Found in 2-4% of dissertation paragraphs. Saying the same thing twice in slightly different words doesn't add emphasis—it signals sloppy editing.
Remove the redundant word that duplicates part of the acronym.
Redundancy in academic writing takes two forms. The obvious kind is "ATM machine" or "PIN number"—repeating a word that's already embedded in an acronym. The subtle kind is restating the same idea in adjacent sentences or using phrases like "past history," "future plans," or "end result" where one word does the job of two.
Dissertations are particularly prone to redundancy because of how they're written. You draft Chapter 2 in March, revise it in June, add a section in August, and by December, you've said the same thing three different ways across twelve pages. You don't notice because you never read it straight through the way your committee will.
The cost isn't just word count. Redundancy makes your committee question whether you recognize that you're repeating yourself—or worse, whether you're padding to hit a page count. It also muddies your argument: when a reader encounters the same point restated, they wonder if you're making a new point they're missing. Cut the repetition, and your actual argument comes into sharper focus.
RAS syndrome (redundant acronym syndrome) is considered poor style in academic writing.
Participants submitted documents to the IRB board for approval.
Participants submitted documents to the IRB for approval.
"IEP" already contains "plan," and "annually" already means "each year." Double redundancy.
The IEP plan should be reviewed annually each year to ensure it meets the student's needs.
The IEP should be reviewed annually to ensure it meets the student's needs.
"Collaborate" inherently means working together. "Group project" is redundant with "small groups."
The participants were asked to collaborate together in small groups to work on the group project.
The participants collaborated in small groups on the project.
"SES" includes "status." "Instrument" and "tool" are synonymous here.
The SES status of the participants was measured using a validated survey instrument tool.
Participants' SES was measured using a validated survey instrument.
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