Academic Norwegian
Reports, bachelor's and master's theses require precise, cautious and objective language. Here you learn to cite sources and tie your text together.
We teach Bokmål, the written standard most people in Norway use.
In short: Academic Norwegian is precise, cautious and objective. You cite sources, separate your own views from others', and connect your text with clear linking words.
Rules
- Research question: State it early and clearly: Problemstillingen i denne oppgaven er …
- In-text citation: Name and year in the text: Ifølge Hansen (2021) … / … (Hansen, 2021, s. 45).
- Reference list: Every source you cite must be in the reference list, in one consistent style such as APA.
- Reporting: Vary your verbs: hevder (claims), påpeker (points out), viser (shows), argumenterer for (argues for): Berg (2019) påpeker at …
- Passive: Shifts the focus to the action: Dataene ble samlet inn i 2022. / Det ble gjennomført ti intervjuer.
- Man: A general, impersonal subject («one»): Man kan anta at … Many fields now also accept vi and jeg.
- Hedging: Resultatene tyder på at … (the results suggest that) / Det er mulig at … / Dette kan tolkes som …
- Følgelig: consequently: Utvalget var lite. Følgelig kan funnene ikke generaliseres.
- Derimot: by contrast, between two things: Lederne var positive. De ansatte var derimot skeptiske.
- Imidlertid: however, often mid-sentence: Studien har imidlertid noen svakheter.
- Dessuten: moreover: Metoden er billig. Dessuten er den rask.
- I lys av: in light of: I lys av disse funnene bør praksisen endres.
- Objective style: Avoid spoken words like kjempe-, sånn and liksom, and avoid overstatement.
Typical mistake: Forgetting inversion after a linking word, as in English: *Følgelig funnene kan ikke … Correct: Følgelig kan funnene ikke generaliseres.
Examples
- Problemstillingen i denne oppgaven er hvordan hjemmekontor påvirker samarbeid.The research question of this thesis is how working from home affects collaboration.
- Ifølge Hansen (2021) har bruken av hjemmekontor økt kraftig.According to Hansen (2021), working from home has increased sharply.
- Dataene ble samlet inn gjennom ti intervjuer høsten 2022.The data were collected through ten interviews in autumn 2022.
- Resultatene tyder på at yngre ansatte er mer positive.The results suggest that younger employees are more positive.
- Utvalget var lite. Følgelig kan funnene ikke generaliseres.The sample was small. Consequently, the findings cannot be generalised.
- Lederne var positive. De ansatte var derimot mer skeptiske.The managers were positive. The employees, by contrast, were more sceptical.
- Studien har imidlertid noen svakheter.The study does, however, have some weaknesses.
- I lys av disse funnene bør bedriften revurdere praksisen sin.In light of these findings, the company should reconsider its practice.