Category Archives: Plain and Simple Language

“Or” does not preclude “and”

I find few instances of academic writing in which “and/or” is a better choice than simply “or.” As the above image illustrates, when you connect a pair of words with “or,” you’re not ruling out the possibility of “and”; that is, “or” includes “and” within its meaning.  In my experience, many writers are using “and/or”Continue reading ““Or” does not preclude “and””

#AskDrEditor: Writing well is hard: How to write like the best writers in your discipline

My editing advice column, Ask Dr. Editor, is available through UniversityAffairs.ca. This Ask Dr. Editor piece shares Writing well is hard, a free tool that delivers statistics on your writing and your favourite academic author’s, and helps you to emulate writing styles that you admire: “Writing well is hard: How to write like the best writers in yourContinue reading “#AskDrEditor: Writing well is hard: How to write like the best writers in your discipline”

#AskDrEditor: Break bad rules: How to change language norms in your academic field, individually and systemically

My editing advice column, Ask Dr. Editor, is available through UniversityAffairs.ca. This Ask Dr. Editor piece gives three tips for challenging common problematic terminology and making a difference in your discipline: “Break bad rules: How to change language norms in your academic field, individually and systemically.“ Have a question you want me to answer? Contact me!

#AskDrEditor: Why formal analysis is key to bringing your research to life

My editing advice column, Ask Dr. Editor, is available through UniversityAffairs.ca. This Ask Dr. Editor piece discusses how being visually descriptive can contribute to an interesting and engaging research paper: “Why formal analysis is key to bringing your research to life: This practice from art history can improve academic writing across disciplines.“ Have a question you want meContinue reading “#AskDrEditor: Why formal analysis is key to bringing your research to life”

#AskDrEditor: How to write a compelling letter of reference

My editing advice column, Ask Dr. Editor, is available through UniversityAffairs.ca. This Ask Dr. Editor piece outlines three tips for writing accurate, interesting, and equitable reference letters: “How to write a compelling letter of reference: To recognize and remove biased language from your own letters of recommendation, you’ll need to locate and remove the inappropriate use ofContinue reading “#AskDrEditor: How to write a compelling letter of reference”

#AskDrEditor: Simple tricks to add clarity in complex sentences

My editing advice column, Ask Dr. Editor, is available through UniversityAffairs.ca. This Ask Dr. Editor explains why starting your sentence with the word “this” can creative unnecessary ambiguity, and provides a straightforward fix: “Simple tricks to add clarity in complex sentences: The criticism that some academic writing can be difficult to read shouldn’t be ignored.”Continue reading “#AskDrEditor: Simple tricks to add clarity in complex sentences”

#AskDrEditor: Jargon can make for good academic writing

My editing advice column, Ask Dr. Editor, is available through UniversityAffairs.ca. This Ask Dr. Editor details three types of good and not-so-good jargon, and provides a tool for identifying when to edit–and when not to edit–the jargon in your work: “Jargon can make for good academic writing: The use of jargon can be effective inContinue reading “#AskDrEditor: Jargon can make for good academic writing”