Post #1062568
2026-04-06 04:19 UTC
People say that academics are too cautious and hedge all their assertions about with qualifiers. But it’s really easy not to say, “I’m the first to…” “Nobody else says…” “We’re the only ones who…” You can just say the thing! It’s really easy! At least then you won’t accidentally foreground your ignorance and hubris instead of your insight or accomplishments.
Replies (2)
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@leahbobet@mstdn.ca 2026-04-06 08:18
@debcha@saturation.social I'm finishing off a lit review right now where almost every single survey paper says "no one else is collecting these, or talking about them, or--" and yeah, hindsight is an unfair advantage, but: guys.
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@suetanvil@freeradical.zone 2026-04-06 14:12
@debcha@saturation.social I can sometimes forgive this kind of thing as a literary device to give the article a more urgent tone, especially if the authors' intended audience are unlikely to have read about this thing before. I am less forgiving of people doing this for the clicks.