MUHAMAD SHUKRI BIN MOHAMED DAMIRI P2E

What is academic writing?

Writing is a skill that is required in many contexts throughout life. However, academic
writing does many of the things that personal writing does not: it has its own set of
rules and practices.

 These rules and practices may be organised around a formal order or

structure in which to present ideas, in addition to ensuring that ideas are
supported by author citations in the literature.

 In contrast to personal writing contexts, academic writing is different because

it deals with the underlying theories and causes governing processes and
practices in everyday life, as well as exploring alternative explanations for
these events.

 Academic writing follows a particular ‘tone’ and adheres to traditional

conventions of punctuation, grammar, and spelling.

Structure

Some kind of structure is required, such as a beginning, middle, and end. This
simple structure is typical of an essay format, as well as other assignment writing
tasks, which may not have a clearly articulated structure.

Academic writing structure [hide]

Typical university assignments follow a formal structure, which is often more formal
than in personal writing.

Essays

 In the case of an essay, the introductory paragraph informs the reader about

the nature of the topic, which is discussed and evaluated in the middle of the
essay, also referred to as the body.

 The introduction may also summarise very succinctly, in a sentence or two,

your position on the issue, which is then elaborated on at length in the series
of paragraphs that make up the essay's body.

 The final paragraph constitutes a conclusion in which you may summarise the

overall points made.
  The concluding paragraph is also a good point at which to move the essay
forward to touch on implications or future advancements surrounding the
issues addressed.

Reports

 Another type of structure, common in university assignments is that of a

report, often organised around the identification of problems or difficulties and
corresponding solutions.

 Unlike most essays, a report is divided according to clearly labeled sections,

such as “Introduction”, “Discussion”, “Conclusions”, and “Recommendations”.

 Further, unlike an essay, reports allow for bulleted points with respect to the
conclusions and recommendations sections.

Referencing

A significant difference between academic writing and other writing genres is based
on the citation and referencing of published authors.

Referencing and citation [hide]

 If you make judgments about something in academic writing, there is an

expectation that you will support your opinion by linking it to what a published
author has previously written about the issue.

 Citing the work of other authors is central to academic writing because it

shows you have read the literature, understood the ideas, and have integrated
these issues and varying perspectives into the assignment task.

 The importance placed on referring to other authors in your work can be

reflected in the elaborate referencing conventions that have been created
within different disciplines, such as APA (American Psychological Association)
referencing, which is used in psychology, education, some social sciences, as
well as for business.

Abstract thought

Traditionally, academic topics have focused on abstract things, like ideas and
concepts, which cannot, necessarily, be given in a concrete or physical form.

Hence, while writing meeting minutes or covering letters of CVs draw on physical,
practical, and functional tasks, academic writing is often more likely to focus on
abstract processes and relationships. Yet, despite the abstract, non-material
structure of some academic topics, you may be able to borrow concrete and
physically oriented words to explain these abstract ideas and the relationships
between them.

Abstract thought [hide]

 Typically, academic writing requires you to clearly describe abstract forms and
their component parts, their links to other abstract forms, as well as where
they are positioned in relation to a general, overall system.

 Even if you are dealing with a practically oriented topic like economics,
computer science, rehabilitation, nursing, or teaching, the academic practice
of learning about these things will likely require you to delve into theories,
philosophies, concepts, and other abstract ideas that underlie the practical
nature of the activities concerned.

 Therefore, the very nature of academic writing is also different from many
practically-oriented or socially-oriented writing tasks. This is because
academic writing tasks require you to look beneath the surface for underlying
principles, theories, and concepts that can offer mainstream as well as
alternative explanations for common practices, processes, and procedures.

Academic tone

Like all varieties of writing, academic writing has its own tone, which dictates the
choice of words and phrasing.

Academic tone [hide]

Academic writing typically aims to be:

 objective (e.g. using inclusive language)

 concise

 formal (e.g. avoiding slang, exclamation marks, contractions)

The tone of academic writing can also vary significantly depending on the subject-
area and the academic discipline you are writing for.

The readings, textbook, and study guide of your course show you what tone is
expected in the paper, so study their style carefully.

The audience
It is important to remember who you are writing for. Being conscious of academic
tone suggests that you are aware of your audience and respect the formality
normally associated with academic writing.

When writing academically, you must target a more general audience than just your
lecturer and/or marker. You should assume that your readers will be intelligent
thinking people, but they may not be specifically informed of your topic. Do not
presume that your reader knows all the terms and concepts associated with your
work.

Punctuation and grammar

In academic writing you should always follow rules of punctuation and grammar,
especially as the end-user or consumer of your writing, unlike a friend, is likely to be
very different from you and will not always know to what you are referring. Hence, it
is vital that you are clear. Punctuation and the conventions of grammar are
universally known systems (within English speaking cultures) that maintain clarity
and avoid ambiguity in expression.
MUHAMAD SHUKRI BIN MOHAMED DAMIRI P2E

Academic writing

Good academic writing, no matter the discipline, field, or genre, is characterized by:

Starting with Good Ideas.

 Writers should first be concerned with their ideas and translating these ideas into
readable prose for their intended audience. Your ideas are the most important
element of your project, especially as it takes shape. But before you show your final
drafts to other readers, you need to pay attention to style, grammar, and mechanics,
both traditional and in your field. Nothing will make a reader stop reading more
quickly than poor style and grammar, even if the ideas are profound.

Having a Clear Sense of Audience, Genre, and Purpose. 

The most important aspect of becoming a good writer in your field or discipline is, as
Ken Hyland has written, to be aware of your rhetorical choices.1 As you write,
keep in mind the rhetorical purpose and academic standards under which you write:
(a) Who is your audience? (b) What is your purpose? and (c) What is the genre
of what you are writing?

Approaching the “So What” Question. 

Academic Writing is considered successful when it answers the “So What” question
or problem statement, best described by the following guidelines to be answered in
the text: (a) What is the issue? (b) What are the specific questions surrounding the
issue? (c) What is the context and background of the issue? and (d) Why does the
issue matter? If the work you produce answers these questions and tackles the
answers by paying attention toboth higher- and lower-order concerns, and adds new
information (called the value-add) to make the writing even more compelling, the
paper will be successful.
Using a Logical Progression of Ideas.

 Order your paragraphs and evidence in a linear manner that makes sense through
transitions, signal phrases, and verbs that tell the reader if you agree or disagree
with the evidence you are providing. Each paragraph, and your paper as a whole,
should follow this format: (a) Introduce the main idea that will be discussed, (b)
Provide the evidence used to prove your argument, and (c) Outline the significance
of the evidence you have provided.

Using Sources Judiciously.

 As you write the connections and evidence portions of your work, take time to make
the following choices: (a) How much information to provide, (b) What kind of
information to provide, and (c) How to sequence the information you provide.

Writing Clearly and Directly. 

Write with a linear progression of ideas. Use strong verbs, rather than
nominalizations or adverbs. For example, a nominalization would be to write “raise
an obstacle” rather than to use the verb “to obstruct” or the nominalization “give
assistance” rather than “to assist.” The verb is always better and more direct.
Likewise, use strong verbs, such as “to speed,” rather than “to drive quickly,” in
which the adverb modifies a weaker verb.

Writing Specific and Detail-Oriented Prose. 

Don’t expect your reader to know what you know. You are the expert in this study.
You need to hold your reader’s hand so that he or she can follow your argument as it
progresses.
Using a Consistent Tone and Style. 

Match the tone and style consistent with your discipline, field, or course. For
example, in the Sciences, passive voice is often used (the chemicals were mixed),
whereas in the Humanities, active voice is used (the assistant mixed the chemicals).

Writing with a Compelling Strong Voice. 

You are either a member of the disciplinary tribe already, or you are asking to be
accepted into the tribe. You are the expert on your subject. Write with conviction.

Making Sure Your Writing is Mechanically Competent:

 Finally, by using the proper rules of citation expected in your field or discipline, a
writer is able to establish a credible writerly ethos. Citation helps to define a specific
context of knowledge or problem to which the current work is a contribution. Citation
plays an important role in mediating the relationship between a writer’s argument
and his or her discourse community. And then there is plagiarism. Do not do it.