APPENDIX Useful phrases for inspiration: Related work 􀂃 The paper presented here is based in part on an earlier study 􀂃 An earlier version of this paper was presented at … 􀂃 … was published in the Journal of … 􀂃 This paper … 􀂃 … is a revised version of … 􀂃 … has been substantially revised 􀂃 … includes new chapters on … 􀂃 There are new sections on … 􀂃 This paper etc. forms part of a larger study of … 􀂃 This paper etc. has been submitted for publication in … 􀂃 Parts of this study have been or were presented at the conference on … 􀂃 Parts of this paper were presented in a lecture on … to … in April 2007 etc. The aim of your study and outlining the topic 􀂃 … is widely perceived as … 􀂃 the question has been raised whether … 􀂃 Present understanding of … is limited. 􀂃 the field of … is still relatively undeveloped 􀂃 there is as yet or at present no consensus on … 􀂃 As yet, no one explanation has gained acceptance. 􀂃 there is at present little agreement on the causes of etc. … 􀂃 there is at present no general agreement on the causes of etc. … 􀂃 there is still considerable disagreement on the causes of etc. … 􀂃 the mechanism by which … is unknown or not well understood 􀂃 the controversial question of … 􀂃 much of our knowledge of … comes from … 􀂃 the task of … is complicated further by … 􀂃 The impact of … on … is not easy to determine 􀂃 The effect of … on … has not been examined in detail. 􀂃 its effects on … have not previously been studied in detail Importance of the study 􀂃 The study is important for a number of reasons: 􀂃 The study is of relevance because … 􀂃 It is important to … 􀂃 the importance of … 􀂃 an important aspect of … 􀂃 … is an important or urgent subject for study 􀂃 … is needed 􀂃 … is necessary 􀂃 … warrants further investigation 􀂃 … warrants closer scrutiny or examination 􀂃 The problem merits further investigation. 􀂃 … is worth examining for its own sake 􀂃 … to shed light on a number of issues or problem areas in current theory 􀂃 Resolution of this problem would … 􀂃 the prospect of a breakthrough in … 􀂃 Other authors have also called for … 􀂃 This study, thesis, paper etc. 􀂃 … may show or reveal … 􀂃 … may stimulate the debate on … Your method or approach 􀂃 To investigate whether …, we analysed GB or analyzed US … 􀂃 … was or were measured by … 􀂃 … was determined for each … by … 􀂃 … was measured before and after … 􀂃 … was used to measure … 􀂃 … was equipped with … 􀂃 … was transferred to … 􀂃 … was or is used in the analysis of … to determine … 􀂃 … provides a useful estimate of or for … 􀂃 the simulation showed that … 􀂃 in the presence of … 􀂃 in the absence of … 􀂃 after addition of … 􀂃 substitution of … for … 􀂃 if the constraints are relaxed 􀂃 measurements were made or taken at … sites 􀂃 background measurements, samples etc. were taken … 􀂃 … under these conditions … 􀂃 … following the method outlined in … 􀂃 … according to standard criteria 􀂃 … following standard procedure 􀂃 … in accordance with standard procedures 􀂃 … was performed according to a or the standard … protocol 􀂃 … following the manufacturer’s guidelines or instructions 􀂃 … according to the manufacturer’s guidelines or instructions 􀂃 … as specified in the manufacturer’s guidelines or instructions 􀂃 For this we can use a number of strategies 􀂃 One option here would be to … 􀂃 Adjustment of … allows us to … 􀂃 … is enhanced if we … 􀂃 This method can be used to obtain … 􀂃 This technology enables us to … 􀂃 The most usual method is … 􀂃 … is commonly used in … to measure etc. … 􀂃 … by the … method 􀂃 … according to the … method 􀂃 … as previously described by X 􀂃 … using the … procedures described by X et al. Your method or approach 􀂃 Previous measurements based on … have shown that … 􀂃 The traditional approach has been to … 􀂃 This innovation allows us to … 􀂃 The most straightforward way of … is … 􀂃 This route would enable us to … 􀂃 This is the course or method adopted here. 􀂃 The advantage of this approach is that … 􀂃 This approach has the advantage of or that … 􀂃 This approach has a number of advantages: firstly, … 􀂃 … gives a better basis for … 􀂃 it combines … with or and … 􀂃 This format allows us to see more clearly how … 􀂃 In this way, we are or were able to target … 􀂃 This enables one to create … 􀂃 … allows or enables the transfer of … from … to … 􀂃 such a rigid approach does not allow … 􀂃 this approach gives greater flexibility 􀂃 this construction allows us to … 􀂃 This rather strict regime ensures that … 􀂃 By monitoring …, we are or were able to … 􀂃 This allows … to be examined within the same framework. 􀂃 In this way, we are able to eliminate several of the problems of previous approaches or methods 􀂃 One difficulty in … is … 􀂃 A or one significant problem is … 􀂃 Coordination of … and … is essential or particularly difficult 􀂃 a compromise 􀂃 One strategy would be to … 􀂃 … avoids this difficulty by … 􀂃 the practical problems involved in … 􀂃 an alternative way of approaching the problem 􀂃 Another way of looking at the question of … 􀂃 If, however, we reformulate the question, we … 􀂃 It is impossible to discuss, examine etc. … without discussing … 􀂃 It is impossible to discuss, examine etc. … without reference to … 􀂃 … methodological issues … 􀂃 The original or earlier method was abandoned because of problems with … 􀂃 Conventional methods, techniques etc. are unable to … The relationship to other work 􀂃 … has or have been discussed, examined etc. extensively in the literature 􀂃 several or various explanations etc. have been suggested in the literature 􀂃 a great many explanations etc. have been put forward for … 􀂃 The topic is not a new one; however, … 􀂃 There is now a substantial body of research or literature or work on … 􀂃 the wealth of literature on … 􀂃 Noteworthy studies of … are … 􀂃 X’s most influential work 􀂃 X and Y, in their influential study of …, … 􀂃 … has been carried out in detail by X 􀂃 The most detailed examination or study of … to date is … 􀂃 Initial observations suggest or indicate that … 􀂃 Previous studies of or on … have shown or suggested that … 􀂃 Results from earlier studies have indicated or suggested that … 􀂃 Research conducted in the 1990s etc. indicated that … 􀂃 this has led some authors to suggest that … 􀂃 It has been shown or demonstrated repeatedly that … 􀂃 This view can be found in … 􀂃 a number of other studies … 􀂃 In a preliminary or an exploratory study, X found that … 􀂃 … has been linked to … 􀂃 …, which is also known to cause etc. … 􀂃 … has been found to have an adverse effect on … 􀂃 … has been shown to play an important or a pivotal role in … 􀂃 X first remarked on the similarity, relationship or connection between … 􀂃 Originally suggested by X in 1980 etc., … was subsequently developed further by Y 􀂃 X’s discovery of … 􀂃 … paved the way for … 􀂃 … was taken up by others … 􀂃 … provided the impetus for further research on etc. … 􀂃 … was the trigger for an explosion of research on … 􀂃 … contributed to the development of … 􀂃 … marked a major turning point in … 􀂃 X showed that … 􀂃 X and Y’s study was the first to show etc. that or how … 􀂃 … was the first major work in or on … 􀂃 Before X, it was widely believed that … a long-standing question 􀂃 the long-standing issue of … 􀂃 … are known to exist 􀂃 a new line of inquiry Contrasting work 􀂃 Another view is that … 􀂃 …, whereas X believes that … 􀂃 a competing theory 􀂃 This contrasts with … who found that … 􀂃 In contrast, a study of … found or reported or showed … 􀂃 this interpretation has recently been challenged, however 􀂃 X’s theory, explanation etc. has been challenged on various or several grounds: 􀂃 Although research suggests that …, previous studies have … 􀂃 Although early work or results suggested that …, subsequent studies have shown … 􀂃 Current theory, as it stands, does not adequately account for … 􀂃 A number of aspects of the problem require further investigation. 􀂃 Although a number of studies exist on …, 􀂃 … still a great deal of disagreement 􀂃 … has been hotly debated in the literature 􀂃 a bone of contention 􀂃 a source or hotbed of controversy 􀂃 Controversy remains regarding … 􀂃 Although controversial, … 􀂃 critics of … theory would argue that … 􀂃 X and X’s response is that … 􀂃 X’s views have failed to gain widespread acceptance 􀂃 X has been criticized US and GB or criticised GB for failing to take account of etc. … 􀂃 We rejected X’s hypothesis on the basis of or that … 􀂃 This is reflected in X’s findings that … 􀂃 Previous studies have ignored … 􀂃 The question has been raised whether … 􀂃 There are increasing doubts about … 􀂃 Many scholars doubt, however, whether or that … 􀂃 Other authors have also called for … 􀂃 Many authors have stressed the importance of … 􀂃 Few authors would dispute that … The relationship to other work 􀂃 A number of other studies have argued or suggested that … 􀂃 The traditional approach has been to … 􀂃 An alternative …, suggested by X, is … 􀂃 However, recent research by X … suggests that … 􀂃 X and Y have also pointed out or to … 􀂃 Researchers have traditionally been reluctant to … 􀂃 Researchers adopting this position include for example … 􀂃 … is beginning to gain acceptance as … 􀂃 a foot in both camps 􀂃 Rather than engaging in the debate on …, I would like to … 􀂃 Rather than adding yet another explanation for …, we would like instead to focus on … 􀂃 Rather than going over old ground, … 􀂃 In contrast to earlier studies, … 􀂃 In contrast to previous research on …, this study … 􀂃 Unlike some or many or most earlier studies, this study … 􀂃 This study contends that … 􀂃 This study questions the widely held view that or of … 􀂃 This study differs from previous research in a number of respects: 􀂃 At the risk of offending some readers, … The limitations of current knowledge 􀂃 At present, little is known about … 􀂃 Very little is known about … 􀂃 There is as yet no clear evidence of or for … 􀂃 Little attention has been paid to … 􀂃 There has been as yet no systematic examination of … 􀂃 Research in this area has been limited to … 􀂃 … research has concentrated on … 􀂃 Very little has been written on or about … 􀂃 … is or are frequently overlooked in discussions of … 􀂃 … has rarely been done before 􀂃 … is not yet clearly or completely understood 􀂃 Our understanding to date has been limited to … 􀂃 … has received very little attention in the literature 􀂃 there is as yet or at present no consensus on … 􀂃 there is at present no general agreement on the causes of etc. … 􀂃 no satisfactory account or explanation of … has been given or provided the misleading statement that … 􀂃 It is somewhat of an overstatement or exaggeration to claim that … 􀂃 … contains a number of inaccuracies 􀂃 a number of controversial viewpoints 􀂃 In fact, the problem is more complex 􀂃 The author fails to take … into account 􀂃 X and Y take little or no account of … 􀂃 The authors have, however, failed to take account of … 􀂃 There is little or no systematic examination of … 􀂃 The study fails to answer the question of or whether … 􀂃 A problem with this argument is that … 􀂃 the same problem also applies to … 􀂃 There is little or no evidence to suggest that … Their results or conclusions 􀂃 X’s explanation depends on or relies on … 􀂃 The evidence for … is inconclusive 􀂃 The reasoning here is problematic 􀂃 the conclusions are somewhat weak 􀂃 X’s arguments … are unconvincing 􀂃 this, however, holds only for … 􀂃 the claim or argument that … simply does not hold water 􀂃 … is not sufficient argument for the existence of etc. … 􀂃 this assumption is rather arbitrary, however 􀂃 X’s main assumption that … is debatable or problematic 􀂃 We would dispute X’s conclusion that … 􀂃 X’s explanation for or of … is rather or highly speculative 􀂃 this contradiction has also been pointed out by X 􀂃 an error in the calculation 􀂃 X’s figures, results, conclusions etc. should, however, be treated with caution 􀂃 The results should be treated with a degree of or some or considerable caution 􀂃 X’s conclusions would carry more weight if … 􀂃 further clarification of … is required 􀂃 X and Y fail to explain … 􀂃 the causal relationship between … and … needs to be clarified 􀂃 a number of valid criticisms 􀂃 … violates the principle of … Interpreting findings 􀂃 It is not clear why … 􀂃 It is not immediately obvious how or why … 􀂃 … may have been indirectly influenced by … 􀂃 although the mechanism is not completely understood 􀂃 The results are unclear or inconclusive or contradictory 􀂃 … can be interpreted in a number of ways 􀂃 The impact of … on … is not easy to determine 􀂃 The data cannot adequately explain … 􀂃 … complicates the assessment of the data 􀂃 Interpretation of the data is complicated by … 􀂃 The results are to some extent misleading 􀂃 The results must be interpreted with a degree of or the utmost caution 􀂃 The findings are not consistent with … 􀂃 The disparity between the results may be due to … 􀂃 These disparities may reflect … 􀂃 The discrepancy between … may be explained by … 􀂃 These apparent differences may be explained by … 􀂃 While it may seem unlikely that …, it is important to remember that … 􀂃 The reasons for … remain unclear (Source: http://www.englishforresearch.com/editing/index.htm)