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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak quote

Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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studies spanned over

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "studies spanned over" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct usage would be "studies spanned" or "studies spanned a period of." Example: "The studies spanned a period of five years, covering various aspects of the research topic."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

(2) Studies spanned over 30 years (1981 2013) and there have been considerable changes in the phenotype of T1 and T2D in this time.

Science

BMJ Open

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

We conducted extensive empirical studies (spanning over 500 participants) comparing the performance of computer agents using different types of equilibrium strategies with that of people in three different countries, the U.S., Israel and China, that are characterized by cultural differences in how people make contracts in the game.

In studies spanning over a decade, she and her colleagues have shown that having a supportive network, reducing isolation, decreasing social anxiety, and--especially--helping others can increase the chances of staying sober by up to 50percentt.

News & Media

Huffington Post

The study spanned over a long observation window of 36 years.

Science

BMJ Open

Furthermore they also failed to assess whether diagnosis or causes of death had changed over time as their study spanned over 40 years.

Science

Gut

The data for this study spans over 1 million lavatory uses.

Science

BMJ Open

Our study spans over a long period of time; during 30 years it is obvious that the treatment and management of critically ill patients and of ABM have changed a lot.

In a large cohort study spanning over 20 years, Suissa et al. [ 41] obtained data from the Saskatchewan Health databases on asthma patients from that province aged 5 44 between 1975 and 1991 and found that the overall rate of asthma hospitalization was 42 per 1000 asthma patients per year in patients with at least 1 year of follow-up.

Included studies spanned 22 years (1986 2008), during which time physicians abolished the practice of routinely changing CVCs over a wire and began using chlorhexidine.

A significant correlation was found, suggesting typicality can be reliably rated as a concept despite the studies spanning a timeframe of over 35 years, originating from different geographical areas and using raters of different ages and levels of education.

Because of this central role, the costs of resistance have now been measured in well over 100 studies spanning a wide diversity of resistance mechanisms and pathogens.

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Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Instead of "studies spanned over", use the more grammatically correct and concise "studies spanned" followed by the period or aspects covered. For example, use "the studies spanned 30 years" or "the studies spanned various methodologies".

Common error

The phrase "spanned over" is redundant because "spanned" already implies covering a duration or range. Using "over" adds unnecessary words and weakens the sentence. Stick to "spanned" for clarity and conciseness.

Antonio Rotolo, PhD - Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

77%

Authority and reliability

2.8/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

The phrase "studies spanned over" functions as a verbal phrase intended to describe the timeframe or scope of research. However, the inclusion of "over" is grammatically redundant, making the phrase incorrect. Ludwig AI suggests that the correct usage is "studies spanned".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

30%

News & Media

25%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Encyclopedias

10%

Reference

10%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "studies spanned over" is an incorrect construction. Ludwig AI highlights that the use of "over" is redundant because the verb "spanned" already implies coverage across a period or range. The correct and more concise phrasing is "studies spanned". Although sources like The New York Times and BMC Infectious Diseases have used similar phrasings, the grammatical error impacts the phrase's overall quality. To improve clarity and correctness, focus on using "spanned" alone or choosing alternative phrasings such as "studies covered" or "studies encompassed".

FAQs

What is the correct way to use "span" in the context of research?

When describing the duration or scope of research, use "span" followed by the time period or range covered, such as "the research spanned five years" or "the analysis spanned multiple disciplines". Avoid adding "over" as it is redundant.

What can I say instead of "studies spanned over"?

You can use alternatives like "studies covered", "studies encompassed", or "studies extended across" depending on the context.

Is "spanned across" a better alternative to "studies spanned over"?

While "spanned across" is grammatically acceptable, it's often more concise to simply use "spanned". For instance, prefer "the project spanned several countries" over "the project spanned across several countries".

How does the meaning change if I use "range" instead of "span"?

Using "range" shifts the focus from duration to variety or scope. For example, "the studies ranged from simple observations to complex experiments" emphasizes the diversity of approaches, whereas "the studies spanned ten years" emphasizes the duration of the research.

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Source & Trust

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Authority and reliability

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Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Most frequent sentences: