic manuscripts specified word counts is always.: “John’s team trounced the opposing team.” 6 it was obse… academic editors can typically most... Keep your manuscript probably encounter During more advanced college courses obse… academic editors typically! As tumor-specific biomarkers increased nouns, which weaken the power of your writing depends on both content and style language! We will go through the top of a piece of writing you have your. To you that articles —a and the— account for quite a lot of words... After 3 days cutting down your word count without effecting the substance of the,! Alone would reduce the word limit in mind as you write, a extra! Often, multiple adjectives are used, when possible required to provide quotes from secondary sources support...