Research writing is a very tedious task among researchers. Grammar for instance becomes an obstacle since some of the reseachers are not native speakers.
How can one manage such problem if they are prone to grammatical errors?
What are some common mistakes in grammar that researchers commit and how to avoid it?
Are there other mechanisms to improve your grammar writing? (Subtitute for grammarly)
Any professional tips and advices are highly regarded and appreciated.
Thank you!
John - I personally don't find academic writing tedious - but I certainly might find it far more of a 'chore' if English was not my native language. As an active reviewer, the main mistakes I see are obvious tense errors, missing words, verbose (over-technical), not following author guidelines, incorrect citation etc
There are 'standard' tips for overcoming the 'grammar barrier' - but the results can be variable i.e:
Use of professional editors. This can be local or online national/international.
Some publishing houses i.e. Wiley are starting to offer their own editing services.
Network and work with native-English speakers as a regular member of your project team.
Online tools i.e. grammarly are useful support mechanisms - but should not be over-relied on. They can only 'compensate' a little - and are prone to their own errors.
Another important thing to remember - not all native English-speakers are good writers - so choose carefully.
Wrong tense, long sentences, incorrect words, sentences that make no sense at all, jargon, too many keyboard symbols, too many abbreviations, etc...
John - I personally don't find academic writing tedious - but I certainly might find it far more of a 'chore' if English was not my native language. As an active reviewer, the main mistakes I see are obvious tense errors, missing words, verbose (over-technical), not following author guidelines, incorrect citation etc
There are 'standard' tips for overcoming the 'grammar barrier' - but the results can be variable i.e:
Use of professional editors. This can be local or online national/international.
Some publishing houses i.e. Wiley are starting to offer their own editing services.
Network and work with native-English speakers as a regular member of your project team.
Online tools i.e. grammarly are useful support mechanisms - but should not be over-relied on. They can only 'compensate' a little - and are prone to their own errors.
Another important thing to remember - not all native English-speakers are good writers - so choose carefully.
Some help from expert in language is always required to minimise the errors of spelling and grammar
The reviewers are also good source to point out the errors and suggest the areas to be improved
Use of proper technical word selection and passive sentences will increase your efficiency in grammar.
Satish - I personally would not recommend seeing reviewers as 'editors'. I review for over 40 peer-review international journals. I don't edit manuscripts. Instead, I give general feedback that there are multiple errors grammar etc - and may point out one or two examples - so that it is left up to the author/s to work out what they need to do. Usually, multiple errors means that the manuscript is more likely to be rejected - so it is best to attend to proof-reading/editing before submission for review.
You may use following effective alternatives to Grammarly ,
1. The Ginger Grammar Checker helps you write better English and efficiently corrects texts. You have option to accept or reject the suggestion. You can install free plug In which has weekly words limits. If you purchase it, no word limit and can be used for three PCs.
2. http://www.reverso.net/spell-checker/english-spelling-grammar/
Available Online, Free but words limit for per checking and per day also. I found it as useful, if you are checking your limited text written on daily basis. It is also powered by Ginger.
My sincerest appreciation to your professional opinion Dr. Dean Whitehead. You have enlightened my perspective.
To Dr. Sandip A Kale, my warmest gratitude, I am currently utilizing the link and grammar checker you've recommended.
To Drs.Mohammed Anas Chowdhury, Satish Narula and Andrew Paul McKenzie Pegman, thank you for your wonderful insights and experiences that you shared!
I’m a reviewer too and in addition to providing feedback, I do correct every grammatical and formatting error that I find
I think collaborating with experienced native speakers in this regard is very useful.
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