ACADEMIC WRITING

What is academic writing?

✔ It is a genre and style of writing used for varied purposes such as to inform, to analyze, to persuade,
and to contribute to existing body of knowledge.
✔ It is used by educators, researchers and students in school and work place.
✔ It uses evidence-based arguments and logical reasoning to discuss specific subject matter.
✔ It is an indispensable tool in both academic and professional arenas

Purposes of academic writing

To Inform
✔ it acts as a conduit for imparting knowledge on specific topics
✔ It can be achieved in different forms such as essays, textbooks, proposals, reports, journal articles
and other scholarly works.
To Analyze
✔ it involves the meticulous analysis and interpretation of information.
✔ the analytical process relies on critical thinking and the application of pertinent theories and
concepts to extract deeper meanings and insights.
To Persuade
✔ it seeks to persuade readers to embrace a particular viewpoint or to take specific actions.
✔ it is hinged on the construction of well-crafted arguments, fortified by compelling evidence and
logical reasoning.
To Contribute in the Body of Knowledge
✔ it serves as a vital mechanism to expand the existing body of knowledge within a particular field.
✔ the expansion can be in the form of original research, an evaluation of existing research, or
introduction of innovative theories and concepts.

Interconnection of the Four Purposes

⮚ an academic writer may inform readers about a particular topic by skillfully analyzing and
interpreting existing research.
⮚ an academic writer may employ persuasive techniques to encourage readers to adopt a specific
perspective, all based on the insights gained from analyses.

Nature of Academic Writing

1. It uses formal language
1.1 Avoid casual or conversational language
Casual/Informal Formal
a bit somewhat
not enough insufficient
1.2 Avoid contractions
instead of can’t, use can not
1.3 Avoid emotive language; use moderate words
instead of “wonderful”, use helpful
instead of “terrible”, use problematic
Formal, moderate language
This medical research will lead to new treatments of cancer
X Emotive language
Thanks to this research, more cancer patients than ever will celebrate their next birthday and the one after
that.

2. It is objective and impersonal (impersonal- not mentioning personal feelings)

Examples:
✔ These findings indicate that the model is valid
X I believe the model is valid, based on these findings
Instances when researchers have to present their opinions, and there is a need for them to be objective
and impersonal:
 ✔ When they interpret findings
✔ When they evaluate a theory
✔ When they develop an argument
✔ When they critique the work of others

How to express your point of view and still write objectively?

1. Emphasize the things or ideas, not the person or his/her feelings.
Example:
✔ These findings indicate that the model is valid.
X I believe that the model is valid, based on these findings.
2. Avoid evaluative words that are based on non-technical judgements and feelings.
Examples:
✔ These findings are valid.
X These findings are amazing.
3. Use caution about your views, or allow room for others to disagree.
Examples:
✔ Evidences indicate that secondhand smoke has harmful effects to (children’s) health.
X I think parents who smoke are obviously abusing their children’s health.
4. Find authoritative sources that support your point of view and cite them in your writing
Examples
✔ As Halliday (1973) argues, language is naturally social.
X Language, in my view, is clearly something social.

3. It uses technical language

3.1 Writer should use the terminology in his/her discipline or field of specialization.
3.2 Be careful about the meaning of technical terms. Often the same word has a different meaning in
another discipline.
3.3 Use key categories in your discipline to structure your writing and make it more technical and analytical
Example
1. Types of Tourism
1.1 Recreational tourism
1.2 Mass tourism
1.3 Adventure tourism

Types of Writing in Academic Pieces

1. Descriptive writing
2. Analytical writing
3. Persuasive writing
4. Critical writing

In many academic texts, more than one type of writing is used.

Example, in thesis writing
✔ Critical writing is used in the literature review to show where there is a gap or opportunity in the
existing research
✔ Descriptive writing is used in the methods section to summarize the procedures
✔ Descriptive and analytical writing are used in the Results section where data are organized
✔ Analytical and persuasive writing are used in the Discussion section where findings are analyzed
and interpreted.

Descriptive Writing
⮚ The simplest type of academic writing
⮚ Its purpose is to make the reader visualize what you want to say
 ⮚ Parts of the thesis where descriptive writing is used:
- Methodology, or Materials and
Methods
- Results
How to be descriptive when writing?
1. Engage senses by using details.
2. Use precise synonyms.
3. Use metaphors, similes, personification, or other figures of speech.
Only #1 & #2 are used in academic writing.
All 3 are used in creative writing.

Analytical Writing
✔ Analytical writing includes brief descriptions, then organizing them into categories, parts, or
relationships.
Sample comparison between analytical and descriptive writing:
Analytical writing
Based on the feedback forms, it indicates that the senior citizen tourists enjoyed, as 90% of them rated the
activities “very enjoyable”. Only few (2%) regarded it as “less enjoyable”.
Descriptive writing
The feedback forms indicated that the senior citizen tourists enjoyed the activities.

Persuasive Writing
✔ a form of writing that aims to convince the reader to take a particular action or adopt a particular
viewpoint.
Sample Persuasive Writing
✔ Marijuana should be legalized. We are putting too many people in prison and spending too much
money to incarcerate them for nonviolent crimes.
✔ Based on the study of Pearson in 2016, prescribing school uniforms stunted the personal growth of
more than 70% of youth. When freedom of expression is taken away, it is hard for adolescents to
truly develop a sense of self.

Critical Writing
a type of writing that analyzes and evaluates information from multiple sources in order to develop an
argument.
Sample Critical Writing
✔ Reading comprehension impairments are highly heterogenous in children showing different severity
of difficulties (Torgesen, 2005; Snowling, 2008). This suggests that specific interventions should be
tailored to the particular condition and status of a child.

Forms of Academic Pieces

1. Chapter – the main section of a written material e.g. book
2. Essay – a short piece of writing on specific topic
3. Research article – a written report on the results of an original research which is submitted for
journal publication
4. Technical report – a detailed document that describes the process, progress or results of a
research or development project. A thesis manuscript is an example of a technical
report.
5. Annotated bibliography - a list of references with bibliographic elements and short description
(annotation) of their contents.
Sample Annotated Bibliography
Bibliography:
Davidson, Hilda Ellis. Roles of the Northern Goddess. London: Routledge, 1998.
Annotation:
Davidson's book provides a thorough examination of the major roles filled by the numerous pagan
goddesses of Northern Europe in everyday life, including their roles in hunting, agriculture, domestic
arts like weaving, the household, and death. The author discusses relevant archaeological evidence,
patterns of symbol and ritual, and previous research. The book includes a number of black and white
photographs of relevant artifacts.
6. Thesis/Dissertation- a long piece of writing that documents the process and results of an original
research.
BS/MS level – thesis
Ph.D. level - dissertation
7. Literary analysis – a detailed examination of a literary piece (story, poem, novel, theory, or
research article)
Types of Literary Analysis
⮚ Mood – analyzing how the work makes the reader feel
⮚ Characterization – analyzing how the characters are portrayed and developed
⮚ Theme – analyzing the main idea or message of the work
⮚ Writer’s craft – analyzing the background, style or purpose of the author
⮚ Figurative language – analyzing how the author uses literary techniques to convey meaning and
create effects

Wrap Up
⮚ Academic writing is characterized as a formal, objective and technical work done by both students
and professionals.
⮚ The writing conventions used in academic writing are descriptive, analytical, persuasive and critical.
⮚ In particular parts of academic papers, the descriptive, analytical, persuasive and critical
conventions of writing are singly or jointly used.
⮚ Descriptive writing is necessary in order to achieve analytical, persuasive and critical writing.
⮚ Forms of pieces in academic writing are Chapter, Essay, Research article, technical report,
Annotated bibliography, Thesis/Dissertation, and Literary Analysis.