Qualities of good academic writing
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Qualities of good academic writing
Academic writing is in a class all its own. Some students may struggle to write well at first, but here are a few guidelines to help you to produce better academic texts. Read on!
'Good' academic writing includes the following essential elements:
? use of formal language
? objective style
? precise and concise language
? accuracy (particularly in grammar, punctuation and syntax)
? correct referencing style, and
? flow and cohesion.
In academic writing you should also avoid using absolutes or generalisations.
Example:
Instead of
"It is impossible to determine..." you might use
"It seems difficult to determine...".
Precise and concise language
Use of formal language
Academic writing uses a formal style in order to aid clarity. Contracted forms, such has "they're" and "it's" have no place in academic writing, unless you are reporting an interview. Casual
(spoken) expressions, such as "pretty important,"
"a lot of", "get by", "sort of" and "they say" must also be avoided. Formality is aided by using the language of the particular discipline (area of study) in which you are writing. That is, there are certain terms and phrases that are used exclusively in accounting, business law, management, and so on. These terms are understood by those in the field and have special meanings in that field. For example, in everyday
English, "public" is used only in the singular.
However, in marketing, "publics" may be used.
Objective style
We generally avoid personal expressions in academic writing. Instead of phrases such as "I think", "I believe", "we used", "we asked", you would use phrases such as:
It is considered important to…
It is possible that….
This paper presents the findings of….
Academic writing in English uses a fairly direct style, particularly in comparison to some other languages. Some students use a style that is too indirect for English. If you are having
Qualities of good academic writing
Academic writing is in a class all its own. Some students may struggle to write well at first, but here are a few guidelines to help you to produce better academic texts. Read on!
'Good' academic writing includes the following essential elements:
? use of formal language
? objective style
? precise and concise language
? accuracy (particularly in grammar, punctuation and syntax)
? correct referencing style, and
? flow and cohesion.
In academic writing you should also avoid using absolutes or generalisations.
Example:
Instead of
"It is impossible to determine..." you might use
"It seems difficult to determine...".
Precise and concise language
Use of formal language
Academic writing uses a formal style in order to aid clarity. Contracted forms, such has "they're" and "it's" have no place in academic writing, unless you are reporting an interview. Casual
(spoken) expressions, such as "pretty important,"
"a lot of", "get by", "sort of" and "they say" must also be avoided. Formality is aided by using the language of the particular discipline (area of study) in which you are writing. That is, there are certain terms and phrases that are used exclusively in accounting, business law, management, and so on. These terms are understood by those in the field and have special meanings in that field. For example, in everyday
English, "public" is used only in the singular.
However, in marketing, "publics" may be used.
Objective style
We generally avoid personal expressions in academic writing. Instead of phrases such as "I think", "I believe", "we used", "we asked", you would use phrases such as:
It is considered important to…
It is possible that….
This paper presents the findings of….
Academic writing in English uses a fairly direct style, particularly in comparison to some other languages. Some students use a style that is too indirect for English. If you are having