By: Writing Tips Today
Literature Review Part 2: When organizing your research within your review of the literature, you will need to use reporting verbs. Reporting verbs can be used to introduce material objectively as fact or subjectively in order to demonstrate your position or opinion on the research of others.
Here are some example sentences showing how to use reporting verbs when giving citations:
Numerous studies have investigated this question (Smithson, 1999; Qwerty, 2002, Zachary, 2009).
Jones and Anderson (2007) argued that .....
Karlson (2005) observed that .....
Candine's controversial study (2010) suggests that .....
A list of reporting verbs is provided below. Note that some of these verbs can be used objectively, while others can be used subjectively. Further, some of them can be used either way.
add
affirm
agree
argue
assert
assume
believe
challenge
claim
clarify
comment
conclude
consider
contend
contradict
demonstrate
deny
describe
determine
disagree
discern
discuss
dispute
emphasise
enumerate
explain
find
imply
infer
maintain
note
observe
point out
posit
postulate
propose
query
question
recognize
recommend
refute
reject
remark
report
repudiate
say
state
suggest
stipulate
view
Other structures:
As noted by . . . ,
According to . . . ,
In . . . 's view,
. . . has expressed a similar view
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