Why academic writing

The act of thinking about precedes the process of writing about. Good writers spend sufficient time distilling information and reviewing major points from the literature they have reviewed before creating their work. Writing detailed outlines can help you clearly organize your thoughts. Effective academic writing begins with solid planning, so manage your time carefully.

Excellent Grammar. Needless to say, English grammar can be difficult and complex; even the best scholars take many years before they have a command of the major points of good grammar. Take the time to learn the major and minor points of good grammar. Spend time practicing writing and seek detailed feedback from professors. Take advantage of the Writing Center on campus if you need help. Proper punctuation and good proofreading skills can significantly improve academic writing [see sub-tab for proofreading you paper ].

Refer to these three basic resources to help your grammar and writing skills:. Consistent Stylistic Approach. Each of these style manuals provide rules on how to write out numbers, references, citations, footnotes, and lists.

Consistent adherence to a style of writing helps with the narrative flow of your paper and improves its readability. Note that some disciplines require a particular style [e. Evaluating Quality of Writing. A useful approach for evaluating the quality of your academic writing is to consider the following issues from the perspective of the reader. While proofreading your final draft, critically assess the following elements in your writing.

Cornell University; Candlin, Christopher. University of North Carolina; Style. The Writing Center is a service supported by the university that provides one-on-one consultations and small-group workshops to help students of all abilities improve their critical thinking and writing skills.

If you are having problems writing your research papers, take advantage of this service! The Center is located in Taper Hall, room Considering the Passive Voice in Academic Writing. In the English language, we are able to construct sentences in the following way: 1. This choice in focus is achieved with the use of either the active or the passive voice. When you want your readers to focus on the "doer" of an action, you can make the "doer"' the subject of the sentence and use the active form of the verb.

When you want readers to focus on the person, place, or thing affected by the action, or the action itself, you can make the effect or the action the subject of the sentence by using the passive form of the verb. Often in academic writing, scholars don't want to focus on who is doing an action, but on who is receiving or experiencing the consequences of that action. The passive voice is useful in academic writing because it allows writers to highlight the most important participants or events within sentences by placing them at the beginning of the sentence.

Use the passive voice when:. Form the passive voice by:. NOTE: Consult with your professor about using the passive voice before submitting your research paper. Some strongly discourage its use!

Active and Passive Voice. Purdue University; Diefenbach, Paul. Future of Digital Media Syllabus. Drexel University; Passive Voice. University of North Carolina. Search this Guide Search. Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper Offers detailed guidance on how to develop, organize, and write a college-level research paper in the social and behavioral sciences. The Abstract Executive Summary 4. The Introduction The C.

The Discussion Limitations of the Study 9. The Conclusion Appendices Definition Academic writing refers to a style of expression that researchers use to define the intellectual boundaries of their disciplines and specific areas of expertise. Importance of Good Academic Writing The accepted form of academic writing in the social sciences can vary considerable depending on the methodological framework and the intended audience.

However, most college-level research papers require careful attention to the following stylistic elements: I. Strategies for Understanding Academic Writing and Its Jargon The very definition of jargon is language specific to a particular sub-group of people. Problems with Opaque Writing It's not unheard of for scholars to utilize needlessly complex syntax or overly expansive vocabulary that is impenetrable or not well-defined.

When writing, avoid problems associated with opaque writing by keeping in mind the following: 1. Additional Problems to Avoid In addition to understanding the use of specialized language, there are other aspects of academic writing in the social sciences that you should be aware of. These problems include: Personal nouns. Excessive use of personal nouns [e.

These words can be interpreted as being used only to avoid presenting empirical evidence about the research problem. Limit the use of personal nouns to descriptions of things you actually did [e. Avoid directives that demand the reader to "do this" or "do that. Informal, conversational tone using slang and idioms. Academic writing relies on excellent grammar and precise word structure.

Your narrative should not include regional dialects or slang terms because they can be open to interpretation; be direct and concise using standard English. Focus on being concise, straightforward, and developing a narrative that does not have confusing language. By doing so, you help eliminate the possibility of the reader misinterpreting the design and purpose of your study. Vague expressions e. Being concise in your writing also includes avoiding vague references to persons, places, or things.

Students are not supposed to write a one-sided paper because it gives no room for argument. Academic papers force them to look at all ideas and research from a different prism, which is what they need to get those good grades.

Students must analyze theories from different perspectives and make statements that anchor on their understanding. This skill is useful for people to learn early enough. Academic writing teaches a student to be a professional. It gives you that good feeling when you write a paper in the best way possible following all the instructions therein.

It allows you to feel professional, which makes the entry to your career easy. With academic writing for graduate students , you enhance your research skills. Researching transcends internet search when it comes to academic writing. It can take time to research on a topic, gather data, and analyze every piece of information you obtain. It is a fascinating journey as you get to discover information that relates to your area of study. You develop critical thinking and form an informed opinion.

Research skills are not only important to a student but also a professional researcher and writing an academic piece will require this skill. When it comes to academic writing , it enhances and inculcates highest standards of work ethic. Learning work ethic is not is crucial to a student. It helps you when you are facing a topic never know to you before; you can deal with it ethically, following all the rules of academic writing.

It involves a series of steps all of which take time and effort. Every student needs to understand that academic writing is a goal that they can attain. It takes practice to become a good academic writer. Put in more effort and waste no time in wanting to get better your academic writing skills especially if you are a student.

Importance of Academic Writing Dec 29, academic writing , writing , writing tips. Characteristics of Academic Writing When we talk about academic writing for graduate students , we are talking about several unique characteristics with which it is identified. By reading academic journals or texts, you can develop a better understanding of the features that make academic writing different from other forms of writing.

Alexander, O. Reading: Garnet Publishing Ltd. Cardiff Metropolitan University n. Academic Writing: Principles and Practice. Gillett, A. Features of academic writing. Staffordshire University Academic writing. University of Leeds Academic writing. Like the website? Try the books. Enter your email to receive a free sample from Academic Writing Genres. Find out more about the writing process in the next section. Scroll to Top.

He has been teaching English for Academic Purposes since Find out more about him in the about section and connect with him on Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn. Discussion essays require you to examine both sides of a situation and to conclude by saying which side you favour.

Transition signals are useful in achieving good cohesion and coherence in your writing. Reporting verbs are used to link your in-text citations to the information cited. Username Password. Academic Writing What is academic writing? Academic Style The writing process What is the writing process?

Cohesion vs coherence Transition signals Hedging Describing data Writing numbers Using complex grammar Using passive Writing critically Research skills Searching for information Evaluating sources Citing sources What are references and citations? Subscribe to the newsletter. AWL Words on this page from the academic word list.