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The fine details of how you communicate your argument to your reader.
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As an interior designer creates a space that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional; as a writer you will want to pay attention to tone, diction/language, formatting, and writing conventions.

  • Writing Conventions

    •  Spelling

    •  Punctuation

    •  Capitalization

    •  Word Order

    •  Sentence

    • Paragraph Structure

    • Tense/Pronoun Usage

Research Writing Do Nots
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  • Do not use contractions! (don’t, isn’t, won’t, wouldn’t, couldn’t, shouldn’t, it’s, didn’t…)

  • Do not use personal pronouns!  The pronoun “you” is especially offensive. (I, me, my, mine, our, ours, you, your, yours, we, us)

  • Do not refer to yourself in any way.  If you are writing the paper, obviously you are doing everything in the paper. (The author/writer, I, me)

  • Do not use personal examples.

  • Do not refer to the reader.  (as you can see… it makes the reader feel dumb or guilty…)

  • Do not overuse correct pronouns.  Make sure the reader knows who is who.

  • Do not start sentences with “There is” or “There are.”  These words are fluff and unnecessary.

  • Do not start sentences with conjunctions! (and, but, or, so)

  • Do not start or end sentences with digits.  Spell out numbers if you want to use them, or move them from the beginning or end to the middle.  Always write out numbers one-ten.  Always use digits for numbers 11+.  Do not write out dates as words.

  • Do not use absolutes. (always, never, all, everyone, no one)

  • Do not use archaic terms.  (thus, alas, thee, thou)

  • Do not repeat the same vocabulary.  It makes the paper boring, and redundant.

  • Do not use slang.  This is a research paper not a casual conversation.

  • Do not use clichés or colloquialisms. This makes your paper either boring and trite or difficult to read for those not from your area.  (too little too late, www.clichelist.net)

  • Do not use qualifiers. (really, very, surely, often, a lot, nice e.g.: It was "really, very" important). These are almost always unnecessary filler words in spoken language and the written sentence will sound better without the unneeded redundancy e.g.: "It was important.")

  • Do not use overused “scholarly” phrases. Never write “In this paper I will …” You are writing the paper and will clearly do something. There’s no need to say you will do something – just do it! And never write “In conclusion …” This is an overused transition to the conclusion. The reader should know they are at the conclusion of your paper based on the content of the concluding paragraph.

  • Do not use examples or support unrelated to the topic.

  • Do not use unqualified sources.  (.com, your little sister…)

  • Do not plagiarize.  (cite everything!)

  • Do not miss quote or take quotes out of context.

  • Do not put punctuation outside of the quotation marks.

  • Do not put quotation marks around a block quote.

  • Do not use abbreviations. (etc, ft., info., USA…)

  • Do not use questions unless they are part of a direct quote.

  • Do not assume the reader knows anything about your topic.  Make sure you have enough background so that anyone can read your paper.  Your paper should be able to stand alone.

  • Do not overuse passive sentences.  Passive sentences can confuse the reader, unnecessarily draw out your paper, and make it less interesting.

  • Do not change tenses.

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