Academic Writing
formal style of writing used in universities and scholarly publications that is clear, concise, focused, structured, and backed up by evidence |
requires the writer to demonstrate knowledge and show proficiency with skills of thinking, interpreting, and presenting information (Lowe & Zemliansky 2010) as an evaluation |
readers = teacher, peers, academic community |
Non-Academic Text / Creative Compositions
to freely express opinions, feelings, and emotions |
Purposes of Academic Texts
to inform |
to explain |
to persuade |
to argue |
General Structure of an Academic Text
Academic Language
type of language used in schools (academic settings) |
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Features of Academic Writing
Structured |
distinctinve structure (intro, body, conclusion) |
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coherence (logical progression) & cohesion (connection) |
Evidenced |
based on information from experts in the field |
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properly acknowledge in writing through in-text citation and reference section |
Critical |
always analyze and evaluate including source |
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requires a great deal of research in order to develop a deep understanding of the topic |
Balanced |
your writing should give consideration to all sides of the issue and must avoid being biased |
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while it is important as an academic writer, your stance on a particular topic is clearly shown |
Precise |
reader understands meaning of written text |
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clear and precise including technical vocab when necessary |
Objective |
emphasis is on arguments and information, rather than on the writer |
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passive structures in sentence construction |
Formal |
more formal than everyday writing |
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complex sentences and avoids contractions and colloquial/informal words and expressions common in spoken english |
Three Types of Academic Vocabulary
general words |
that are acceptable for academic use |
academic words |
that frequently appear in academic texts |
technical words |
specific to an individual subject area |
Language Used in Academic Texts
Formal |
tone should not sound conversational or casual |
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use of colloquial, idiomatic, slang, and journalistic expressions should be avoided |
Objective |
academic text is based on research and not on the writer's own opinion about a given topic |
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unbiased - based on facts and evidence and is not influenced by personal feelings |
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when presenting an argument to the reader, show both sides of the topic and avoid making value judgments |
Impersonal |
do not show yourself as the performer of the action |
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emphasis should be on the information that you want to give and the arguments you want to make, rather than you |
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avoid personal pronouns (i,we,you) |
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use "it" constructions |
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Things to Avoid in Academic Writing
Personal nouns |
Personal experience |
Directives |
Descriptive writing |
Informal, conversational tone, including slangs and idioms |
Vague expressions |
Wordiness |
Examples of Academic Text
Academic Essay |
An academic text that presents a coherent argument or exploration of a specific topic (Purdue Online Writing Lab, 2021) |
Report |
presents and analyzes information clearly and briefly for a particular audience such as laboratory reports, business reports, case study reports, research reports, progress reports, etc. (Smith, 2022) |
Literature Review |
critical and comprehensive analysis of existing scholarly publications, books, articles, and other relevant sources on a specific topic or research question (Ridley, 2012) |
Concept Paper |
A concise document that outlines the main ideas, objectives, and potential outcomes of a proposed research project or initiative (Hulley, S. B., Cummings, S. R., Browner, W. S., Grady, D. G., & Newman, T. B., 2013). |
Position Paper |
type of argument writing that focuses on a stance on an issue and shows how this chosen stance relates to other positions concerning the issue (Writing@CSU, n.d.). |
Critique Paper |
evaluating and analyzing a specific piece of work. It provides a critical assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the work being reviewed, offering insights and suggestions for improvement |
examples of academic text are not limited to these
Conventions
A way in which something is usually done, especially within a particular area or activity. |
These are rules and principles of academic writing that are generally accepted among scholars (IGI Global, 2021), and give distinctive features to academic texts apart from nonacademic texts. |
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