10 More Ways to Reduce Your Word Count in Academic Writing
Many writers in academia struggle to meet word, page, or character limits. And this struggle is not limited to a particular field. Regardless of your expertise, you will face space limitations when writing a manuscript, grant proposal, abstract, or other document.
Some writers enjoy the challenge of cutting text to meet a word limit (I certainly do). But others feel overwhelmed by this process. To help writers more easily cut words, I shared some tricks that I use to reduce the word count. This article has become overwhelmingly popular, so I have put together a list of even more ways to reduce the word count of your writing.
1. Revise nominalizations
Many scientific and medical writers morph verbs and adjectives into nominalizations. When used intentionally, nominalizations can be a powerful tool for naming concepts or describing a complex idea in a few words, such as mutation or expression. But when used too often, nominalizations rob writing of energy and clarity, and they add words to your writing.
Example 1
Original: We found that mutation of the protein is dependent on the adenine mutation. (13 words, 75 characters)
Revised: We found that the mutated protein depends on the adenine mutation. (11 words, 6 characters)
2. Reduce redundancy
Redundancies are instances in which a term or phrase unnecessarily repeats words or meanings. You can easily condense redundancies to reduce the length of your text—with the added bonus of also boosting clarity.
Example 2
Original: Our results show that the protein is small in size and located near to the cell membrane. (17 words, 89 characters)
Revised: Our results show that the protein is small and located near the cell membrane. (14 words, 78 characters)
3. Cut filler words
Academic authors often use filler words in their writing that can be easily deleted. Phrases such as literature shows or studies have shown are often unnecessary, and they can disrupt the flow of your writing.
Example 3
Original: Previous studies have shown that the protein is localized in the cytoplasm. (12 words, 75 characters)
Revised: The protein is localized in the cytoplasm. (7 words, 42 characters)
4. Delete references to previous content
Similar to filler words, you can easily shave a few words off your word count if you do not refer to previous content with phrases such as as described in the previous section.
Example 4
Original: As mentioned in the previous paragraph, cognitive impairment affects memory function. (11 words, 85 characters)
Revised: Cognitive impairment affects memory function. (5 words, 45 characters)
5. Replace “compared to”
When making comparisons in your writing, replace compared to with the word than or versus.
Example 5
Original: Patients with diabetes had higher blood pressure compared to patients without diabetes. (12 words, 89 characters)
Revised: Patients with diabetes had higher blood pressure than patients without diabetes. (11 words, 80 characters)
Example 6
Original: Resistance was greater in cells treated with the drug compared to cells left untreated. (14 words, 89 characters)
Revised: Resistance was greater in cells treated with the drug versus cells left untreated. (13 words, 82 characters)
6. Delete spaces around mathematical operators
An easy way to reduce the word count is to remove the spaces between numbers and mathematical operators, such as =, <, or >.
Example 7
Original: The trial classified participants as those with hypertension (n = 65) or without hypertension (n = 11). (17 words, 103 characters)
Revised: The trial classified participants as those with hypertension (n=65) or without hypertension (n=11). (13 words, 99 characters)
Note that some style guides require spaces around mathematical operators. Be sure to check the style guide of the journal or other agency to ensure you use the correct format.
7. Remove “of”
The preposition of is often overused in formal writing. With some minor rephrasing, you can remove this proposition to shorten the text.
Example 8
Original: The results showed higher levels of enzymes in the livers of mice. (12 words, 66 characters)
Revised: The results showed higher enzyme levels in mouse livers. (9 words, 56 characters)
Be careful that making this type of revision does not create noun strings, which are complex phrases that are difficult for readers to digest.
8. Pluralise
In some cases, you can transform the singular form of a word into the plural form to reduce the word count. For example, you can use mice instead of a mouse, or students instead of a student.
Example 9
Original: A patient with high cholesterol may also have hypertension.
Revised: Patients with high cholesterol may also have hypertension.
9. Cut repetitions
Carefully reading through your text to cut out repetitions—text or content—is an easy way to quickly reduce your word count. This process is often more time-consuming than some of the other tricks. But it can also lead to more significant cuts than a word here and there.
Keep in mind that your brain may have a hard time recognizing repetitions in your writing. To make this process easier, you might try reading your document backward, sentence by sentence. This will help your mind more clearly see where there might be repetitions in your writing.
10. Remove unnecessary content
One of the most difficult parts of editing your own writing is deleting text. You might feel attached to the way you worded something or to including a particular concept in your writing. But every word should do important work in your writing.
Carefully read your draft and think critically about each piece of information you include. Delete anything that is not critical to keep. If you find that you still have trouble identifying unnecessary content, reach out to a professional editor or trusted colleague for help. They have a fresh pair of eyes and an unbiased view that can help you find content that can be deleted.
Are you struggling to condense your text? Download our free guide and cheat sheets to help you meet a word, page, or character limit?
