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.

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