Style

Tense
Active and passive voice
Objectivity
Inclusive language
Word choice
Spelling

Tense

Tense within a piece of writing may need to change depending on the purpose of the writing at the time (e.g., reporting, discussing, attributing, analysing). Although usage on this matter sometimes varies between disciplines, the following rules generally apply.

Use the past tense when reporting something that happened entirely in the past, such as the reporting of methods, experiments and results, or specific past findings or statements.

The plots were measured twice a day for two weeks.

Use the present tense when analysing, interpreting or making conclusions about material under discussion.

Ned Kelly's character is presented sympathetically by Carey.

Active and passive voice

Active or passive voice refers to whether the subject acts, or is acted upon.

The respondent returned the questionnaire. (active voice)

The questionnaire was returned by the respondent. (passive voice)

Academic (particularly scientific) writing is often composed in the passive voice as a way of implying objectivity or removing focus from the writer/researcher, and this is a traditional and acceptable practice. However, passive voice is also used by some writers who believe it makes their writing sound authoritative or commanding. In reality, misuse or overuse of the passive voice produces clumsy and confusing sentences, as in the example below:

Tests that were performed on participants who were infected with the virus and had been given incorrect levels of medication were found to have not been carried out according to the procedure that had been recorded in the manual.

Because conventions regarding the use of passive and active voice vary significantly between subject areas, students should follow the advice of their lecturer. Note, however, that when using active voice in academic work, it is generally advisable to avoid the use of 'I' and 'me'.

Objectivity

Most essay and report writing requires the objective presentation of data and ideas. In these types of assignments, your writing should not usually express personal beliefs or feelings. However, sometimes you will be asked for your conclusions or opinions, and these should always be clearly expressed as your own. Note that you should avoid introducing your ideas with over-generalisations such as 'It is obvious that', or 'As everybody knows'. Common sense or 'universal' knowledge is not academic evidence.

Inclusive language

It is very important to give careful thought to the language you use to ensure that you treat all people fairly. Accepted current practice and University policy require that you write in a way that does not suggest bias or prejudice on the basis of such characteristics as gender, culture, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, age or religion. This is known as inclusive language.

The following guidelines are designed to assist in the choice of inclusive language.

Avoid 'man' or 'mankind' as an interchangeable term for people. Instead, refer to 'human beings', 'people' or 'society'
Avoid 'the average man'; instead, use 'the average person'.
Avoid the suffix 'man' in occupational or other titles; for example, use 'police officer' instead of 'policeman', and 'chair' instead of 'chairman'.
Avoid generic use of male pronouns ('he', 'his', 'him'). Methods could include the following:
- Omit the pronoun: 'A staff member's seniority can be judged from salary.'
- Rewrite as plural: 'Lecturers should display their timetables on the door.'
- Make impersonal: 'The driver of the unregistered car is not allowed to leave.'
- Use both pronouns: 'he or she' or 'her or his'.
Avoid gratuitous mention of specific characteristics. Do not refer to gender, sexual orientation, religion, race, age, appearance or disability if it has no relevance to the context. For example, references to a 'male nurse' or a 'female judge' may be inappropriate unless the specific characteristics are relevant to the context.
Be consistent. If you use one title or form of phrase when writing about men, use the same form when writing about women. For example:
- Only use the word 'girls' if you would use 'boys' in the same context.
- Use titles or first names consistently for both men and women.
  
  Inconsistency can be particularly objectionable when a condescending attitude is implied; for example, 'the girls in the office' rather than 'the staff in the office'.
Use 'Ms', rather than 'Miss' or 'Mrs', except where the traditional forms are more appropriate. (It shows bias to imply marital status for women but not for men.)
Vary word order. Traditional word order in English follows a conventional pattern that subordinates women. Examples are the phrases 'he and she', 'men and women' and 'husband and wife'. If such a pattern develops in your own writing, vary the order.
Take care when quoting. If a quotation reflects an unnecessary or inappropriate bias, consider paraphrasing rather than quoting directly.

Word choice

Although academic writing requires a reasonable standard of literacy, the main aim should be to communicate ideas as clearly as possible, rather than try to impress. Simple words used carefully are more effective communicators than 'big' words used poorly.

It is also important in formal or academic writing to avoid words that fall within the following categories:

Colloquialisms or slang: These are words or expressions appropriate in conversational language but unsuitable in formal writing; for example, 'bucks' for 'dollars', 'guys' for 'people', and so on.
Clichés: These are phrases that are overused to the point of becoming fillers, rather than adding anything original; for example, 'last but not least', 'from bad to worse', 'there are two sides to every question', 'as good as gold', and so on.
Tautologies: These are words or phrases that, when used together, create unnecessary repetition; for example, 'fatal death', 'new innovation', 'cohort group', and so on.
Jargon: These are technical or specialised words or phrases used within a particular trade, profession or similar group. Avoid using such terms except where the context makes it appropriate. Where particular topics or subject areas require you to use such terms, it is important that you use them precisely.

Spelling

Whichever words you choose, make sure the spelling is correct. Generally, Australian English spelling is preferred over US English spelling, but whichever spelling style is followed, apply that style consistently throughout a piece of work.

Always take the time to check (using an authoritative source) words that fall within the categories below, even if you consider yourself a 'good' speller.

Names (people, places, organisations, etc.)
Technical or scientific terminology
Foreign language words or terms

If you are unsure of the correct spelling of a word or term, consult a dictionary. There is nothing wrong with using a word processing spellchecker to pick up spelling errors, but be aware that spellcheckers will not pick up on words spelled correctly, but used incorrectly.