People use hedged language to demonstrate politeness and indirectness. Hedgingis also used to express hesitation or uncertainty.
Ex. “I think we should . . .” , “It would be good if . . .”
Hedging makes your write-up or edit look uncertain and unconfident.
In manuscript editing or writing, it is especially important to be aware of hedging to be able to distinguish between facts and claims.
As an editor try to use less of “Please check…” and “Please note that…” and come straight to the point albeit in polite language when communicating with authors.
This will allow the author’s focus to remain on what actually needs to be addressed.
For example, instead of just adding “Please clarify the intended meaning of the text as it is unclear,” you can use “The intended meaning of the text alongside is unclear. Do you mean ‘…’/Are you referring to ‘…’?”
Although writing without hedging phrases can feel abrupt at first, as long as you are certain about what you are communicating and ensure coherence in your communication, it should be good.
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