Characteristics-of-Academic-Writing-Pdf

Characteristics of Academic Writing: Formality

• Formality in Academic Writing

  • Refers to the level of professionalism in language use.

  • Essential to maintain credibility and respect within a scholarly context.

Objectives

• Discuss the concept of formality in academic writing.

• Explain the importance of observing formality in academic papers.

• Rewrite informal statements using a formal register.

Examples of Informal vs. Formal Expression

• Group Chat Context: Use conversational language.

• Online Forum: Critique and personal views are prevalent.

• Parental Conversation: Informal yet respectful language typical.

• English Class Paper: Required academic formality and structure.

Academic Accessibility

• Academic papers must be understandable to all who seek knowledge in specific fields.

• Key Reminder: First characteristic learned is formality.

Register

• The style of language appropriate to a particular situation; signifies respect and professionalism among academics.

What to Avoid

• Contractions: Should not be used in academic writing.

  • Informal to Formal Examples:

    • Informal: "The total amt of sales has been reported."

    • Formal: "The total amount of sales has been reported."

• Colloquialisms: Informal expressions that should be replaced.

  • Informal: "There is a sharp decrease in tube viewers."

  • Formal: "There is a substantial decline in television viewers."

• Phrasal Verbs: Main verbs combined with particles; should be substituted for more formal language.

  • Informal: "The researchers arrived at a conclusion."

  • Formal: "The researchers reached a conclusion."

• Rhetorical Questions: Avoid as they do not solicit real answers; express assertively instead.

  • Informal: "Do you think participants would agree?"

  • Formal: "Participants disagreed with the unethical proposition."

Importance of Formality

• Observing formality ensures clarity in communicating ideas to academic audiences.

• Avoiding contractions, colloquialisms, phrasal verbs, and rhetorical questions is essential.

Characteristics of Academic Writing: Impersonality

• Objectives:

  • Discuss the concept of impersonality in academic writing.

  • Explain the importance of using impersonal forms in academic contexts.

  • Write objective and impersonal sentences.

Impersonality in Writing

• Impersonality is tied to objectivity; ideas should stem from logic and evidence, not personal opinions.

What to Avoid

• First-Person Pronouns: Should be avoided to maintain objectivity.

  • Informal: "We found out..."

  • Impersonal: "Results show..."

• Second-Person Pronouns: Avoid addressing the reader directly.

  • Informal: "You must employ digital marketing."

  • Impersonal: "Digital marketing strategies must be employed."

• Personal Opinions: Should be backed by literature or factual interpretation.

Key Concepts

• Objectivity: Ensure ideas are logical and evidence-based; not influenced by individual perspectives.

Characteristics of Academic Writing: Nominalization

• Objectives:

  • Discuss the concept of nominalization.

  • Explain its importance in academic writing.

  • Write nominalized sentences.

Nominalization Explained

• The process of converting verbs or adjectives into noun forms for clarity and formality.

• Examples of nominalization:

  • Verb: "intention" from "intend."

  • Adjective: "malleability" from "malleable."

Importance of Nominalization

• Provides clarity and emphasis on concepts rather than actions.

• Aids in expressing ideas objectively in writing.

Characteristics of Academic Writing: Specificity

• Objectives:

  • Discuss the concept of specificity in academic writing.

  • Explain its importance in writing.

  • Express ideas in concrete terms.

Specificity in Writing

• Academic writing requires clear expression to avoid ambiguous interpretations.

• Specific language improves objectivity and clarity.

Examples of Specificity

• Generics vs. Specifics:

  • Generic: "Hamburger sales increased by 50%."

  • Specific: "Hamburger sales increased by 50% when pickles were added."

Importance of Specificity

• Ensures sentences are clear and eliminate misinterpretation.

• Use definite terms for accurate reporting in academic writing.

Characteristics of Academic Writing: Hedging

• Objectives:

  • Discuss hedging in academic writing.

  • Explain the role of hedging in scholarly works.

  • Practice using appropriate hedges in claims.

Hedging Defined

• Claims made should stem from solid research; hedges indicate uncertainties present in findings.

• Hedges minimize risk of opposition and convey scholarly humility.

Examples of Hedging in Writing

• Presented As Absolutes: Should be avoided, e.g., "Results prove..."

• Using Hedges: Recommended, e.g., "Results suggest..."

Common Hedging Structures

• Modal auxiliary verbs: may, might, could.

• Probability adjectives: possible, likely.

• Nouns: assumption, claim, chance.

• Phrases: "to our knowledge," "it appears that."

Characteristics of Academic Writing: Complex Sentences

• Objectives:

  • Define complex sentences.

  • Explain their preference in academic writing.

  • Show relationships among ideas using complex structures.

Complex Sentences Explained

• Comprise an independent and a dependent clause to illustrate connections between ideas.

• Academic writing favors complexity for depth in understanding concepts.

Examples of Complex Sentences

• Cause-and-Effect:

• Formal: "Swallows migrate to southeastern regions whenever air temperature plunges."

Characteristics of Academic Writing: Use of References

• Objectives:

  • Explain the significance of references.

  • Describe APA conventions for citations.

  • Utilize APA methods for attributing sources.

Importance of References

• Proper referencing acknowledges original ideas and helps avoid plagiarism.

APA Citation Guidelines

• In-text Citations: Essential for referencing paraphrased concepts.

• Reference Citations: Essential details about sources formatted correctly at end of papers.

Examples of Citations

• Properly formatted citations include author's name, publication year, title, and page numbers.

• Additionally, citations must follow APA formatting rules.