Topic 7
Academic Research Writing
• A lot of people believe that academic writing is like
writing a research paper. The truth is, “academic”
means that a student has written an informed, scholarly
and insightful contribution to ongoing discussions or
relevant topics or issues.
• Specific and Clear Language
- Academic writing should be
straightforward and simple.
- Avoid big, pompous, vague and ambiguous
words.
- As much as possible, simplify jargons
(language of a particular field of study)
• Balanced and credible voice
- Refocus the language by emphasizing the
study rather than the researcher or writer
of the study
- Instead of using “I chose this study”, use
“The researcher/writer chose this study”
• Socially and Culturally Relevant Topics
- Topics need not be boring nor redundant
- Choose topics that everybody can relate to
- If a topic seems to have been over-
discussed or overstudied, give it a twist so
that readers will see it in another or
different light
• Plagiarism
- When writers experience writer’s block, it
is very tempting to just google everything
and click Ctrl+a, Ctrl+c and Ctrl+v on a
document. What just happened is stealing
another person’s words or ideas. Check this
link and know more about plagiarism.
- https://www.plagiarism.org/article/what-
isplagiarism
How to avoid committing plagiarism
• Check out this link
https://www.grammarly.com/blog/5-mosteffective-
methods-for-avoiding-plagiarism/
Writing as a Process
• Choosing a topic and limiting it
- Objectives in writing the paper
- Length requirements of the paper
- Time needed in writing the paper
- Restrictions or limits in writing the paper
- Related ideas to the topic of the paper
• Asking research questions and establishing the
significance of one’s research
- What does the “tingi-tingi system” mean?
What is the nature of tingi?
- Who exactly practices this?
- When did this practice begin?
- Where is this practiced? In what
context/s?
- Why is tingi-tingi system a prevalent
practice in the Philippines?
- How did it develop? How was it practiced
in the past? How is it practiced today?
• Brainstorming research questions:
- What cultural and social values, as well as
realities, led to the practice of buying and
selling by tingi? What impact does it have
on buyers and sellers? What larger
implications does this have about life in
the Philippines and its socio-economic
system, especially today?
• Main research question:
- Why is the continued use of the tingi-tingi
system in twenty-first century Philippines
significant?
• State your topic:
- I am studying tingi culture in the
Philippines.
• Add a reason for studying it:
- I am studying tingi culture in the
Philippines because I want to find out
what it reflects about the values of
Filipinos.
• Add significance to the study:
- I am studying tingi culture in the
Philippines because I want to find out
what it reflects about the values of
Filipinos in order to help my reader
understand why there are larger
implications of the practice in the
twentyfirst century.
• RESEARCH QUESTION:
- Why is the continued use of the tingi-tingi
system in the twenty-first century
Philippines significant?
narrow down to what can be contributory
and which are reliable bases of the study.
• Choose a topic and limit it (Cat-calling in the
Philippines)
- Asking research questions and establishing
the significance of one’s research
- Brainstorming research questions
- Main research question
• State your topic (The writer is studying about cat-
calling in the Philippines)
• Add a reason for studying it (The writer is studying
about cat-calling in the Philippines because she wants to
know why men do it)
• Add significance to the study (The writer is studying
about cat-calling in the Philippines because she wants to
know why men do it so she can find out how it can be
stopped)

• Composing a thesis statement • Formulate the research question (Why is cat-calling

still prevalent in the Philippines despite laws against it?)
- Research question: Why is the continued
use of the tingi-tingi system in twenty- • Compose a thesis statement (Cat-calling is still
first century Philippines significant? prevalent in the Philippines despite laws against it
- Thesis statement: The continued use of because it is difficult to prove)
the tingi-tingi sytem in twenty first
• Prepare a writing outline
century Philippines reflects a lack of
change in the economic situation of the • Research and find credible sources
Philippines, as those from the many
poorer sectors of society are forced, due
to lack of available funds, to both buy
small and think in the short term.

• Preparing a writing outline

- An outline is a skeletal guide of your study.

It is the general description plan or
blueprint of what your study is about, but
not giving out the full details.

• Doing research and finding credible sources

- There are other related finds that may be

helpful in the development of your study.
The trick is to filter from the choices and