LA113 | Academic Writing

LA113 | ACADEMIC WRITING AND ITS 7 FEATURES

IMPORTANT TERMS

ACADEMIC WRITING

 Description: A scholarly act of presenting ideas or concepts about a specific topic.

o Scholarly because it involves a thorough, careful, investigative, and scientific study of a specific
topic.
: Unlike the personal or public writing, as it subjects itself to a certain degree of precision
regarding its topic, purpose, audience, language, and methodology.
 Audience/Readers: A writing which communicates ideas, information and research to the wider
academic community.
 Types of Academic Writing
o Student Academic Writing
 Description: Assessment at University (or school to prepare for university)
 Audience: Tutors or Professors
 Purpose: To demonstrate learning
o Expert Academic Writing
 Description: Writing for publication (in academic journals or book)
 Audience: Other experts in field
 Purpose: To create new knowledge
 7 Features of Academic Writing
o Structured
 Description: Often derives from the genre of writing
: Academic writing should have a clear or well structured (means)
 Coherent
o Description: Logical progression of ideas
 Cohesive
o Description: Different parts clearly connected
o Example: reference words, transition signals.

: Well structured also needs

 Clear focus (understand what you are writing about)

 Careful planning before writing
 Example: I. Introduction, II. Methods, III. Results, IV. Discussion
o Evidenced
 Description: Opinion and Arguments should be supported by evidence
 Example: facts, reasons, examples, statistics, citations
 o Critical
 Description: Academic writing does not simply describe. It requires a great deal of
research
 Example: Critical Evaluation Reveals: Limitations of previous research work
o Formal
 Description: Academic writing tends to use more complex sentences
 Example: avoiding contractions and colloquial/informal words
o Precise
 Description: Academic writing should use clear and precise language
 Example: Use of technical vocabulary or words
o Balanced
 Description: Academic writing should give consideration to all sides of the issue and
avoid bias
 Example: Used of strong claims, used of hedges/boosters
o Objective
 Description: Emphasis is placed on the arguments and information, rather than on the
writer
 Example: used of passive sentences, impersonal structure

PUBLIC OR PERSONAL WRITING

 Description: Subjective type of writing, Informal (can be based on opinions or involve emotions)
 Audience/Readers: for the person itself (like diary) and so on

ADDTL. EXAMPLES