Academic Writing

Asmita Ghimire
Why Academic Writing is Academic??
 Academic Writing is Impersonal Form of Communication
designed to give information. It has its own organized
form and Format.
 The other difference between academic writing and other

forms of writing is based on the citation of the published

author.
 Thirdly, in academic writing you should always follow

rules of punctuation and grammar, especially as the end-

user or consumer of your writing, unlike a friend, is likely
to be very different from you and will not always know to
what you are referring.
 Traditionally, academic topics have focused on abstract

things, like ideas and concepts, which cannot,

necessarily, be given in a concrete or physical form.

What is Academic Writing?

 Writing is the communication process.

 In College, writing, resembles playing a familiar game
but by completely new rules.
 Effective writing entirely depends on understanding
what you are doing as you write and then how you
approach the writing task.
 Writing is a repeated process.
Common Myths of Academic Writing:

 Writers only start writing when they have everything

figured out.
 Perfect first draft.
 Some got it- I don’t- genius fallacy
 Good grammar is good writing
 Five paragraph essay
 Never use “I”
Writing situation in Academic Writing: Writer’s Sense

 Writing is different form of communicating ideas than

speaking (readers and written words).
 Purpose of your writing
 Audience awareness
 Developing your writer’s sense about communicating
within the given idea is the most important thing you
learn in freshman composition.
 Academic Writing is the form of evaluation that
expect you to demonstrate knowledge and show
proficiency in research skill, ability to read the
complete text, understanding the key disciplinary
concepts, strategies for synthesizing, analyzing and
responding critically to the new information.
Academic writing as an argument:

 Academic writing is an argument, rather than shouting match between

two disagreeing side, argument ,here, means the conversation between

two parties who may not hold the same opinion.

 The debate here is exactly like the debate between Plaintiff and defendant

in the courtroom; only the difference here is, defendant is not guilty.

Readers are the Jurist who evaluate the strength and the weakness of each

other argument.
Blinking Cursor Syndrome:
 The common problem that most of the writer feel when assigned with
any form of topic is “Blinking Cursor Syndrome”(Vallis, Gina. L 1).
 Writing in academia, does not begin with the answer to the topic, but
posing question.
I don’t really have something important to say.
or
If I must perform this task, it is probably best to find a thesis statement
that is easily definsible.
 Academic writing, is a logical Process.

 Critical thinking, in this sense, provides the tool, series

of strategies, for paying attention to the way you think

on the given topic.

Question and Answers:
 All academic writing is designed specifically to answer
the question, solve the problem and resolve the issue.
 Posing a thoughtful (mindfully) question before
directly jumping to the summarized thesis is the norm
in academic writing.
 What is explicit counts as much as the implicit
assumption in academic reading and writing.
 Scholarship is an ability to ask a smart questions, and to
answer them well. It is more becoming a walking encyclopedia
of factual information; it is to have a certain ability to put the
knowledge that one has acquired to use. People do not place
answer at the front of the questions. Rather, the answer is
moved, in a rewrite, because discipline have developed a
convention in the writing that occur in certain academic
disciplines.( Villas, Gina L. 13).
The case against the five-paragraph
form
 The five paragraph format is less productive format in
the academic writing because it privileges the structure
of over any kind of content.
Picking and Limiting your Topic:

A Well tend garden is beautiful than the field of weeds.

 A Solid Understanding of the subject matter that
interest you.
 Think of the gaps, puzzling items, thing that confuses

you.
 State it as the clear and interesting question (Usually

in the mind)
 Thus, Stating the logical question is the beginning of

the academic writing, answering this question,

however, is the end of the academic writing.
Basic Feature of Academic writing:

 Clear evidence in writing that the writer(s) have been

persistent open minded and disciplined in study.
 Dominance of reason over emotion or sensual
perception
 An imagined reader who is reading for information
and intending to formulate a reasoned response.
Thankyou
Asmita Ghimire