Motivation and emotion/Assessment/Chapter/Word count

How to reduce word count and improve quality

It is possible to write a top-quality book chapter within the maximum word count - that is the challenge.

Almost always, chapters can be significantly improved, rather than weakened, in the process of reducing the word count.

If you are having difficulties complying with the word count guidelines, consider these strategies:

Reduce introductory material (e.g., summarise and provide links to more dedicated resources such as other book chapters and/or Wikipedia pages) so that the chapter concentrates on the main topic (i.e., directly answers the question in the sub-title).
Reduce breadth of coverage (e.g., focus on the top 2 or 3 theories).
Reduce depth of coverage (e.g., avoid overly indepth coverage of unnecessarily specific aspects of the topic).
Remove weasel words - a lot of sentences can be shortened and improved (e.g., try the Hemingway app].
Be selective about the citations and references (e.g., only include the best sources; avoid over-citation (e.g., multiple citations per point).
Renegotiate the topic so that it is more specific (i.e., less territory to cover).
Move some content into subpages (which don't count in the overall word count, but also doesn’t count for marking purposes).
Use an AI text summariser - these tools can help to learn sorting the wheat from the chaff and to clarify key messages.

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