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.