Academic writing is a formal style of writing that tackles complex topics using research and evidence to structure arguments and hypotheses, and is typically used in universities and academic research.
While academic writing can be difficult to master at first, just like every other writing style, it has its own set of conventions, plus rules and guidelines you should observe to meet standards and to produce a piece of work that’s accepted in the academic community.
Whether you’re writing a research proposal, a report, or an academic paper, these academic writing strategies, skills, and tips will help you sharpen your writing skills and better understand how to write following an academic structure.
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Common types of academic writing
Academic writing is a distinct style of writing used in most academic paperwork. It’s very different from most types of writing, as it requires a formal writing tone, and content that has to be backed by evidence, as well as following a set style of referencing. Examples of academic writing include:
- Research proposals
- Academic essays
- Reports
- Reflective writing
- Thesis
- Literature reviews
- Journal articles
The 5 Cs of academic writing
Whichever you’re producing, you can apply the 5 C’s of academic writing to ensure you’re writing in the correct style, tone, and format:
Clarity: Unlike fiction and creative writing, academic writing style must be clear and to the point. The goal is to explain a concept as simply as possible.
Cogency: Your academic writing must follow a clear and logical pattern. Stripped back, this is a hypothesis or idea, followed by presenting evidence, and then a conclusion.
Conventionality: Academic writing has a common structure. For example, the hypothesis is at the beginning, and referencing follows a specific structure.
Completeness: Your academic writing must be broad and backed up by appropriate evidence. You must also ensure you’ve done all you can to prove your argument.
Concision: Your academic writing will have a structure and word limit, depending on the type of paperwork. You must make sure your work is concisely set out within the limits.
The importance of structure
One of the key components of academic writing is that it’s very structured. Each type of academic writing has a set format to follow, often with a word count for each section. In very simple terms, most academic papers, such as theses or reports, will contain an introduction, main body, and conclusion.
Your introduction outlines the theme of your paper, sets your argument or hypothesis, and summarizes what is to come. Here, you could provide some background information to set the scene and build interest. The contents of the main body will vary depending on the type of document, and you’ll most likely have to divide it into several sections.
However, it should ultimately contain evidence to prove, or disprove, your argument. It must follow a logical progression, introducing evidence, experiments, and results that lead you to your conclusion. You need to include your results, analysis of results, and any findings to support your argument.
Lastly, your paper will have a conclusion. Here, you summarize your work, your findings, and any implications for your area of study, or potential future studies for other students and the wider academic community.
Every part of your academic paper will need to be referenced correctly, and references go at the end of the paper, along with any appendices. As well as a logical structure and format for the paper, academic writing also has a structure for referencing that you must adhere to.
Academic writing skills
Academic writing requires a specific skill set that you generally learn in college. In addition to being a good writer, to excel at academic writing, you’ll need to master the following:
- Attention to detail: Correct grammar and spelling are essential, as well as making sure you follow all the guidelines around structure, formatting, and correct referencing.
- Organization: It takes organizational skills to figure out which information goes to specific sections, so all ideas are presented in a logical order.
- Communication: Structuring a good argument that’s readable, clear, and translates complex information into words that are easy to understand requires excellent communication skills.
- Research: Having good research skills is key to finding complete and reliable information for your academic writing.
Academic writing tips & strategies
Now that you know the basics of academic writing, you’ll benefit from some strategies and actions to make sure that your academic paper is as strong and convincing as possible. Check out our tips below.
1. Start with research
Before you begin writing, you must gather all the evidence you need to support your argument. Consider your thesis, outline your main points, and create a solid structure that you can work with from beginning to end.
Use reliable primary sources such as academic studies, reports, statistics, essays, interviews, and other documents you can use to strengthen your argument. If this information is clear and usable, the writing process will be smoother.
2. Steer clear of clichés and slang
We use cliché expressions and generalizations every day, but when it comes to academic writing, they should be avoided as they can diminish the impact of your work.
Metaphors, analogies, idioms, and figures of speech such as “in a nutshell”, “on the other hand”, or “think outside the box”, are too casual for academic writing. Similarly, you should avoid colloquialisms or slang words, which are too informal for the type of voice used in academic writing, not to mention that they may be unique and understandable only to a specific area or group of people. Academic writing is more formal and relies on facts, rather than wording that’s subjective or ambiguous.
It’s best to keep slang words and flowery expressions out of your writing so you can ensure that the language used within your paper is clear, concise, and professional.
3. Use a formal tone
Leading on from ensuring you use the right language, it’s important that you consider how you create an overall tone that’s formal and professional. Academic writing requires a certain level of formality. That’s not to say you should be pompous and overblown, but there are certain points you should avoid where possible:
- Abbreviations: Using shortened forms of words such as “i.e.” and “e.g.” Unless you’re using these within parentheses, these words should be written in full.
- Contractions: Using shortened versions of words, such as can’t, doesn’t, they’re, kinda, and gonna.
- First-person point of view: Writing from the writer’s perspective rather than from a third-person point of view.
If you want to achieve a formal tone, focus on using active verbs, which will allow you to be more concise and create an objective tone, which will place emphasis on the action.
You can also use an online editing tool to identify any spelling or grammar errors that may have been overlooked during the previous steps. Writing tools, such as Grammarly, can be particularly useful for this purpose. It may also be beneficial to engage a professional academic writing service, such as PapersOwl, to refine the draft and produce a polished document suitable for presentation.
4. Utilize topic sentences and transitions
A topic sentence introduces the main concept of a section. It often appears as the first sentence in a paragraph, directly addressing the header. You use this to set the tone and present the central idea of that section, then the rest of the paragraph explains it in more detail.
Use transition words and sentences to help your writing flow more smoothly. These prevent your work from sounding choppy and abrupt as you move from one paragraph or concept to another. Examples include therefore, next, and consequently.
Both of these elements will allow you to maintain continuity with your arguments, make more cohesive points, and create connections between your ideas and thoughts.
5. Pay attention to formatting
Formatting plays a crucial role in academic writing. The way you format your document will depend on the referencing system you’re following, your academic institution and department, and the specific topic you’re focusing on.
Usually, you’ll be expected to use a 12-point serif typeface, set the line spacing between 1.5 and 2.0 lines, and leave a space between paragraphs rather than indenting each first line.
You should also pay close attention to how you format headings and titles, as well as tables, illustrations, and graphs, to ensure that your work is well-presented.
6. Use the right referencing system
Each academic discipline has its preferred referencing style. For example, the APA (American Psychological Association) referencing system is used by Education, Psychology, and Sciences, while the MLA (Modern Language Association) style is used by the Humanities. Each system prioritizes different elements and dictates how information should be presented and referenced.
It’s crucial that you use the right referencing style for your university and discipline when citing your sources, and that you follow a detailed referencing guide.
7. Proofread, proofread, proofread
This should go without saying, but proofreading is one of the most important steps you should take before submitting your work. Start by reading your writing out loud, noticing if there are any grammatical discrepancies, such as syntactic issues, awkward sentences, incorrect punctuation, and unnecessary words.
The next step is to ask someone else to proofread for you and get their opinion on the overall flow, coherence, and structure of your essay. While something might make sense to you, to an external reader, it may lack the necessary context for your point to be comprehensive. This will allow you to fine-tune sections that might need further clarification.
Key takeaways
Academic writing is a skill that takes time to master, even if you’re a good writer. Aside from getting your words across in a clear and concise way, you must also be able to write a clear structure and format, and fully understand the required academic referencing system.
Use this guide until you get the hang of the academic writing process. Along the way, you should also be able to refine your writing skills, which is a valuable skill you’ll find useful beyond the academe.
This article was originally published in 2016.