Universities and colleges typically require students to write in a more formal, academic style. That’s the kind of writing expected of students in class and the kind of writing that professors and researchers use when they put together academic papers. Certain courses in high school may even demand an academic tone and style of writing.

Academic Writing Styles

Most texts that academics produce are meant for publication, including journal articles, books, and chapters in edited collections. The most common forms of student academic writing include;

• Theses
• Capstone projects
• Literature reviews
• Website Articles & Blogs
• Proposals
• English documents
• D. dissertations
• Research & term papers
• Manuscripts & academic articles

Features Of Academic Writing

Structured

The academic writing you produce ought to have a solid framework. Genre conventions will often serve as the basis for the piece’s outline. The writing must make sense and have strong internal cohesion between its various sections. In order to have a well-organized piece with a focused central idea and a smooth flow of ideas, thorough pre-writing preparation is required.

Evidenced

In academic writing, it is expected that all claims made be backed up by credible sources. Since the content is often based on information from subject matter experts, it is crucial to properly credit them in the text and in the reference section. Credible sources back up the claims made in academic writing. To support or analyze their claims, authors often refer to outside works known as sources.

When writing for an academic audience, you should carefully consider your sources. For instance, it is generally not advised to cite Wikipedia. Instead of relying on internet sites, scholarly databases and the library should be utilized to find reliable sources. In academic papers, you should always include a list of references. This entails giving credit to other people’s work whenever you use it by citing them in the text and providing a reference list at the end. There are numerous citation formats with distinct rules. Generally speaking, APA, MLA, and Chicago are the most widely used formats. You must adhere uniformly to the required format of your school. Plagiarism charges could be brought against you if you fail to properly cite your sources.

Balanced

Writing for academia requires a fair amount of moderation. This necessitates being objective and giving equal weight to opposing arguments. In light of the fact that any piece of research, any piece of evidence, and any piece of argument can be refuted, it is crucial for an academic writer to demonstrate the conviction with which they approach a topic.

Critical

There is more to academic writing than mere description. Academic writing requires a healthy skepticism of sources and a willingness to do one’s own research. Before deciding whether or not to use a source in your writing, you must analyze and evaluate that source or make judgments about it. It’s called “criticism” when written in this way. To write critically about a topic, the writer must first understand the subject thoroughly through extensive research.

Precise

The language used in academic writing should be easy to read and comprehend. The use of technical (or field-specific) vocabulary is encouraged when doing so will improve the clarity of expression over a similarly worded non-technical term. Defining such technical vocabulary is sometimes necessary, but only if the term is not commonly used within the field and is therefore unlikely to be understood without context.

Objective

Academic writing takes a neutral stance. That is to say that the reader is meant to focus on the content rather than the author. This means that nouns and noun phrases are more common in academic writing than verbs and adverbs. Furthermore, it frequently employs passive voice structures when the more dynamic and engaging use of active voice would be more appropriate.

Formal

Academic writing is stiff than regular writing. Longer words and more intricate constructions predominate, while the use of contractions and slang terms that might be prevalent in spoken English are generally avoided.

The Format Of Academic Writing

Introduction

You need to hook the reader and state your thesis in the introduction. It’s important to tailor your introduction hook to the specific requirements of the paper you’re writing.

Body

This is the meat of the assignment. Each paragraph must make sense and be written in clear, concise language. It could be organized in several ways, such as by date or relative weight. If you want your paragraphs to read smoothly, make sure the first sentence of each one connects to the one before it. (Topic Sentences). Paragraphs are the standard unit of organization in most academic texts. To better understand this, consider the following three parts of an essay, each of which should be the focus of its paragraph: topic sentence, Body of the paragraph, and concluding sentence. The topic sentence provides context for the paragraph and explains why it is being written. As the paragraph progresses, this may require more than one sentence.

This topic is developed in the paragraph of the paper. It may provide definitions, classifications, explanations, contrasts, examples, and evidence to expand on the topic sentence. The concluding sentence is the last sentence of most paragraphs. It either summarizes or comments on the paragraph’s content but does not introduce any new material. Linking information can be provided by demonstrating how the paragraph’s topic sentence relates to the following paragraph.

Conclusion

The conclusion should neatly tie up any loose ends in the paper and leave the reader with a satisfying final thought. The conclusion should restate the thesis and summarize the key points or findings. In a paper that presents a summary of a research study’s findings, it is customary to make a suggestion for future research or study based on those findings.

Editing and Proofreading In Academic Writing

After you’ve finished writing your assignment, take the time to edit and proofread it.

Editing may depend on the task at hand and your method of composition:

• Modifying the structure of paragraphs or chapters
• Maintaining a consistent flow of thought
• Cut or add words until you reach the word count
• Reducing wordiness and increasing clarity in your writing.
• Ensuring that you’ve provided adequate context
• By inserting headings or introductory sentences to highlight the organization.

The final step is the editing and proofreading process. This includes double-checking everything from spelling to citations. Institutions may not offer an editing or proofreading service. There are methods you can learn to edit and proofread your work, or you can look for assistance online.

The Checklist Of Academic Writing

• Avoid using redundant phrases and words.
• Eliminate superfluous jargon and, when necessary, define words.
• Provide facts as accurately and precisely as feasible Avoid using slang and abbreviations.
• Avoid passionate and hyperbolic language.
• Employ proper transitions to demonstrate the relationships between my thoughts.
• My text is ordered rationally, utilizing paragraphs.
• Each paragraph has a distinct topic phrase that focuses on a particular idea.
• Provide evidence for any claims (Citations)
• Each essay section is connected to my fundamental thesis or research issue.
• Edit my work