lecture 1 what is academic writing.doc

Lecture 1 What is Academic WritingWhat is academic writing?In brief, academic writing is a “structured research” written by “scholars” for other scholars (with all university writers being “scholars” in this context). Academic writing addresses topic-based “research questions” of interest to anyone who is seeking factually-based, objectively-presented information on a particular topic.What are the rules of academic writing?1. StructureSome kind of structure is required, such as a beginning, middle, and end. This simple structure is typical of a thesis format, as well as other assignment writing tasks. Basically, a competent academic writer is someone who can, for instance, in the context of a Masters thesis, exhibit prociency in tackling seven phases normally found in the Thesis Life Cycle (TLC) below:NoYes4. Implement Practical Research 3. Design Method(s) for Collection of Empirical Data6. Conclusion and Recommendations5. FindingsEmpirical Data to be collected?2. Literature Review1. Produce Research ProposalStart7. Submit Thesis2. ReferencingA significant distinction between academic writing and other writing genres is based on the citation and referencing of published authors.l If you make judgments about something in academic writing, there is an expectation that you will support your opinion by linking it to what a published author has previously written about the issue. l Citing the work by other authors is central to academic writing because it shows you have read the literature, understood the ideas, and have integrated these issues and various perspectives into the assignment task. l The importance placed on referring to other authors in your work can be reflected in the elaborate referencing conventions that have been created within different disciplines, such as APA (American Psychological Association) referencing, which is used in psychology, education, some social sciences, as well as for business. 3. Abstract thoughtTraditionally, academic topics have focused on abstract things, like ideas and concepts, which cannot, necessarily, be given in a concrete or physical form.Hence, academic writing is often more likely to focus on abstract processes and relationships. Yet, despite the abstract, non-material structure of some academic topics, you may be able to borrow concrete and physically oriented words to explain these abstract ideas and the relationships between them.l Typically, academic writing requires you to clearly describe abstract forms and their component parts, their links to other abstract forms, as well as where they are positioned in relation to a general, overall system. l Even if you are dealing with a practically oriented topic like economics, computer science, rehabilitation, nursing, or teaching, the academic practice of learning about these things will likely require you to delve into theories, philosophies, concepts, and other abstract ideas that underlie the practical nature of the activities concerned. l Therefore, the very nature of academic writing is also different from many practically-oriented or socially-oriented writing tasks. This is because academic writing tasks require you to look beneath the surface for underlying principles, theories, and concepts that can offer mainstream as well as alternative explanations for common practices, processes, and procedures. 4. Academic toneLike all varieties of writing, academic writing has its own tone, which dictates the choice of words and phrasing.Academic writing typically aims to be:l objective (e.g. using inclusive language) l concise l formal (e.g. avoiding slang, exclamation marks, contractions) The tone of academic writing can also vary significantly depending on the subject-area and the academic discipline you are writing for.5. The audienceIt is important to remember who you are writing for. Being conscious of academic tone suggests that you are aware of your audience and respect the formality normally associated with academic writing.When writing academically, you should assume that your readers will be intelligent thinking people, but they may not be specifically informed of your topic. Do not presume that your reader knows all the terms and concepts associated with your work.6. Punctuation and grammarIn academic writing you should always follow rules of punctuation and grammar. Hence, it is vital that you be clear. Punctuation and the conventions of grammar are universally known systems (within English speaking cultures) that maintain clarity and avoid ambiguity in expression.Practice Section 1Directions: Match the definitions in Column A to the terms of the organization of a thesis in Column B.Column BA. BibliographyB. IndexC. AbstractD. AcknowledgementsE. PrefaceF. AppendixG. Case StudyColumn A1. A short summary (100200 words) of the writers purpose and ndings.2. A section where various people who assisted the writer are thanked.3. A final part where extra data, too detailed for the main text, are stored.4. A list of all the books that the writer has consulted.5. A section looking at a particular example relevant to the main topic6. An introductory part which may give the writers motives7. An alphabetical list of all topics in the text.Section 2Directions: Read the following two extracts from academic writings, identify the main problems with the writing style, and then rewrite them to make them more suitable for academic writings.Extract 1. After adding the solution, the mixture in the test tube went a bright scarlet red, which we did not expect, as this was not the same as the washed out pin