Reading and Writing Academic Texts PDF

# Reading and Writing Academic Texts ## Distinctive Definitions/Features of Different Writing Strategies | Writing Type | Features | |---|---| | Academic writing | Adheres to formal English and avoids word contraction. Discusses topics studied in the academia. | | Professional writing | Specific t...

# Reading and Writing Academic Texts ## Distinctive Definitions/Features of Different Writing Strategies | Writing Type | Features | |---|---| | Academic writing | Adheres to formal English and avoids word contraction. Discusses topics studied in the academia. | | Professional writing | Specific to a professional context and mostly applied in business. Objective and non-emotional. | | Creative writing | Allows for more personal expression. Informal in nature and uses colloquial language. | ## Considerations in Writing and Academic Writing Style ### Academic writing - Refers to a style of expression that researchers/writers use to define the intellectual boundaries of their disciplines and specific areas of expertise. ### Characteristics of Academic Writing - Includes a formal tone. - Uses the third-person rather than first-person perspective (usually). - Has a clear focus on the research problem under investigation. - Employs precise word choice. - Disciplines, which refer to specific areas of expertise, include law, medicine, teaching, and engineering. ### Writing as a Form of Communication - Writing is a form of communication shaped by the following factors: Topic, Role, Purpose, and Audience. ### Approaching a Piece of Writing - When approaching a piece of writing in a particular discipline, consider the following aspects: - **The purpose of the writer**: Includes the writer's objective and reason for writing, the discipline of the writer, the covered topic, and the goal. - **The writing tone and style**: Reflects the attitude conveyed in a piece of writing. For example, science articles reflect information through formal language *i.e.* straightforwardly, while persuasive essays or argumentative pieces aim to persuade or encourage action. - **The specific language and diction used**: All academic disciplines have their own language. Diction refers to the choice of words used; concrete words that convey specific meaning must be used instead of abstract words. - **Technical language**: A type of writing where the author outlines details and operations of administrative, technical, mechanical, or scientific systems. The main goal is to educate, direct, and give others the ability to use a certain system. - **Conversational Language**: Referenced as "everyday language," "natural language," or "social communication." Includes informal language, such as might be used with peers or adults while playing, shopping, or completing household tasks. - **The organization of the text**: Organized and structured in specific ways with correct punctuation marks. - **The specific features of the text**: Specific to that particular field. For example, scientific writing often includes charts and figures. - **The intended audience of the text**: Choosing the right audience will make writing meaningful and clear. - **The introduction of the text**: Should be cohesive, possess logically arranged ideas, and form a unified whole. ### Science Writing | Feature | Details | |---|---| | Purpose | Claims based on facts. Uses accurate pieces of evidence. Focuses on research. | | Tone and Style | Has objective tone. Avoids first and second person. Uses informative and entertaining tone depending on the writer’s topic. | | Language | Language is precise and specific. | | Organization | Presents research arranged around the scientific method. | | Specific features | Uses figures and graphs. Often requires basic to advanced levels of mathematical literacy to understand. | ### Examples of Academic Writing - **Research Paper**: Uses outside information to support a thesis or make an argument. Written in all disciplines and may be evaluative, analytical, or critical in nature. Common research sources include data primary sources and secondary sources. - **Dissertation**: A document submitted at the conclusion of a Ph.D program. It is a book-length summarization of the doctoral candidate's research ### Structure of Academic Writing - An important feature of academic writing. - A well-structured text enables the reader to follow the argument and navigate the text. ### Two Common Structures - **Three-Part Essay**: Includes introduction, body, and conclusions. - **Introduction**: Its purpose is to clearly tell the reader the topic, purpose and structure of the paper. It should be between 10 and 20 percent of the length of the whole paper. - **The Body**: Develops the question, "What is the topic about?" It may elaborate directly on the topic sentence by giving definitions, classifications, explanations, contrasts, examples, and evidence. The heart of the essay. - **Conclusions**: Closely related to the introduction and is often described as its “mirror image”. Usually begins by briefly summarizing the main scope or structure of the paper; confirms the topic that was given in the introduction; ends with a more general statement about how this topic relates to its context. - **IMRAD**: Includes introduction, methodology, results and discussion. - **Introduction**: Depicts the background of the topic and the central focus of the study. - **Methodology**: Lets the readers know the data collection methods, research instrument employed, sample size, and more. - **Results and Discussion**: States the brief summary of the key findings or the results of the study. The document ends with a note that a subsequent activity follows.