Academic Writing Essentials



Lesson Overview

Academic writing in college is a very different process to that practiced in secondary school and can seem daunting until you become more familiar with it. The quality of your assignment will rely heavily on the way you phrase your argument. In other words, how you say it is as important as what you say.

Students often think that they have to use an overly sophisticated vocabulary in order to write in an academic tone, and this can make the prospect of writing an assignment even more daunting. However, this is not necessarily the case, and the vocabulary you already have can generally be used in a more formal and academic manner.

This lesson will cover some of the basic skills in assignment writing that you will need to refine your writing skills, as you progress on your journey through UCC and beyond.

The most important thing to remember here is that it is very much a learned skill, and one which gets much easier with practice and patience! 


Academic Writing Essentials Video Lesson


What Do We Mean By "Academic Writing"?


So, exactly what is meant by academic writing? It refers to a particular style and format that your assignments need to follow in order for them to meet university standards.

Language

The language used in academic writing is:

    • Formal
    • Clear, precise, concise 
    • Cautious
    • Factual 
    • Impersonal, objective 

Formal

Generally, the language used in academic assignments is formal, which means that the casual or conversational terms and phrases we use in everyday speech, are not usually acceptable. For example, rather than use words such as ‘lots’ or ‘things’, you might use ‘numerous’ and ‘issues’.

Clear and Concise

Avoid complex and long-winded sentences – make it as easy as possible for the reader to follow your rationale by using clear language and terminology. Use specific examples to illustrate and support the points you make and avoid vague terms such as ‘some critics’, ‘people’ or ‘ideas’.

Cautious

Avoid using absolutes in academic writing. Phrases such as ‘always’, ‘definite(ly)’, ‘without fail’, ‘must’, etc.; do not allow enough room for others to disagree with or even question your argument. Remember, the purpose of academic writing is to generate debate and further research, so leave others room to consider your findings and interpret them, in their own way.

Evidential

Prove your argument throughout your assignment. Research completed by other academics will provide much of the evidence you will need to support various ideas and arguments. When you do use ideas or information which others have already researched, you need to quote and cite these properly, throughout your assignment. This not only allows others to trace the sources you have used to support your argument, but it demonstrates respect for those who have researched your topic previously. Citations should appear in your work for not only a quote but also an idea, which will protect you from more serious charges of plagiarism.

Objective

Academic language should be objective and impersonal. Where possible, you should avoid the personal pronoun or the ‘I’ voice because overusing the ‘I’ hinders your argument. This is because it implies a certain degree of bias towards a particular perspective.

For example, if you were to write: "Language is, in my view, clearly something social", the phrasing does not provide any insight as to why this may be an academically solid perspective; it only tells the reader what your personal opinion is on this topic. However, look at what happens if we rephrase it as follows:  "As Halliday (1973) shows, language is intrinsically social". Presenting what is essentially the same claim without the use of 'I' is much more engaging and sounds far more objective. Read it aloud and hear the difference for yourself!

 


What Should I Avoid When Crafting My Assignment?

Emotional language

  • Remember your audience will be an academic one. Keep your language direct and de-personalised and avoid evaluative, emotional language. While you are entitled – and expected – to have an opinion on a particular topic, be careful not to use overly emotional language or sweeping generalisations as you write. Trust that the points you raise, once well-made and logically developed, will be enough to persuade your reader that your argument is credible. 

Contractions

  • Do not use abbreviated word forms. For example, instead of using ‘it’s’, ‘can’t’ or ‘they’re’ use ‘it is’, ‘cannot’ and ‘they are’.

Overly long sentences

 

  • Ideally, your assignment will be a mixture of short, snappy sentences and longer, more complex ones. While a particularly long sentence is sometimes unavoidable, a good rule of thumb regarding sentence length is to read it out loud and, if you have to take a breath before you finish the sentence, it’s too long!

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Academic Writing Essentials