Sainani SciWrite 3.6

Summary

This video script emphasizes the importance of careful word choice in writing, particularly in scientific literature. It advises against the overuse of synonyms to avoid repetition, as it can lead to confusion and unnecessary complexity. The speaker illustrates this with humorous examples from professional writing and stresses the need for consistency in using key terms and avoiding the creation of non-standard acronyms. The message is clear: it's often better to repeat a keyword for clarity than to obscure meaning with awkward synonyms or acronyms.

Takeaways

• 🔍 Repetition is not always a bad thing; sometimes it's necessary to use the same word to maintain clarity and consistency in writing.
• 📝 Before reaching for a thesaurus to avoid repetition, consider if the second use of the word is actually necessary or if it can be omitted for conciseness.
• 🤔 When a word must be repeated, question whether a synonym truly improves the text or if it introduces unnecessary complexity.
• 🚫 In scientific writing, it is crucial to maintain consistency with key terms to avoid confusing readers about different groups, variables, or instruments.
• 🔑 Consistent use of key terms is essential in scientific literature, as changing terms can lead to misunderstandings about the study's methodology and findings.
• 😅 Unnecessary synonyms, or 'elegant variation,' can lead to amusing and awkward expressions that detract from the clarity of the writing.
• 🛑 Avoid creating acronyms on the fly, as they can confuse readers and disrupt the flow of reading, requiring them to search for definitions.
• 🔬 Use only well-established acronyms like RNA and DNA, and avoid inventing new ones that may not be immediately clear to the reader.
• 📚 Define acronyms clearly in the abstract, within text, tables, and figures, and consider redefining them in different parts of long papers for ease of reference.
• 📉 Overuse of synonyms and acronyms can decrease the readability of a text, making it more difficult for readers to understand and follow the author's arguments.
• ✍️ The speaker emphasizes that it's not only acceptable but often preferable to repeat key words rather than to use awkward synonyms or create confusing acronyms.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the last module for week three in the transcript?

The main focus is on parting tips about repetition, key words, and acronyms in writing, emphasizing the importance of avoiding unnecessary synonyms and the correct use of acronyms.

Why might authors avoid repeating a word in their writing?

Authors often avoid repeating words due to the ingrained belief that repetition should be minimized, which can lead them to use synonyms or reach for a thesaurus to find alternatives.

What is the first question the speaker suggests asking when considering the use of a synonym to avoid repetition?

The first question to ask is whether the second instance of the word is even necessary, as sometimes the repetition is due to unnecessary redundancy.

Can you provide an example from the transcript where unnecessary repetition was replaced with a simpler alternative?

An example given is the use of 'challenges and difficulties' in the same sentence, where only one of the words was needed to convey the message effectively.

Why is it essential to repeat certain words in scientific literature?

Repeating certain words in scientific literature is essential for maintaining consistency when referring to comparison groups, variables, or instruments, which helps avoid confusion for the reader.

What is the term coined by Henry Fowler for the use of needless synonyms?

Henry Fowler coined the term 'elegant variation' for the use of needless synonyms in an attempt to avoid repetition.

What are some amusing examples of needless synonyms provided in the transcript?

Examples include referring to 'banana' as 'elongated yellow fruit', 'beaver' as 'furry pedal-tailed mammal', 'mustache' as 'under nose hair crops', and 'milk from a cow' as 'vitamin laden liquid from a bovine milk factory'.

Why should acronyms be used sparingly in scientific writing?

Acronyms should be used sparingly because they can be confusing for readers, especially when they are not standard or not defined clearly throughout the text.

What advice does the speaker give regarding the use of acronyms in scientific literature?

The speaker advises to use only very standard acronyms like RNA and DNA, and to avoid making up new acronyms as the writing progresses, which can be hard on the reader.

How should acronyms be handled if they must be used in a scientific paper?

If acronyms must be used, they should be defined in the abstract, within each table and figure, and occasionally redefined in different parts of the paper to aid readers who may not read the paper sequentially.

What is the final thought the speaker leaves the audience with regarding repetition and acronyms in writing?

The final thought is to cut down on the use of acronyms and not feel bad about repeating keywords, as it is better to repeat them than to use ridiculous synonyms or create confusing acronyms.

Outlines

00:00

📝 Repetition and Word Choice in Writing

The speaker emphasizes the importance of repetition and the use of synonyms in writing. They discuss how writers often avoid repeating words by using thesaurus to find synonyms, which is not always necessary. The speaker advises to first question if the repeated word is needed at all and, if so, to consider whether the synonym truly improves the text or if repeating the word would be clearer. They highlight the need for consistency in scientific literature, especially when referring to key terms such as variables or study groups, to avoid confusion among readers.

05:02

😄 The Pitfalls of Unnecessary Synonyms

This section of the script provides humorous examples of writers overusing synonyms to avoid repetition, leading to awkward and sometimes nonsensical descriptions. The speaker shares amusing instances from newspaper and magazine articles where simple words were replaced with complex and less clear alternatives, such as 'elongated yellow fruit' instead of 'banana'. The point is made that in the pursuit of avoiding repetition, clarity and simplicity can be lost, which is especially problematic in scientific writing where precision is key.

10:03

🛑 Overuse of Acronyms in Scientific Writing

The final paragraph addresses the common practice of creating acronyms to avoid repeating key terms in scientific literature. The speaker argues that this can be more disruptive than helpful, as it forces readers to search for definitions and can lead to misunderstandings. They advise using only well-established acronyms and to define any new ones clearly and consistently throughout a document. The speaker also suggests redefining acronyms at various points in a paper to aid readers who may not read the document linearly.

Keywords

💡Repetition

Repetition in writing refers to the use of the same word or phrase multiple times within a short span of text. In the video, the speaker emphasizes that while it's often advised to avoid repetition, sometimes it's unnecessary to replace words with synonyms. The theme of the video revolves around the idea that repetition of key terms can be acceptable and even preferable for clarity and consistency, especially in scientific literature.

💡Synonym

A synonym is a word or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word or phrase in the same language. The video discusses the common practice of reaching for a thesaurus to find synonyms to avoid repeating words. However, it cautions against this practice, suggesting that sometimes it's better to repeat a word than to use an awkward or unclear synonym, which can lead to confusion.

💡Thesaurus

A thesaurus is a reference book or a database that lists words grouped together according to their similarity in meaning, allowing one to find synonyms and antonyms. In the script, the thesaurus is mentioned as a tool that writers often use to avoid word repetition. The speaker warns against overusing the thesaurus, as it can lead to the use of synonyms that may not be as clear or appropriate as the original word.

💡Elegant Variation

Elegant variation is a term coined by Henry Fowler to describe the use of unnecessarily complex or obscure synonyms in an attempt to avoid repetition. The video uses this term to highlight amusing examples of synonyms that are overcomplicated, such as referring to 'bananas' as 'elongated yellow fruit', which can detract from the clarity of writing.

💡Scientific Literature

Scientific literature refers to scholarly writings, such as research articles, reviews, and case studies, that are published in academic journals or as books. The video emphasizes the importance of consistent terminology in scientific literature to avoid confusion among readers. It points out that synonyms can be particularly problematic in this context, as they may lead to misunderstandings about the subjects of study.

💡Acronym

An acronym is a word formed from the initial components of a name or phrase, such as 'NATO' from 'North Atlantic Treaty Organization'. The script discusses the overuse of acronyms as a method to avoid repeating full terms, which can be confusing for readers, especially if the acronym is not defined or is used inconsistently.

💡Consistency

Consistency in writing refers to the use of the same term or form throughout a text to maintain clarity and coherence. The video stresses the importance of being consistent with key terms, especially in scientific writing, to ensure that readers can easily follow the discussion without confusion caused by changing terms or the introduction of new acronyms.

💡Clarity

Clarity in writing means expressing ideas in a way that is easy to understand, without ambiguity. The main message of the video is that clarity should not be sacrificed for the sake of avoiding repetition. Repeating key terms can actually enhance clarity, whereas using obscure synonyms or acronyms can make the text harder to understand.

💡Key Terms

Key terms are the central words or concepts in a piece of writing that are crucial for understanding the main ideas. The video script discusses the importance of repeating key terms for the sake of clarity and consistency, rather than replacing them with synonyms or acronyms, which can lead to confusion.

💡Manuscript

A manuscript refers to the written or typed text of a book, article, or other work, which is submitted for publication. In the context of the video, the manuscript is where authors often struggle with the issue of repetition, and the speaker advises against changing key terms within a manuscript to avoid repetition, as it can lead to reader confusion.

💡Reader's Perspective

The reader's perspective is the viewpoint or understanding of the person reading a text. The video emphasizes the importance of writing from the reader's perspective, suggesting that authors should consider how their use of repetition, synonyms, and acronyms will be interpreted by readers to ensure the text is clear and understandable.

Highlights

Repetition is sometimes necessary and preferable in writing to maintain clarity and consistency.

Avoiding repetition by using synonyms can lead to confusion and less clear communication.

Checking the necessity of a word before reaching for a thesaurus to find a synonym is advised.

In scientific literature, it's crucial to repeat the same word for consistency, especially for key terms like variables and study groups.

Unnecessary synonyms, or 'elegant variations', can lead to amusing and sometimes disastrous results in writing.

Examples of amusing synonyms from professional writing illustrate the pitfalls of avoiding repetition.

The importance of maintaining the same terminology for diseases, groups, and variables in scientific writing to prevent reader confusion.

Acronyms can be helpful but should be standard and well-defined to avoid reader confusion.

Creating new acronyms within a text can be distracting and make scientific literature harder to read.

Acronyms should be defined in the abstract and throughout the paper for clarity.

The overuse of acronyms can lead to a disjointed reading experience and the need for the reader to search for definitions.

Repeating key words is often better than using awkward synonyms or creating unnecessary acronyms.

The transcript emphasizes the value of clear and consistent language in scientific writing to enhance understanding.

The importance of considering the reader's experience when deciding whether to use a synonym or repeat a word is highlighted.

The transcript provides guidance on when and how to effectively use repetition in writing to improve clarity.

The potential for confusion caused by changing key terms within a scientific manuscript is discussed.

The transcript concludes with a reminder of the importance of clear, consistent language in scientific communication.

Transcripts

So, in this last module for week three, I just want to give some parting tips about

repetition, key words, and acronyms. Some of these things I've alluded to

already, but they're worth repeating. And so, I'm, as we've going along in some

of modules, I've noted a couple of times something about repetition.

So, I've pointed out to you a few times where I think the authors you know, had

used a word once, and then they found themselves using the same word either

within the same sentence or maybe a sentence nearby.

And they reached either in their brain or, you know, an actual thesaurus, they reach

for a synonym to give a different word there, to replace that word with a synonym

because they didn't want to repeat the word.

And so, I think a lot of us have you know, after years of being told not to repeat

words, somehow, somehow we've got it ingrained that we're never supposed to

repeat a word too close to having used the word before.

And so, this is something that, you know, everybody kind of does.

We find ourselves reaching for the thesaurus.

So, as I've alluded to before, there's a couple of things I want you to do when you

find yourself reaching for the thesaurus to avoid using that word twice or, you

know, multiple times. So, the first question I want you to ask

yourself is whether or not the second instance of the word is even necessary.

And I've given you several examples where when you find yourself repeating the word,

it's actually just because you're being too repetitive, and you don't really need

to use the word at all. There doesn't, there nothing is necessary.

You can just delete it completely. So, so I gave you some examples two weeks

ago, there was a sentence where the author has used challenges and then difficulties.

And, we didn't need challenges and difficulties in the same sentence.

They were both, those words were making the same point.

And in that same sentence, the author used the verbs illustrate and demonstrate.

And, actually, we only need one of those verbs because we could use illustrate or

demonstrate for both solutions and challenges.

So, we could drop one of those verbs altogether.

In an earlier module this week, I gave you an example where in the first sentence the

author wrote, evidence-based medicine teaches clinicians.

And then in the second sentence, they started the next sentence, it guides

clinicians. So, they had to use an it, they replaced

evidence-based medicine with an it., and then they reached for the Thesaurus to

find another word that wasn't teaches but was like teaches, and they found guides.

So, that was another instance where actually we didn't need two sentences

there, and so we ended up deleting one of those sentences and deleting the word

guides and just leaving it teaches. So, a lot of times when you find yourself

reaching for the second instance of that word is actually not even necessary.

It's telling that you need to, need to lead something.

But, of course, there are some times when the word is actually needed.

And then, you may be tempted to say, well, okay, I've, I've gone through, I've vetted

it, and I know I do need to refer to this word again, it's not just repetition.

But I, I still feel like, I won't ever say the same word twice, so you're reaching

for that synonym. Ask yourself the question then, is if the

word is really needed. Is the synonym actually better than just

repeating the word? And so, you can get into a lot of trouble,

and I'm going to show you some amusing examples.

When you're trying too hard to replace a word with a synonym, sometimes, it's

actually better to just repeat the same word and it's okay to repeat a word

sometimes. Now, this is especially important for

scientific literature, for scientific manuscripts because sometimes it's

absolutely essential that you repeat exactly the same word as is every time you

use it in the manuscript. Which may mean, that it's repeated

frequently within, you know, a close distance.

So, these are things like when you're naming the comparison groups in your

study. When you're naming the variables, or

naming the instruments you used. I even see with, with my students that

they are tempted to even change all those words.

So, those key words, and that can lead to all sorts of trouble, right?

So, I've had students come in and, you know, they're working on a particular

disease. Well then, you know, they, there's two

words for the same disease and one is to use the, the one word, and another

instance they use the other word. And, of course, I don't know that those

are exactly the same disease so I think, well, maybe those are slightly different

takes on the same disease, right? It gets the reader confused.

Or, you can imagine if you're calling, you're comparing groups and you've got

like an obese group and a lean group. And, one case you call it the obese group

versus the lean group, but then later on you say, well, I already used those terms

so I'm going to call it the heavier group versus the lighter group.

Well, that's problematic because now, as the reader, I'm going to myself, oh, is

that a new group? Have you redefined the groups?

Have you rejiggered the categories? You know, I think that you're talking

about a whole different group. So, it's absolutely essential in

scientific writing that you be consistent in how you name those keywords.

So, again, I just want to repeat, [laugh] I want to repeat to you that it's okay to

repeat a word. Sometimes it's necessary to repeat a word,

and sometimes it's actually better to repeat that word than to reach for the,

the awkward synonym. And, there's some fun examples that I just

have to share with you of, of needless synonyms.

So, this is instances where professional writers, these are all examples that came

from newspaper and magazine articles, they kind of have this oh, I can't repeat a

word, you know, drilled into them. And so, they went to find a synonym, two

simple words and came up with these kind of very amusing synonyms, so I have to

share some of these with you. These examples, by the way, were compiled

in an article in Time, and I have the reference down there if you want to read

further and find some more of these examples.

Probably, the most famous example of this is there was an article that somebody was

writing about a fruit company. And, they used the word banana several

times because, of course, not surprisingly, since it was an article

about fruit. And they felt like, oh, I've used the, the

word banana too many times. And so, at one point, you know, three or

four bananas into the piece, they started referring to the banana as the elongated

yellow fruit and you can see that that's just kind of ridiculous.

It's probably just better to say banana. I've got several other cute examples of

this. So, there was a piece in the newspaper

where the author was talking about a beaver.

And the author replaced beaver on a, you know, a second or third reference with the

furry, pedal-tailed mammal. Another article, mustache was replaced

with under nose hair crops. Another article, milk from a cow was

referred to as the vitamin laden liquid from a bovine milk factory.

So, you can see these just, you know, they're really funny because it's, the,

the author's just trying too hard, just go with a simple word.

And then, finally, there was an example where somebody replaced the word skis, and

they've used skis already so they didn't want to repeat so they replaced skis with

the beatified barrel staves. So, you can see how quite amusing it is

when you're trying too hard to come up with synonyms.

It would have better just in all those cases to stick with a simple word.

And, if you want to read more about this, there's that Time article that I, I have

on the, the earlier slide. And then, Henry Fowler actually coined the

term elegant variation for this kind of needless synonyms.

So, he came up with this term of, of people trying too hard to come up with a

synonym rather than just using the simple word to avoid repetition.

And so, if you want to read his whole, whole article on elegant variation, the

link is there for those of you who are curious.

And, I just want to, you know, emphasize again that, you know, I'm giving you some

examples that are a little amusing or inelegant in, you know, magazine articles.

And it, but, you know, elongated yellow fruit, everybody's going to understanding

your meaning. It's even more disastrous, not just

needless, it's kind of sometimes disastrous in scientific writing to

substitute a key word with a synonym. So, again, the reader, if you, if you

start switching around the names of your groups, the names of variables to, just to

avoid repetition, your readers actually going to think that you're referring to

different groups, different variables, models, instruments.

And so, it was really disastrous. And I've, I've reviewed many, many papers

where this has been a major problem because I actually thought that the

authors were, you know, talking about two different groups, or talking about two

different variables, and I didn't realize that they were actually talking, referring

to the same thing. But, they changed their words, probably to

avoid repetition. So, you don't need to avoid repetition.

So, it's not, it's, it's actually okay and preferable in many cases to repeat a word,

especially a key word. And this leads to a final thought in

acronyms which I've mentioned in an earlier module but it's, it's worth

repeating. Again, it's okay to repeat words and I,

and I think one of the reasons that acronyms have become so just widespread in

he scientific literature is simply that, I think, when authors are writing, you know,

they're writing this same key word over and over again.

It's not that, its not like that they get a little lazy and don't want to keep

typing it out. I think that they have this thought, oh, I

can't repeat a word and they feel this, you know, angst about the fact that

they're repeating this keyword so many times.

So then, they fall into the trap of making an acronym to avoid repeating it.

Well, it would be better again, just to write out the keyword than to just make up

acronyms all over the place. As I talked about in an earlier module, we

had the example where an author had abbreviated Micro RNA, which of course, is

itself already an acronym, with the acronym MIR.

And I should point out sometimes people make the distinction between acronyms and

initialisms. Acronyms actually, you know, making a kind

of a new word, and initialisms just being the initials.

I'm not going to, I just tend to refer to them, to them all as acronyms but I'll

point out that distinction. So, you can see that, that you know, using

MIR in this case rather than micro RNA was really unnecessary.

It only saved a few letters, and the author's, you know, the reader is not

going to know what MIR is. It would have been easier for the reader

if he just, repeated micro RNA. So again, I'm going to repeat myself and

say to you, please only use very, very standard acronyms like RNA and DNA.

And please, don't make acronyms as you go along make them up, you know?

A lot of authors do this nowadays, when they're writing on, saying, oh, I have to

just keep saying the same keyword, I'm just going to come up with an acronym.

That's really, really, really hard on the reader.

And, I can't tell you how many papers I've been reviewing where I've, you know,

gotten lost in acronyms because there's just, they're just so all over the place.

In, in manuscripts nowadays, and it's not that easy to find the definition.

So basically, I have, as a reviewer, I have to stop, or a reader, say, oh, what

was that acronym? Now, I'm going to search through the whole

paper to try to find where they defined that acronym.

It's really distracting and makes the paper much, much harder to read.

So, I'm going to really encourage you to give up the acronyms except the ones that

are most absolutely the standard. And if there's a few acronyms that you

can't let go of, or that you absolutely won't let go of, at least make sure that

you define them in the abstract as well as within each table and figure, as well as

within the text. Because remember, reader's are not

necessarily reading all of those parts. And for long papers, I actually recommend

that you redefine those acronyms occasionally in different parts of the

paper because most readers don't typically sit down and read a paper from start to

finish. So, just because you had that acronym

early on, and defined it early on, doesn't mean that it's going to be easier for the

reader to find that definition. So again, try to cut down on your use of

acronyms and don't feel bad about repeating those keywords.

It's better to repeat those keywords, than to find ridiculous synonyms for them, or

to turn them into acronyms. The preceding program is copyrighted by

the Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.

Please visit us at med.stanford.edu.