Course: Research Methods
Clichés are overused expressions or ideas that have lost their original impact or novelty due to excessive repetition.
Avoid these in academic and scientific writing!
Both in social research and daily communication, we find clichés. After all, they’re common phrases or ideas that we repeatedly hear. However, in scientific writing, especially in fields like criminal justice, social work, and political science, using clichés can diminish the impact of your work.
Clichés in Criminal Justice
Let’s take an example from criminal justice. If we say, “Crime doesn’t pay,” it’s a cliché. It’s an expression we’ve heard so many times that it doesn’t have the same punch it once did. Afterward, if we want our research to stand out, we need to find original ways to express our ideas and findings. Whether we’re examining crime rates, rehabilitation methods, or law enforcement tactics, it’s crucial to use specific, clear language. Above all, avoiding clichés will help ensure that our points are understood and taken seriously.
Social Work
In the field of social work, clichés can also be problematic. A common one is “Break the cycle,” often used when discussing generational poverty or abuse. After all, it’s an idea that’s been repeated so often that it’s lost its originality. Instead, social work researchers might write about strategies for disrupting patterns of behavior or altering family dynamics. Not only does this make the writing more interesting, but it also allows for a more nuanced discussion. Afterward, all in all, avoiding clichés leads to more precise and impactful communication.
Political Science
Lastly, let’s consider political science. Phrases like “the halls of power” or “political football” are clichés because they’re used so often. They may be easy to use, but they don’t add much to our understanding of political processes or dynamics. If a political science researcher is discussing legislative decision-making, for instance, they could replace “halls of power” with more precise terms like “legislative bodies” or “government institutions”. Accordingly, this makes the writing more specific and insightful.
The Importance of Avoiding Clichés
Avoiding clichés in scientific writing can improve the clarity and impact of your research. Both in crafting your hypotheses and presenting your results, original and precise language is key. After all, you’re contributing new ideas to your field. Therefore, your writing should reflect that novelty and specificity.
All things considered, clichés are easy to fall back on but don’t serve scientific writing well. Above all, in fields like criminal justice, social work, and political science, specificity and originality are vital. Therefore, keep clichés out of your research to maintain the quality and seriousness of your work.