Learning Portal - Writing : Edit

Be Concise

Being concise means communicating as much information as you can in as few words as you can. In other words, being concise means making sure each sentence counts, which is especially important when you are limited by a word or a page count. One of the keys things to look for when editing for conciseness is whether you are repeating yourself unnecessarily.

For example, do you see the repetition in the first two sentences? The start of the second sentence, "being concise means making sure each sentence counts,"  doesn't add to the definition provided in the first sentence. I could edit the first two sentences to make them a single sentence:

Being concise means communicating as much information as you can in as few words as you can, which is especially important when you are limited by a word or page count.

By doing so, I delete 11 words, giving me more space to further my argument.

Watch the video below (UNC Writing Centre, 2018) for some tips on writing concisely.

For more on writing concisely, check out the video's companion handout developed by the University of North Carolina Writing Centre (2018).

Inclusive Language

Editing is a great time to check your word choices for bias and discriminatory language to ensure that your essay is inclusive. Using inclusive language avoids language that supports stereotypes, bias, and otherwise harmful perspectives. Inclusive language promotes respect and acknowledges the diversity of the human experience. Furthermore, inclusive language has the additional benefit of making your writing clear, by being specific about the people discussed. 

Academic writing is meant to be objective, by which we mean that academic (and professional) writing should be influenced as little as possible by personal feelings and opinions. Facts should be the driving force of an academic argument or the conclusions drawn from research. Biased and stereotyped language can weaken your argument by utilizing personal opinion and beliefs rather than centering objective facts.

Key uses of inclusive language

• Alternate between “he” and “she” in your examples

  • Better yet, use the singular “they”
  • Or rephrase the sentence to use a plural form
    • E.g., “A writer should review his work carefully"

Could become “Writers should review their work carefully”

• Use people- or identity-first language

  • Meaning that you should avoid using adjectives as nouns (e.g., the gays, the poor, an autistic, alcoholics)
  • And use adjectives as adjectives (e.g., gay men, people living in poverty, a person with autism, a person with an alcohol problem or substance use disorder)

• Be specific about who you are talking about

  • Are you discussing ALL of humanity? ALL business owners? Or specifically Canadians? Or business owners in a specific market?

• Avoid unnecessary identifiers

  • Unless you are specifically discussing gender, avoid identifiers such as “policewoman” or “female surgeon” or “male nurse.” Terms such as these suggest that the gender indicated is not the norm and can encourage biased thinking

For more information

• Check out the APA style blog on bias-free language
  • APA's Brief Guide to Bias-Free and Inclusive Language PDF. 
• Try some inclusive writing exercises from Simon Fraser University
• Read chapter 3 of the MLA Handbook, Ninth Edition
• Read chapter 5 of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition

Video: Inclusive Language 101

The following video by Dr. Jennifer Sandoval from the University of Central Florida outlines the importance of using inclusive language: