Five Academic English Mistakes That Prevent Publication

Many strong research papers are rejected because of academic English mistakes, not science. In fact, as an editorial board member and someone who has reviewed many manuscripts as a peer reviewer, if the abstract is written poorly, I’m not going to accept the review request. I don’t have time to fight to understand what the authors are trying to communicate. This post will help you avoid having your paper stuck under review because reviewers can’t be found. You’ll learn five common academic writing mistakes that reduce your chances of publication and how to fix them.

So, you completed the study. The data are strong. The journal is a good fit.
So why was your paper rejected? In many cases, the problem is not the science; it’s the English. And not simply the grammar. Check your paper to make sure you’re not guilty of doing any of the following:

1. Claims that sound too strong

Academic writing requires precision and appropriate hedging.

DON’T SAY: “This proves that…”


DO SAY: “These findings suggest that…”

Overstated claims reduce credibility. Be especially careful not to imply causality if your study design does not allow you to make these claims. You’re probably heard “Correlation does not mean causation”. But sometimes we write as though we have forgotten this! For example, if you conducted a cross-sectional survey, you cannot say: “Higher ultra-processed food intake leads to increased risk of obesity in adults.” Instead, you should say something like: “A positive association between ultra-processed food intake and obesity was observed.” This revised sentence avoids causal language.

2. Informal vocabulary

Words like “a lot”, “things”, or “big” weaken your argument. Use discipline-specific terminology and measurable descriptions.

DON’T SAY: Eating a lot of sugar had a big effect on blood lipids.

DO SAY: Participants in the highest quartile of free sugar intake were more likely to have elevated serum triglyceride levels compared with those in the lowest quartile.

Make this statement even better by adding the numerical difference between groups.

3. Poor paragraph structure

Reviewers expect a clear pattern:
Topic sentence --> supporting sentences that provide evidence and interpretation --> concluding sentence that restates what the paragraph communicates. Check out this blog post for more on paragraph structure (2 minute read):

Without this structure, your argument is difficult to follow.

4. Missing transition language

Your ideas may be correct, but without logical connectors (however, in contrast, further, therefore), the paper reads like a list rather than an argument. This blog post tells you how to use logical connectors correctly.

5. Grammar or punctuation errors that change meaning

Small issues like comma splices, article misuse, and verb tense shifts can obscure your results and frustrate reviewers. Check out this blog post on comma splices. It can be helpful for a native speaker to review your writing for these small problems.

Take Home Message

Overall, reviewers evaluate clarity as well as content. If a reviewer has to work hard to understand your paper, they are more likely to recommend rejection. Before submitting your next manuscript, book a publication-focused editing session and improve your chances of acceptance.

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