Evaluating your claims - getting it right!

You can use cautious language to indicate:

• The strength of the evidence you use to support your claims.
• Your level of confidence in your conclusions

Cautious language is linked to an objective style of writing, and you will often find this used in subjects in which academic texts deal with qualitative evidence and explanations or implications.

• Example: Green (2022) suggests that it may be possible to develop theories on the relationship between population and social evolution.

In scientific subjects however, a greater level of certainty is often expressed in texts which deal with quantitatively measurable results or evidence.

• Example: Results clearly indicate an evidential link between the prescribed drugs and observed positive improvements in patient behaviour.

You can use varying levels of certainty (low / medium / high) as a barometer (Lingard, 2020) to indicate your confidence in the strength of your claim. To do this successfully, you should ask yourself firstly, how certain you are of your claim; secondly, which features of cautious language you want to use.

• Softening the claim

Example: Word of mouth is one of the most valuable forms of marketing simply because people will buy something if they receive a recommendation from someone they trust or admire.

Arguably, word of mouth can be considered one of the most valuable forms of marketing as people are more likely to buy something if they receive a recommendation from someone they trust or admire.

• Strengthening the claim

Example: Instead of brands trying hard to market to thousands of individuals, a brand can use influencer marketing to find one suitable influencer to perhaps gain access to thousands of their followers.

Evidently, instead of brands trying hard to market to thousands of individuals, a brand should use influencer marketing to find one suitable influencer to gain access to thousands of their followers.

Generally, in order to express a more nuanced claim, you will need to draw on a range of features of cautious language. These features can be divided into the following types:

• Introductory verbs (e.g. suggest, tend to, assume, indicate)
• Adverbs (e.g. arguably, conceivably, possibly)
• Modal verbs (e.g. can, could, may, might, should)
• Adjectives (e.g. likely, unlikely, possible, probable)
• Nouns (e.g. indication, tendency, evidence, possibility)
• Other words or phrases (e.g. somewhat, often, generally, If true…)

The infographic below has been taken from www.eapfoundation.com and highlights the most commonly used features of cautious language (hedging).

Examples of cautious language in use

The following example passage is taken from www.eapfoundation.com and outlines the research results and evaluation of a modelling study: Potential impact on prevalence of obesity in the UK of a 20% price increase in high sugar snacks. The text shows how to successfully incorporate a range of cautious language features into your writing as a means to avoiding expressing certainty.

Over-generalisations and absolute statements can often serve to weaken your claims. Therefore, you should try to maintain objectivity by using cautious language to balance the tone of your claims and avoid making unqualified statements that may easily be disproven.

Example:

• Passive smoking contributes towards cardiovascular disease and lung cancer.
• Several studies suggest that passive smoking may contribute towards cardiovascular disease or lung cancer. Indeed, White et al. (2023) demonstrate that people who are exposed to second-hand smoke over a long period of time are likely to have a 20 to 30% risk of developing lung cancer.

In the above example, the second statement uses a range of cautious language features: several (quantity), may / likely (probability) to avoid over-generalisation. This allows for varied interpretation and creates a more valid and reliable text.

In research reports and dissertations, it is important to qualify your claims when reviewing the literature, discussing your findings and drawing conclusions.

Here are some useful phrases that can be used to express caution when describing, analysing and drawing conclusions:

Reviewing the literature

• According to Green et al. (2022),….
• Recent research has suggested that….
• There is some evidence to indicate that….
• It has been reported that….

Discussing findings/results

• One possible explanation for this might be that….
• It seems possible that these results are due to …
• There are several possible explanations for this result.
• These results do not rule out the influence of other factors in …
• However, these data must be interpreted with caution because …
• This discrepancy could be attributed to….
• It is important to bear in mind the possible bias in these responses.

Drawing conclusions

• The findings of this study suggest that …
• One possible implication of this is that …
• Initial observations suggest that there may be a link between …
• The data reported here appear to support the assumption that….

Making recommendations

• Consequently, there would therefore seem to be a definite need for …
• Strategies to enhance X might involve …
• A reasonable approach to tackle this issue could be to …
• One possible area of future research would be to investigate why….

For a full list of examples, you can access the Academic Phrasebank from The University of Manchester.

The Abertay approach is not to prohibit the use of AI tools to develop your written communication skills. However, before using any AI tool, you should read the Generative AI Study Skills Guide and related pages to find out how to enhance your writing using generative AI assistants (GAITS) and how to follow the rules to avoid academic misconduct.

What are the acceptable ways to use AI-powered writing tools in my academic work?

AI writing tools such as Grammarly and Quillbot can help you to:

• Improve your grammar and writing structure – especially helpful if English is a second language.
• Experiment with different writing styles
• Leverage AI-powered suggestions to improve word choice and clarity while maintaining your unique voice (as you would with a thesaurus).
• Refine your writing style, tone, and structure for better communication of your ideas.

Remember, while AI writing tools can be valuable aids, they should not be used as a substitute for your own critical thinking, creativity and effort. Engaging in these unacceptable practices can lead to academic dishonesty and hinder your growth as a writer and independent learner.

How can I ensure that I am using AI-powered writing tools responsibly in my academic work?

To use AI writing tools effectively and responsibly, follow these guidelines:

• Support don’t replace: Use AI tools to refine and enhance your writing, not to generate content or write an answer for you.
• Develop your skills: Recognise that AI tools are aids, not substitutes, for developing your writing skills and critical thinking abilities.
• Acknowledge AI usage: Disclose your use of AI writing tools when required by your course or assignment guidelines (see the Acknowledging the use of GenAI Guide).

• Qualify the strength of your claims:

Express the strength of your claims from low (e.g. seldom, rarely) to medium (likely, probably, suggests) to high (e.g. undoubtedly, certainly, should, would).

• Use features of cautious language:

Use a range of quantifiers (e.g. some, a few, several), adverbs /adverbial clauses (e.g. could possibly, might arguably, should definitely), modal verbs (e.g. can, could, should, would, may, might) and author-prominent citations with reporting verbs to help vary the strength of your claims (e.g. ‘One implication of Brown’s (2023) findings might arguably be that……….’

• Avoid over-generalisations:

Try to avoid using phrases such as ‘It is clear that….’ or ‘As we all know.……’ unless you have valid and reliable evidence to support your claim.

• Be cautious when evaluating findings or results:

Any claim that you make will be based on the best evidence available at the time of writing. However, this may be subject to future change as new research is carried out and previous conclusions are revised.

• Keep statements concise and precise:

Try not to use too many examples of cautious language which may confuse the reader. For example, the sentence below contains too many examples so that the message is neither concise nor precise.

‘Findings of the study possibly suggest that one potential solution might arguably be……..’

This guide should be read in conjunction with our other resources on:

• Writing with good academic style
• Using Grammarly
• Using Quillbot as an AI writing tool
• Good academic practice
• Generative AI
• Critical thinking and analysis

Have questions or need assistance?

If you have any questions or need more help, please do not hesitate to contact us at studyskills@abertay.ac.uk. We are here to help!

EAP Foundation (n/d) Hedging. Available at: https://www.eapfoundation.com/writing/skills/hedging/ (accessed 26/06/24)

Lingard, L. (2020) The academic hedge Part 1: Modal tuning in your research writing. Perspectives on Medical Education (PME). Vol 9: Issue 2 DOI: 10.1007/S40037-019-00559-Y

Monash University (n/d) Student Academic Success: Express uncertainty in writing. Available at: https://www.monash.edu/student-academic-success/improve-your-academic-english/strategies-for-writing-academic-english/express-uncertainty-in-writing (accessed 26/06/24)

The University of Manchester (n/d) Academic Phrasebank. Available at: https://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/using-cautious-language/ (accessed 26/06/24)