How to Be Concise in Academic Writing

The art of concision is all about doing more with less. And when it comes to your academic writing, being concise is very much an art form. It requires plenty of practice and the ability to look critically at your work.  

So how can you be more concise in your academic writing? Let’s take a quick look. 

What is concision in academic writing? 

A common misnomer is that concision is all about using as few words as possible. It’s not. Being concise is using the most effective and powerful words to convey a specific meaning.  

It’s very common, particularly in academic work, to use vague or unnecessary words, particularly when you’re trying to explain a difficult or technical concept. Being concise strips all that back so you use the word or words that convey your meaning most clearly.  

Examples of concision in practice 

There’s more to being concise than using fewer words, but the more concise you are, the more your word count will drop. That’s because you’ll be producing all killer and no filler, where every single word you use delivers a punch. Take a look at these examples of concision in practice: 

‘We travel so that we can explore the world’ 

‘We travel to explore the world’ 

‘He is enjoying his new football boots’ 

‘He enjoys his new football boots’ 

‘There are three essays that are due today’ 

‘Three essays are due today’ 

How can you be more concise in your academic writing? 

1. Eliminate redundant words 

   
   

The first and easiest step towards concision is to remove unnecessary words and phrases that add nothing to your writing. Common examples include ‘that’, ‘in order to’ and ‘due to the fact that’, but there are also plenty more. These words can distract the reader and dilute the point you’re making. 

‘We decided that we were going to the shop in order to buy some lunch’ 

‘We decided to go to the shop to buy some lunch’ 

2. Replace weak adjectives 

    

If you’re going to the effort of using an adjective to describe something, you may as well make it a good one. Strengthening your vocabulary will help you think of adjectives that make your writing more vibrant.  

‘Dinner was really good’ 

‘Dinner was delicious’  

3. Use the active voice 

   
   

Using the active rather than the passive voice can make your sentences feel more engaging. It also helps you avoid unnecessary words. Although there’s nothing wrong with using the passive voice occasionally, and sometimes it’s even more appropriate, the active voice always sets a stronger and more direct tone.  

‘A decision was made to finish the assignment today’ 

‘They decided to finish the assignment today’ 

4. Remove unnecessary repetition

    

In academic writing, repetition is a waste of limited word counts and it can make your papers sound lazy and unsubstantial. Fluffy phrases such as ‘in my opinion’ are often repeated unnecessarily, and whole sections of text, such as parts of the methodology, can often be reworded and repeated in the results section.     

‘In my opinion, I think my research shows…’ (‘In my opinion’ and ‘I think’ express the same idea) 

‘My research shows…’ 

5. Delete redundant pairs 

   
   

Redundant pairs are two words next to each other that mean the same thing. They are often examples of cliches, and as such, they’re used without a lot of thought. Instead, choose one word and stick with it. 

‘First and foremost, I will read each and every chapter in the book’ 

‘First, I will read every chapter in the book’ 

How can you make your sentences more concise? 

The best way to practice the art of concision is to work on a sentence or even just a few words at a time. Then: 

• Read the sentence slowly 

• Highlight the most meaningful words 

• Rewrite the sentence focusing on those meaningful words 

Focusing on the meaningful words will help you understand what you’re trying to communicate. By removing and reworking the less important words around it, you’ll make your message clearer and create a more pleasurable experience for the reader.