Editverse: Tense Usage in Research Papers

Verb Tense in Research Papers: A Section-by-Section Guide

Quick Answer: Verb tense in research papers follows the job of each section: use the past tense for what you did and found (Methods and Results), the present tense for what is established and what your results mean (Introduction, Discussion, Conclusions), and the present perfect for bodies of earlier work. APA’s verb tense table sets these rules for Methods (past), Results (past), and Discussion and…

Editverse: Avoiding Anthropomorphism in Science Writing

Avoiding Anthropomorphism in Science Writing & Research Papers

Imagine being in a literature class. The professor says, “The book screamed at me…every time I misinterpreted a character’s intentions.” You might be puzzled. This situation brings up the idea of objects or books acting like people. We call this anthropomorphism. In creative writing, it can be fun. But, in scientific work, it can cause misunderstandings. Quick Tips – Avoiding Anthropomorphism in Scientific Writing Anthropomorphism…