| 1) Choosing the active voice over the passive voice |
Use the active voice in general, particularly when the focus is on the actor (person or object performing the action). |
| Use the passive voice if the actor is unknown, or the focus is on what was done. |
| If the actor is already mentioned in a sentence, the active voice is preferred. |
| Materials and Methods section is generally written in the passive voice. |
| 2) Rewording and rephrasing |
Choose words that precisely describe what is meant and that do not have other connotations. |
| Make sure sentences have a subject, object, and verb. |
| Try to avoid using “can”. |
| When listing many points, avoid repeating articles, such as “the”. |
| “Male/Female” should be used as adjectives rather than nouns. |
| 3) Refining the Discussion section |
Delete repetitive/redundant words and sentences, for clarity and to avoid unnecessarily long Discussion sections. |
| Clearly state (restate) the value of the study. |
| Use plural forms of nouns in general, unless specifically referring to a single object. |
| Use literary language and avoid colloquial language. |
| 4) Revising titles |
Titles often have a word count, so be concise (use the fewest number of words to make the statement). |
| State the main point of the research/manuscript, to attract readers. |
| Avoid articles at the beginning of a title (exception: A case of ....) |
