What is good academic writing style?

Good academic style is clear, concise, precise, and well-organised. It uses plain words where they work, keeps sentences a manageable length, puts one idea in each paragraph, and signposts the logic so a specialist reader follows it on the first pass. Clarity, not complexity, is the mark of skilled scholarly writing.

Can I use the first person (I or we) in academic writing?

In most fields, yes. Using 'we measured' instead of 'it was measured' is clearer and increasingly accepted, including by many science journals. The old blanket rule against the first person is outdated, but check your target journal's style, since conventions still vary by discipline.

Should academic writing use the passive voice?

Use it deliberately, not by default. The passive is useful when the doer is unknown or irrelevant, or to keep the topic at the start of the sentence. But overusing it makes prose vague and wordy. The active voice is usually clearer and shorter, so reach for it unless there is a reason not to.

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Academic writing style

Q: How do I make my academic writing more concise?

Cut empty phrases (in order to becomes to; due to the fact that becomes because), prefer the active voice where it reads naturally, turn nominalisations back into verbs (an investigation of becomes investigated), and delete words that add no information. Edit in passes, fixing one problem at a time rather than everything at once.

By Dr. Rafiq Muhammad, MD, PhD · Updated June 2026

The biggest myth in academic writing is that complicated prose signals serious thought. The opposite is true: the clearest writers are usually the clearest thinkers. Your job is to move an idea from your head into a busy reader’s head with as little friction as possible. Four qualities do most of that work — clarity, concision, cohesion, and tone — and you fix them in ordered passes, not all at once.

The four qualities

Clarity. One idea per sentence, plain words where they work, the subject and verb close together.
Concision. Cut every word that adds no information — most first drafts shed 15–20% with no loss.
Cohesion. Each sentence connects to the last; paragraphs open with a topic sentence and follow one thread.
Tone. Formal but human — precise, measured, and appropriately hedged, without being stiff or pompous.

Concision moves that always help

Instead of	Write
in order to	to
due to the fact that	because
conducted an investigation of	investigated
a large number of	many
it is important to note that	(usually: delete)

The pattern: turn nominalisations back into verbs (“an investigation of” → “investigated”), prefer the active voice where it reads naturally, and delete throat-clearing.

Two style myths to drop

“Never use I or we.” Outdated — “we measured” is clearer than “it was measured,” and most journals now accept it (check yours). “Always use the passive voice.” Use it deliberately — when the doer is unknown or to keep the topic up front — not as a default that makes everything vague. Reach for the active voice unless there’s a reason not to.

Edit in passes

Don’t try to fix structure, clarity, and grammar in one read. Make separate passes: first structure (does each paragraph earn its place?), then sentence clarity, then cohesion between sentences, then a final proofread. Fixing one layer at a time is faster and catches more — which is exactly how the free self-edit checklist below is built.

Clear style serves clear structure — pair this with the IMRaD guide for section-level shape and the abstract guide for the highest-stakes paragraph you’ll write.

Get the free Academic Writing toolkit

The layered self-edit checklist behind this guide — fix paragraph structure, sentence clarity, cohesion, and tone in ordered passes with before-and-after rewrites — from Write and Publish a Scientific Paper. We’ll email you the download link.

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Frequently asked questions

What is good academic style?

Clear, concise, precise, and well-organised — plain words, one idea per sentence, signposted logic. Clarity over complexity.

Can I use I or we?

In most fields, yes — it’s clearer than the passive. Check your target journal’s conventions.

How do I write more concisely?

Cut empty phrases, prefer active voice, turn nominalisations back into verbs, and delete words that add nothing.

Should I use the passive voice?

Deliberately, not by default — when the doer is unknown or to keep the topic up front. Otherwise the active voice is clearer.

Citation styles → Open the Citation Formatter →