Academic Writing Essentials

Study Notes

Defined as the style used by teachers and students to produce educational materials.
Characterized by a serious tone and the standard of writing typical in scholarly articles.
Common forms include book reports, research papers, academic journals, and dissertations.
Emphasizes factual reporting over personal opinions.
Must be written in the third-person point of view, avoiding personal pronouns like I, you, or me.
Technical terms should be explained in a glossary to avoid jargon and slang.
Chat messages are considered informal and inappropriate for academic purposes.

Also referred to as business writing, used predominantly in workplace contexts.
Includes formats such as journalism, business letters, memos, CVs, and emails.
Focuses on presenting opinions and actionable recommendations.
Less formal than academic writing, with a preference for brevity in sentences (max 25 words).
Allows for first, second, or third person point of view.
Advocates the use of active voice over passive voice for clarity.

Language is pivotal for clear communication of ideas and information.
Academic texts require discipline-specific vocabulary, grammar, and punctuation.
Mastery of academic language enhances success in academic and professional settings.
Distinction between academic language (for scholarly work) and social language (for everyday conversations).

Formality: Adheres to language suitable for academic and professional contexts.
- Avoids colloquialisms, contractions, and two-word verbs.
- Prohibits the use of questions and informal formatting like bullet points in essays.
Objectivity: Prioritizes information and arguments over the author’s personal perspective, typically using third-person narration.
Explicitness: Organizes ideas clearly, showcasing relationships between concepts and indicating sources.
Precision: Requires specific information; for instance, using exact figures instead of vague terms like "many people."
Accuracy: Sentences must be grammatically correct and use appropriate terminology.

Refers to how authors organize information, applicable across various genres and subjects.
Cause and Effect: Explains reasons for certain phenomena.
Problem and Solution: Identifies issues and suggests resolutions.
Compare and Contrast: Discusses similarities and differences between two subjects, utilizing linking words (e.g., "in contrast," "whereas").
Sequence/Chronological: Orders information or details steps in a process.
Description: Explains a topic or concept to create a mental image.
Narrative: Tells a story, including characters, setting, conflict, and plot structure.

Summarizing condenses larger texts into essential ideas and main points.
A notable technique is "Somebody Wanted But So," which helps distill narrative elements effectively.