Word usage in your thesis

A thesis is an academic text. Therefore, you must use your words accordingly. Therefore, you wont often see words like 'I', 'well' and 'a few' in a thesis. Why is that? What else should you pay attention to when using words in your thesis?

This is broadly what academic writing comes down to. An academic writing style includes being as specific as possible in your wording. It is also important that the text is formulated in written language. This means you should avoid informal expressions that are more appropriate in a spoken conversation than in a text.

Furthermore, it is important to formulate your sentences impersonally. For example, you do not address the reader (except possibly in the preface) or write from a first person perspective (using 'I' or 'we'). Use general sentences such as 'This research examines...' instead of 'In this research, I will...'.

You can find more information regarding academic writing in our article with general tips for word usage in your thesis.

To get you started with academic writing, we would like to give you a few tips on word usage. When writing your thesis, be sure to pay attention to the following:

• Do not use colloquialisms. Avoid superfluous words like 'now', 'indeed', 'actually' or other interjections. Also avoid colloquialisms such as "As a teacher, you want students to listen to you..." or "What is certain is that...". It is better to make this: 'For teachers, it is important that students listen to them' or 'It is established that...'.
• Avoid 'I', 'we' and 'you'. In general,write impersonally in your thesis as much as possible. That means the only time you should use these pronouns is in the preface or reflection. You can read more about pronouns to avoid in our article on common language mistakes.
• Be specific: don't use vague words like 'a few' or 'a number'.Instead, specify exactly how many are involved.
• Check your statistics book for correct reporting. Statistical results should always be presented in a set way in your thesis. For every statistical test, there is a certain reporting requirement. Check your statistics book to get this right before you start working on the results chapter.
• Use linking words to indicate coherence between paragraphs, between sentences, and within sentences. With words like 'moreover', ‘however’ or 'although', you bring structure to the text.

Avoid subjective words, such as 'of course', 'obviously', 'a lot' or 'quite a lot'. Keep your descriptions objective and stick to the facts.

This is a question we regularly get from students. What about proverbs in your thesis? In general, it is better to avoid proverbs in a thesis. They belong to colloquial language and are therefore less suitable in a formal written text. Only in the preface are proverbs not a problem.

All in all, there are quite a few points to pay attention to in terms of word usage in your thesis. Do you want to make sure your story is clearly written in an academic writing style free from language mistakes or colloquialisms? Our editors will be happy to help. Ask us for a thorough check so that you can hand in your thesis with confidence.