1. Hints on Writing (C) Common Mistakes From My Graduate Students
PhD Seminar
Hints on Writing (C)
Common Mistakes From My
Graduate Students
Jeff Offutt

2. I. Semantic Notes
Lack of precise definitions … assuming the reader already understands the subject
Undefined terms
Define terms, don’t just describe them.
Subjective and imprecise evaluations
(“A is worse than B”, rather than “A is slower than B”)
Discussing solutions without mentioning problems
Mismatched phrases
“Although this freedom is expected to be a benefit because it mimics the way humans process information ...” – How does “freedom” mimic “processing”?
“Inconsistencies detected require expedient resolution and implementation ...” – Do we really want to “implement” the “inconsistencies” ?
© Jeff Offutt

3. I. Semantic Notes (2) Objectives are verbs, not nouns
“Objective is a test document” ... “Objective is to generate a test document”
Conclusions that just summarize, no tying together
Literary style in technical paper
“fall at the side of the road”, “arcane commands”
Useless adjectives
“Utilize” means “to use profitably”
Guesswork based on personal experience – opinions versus facts and measurements
In large classes, students think they learn less – standardized tests indicate class size makes no difference
Differences ?
Speed of grading
Amount of feedback
Popularity is not important in scientific research
© Jeff Offutt

4. I. Semantic Notes (3) Comparative adjectives with only one subject :
“higher” – than what?
“less” – than what?
“more” – than what?
“better” – than what?
Comparing nouns and verbs:
“between the interface and ... what they do ...”
Compare nouns with nouns, verbs with verbs
Value judgments
(good, bad, ...) Why good or bad?
Emotional phrases
exploded (increased)
embrace (use)
© Jeff Offutt

5. II. Grammatical Notes Mentioning one item and calling it several
“A is limited by X ... we need to break away from these constraints”
Plurality mismatch
“basics of X is described”, “advances ... has been”
Plurality mismatch to avoid gender
“...the user where they are...”
“...the users where they are...”
Random use of commas
Too many commas
No spell checking
© Jeff Offutt

6. II. Grammatical Notes (2)
et al. – “et. al.” or putting et al. in the references
“et al.” abbreviates “et ali,” which is Latin for “and others”
“i.e.” – “e.g.” : “i.e.” is “id est”, or “that is”, “e.g.” is “exampli gratia”, or “for example”
“for e.g.” sounds like a stuttering problem
“ensure” – “insure”
insure is to procure insurance, ensure is to make sure it happens
article misuse : “the” – “an”
“the object” means there is only one, “an object” means one of many
© Jeff Offutt

7. III. Citation Notes
Citations are needed on specific or quantifiable points
Otherwise they becomes opinions, which are irrelevant
Using citations as nouns
Missing page numbers in references
Inconsistently putting periods before and after citations
Incomplete references
© Jeff Offutt

8. IV. Stylistic Notes Inconsistent italics / bolding
Embedded lists (in paragraphs instead of separated)
Do three things: (1) make your point, (2) support your point, (3) stop.
Noise words and phrases just slow us down
“Means by which” – “way”
“The method by which” – “how”
Too many “ing” words are weak
“Make an attempt at increasing ...” – “Make an attempt to increase ...”
Contractions—do not contract in a technical paper
Weak sentence beginnings are passive
“There are three ways to do it, …” – “Three ways to do it are …”
Single dash for separator—use long or double dash
Run-on sentences—break up into multiple sentences
“viz”– few people know what that means
© Jeff Offutt

9. IV. Stylistic Notes (2) Do not use unnecessary colons
Do not Capitalize all Important Words
Do not use binders : This makes it difficult to make comments, especially in drafts
Unless a (probably inexperienced) professor explicitly requires one
Omit first names and titles in the text
Use sections, not chapters
© Jeff Offutt

10. V. Organizational Notes
Do not use internal, incomplete references ... saying that something is discussed elsewhere in the paper, but not saying where
Place figures properly … immediately following discussion, preferably on the same page
Never before
Always discuss and explain a figure
Introduce and provide a roadmap for each section
Never follow a section heading with a subsection heading without intervening text
© Jeff Offutt

11. Summary Create your own “oops list”
As you get feedback from friends and professors, add to your oops list
When you conquer a problem, and the correct way becomes a habit, remove it from your oops list
© Jeff Offutt