APA Fact of the Week – Concise Writing

Academic writing should be concise and clear. When APA editing a document, cut clutter and unnecessary words to make the finished product professional, polished, and clean. There are a several ways to write concisely without sacrificing valuable information.
Eliminate words that do not carry meaning. Such words may include that, there is, unfortunately, and it is important to. Condense larger phrases when applicable. Instead of writing conducted a study to investigate, simply write investigated.
Example:
I thought that the coffee maker had a valve that was broken.
After revision, this sentence becomes:
I thought the coffee maker had a broken valve.

Example:
Unfortunately, the problem was one that did not get solved.
After revision, this sentence becomes:
The problem remained unsolved.

Writers should avoid redundancy. Examples of redundant phrases include general public, close proximity, basic fundamentals, final outcome, and join together. Cut two words that have the same meaning if there is a way to communicate the intended meaning in one word.
Example:
The baker reviewed the basic fundamentals of the industrial oven.
Revised for concise language, this sentence becomes:
The baker reviewed the fundamentals of the industrial oven.

Avoid prepositions when they are superfluous. If a word is unnecessary to the sentence, omit it. Such examples include stand up, spell out, and quiet down.
Example:
Make sure you write down his name on the sheet.
After revision, this sentence becomes:
Make sure you write his name on the sheet.