diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/itemupdate/MetadataUtilities.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/itemupdate/MetadataUtilities.java
index eeae0316fd..22327aa04b 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/itemupdate/MetadataUtilities.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/itemupdate/MetadataUtilities.java
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ public class MetadataUtilities {
         		item.clearMetadata(dtom.schema, dtom.element, dtom.qualifier, Item.ANY);
         	}
     	
-    		item.addMetadata(dtom.schema, dtom.element, dtom.qualifier, dtom.language, vals.toArray(new String[0]));   	
+    		item.addMetadata(dtom.schema, dtom.element, dtom.qualifier, dtom.language, vals.toArray(new String[vals.size()]));   	
     	}
 		return found;
     }
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ public class MetadataUtilities {
     		item.clearMetadata(dtom.schema, dtom.element, dtom.qualifier, Item.ANY);
     	}
 	
-		item.addMetadata(dtom.schema, dtom.element, dtom.qualifier, dtom.language, vals.toArray(new String[0]));   	
+		item.addMetadata(dtom.schema, dtom.element, dtom.qualifier, dtom.language, vals.toArray(new String[vals.size()]));   	
     }
  
     /**
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/util/SubmissionConfig.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/util/SubmissionConfig.java
index 2d75335e6e..a9d2521c2d 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/util/SubmissionConfig.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/app/util/SubmissionConfig.java
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ public class SubmissionConfig implements Serializable
         this.isWorkflow = isWorkflowProcess;
 
         // initialize a vector of SubmissionStepConfig objects
-        Vector stepConfigs = new Vector();
+        Vector<SubmissionStepConfig> stepConfigs = new Vector<SubmissionStepConfig>();
 
         // loop through our steps, and create SubmissionStepConfig objects
         for (int stepNum = 0; stepNum < steps.size(); stepNum++)
@@ -121,8 +121,8 @@ public class SubmissionConfig implements Serializable
         }
 
         // get steps as an array of Strings
-        submissionSteps = (SubmissionStepConfig[]) stepConfigs
-                .toArray(new SubmissionStepConfig[0]);
+        submissionSteps = stepConfigs
+                .toArray(new SubmissionStepConfig[stepConfigs.size()]);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/core/Context.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/core/Context.java
index 0c86885a71..df0880bb19 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/core/Context.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/core/Context.java
@@ -585,7 +585,7 @@ public class Context
      */
     public Group[] getSpecialGroups() throws SQLException
     {
-        List myGroups = new ArrayList();
+        List<Group> myGroups = new ArrayList<Group>();
 
         Iterator i = specialGroups.iterator();
 
@@ -594,7 +594,7 @@ public class Context
             myGroups.add(Group.find(this, ((Integer) i.next()).intValue()));
         }
 
-        return (Group[]) myGroups.toArray(new Group[0]);
+        return myGroups.toArray(new Group[myGroups.size()]);
     }
 
     protected void finalize()
diff --git a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/eperson/Group.java b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/eperson/Group.java
index 015a0498b8..6e52a84660 100644
--- a/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/eperson/Group.java
+++ b/dspace-api/src/main/java/org/dspace/eperson/Group.java
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ public class Group extends DSpaceObject
             groupList.add(Group.find(c, (i.next()).intValue()));
         }
 
-        return (Group[]) groupList.toArray(new Group[0]);
+        return groupList.toArray(new Group[groupList.size()]);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -566,7 +566,7 @@ public class Group extends DSpaceObject
             epersonList.add(EPerson.find(c, (i.next()).intValue()));
         }
 
-        return (EPerson[]) epersonList.toArray(new EPerson[0]);
+        return epersonList.toArray(new EPerson[epersonList.size()]);
     }
 
     /**