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Academic vs Non-Academic Texts

  • Academic Text:

  • Based on the opinions of educated scholars.

  • Uses specialized language, backed by valid and reliable information.

  • Requires citation of references.

  • Examples:

    • Textbooks
    • Student Essays
    • Theses
    • Dissertations
    • Research Articles
    • Case Studies
    • Reports

  • Non-Academic Text:

  • Informal and reflects personal opinions.

  • Meant for general audiences.

  • Examples:

    • Magazines
    • Blogs
    • Novels
    • Personal Essays

Factors that Shape Academic Writing

  • Topic: The subject being discussed.
  • Role: Perspective of the writer.
  • Purpose: The reason for writing.
  • Audience: The intended readers.

Aspects of Professional and Academic Language

  • Formality in Writing:

  • Avoid slang (e.g., wanna, gonna).

  • Use precise vocabulary.

  • Avoid contractions (e.g., don’t → do not).

  • Avoid two-word verbs (e.g., cut back → reduce).

  • Complexity in Writing:

  • Nominalization: Using noun-based phrases rather than verbs (e.g., "The participant was admitted" → "The participant’s admission").

  • Subordinate Clauses: Combine simple sentences to form complex ones.

  • Lexical Density: More content words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs) than function words (e.g., is, the, of).

  • Objectivity in Writing:

  • Avoid personal opinions (e.g., "In my opinion, the results are bad" → "The results are inconclusive").

  • Use a third-person perspective.

  • Avoid exaggerating adjectives/adverbs.

  • Impersonality in Writing:

  • Write in an impersonal tone (e.g., "I realized the importance of research" → "The importance of research was recognized").

Maintaining the Flow in Writing

  • Explicitness:

  • Use transitional devices to connect ideas:

    • Additional Idea: furthermore, moreover, besides.
    • Cause & Effect: as a result, therefore, thus.
    • Comparison: similarly, likewise.
    • Contrast: however, on the other hand, nevertheless.

  • Hedging in Writing (Cautious Language):

  • Indicates tentativeness and possibility.

  • Common Verbs: suggest, indicate, assume, estimate.

  • Modal Verbs: may, might, could.

  • Adverbs: probably, seemingly, perhaps.

Structurally Correct Sentences

  • Avoid fragments, run-on sentences, and choppy sentences.

  • Example Corrections:

  • Fragment: "While three respondents were not cooperative."

  • Revised: "While three respondents were not cooperative, most of them participated actively."

  • Run-on: "The study found the researcher used effective strategies it helped in the program’s success."

  • Revised: "The study found that the researcher used effective strategies, which helped in the program’s success."

Plagiarism & Effective Note-Taking

  • Types of Plagiarism:

  • Global: Copying an entire work.

  • Verbatim: Copying exact words.

  • Paraphrasing: Rewording without crediting the source.

  • Patchwork: Mixing ideas from multiple sources.

  • Self-plagiarism: Reusing your own past work.

  • Proper Note-Taking Methods:

  • Summarizing: Shortening key ideas in your own words.

  • Annotating: Writing critical or explanatory notes.

Citing Sources Properly

  • In-Text Citations (APA Style):
  • Parenthetical Citation: (Belafonte, 2008)
  • Narrative Citation: According to Belafonte (2008), Harlem was full of artists and musicians.
  • Multiple Authors: (Smith & Belafonte, 2008)
  • Three or More Authors: (Smith et al., 2008)

Quoting, Summarizing, and Paraphrasing

  • Direct Quotation: "Globalization is a form of colonization" (Reyes, 1994, p.22).
  • Paraphrasing: Restating ideas in your own words while crediting the source.
  • Summarizing: Condensing the main idea.

Essay Structures

  • Three-Part Essay:

  • Introduction → Body → Conclusion

  • IMRaD Structure (For Research Papers):

  • Introduction → Methods → Results → Discussion

  • Thesis Statement: The central argument of an essay.

  • Topic Sentence: The main idea of a paragraph.

Planning Essays & Presentations

  • Determine purpose, role, and audience.
  • Expand sub-topics.
  • Collect sources and take notes.
  • Brainstorm and form a thesis.
  • Draft the essay.
  • Revise through peer evaluation.

Writing Reaction, Review, and Critique Papers

  • Reaction Paper: Expresses personal insights on a text or event.
  • Review Paper: Evaluates the quality and significance of a text or work.
  • Critique Paper: Analyzes strengths and weaknesses of a work.