The nuts and bolts of writing papers: Number 3. Style and grammar

Extract

Let's face it, if you're writing about validating a rating scale, not many people are going to be glancing at the last page of the paper to see how it ends. The aim is not for the reader to go away breathlessly saying “I couldn't put the Journal down this month”. The principal consideration is to convey the information as clearly and concisely as possible. An efficient way of doing this is in the passive tense, but do not feel limited by this classic style. If you enjoy writing, why not let a little personality through? There is probably more room for this in papers that are not tied to methods and results sections, but if you have a chance to throw in a bit of personal style, why not let rip … tell ‘em good. Which brings me to the next point.