Integrating ideas with reporting words

Source: https://learninglab.rmit.edu.au/referencing/integrating-ideas-reporting-words/ Parent: https://learninglab.rmit.edu.au/

Whether you are paraphrasing or quoting, integrating the ideas of others with your own argument is an important part of clear, cohesive communication. It’s easy to become repetitive, using ‘this author states’ and ‘that author states’ over and over. Keep reading to learn about how to use a variety of reporting verbs in your writing.

When using reporting verbs, remember to use a variety of them. If you constantly use 'reports' or 'states', your writing will become repetitive. Also, reporting verbs reflect your attitude towards the information you have included in your writing, and generally they are sorted into three categories: tentative, neutral and strong.

Compare the following sentences- can you tell which reporting verb is tentative, which is neutral and which is strong?\ \

Common reporting verbs

Tentative

• admit
• caution
• concede
• consider
• hypothesise
• imply
• postulate
• propose
• question
• recommend
• restate
• speculate
• suggest

Neutral

• assume
• comment
• compare
• contrast
• define
• demonstrate
• discuss
• examine
• explain
• explore
• focus on
• find
• indicate
• mention
• note
• observe
• point out
• present
• reflect
• regard
• show
• state
• take into consideration
• view

Strong

• acknowledge
• advocate
• affirm
• argue
• assert
• challenge
• confirm
• conclude
• contend
• deny
• determine
• dispute
• doubt
• emphasise
• endorse
• establish
• highlight
• infer
• insist
• maintain
• object to
• oppose
• recommend
• reject
• refute
• stress

Using tenses when reporting

Note, the tenses used when reporting published research can indicate much more than simply when something happened; the tense shows if the ideas are current. Tense use can vary a little with subject areas, so check the literature in your field for guidance. Here are some general patterns of tense use.

Present tense

Use present tense to discuss findings from the literature that are generally considered factual and current.\ For example: Trang (2020) emphasises that this is not the case.

Present perfect tense

Use present tense to give the general background of past research and to show that previous research still influences current thinking.\ For example: Research has indicated that economic factors are a major influence on the outcomes of planning strategies (Kendall, 2021; Steadman, 2022).

Past tense

Use past tense:

• When describing how a previous study was conducted.\ For example: Smith (2021) conducted a review of data from 2022.
• When referring to specific findings of previous studies.\ For example: Lee (2023) found that resource provision was problematic in this case.
• When referring to information or theories that were considered true in the past, but outdated today.\ For example: Caldez (1932) claimed that the use of lead in paint created a faster-drying product.

Test your knowledge

\

Keywords

• Academic writing
• Referencing

Embed this page