What is Academic Writing?

Writing is a skill that is required in many contexts

throughout life. However, academic writing is quite
different from personal writing because it follows its
own set of rules and practices:
• Ideas are usually organized in a formal order or
structure.
• Ideas are supported by references from academic
literature.
• In contrast to personal writing, academic writing is
different because it deals with the theories and causes of
a given topic, as well as exploring alternative
explanations for these theories or events.
• Academic writing follows a particular tone, which uses
concise, formal, and objective language. Academic
writing also adheres to traditional conventions of
punctuation, grammar, and spelling.
Structure
Some kind of structure is required, such as an
introduction, essay body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
This simple structure is typical of an essay format, as
well as other assignment writing tasks, which may not
have a clearly articulated structure.
Referencing

A significant difference between academic writing and

other kinds of writing is the use of citations and
referencing of published authors.

Academic tone

Like all varieties of writing, academic writing has its

own tone, which dictates the choice of words and
phrasing.

The Audience

It is important to remember who you are writing for.

Being conscious of academic tone suggests that you are
aware of your audience and respect the formality
normally associated with academic writing.
When writing academically, you must target a more
general audience than just your lecturer and/or marker.
You should assume that your readers will be intelligent
thinking people, but they may not be specifically
informed of your topic. Do not presume that your reader
knows all the terms and concepts associated with your
work. This may mean you have to give concise
definitions or explanations of key terms and events.
Punctuation and grammar

In academic writing you should always follow rules

of punctuation and grammar. Punctuation and the
conventions of grammar are universally known systems
(within individual languages) that maintain clarity and
avoid ambiguity in expression. It is important that the
spelling and grammar check software on your computer
are turned on and set to the correct language.