Communication

for Academic
Purposes
What is Academic Writing?
•Academic writing refers to a style of
expression that researchers use to
define the intellectual boundaries of
their disciplines and specific areas of
expertise.
STYLISTIC
ELEMENTS OF
GOOD ACADEMIC
WRITING
The Overall View
• The Overall View. Unlike journalistic or
fiction writing, the overall structure of
academic writing is formal and logical. Thus,
it is important to take note of the following
points:
The Overall View
• The paper must be cohesive and possess a logically organized
flow of ideas -- this suggests that the various parts are
connected to form a unified whole.
• There should be transitional devices or narrative links between
sentences and paragraphs so that the reader will be able to
follow your argument.
• The introduction should include an explanation of how the rest of
the paper is organized and all sources are properly cited
throughout the paper.
Language
• The analysis of research problems in diverse
disciplines is often complex and multi-
dimensional. Hence, it is significant that you use
language that fits your audience and matches
your purpose. Inappropriate language uses can
undermine your argument, damage your
credibility, or alienate your audience. Here are
some points to remember:
Language
• The key to successful writing focuses on the
levels of formality and conciseness that
underscore writing in a style that your audience
expects and that fits your purpose.
• Use clear topic sentences and well-structured
paragraphs to enable readers to follow your line
of thinking without difficulty.
Language
• Avoid using in-group jargon or specialized language used by
groups of like-minded individuals.
• Avoid using slang or idiomatic expressions in general
academic writing.
• Avoid using euphemisms or words that veil the truth and
other deceitful language.
• Avoid using biased language including language with a
racial, ethnic group, or gender bias or language that is
stereotypical.
Academic Tone.
• The overall tone refers to the writer's voice
in a written work. It is what the readers
might perceive as the writer's attitude, bias,
or personality. When writing in an academic
tone, you must take into consideration the
following points:
Academic Tone.
• Present the arguments of others objectively
and with an appropriate narrative tone.
• Describe these arguments accurately and
without biased or loaded language whenever
you present an argument or a position that
you disagree with.
• "The proposal to increase taxes on the
wealthy is a blatant attack on hardworking
Americans who have earned their wealth
through dedication and ingenuity. It unfairly
penalizes success and undermines the
principles of freedom and opportunity."
Academic Tone.
• Investigate the research problem from an
authoritative perspective.
• State the strong points of your arguments
confidently by using language that is neutral,
not dismissive or confrontational
 Academic Tone.
• Avoid making broad generalizations, using
over-sweeping adjectives, adverbs,
qualifiers, emotional language and
inflammatory language.
Academic Diction
• Academic diction refers to the linguistic
choices a writer makes to effectively
convey an idea or a standpoint. When
writing in an academic diction, you must
take note of the following points:
Academic Diction
• Awareness of the words you use is vital
because words that have almost the
same denotation or dictionary definition
can have very different connotations or
implied meanings.
Academic Diction
• Use concrete and specific words that
convey precise meaning.
• Explain what you mean within the
context of how that word or phrase is
used within a discipline.
Academic Diction
• Be consistent with your labels. Call
people what they want to be called. Use
gender inclusive language. Avoid placing
gender identifiers in front of nouns.
Academic Diction (Avoid the use of
the following)

• slang expressions • big words

• cliché phrases • Platitudes
• metaphors or figures of • Pejoratives
speech
• Contractions
• Colloquialisms
• Jargons
Academic Diction
• Use personal pronouns carefully. Generally, you
also want to avoid using the personal "I“ in an
academic paper unless you are writing a
reflection paper or a reaction paper.
• Writing from the third-person point of view is
important in academic research writing because it
makes your paper sounds more assertive, more
professional and credible.
Punctuation
• Punctuation. To establish the narrative tone
of their work, scholars rely on precise words
and language. Thus, punctuation marks are
used very deliberately.
 Punctuation
• Semi-colons represent a pause that is longer than
a comma, but shorter than a period in a sentence.
• Colons should be limited to introducing,
announcing or directing attention to a list, a noun
or noun phrase, a quotation, or an
example/explanation; joining sentences; and
expressing time, in titles, and as part of other
writing conventions.
 Punctuation
• Hyphens should be limited to connecting prefixes to
words like “re-educate” or when forming compound words
or phrases like “on-site” and “right-of-way.”
• Dashes should be limited to the insertion of an
explanatory comment in a sentence.
• Exclamation points are rarely used to express a
heightened tone because they can come across as
unsophisticated or over-excited.
What is Academic Conventions?
• "Academic conventions" refers to the established
norms, practices, and standards within the
academic community for writing, research,
citation, presentation, and other scholarly
activities.
Academic Conventions
• It is essential to always acknowledge the source
of any ideas, research findings, data,
paraphrased, or quoted text that you have used in
your paper as a defense against allegations of
plagiarism.
• With reference to academic writing purposes, the
guidelines for fair use are reasonably explicit.
Academic Conventions
• NOTE: Rules concerning precise word structure
and excellent grammar do not apply when quoting
someone. To set off and represent exact language
either spoken or written that has come from
somebody else is the primary function of
quotation marks. Direct quotations involve
incorporating another person's exact words into
your own writing.
Academic Conventions (The following
covers the basic use of quotation marks)

• Quotation marks always come in pairs. Do not open a quotation

and fail to close it at the end of the quoted material;
• Capitalize the first letter of a direct quote when the quoted
material is a complete sentence;
• Do not use a capital letter when the quoted material is a
fragment or only a piece of the original material's complete
sentence;
• If a direct quotation is interrupted mid-sentence, do not
capitalize the second part of the quotation;
According to Fullan (2001),
“Educational change depends on
what teachers do and think—it’s as
simple and complex as that” (p. 107).
•“Educational change depends on what
teachers do and think—it’s as simple and
complex as that” (Fullan, 2001, p. 107).
Academic Conventions (The following
covers the basic use of quotation marks)

• If a direct quotation is interrupted mid-sentence, do not

capitalize the second part of the quotation;
• Note that the period or comma punctuation always
comes before the final quotation mark. However, it is
important to realize also that when you are using some
other form of documentation, this punctuation rule may
change;
Academic Conventions (The following
covers the basic use of quotation marks)

• When quoting text with a spelling or grammar error, you

should transcribe the error exactly in your own text.
However, also insert the term sic in italics directly after
the mistake, and enclose it in brackets. Sic is from the
Latin, and translates to "thus," "so," or "just as that."
The word tells the readers that your quote is an exact
reproduction of what you found, and the error is not your
own;
Academic Conventions (The following
covers the basic use of quotation marks)

• If a direct quotation is interrupted mid-sentence, do not

capitalize the second part of the quotation;
• Note that the period or comma punctuation always
comes before the final quotation mark. However, it is
important to realize also that when you are using some
other form of documentation, this punctuation rule may
change;
Academic Conventions (The following
covers the basic use of quotation marks)

• When there is a quote within a quotation, enclose the

inner quote in single quotation marks and the whole
quotation in double quotation marks;
• Direct quotations which run to less than five lines are
integrated in the text and simply enclosed in quotation
marks;
 Academic Conventions (The following
covers the basic use of quotation marks)

• Quoted material that runs from five or more lines are

indented seven spaces, italicized, and typed single space.
The quotation is also indented at least four spaces from
the right-hand margin. No quotation marks are used; and
• Quotations are most effective if you use them sparingly
and keep them relatively short. Too many quotations in a
research paper will get you accused of not producing
original thought or material.
 Academic Conventions
• The scholarly convention of citing sources allows readers
to identify the resources you used in writing your paper so
they can independently verify and assess the quality of
findings and conclusions based on your review of the
literature.
• Other examples of academic conventions to follow include
the appropriate use of headings and subheadings, properly
spelling out acronyms when first used in the text, and
avoiding unsupported declarative statements.
What is Evidence-Based
Reasoning?
• Evidence-based reasoning is a process of
decision-making or argumentation that relies on
empirical evidence, facts, and data to support
claims or conclusions. In this approach,
arguments are built on the foundation of credible
evidence rather than personal beliefs, opinions, or
anecdotes.
Evidence-Based Reasoning
• The need to support your opinion with evidence from scholarly
sources;
• An objective stance presented as a logical argument;
• The quality of your evidence will determine the strength of
your argument; and
• The challenge is to convince the reader of the validity of your
opinion through a well-documented, coherent, and logically
structured piece of writing, which is particularly important
when proposing solutions to problems or delineating
recommended courses of action.
What is a Thesis-Driven?
• "Thesis-driven" refers to an approach or style of
writing, particularly in academic or scholarly contexts,
where the central argument or thesis statement serves
as the guiding force behind the entire composition. In a
thesis-driven piece of writing, every aspect of the work,
from the introduction to the conclusion, is structured
and developed to support and elaborate on the main
thesis.
What is Complexity and
Higher-Order Thinking?
• In thesis writing, complexity and higher-
order thinking refer to the depth and
sophistication of the ideas presented, as
well as the level of critical analysis and
synthesis involved in the research process.
 Complexity and Higher-
Order Thinking
• When considering complexity and higher-order thinking skills, you must take
note of the following:

• Cognitive processes that describe abstract ideas that

cannot be easily shown with images, pointed to, or acted
out and are used to express concepts, to comprehend, and
to solve problems comprise higher-order thinking skills.
• one of the main purposes of academic writing – examining
and explaining the significance of complex ideas as clearly
as possible.
Refining Academic Writing
• Clear Writing. The act of thinking about precedes the
process of writing about
• Excellent Grammar. Generally, English grammar can be
difficult and complex; even the best scholars take many
years before they have a command of the major points of
good grammar.
• Credible and Scholarly Sources. Credibility is defined as
the quality or power of inspiring belief.
The five best resources to help you in
writing a research paper

• University’s Library;
• Google
• Scholar, RefSeek,
• the Internet Public Library (ipl2); and
• the Education Resources Information Center
(ERIC).