It's been a while since my last academic editing thread!

Let's talk about verbs that academics think sound strong but are really weak.

Don't be tempted. They dilute your argument. I'll explain...

#AcademicTwitter #AcademicChatter

Let's start with "impact."

What could be stronger than “impact,” which gives the reader an impression of an asteroid hitting the earth?

What a strong verb! X is “impacting” Y! Something big is definitely happening here. Or is it?

"Impact" has a problem. It doesn't convey a sense of degree (how much) or direction (which way). "Impact" also implies X is the only or most important influence.

It sounds powerful, but it rarely helps a sophisticated argument.

Using the word "impact" is like writing "smash."

Another phrase I encounter quite a bit is "points to."

Academics usually use this phrase to indicate they are interpreting the meaning of an effect. The effect "points to" its cause.

Or they write something more normative AND ambiguous, like, "This points to the need for X."

One problem is that "points to" is bad personification.

An effect cannot point. It may "indicate."

Neoliberalism, in particular, cannot point.

Grammatically, "points" is an active verb. But when used in this way, it is ambiguous who or what is pointing and why.

Which brings me to this.

Literally, I have a problem with the word "this."

"This" is typically used as a pronoun at the start of sentences, as in, "Professor Wabash's research found trace amounts of arsenic in dead birds. THIS indicates that..."

(yes, I had to use THIS guy)

The above sentence is an example of the pronoun "this" being used in a noun clause.

In the above example, "this" refers to Wabash's research, which found greater arsenic in dead birds.

You could write "his research" (more clear) but THIS is mostly all well and good.

What drives me slightly crazy as an editor is when writers use "this" to refer to an _entire paragraph_ full of complex findings.

It reads well. You're synthesizing big ideas! Or are you?

No. It is ambiguous, and utterly overloads "this."

If you encounter "this" in your writing, treat it like any ambiguous pronoun.

Are you referring to a causal relationship? A set of concepts that were developed? A group of people?

Just replace "this" with a more specific noun clause with a clear reference.

"Impact," "points to," and "this" (oops, not a verb, but we're taping live here) reinforce the stereotype that academic writing is pompous and vague.

But it doesn't need to be this way.

You just need to start approaching your writing as a reader, not a writer.

Try to read your writing as your intended audience would.

Is your meaning clear and compellingly argued?

Or is your manuscript becoming a calzone of ambiguity, overstuffed with empty words like "impacts" and "points"?

#AcademicTwitter #AcademicWriting