This document provides guidance on using parentheses in academic writing. It advises avoiding using parentheses within sentences and instead using commas. Examples are given showing how to rewrite sentences by removing unnecessary phrases or replacing parentheses with commas. The document concludes by providing biographical information about the author.

1. Avoid (parentheses) These symbols: () are called parentheses. In academic writing they are used for citing references but you should not use them inside sentences.

2. Use commas instead of parentheses Instead of: Windows 7 (the newest operating system from Microsoft) has a feature called ReadyBoost that improves performance by caching data from the system RAM into a USB flash drive. Write: Windows 7,the newest operating system from Microsoft, has a feature called ReadyBoost that improves performance by caching data from the system RAM into a USB flash drive.

3. Instead of using parentheses, simply delete unnecessary phrases. Sometimes students use parentheses to mean that some of the words in a sentence are less important. Don’t do that.

4. Write with commas or else delete. Instead of: Linux (the author’s favorite OS) was created largely by efforts of LinusTorvaldswho wrote the first kernel for the OS in 1991 (when he was still a college student). Write: Linux was created largely by efforts of LinusTorvalds who wrote the first kernel for the OS in 1991, when he was still a college student.

5. Aboutauthor Hans Anderson 2007-Present: Lecturer at FPT Greenwich Programmes, FPT University. 2007: M.S., Computational Mathematics, University of Minnesota 2001: B.A., Computer Science, GustavusAdolphus College, Saint Peter, MN