What is academic writing? Features of academic writing in English
- May 29, 2024
- Posted by: Yury Subachev, PhD
- Categories: For young scientists, Paper writing
Academic writing is well known to scholars from English-speaking countries, while in Russia this discipline is just developing. It implies the ability to formulate thoughts briefly and clearly when writing academic papers.
This knowledge is essential for researchers who want to advance in scientific fields, especially at the international level. Academic style is characterised by a clear structure, clarity of expression, and absence of errors in the text.
This article will show you what academic writing is and how one can master this style of presentation.
Academic writing is a style of presenting academic papers. It represents the ability to present one’s thoughts in academic papers in a concise and accessible form. This style is distinguished by:
- the presence of certain requirements for the structure and design of the text;
- the use of scientific or publicistic style of presentation;
- the ability to adduce arguments and paraphrase;
- the ability to correctly insert references and properly design a reference list.
Academic writing is characterised by focusing on a problem in question rather than expressing a personal opinion. Instead of talking from the first-person perspective, it is preferable to use the third-person style; avoid using colloquial vocabulary, abbreviations and phraseological units. Unlike other styles, it is allowed to repeat the same words for a better understanding of the material; synonyms are used less frequently.
The academic narrative style is used at higher educational institutions for maintaining educational and scientific ties between countries. It is used by undergraduates, postgraduates and more experienced researchers to write papers, term projects and engage in research activities outside their home country.
Editors of international scientific journals are guided by the principles of this writing style; therefore, it is necessary for any scholar who wants to succeed in the world of science and publish scientific papers abroad to master its specifics.
Researchers from foreign countries have been using academic writing for a long time. In addition, English-speaking scholars also make a major contribution to its development. In Russia, the knowledge of academic style is not so actively spread, although scientists from various fields – philologists, linguists, social psychologists, information technology specialists – address this problem.
2. Genres of academic writing.
Specialists engaged in the development of the academic writing system distinguish primary and secondary genres thereof. The first group includes the following:
1. The scientific article is the main source of dissemination of scientific and technical information; its text contains the scientist’s research findings, logical reasoning, substantiation of the obtained data.
2. The review represents a critical evaluation of a scientific paper by another authoritative scientist.
3. The monograph is a work devoted to a specific subject, written by a researcher on the basis of a large number of sources found on the scientific subject area.
4. The thesis is a voluminous scientific work required by an applicant for the degree of Candidate [PhD]/Doctor of Sciences.
The secondary genres include:
1. The abridged review represents a text that is similar in meaning to the original source and conveys truthful information, permitting the possibility of adding new information.
2. The abstract is a summary of the scientific work that reflects its essence. It may take the form of a list of research premises or a description of an article or thesis in terms of structure.
3. Scientific discussions represent a search for the solution to a particular problem through discussion, presenting contradictions and critical examination of different points of view.
Despite differences in content, length and other specifics of academic writing, all of its genres have a common feature – accuracy, clarity and consistency of presentation.
3. Features of academic writing in English.
English academic style differs significantly from other styles; it is considered to be more complex and structured. Nevertheless, it is possible to master it if one knows English at a basic level and follows certain rules. It is necessary to follow the structure of the narrative:
- introduction – a clear and short exposition of the subject intended to introduce the reader to the subject;
- the main part – reviewing the existing information on the subject under investigation and presenting the author’s own vision of the problem (it can be a literature review, discussion or an illustrative example);
- conclusion – statement of conclusions, prospects and forecasts for further development of the issue under investigation.
Sometimes researchers include additional sections in the paper: table of contents, reference list, appendices, references, acknowledgements.
In addition, other requirements must be observed.
4. Seven important requirements for academic writing.
1. The message the author wants to convey to the reader is clearly stated; the subject is fully disclosed so that no questions are left.
2. The main concept of the research paper is supported by facts and arguments.
3. The text is impersonal, it has no pronouns “I”, “we”.
4. The sentences are easily perceived and are comprehensible from the beginning.
5. The rules of grammar, spelling and punctuation are strictly observed. Verbose reflections that are not relevant to the subject are avoided.
6. The text is unique; any paper is checked for plagiarism; therefore, it is written in the author’s words; quotes are arranged according to the rules, with a reference to the author.
7. Citation and references to works by other scholars are welcomed, but they should be used appropriately so that the reader understands the purpose of the quotation or reference. This shows the author’s ability to carry out comprehensive research and to distil the essence of others’ works.
Academic writing requires observing the scientific or scientific/publicistic style; any information should be supported by references to the research of other authors working in the same area. It is not allowed to use abbreviations without deciphering, colloquial words and slang expressions, long and illogical sentences.
5. Seven top tips for beginners.
Here are some useful guidelines for those who are just learning what academic writing is and how to master its skills:
1. Take academic writing courses. It is possible to practise learning style when writing academic papers on your own, but it is much more effective and faster to take special courses. You do not have to attend classes; there are many distance learning programmes that you can master at home.
2. Learn to write, observing all grammar rules. The ability to correspond in English does not presume the knowledge of academic style, because it is important to follow all grammatical rules.
3. Use a stylistic grammar guide. In addition to standard grammatical rules, academic writing implies observance of style standards. Special manuals that describe the rules of capitalisation, citation, referencing and compiling lists of literary sources will help you to learn them.
4. Learning from examples. Not only regular writing practice but also reading other scholars’ academic papers will help you to quickly master the presentation style. After reading several articles, it will be easier to understand what academic writing is.
5. Planning and practice. Working on the text should be started with preparation. It is necessary to make a plan to guide your writing of a scientific paper. It can take the form of sketches, a list or a diagram. It will not be superfluous to write a draft and then edit it until an excellent result is achieved. Ask your scientific advisor to check the work and provide comments.
6. Learn to formulate the main idea and support it with facts. Any scientific work has the main point – it is the key idea underpinning the work. The author formulates a statement and proves its correctness in the text.
7. Receive feedback on your work. Having written an article, abridged abstract or other scientific paper, it is useful to let your classmates, colleagues or teachers read the material. A fresh look will help to see any typos, errors and other drawbacks that can be invisible to the author.
Conclusion
Any aspiring or established scholar who wants to gain recognition in international academic circles must know what academic writing is. It is a special style of writing used in academic papers, characterised by adherence to certain rules relative to structure, content, layout and other requirements.
Learning the academic style is important for postgraduate students, teachers and aspiring scholars doing research and submitting their papers to international journals; the acquired skill will be useful not only in science but also in work.
Great importance is attached to the consistency and logic of the narrative; grammar, spelling and punctuation errors are unacceptable. When learning English academic writing, regular practice is important as well as learning grammatical and stylistic rules.
