Common Mistakes in Scientific Research Writing

Introduction

Evaluators of scientific research—whether for academic publication or the awarding of an academic degree—frequently encounter a range of recurring errors in research manuscripts. These errors can generally be classified into four main categories: formatting errors, structural errors, linguistic errors, and ethical issues.

Formatting errors may include inconsistent fonts, font sizes, and document formatting. Linguistic errors include spelling and grammatical mistakes as well as weak academic writing. Structural errors may involve problems related to the research title, introduction, research problem, significance and objectives, methodology, definition of research terms, sampling, research instruments, literature review, references and citations, research questions or hypotheses, presentation of results, and statistical analysis. Ethical issues may include plagiarism and intentionally directing the research toward predetermined conclusions.

This lecture aims to raise researchers’ awareness of these common mistakes and provide practical guidance for avoiding them, thereby improving the academic quality, clarity, and integrity of scientific research.

Lecture Topics

Asst. Prof. Dr. Asmaa Qahtan Al-Urfa’li – Iraq

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Al-Mustansiriyah University, a Master’s degree in Financial Accounting from the University of Baghdad, and a PhD in Accounting from Tanta University, Egypt. Her academic and professional career has included positions in accounting, auditing, and higher education, and she currently serves as an Assistant Professor at Al-Rafidain University College in Baghdad.