If you are a student, a researcher, or an educator, you have probably encountered the term “academic writing” many times. But what exactly does it mean? How is it different from other types of writing? And how can you master it to achieve your academic goals?
We will answer these questions and provide some tips and examples to help you improve your academic writing skills.
Definition of Academic Writing
- Academic writing is a formal style of writing that researchers and educators use in scholarly publications. It is used to communicate ideas, information and research to the wider academic community. Academic writing follows the standards and disciplines of each academic subject.
- Academic writing focuses on evidence-based arguments and logical reasoning to guide a reader’s understanding of a subject. Writers can use this format to identify and analyze a concept and propose a theory or rational conclusion.
Academic writing is not:
Personal: It avoids using the first-person point of view (I, we, my, etc.) and personal opinions or feelings. Instead, it uses the third-person perspective (he, she, it, they, etc.) and objective facts and data.
Long-winded: It avoids using unnecessary words or phrases that do not add value or meaning to the message. Instead, it uses clear and concise language that conveys the main points effectively.
Emotive and grandiose: It avoids using emotional or exaggerated language that may bias or mislead the reader. Instead, it uses formal and precise language that reflects the academic tone and purpose.
Types of Academic Writing
Academic writing can take various forms depending on the purpose, audience, and context of the writing. Some of the common types of academic writing are:
Essay: A fairly short, self-contained argument, often using sources from a class in response to a question provided by an instructor.
Research paper: A more in-depth investigation based on independent research, often in response to a question chosen by the student.
Thesis/dissertation: The large final research project undertaken at the end of a degree, usually on a topic of the student’s choice.
Research proposal: An outline of a potential topic and plan for a future dissertation or research project.
Literature review: A critical synthesis of existing research on a topic, usually written in order to inform the approach of a new piece of research.
Lab report: A write-up of the aims, methods, results, and conclusions of a lab experiment.
Annotated bibliography: A list of source references with a short description or evaluation of each source.
Different fields of study have different priorities and conventions in terms of the content, structure and style of academic writing. But, most academic writing shares certain key principles intended to help convey information as effectively as possible. Whether your goal is to pass your degree, apply to graduate school, or build an academic career, effective writing is an essential skill.
Characteristics of Academic Writing
The most prominent characteristic of academic writing is the emphasis on adhering to a style guide. A style guide is a set of rules and standards for formatting and punctuating writing as well as citing the sources you use. There are several style guides for academic writing, such as the Modern Language Association (MLA) guide and the American Psychological Association (APA) guide. Each style guide has specific rules for how to:
- Format your paper (e.g., margins, font size, spacing, headings)
- Cite your sources in text (e.g., parentheses, footnotes)
- List your references at the end (e.g., bibliography, works cited)
- Use punctuation marks (e.g., commas, periods)
- Capitalize words (e.g., titles, proper nouns)
It is important to follow the style guide that is required or preferred by your instructor or discipline. In most cases, you’ll lose credit if you don’t adhere to the style guide in your writing.
Beyond the style guide, these are some key characteristics that define academic writing:
Formal and unbiased: Academic writing aims to convey information in an impartial way. The goal is to base arguments on the evidence under consideration, not the author’s preconceptions. All claims should be supported with relevant evidence, not just asserted. To avoid bias, it’s important to represent the work of other researchers and the results of your own research fairly and accurately. This means clearly outlining your methodology and being honest about the limitations of your research.
Clear and concise: Academic writing uses formal language, but not flowery language. The formal language uses the most accurate, non-colloquial verbiage available to communicate the author’s points, and this verbiage may include jargon. Jargon is the specialized terminology of a specific field or discipline. However, jargon should be used sparingly and only when necessary, and it should be defined or explained for the benefit of the reader. Sentences are only as complex as they need to be in order to
express coherent thoughts and positions; you should use literary devices like metaphor sparingly. In instances where literary devices are appropriate, they’re used differently than in other types of writing. Overall, clarity and conciseness are your main goals.
Focused and well-structured: Academic writing has a clear purpose and direction. It is organized around a central thesis statement or research question that guides the development of the argument or analysis. The thesis statement or research question is usually stated at the end of the introduction, and it is supported by the main body paragraphs. Each paragraph has a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph, and it is followed by supporting sentences that provide evidence and analysis. The conclusion summarizes the main points and restates the thesis statement or research question in a different way.
Useful Tools for Academic Writing
Academic writing can be challenging, but there are some tools and resources that can make it easier and more enjoyable. Here are some of them:
Grammarly: Grammarly is a writing assistant that helps you improve your grammar, spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, tone, and style. It also helps you avoid plagiarism by checking your writing for similarity with other sources. You can use Grammarly as a browser extension, a web app, a desktop app, or a Microsoft Word add-in.
Scribbr: Scribbr is an online platform that offers various services for academic writers, such as proofreading, editing, citation generators, plagiarism checkers, and writing guides. You can also find examples of different types of academic papers and learn how to structure and format them according to different style guides.
Wikipedia: Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia that contains millions of articles on various topics. While Wikipedia is not a reliable source for academic writing, it can be a useful starting point for finding background information and references for further research. You can also use Wikipedia to learn about different academic disciplines and their conventions.
Google Scholar: Google Scholar is a search engine that allows you to find scholarly literature across various disciplines and sources, such as articles, books, dissertations, and patents. You can also use Google Scholar to track citations, create alerts, and save your searches.
Zotero: Zotero is free software that helps you collect, organize, cite, and share your research sources. You can use Zotero to create bibliographies in different styles, sync your data across devices, collaborate with others, and access your sources from anywhere.
Academic Writing Checklist
Before you submit your academic paper, make sure you have checked the following points:
- Have you followed the instructions and requirements of your assignment?
- Have you chosen an appropriate topic and formulated a clear thesis statement or research question?
- Have you conducted thorough research and selected relevant and credible sources?
- Have you cited all your sources correctly according to the style guide?
- Have you organized your paper into an introduction, main body paragraphs, and conclusion?
- Have you developed each paragraph with a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and transitions?
- Have you used formal, clear, concise, and unbiased language throughout your paper?
- Have you proofread your paper for grammar, spelling, punctuation, vocabulary, tone, and style errors?
If you have answered yes to all these questions, congratulations! You have completed a well-written academic paper that meets the standards and expectations of your discipline.
Also Read:
How to Write an Academic Report?
Published By: ISCOPE Publications