The Academic Paper

Chapter 7
Basic Types of Academic Paper

• Essay

• Book review

• Research paper

• Synthesis

• Reaction paper

• Literature review

• Journal
Features of Academic Writing

• Grammar not in the vocabulary

Academic Non Academic

You can control the trains this

way and if you do that you can The use of this method of
be quite sure that they’ll be control unquestionably leads
able to run more quickly than to safer and faster train running
they would otherwise, no in the most adverse weather
matter how bad the weather conditions
gets.
Formality

Non-formal Semi-formal Formal

I am applying for
I am applying for the the receptionist
Hi! I read in the paper
receptionist position that position advertised
that you’re looking
is currently open in the in the local paper. I
for a receptionist. I
company. As you are am an excellent
think that I am good
aware, I have worked as candidate for the
for that job because
a temporary employee job because of my
I’ve done stuff like
with your company significant
that in the past.
before. secretarial
experience.
Objectivity

• Emphasis on the information and not on the writer

• strong support such as facts, examples and expert

opinions can be used.
Precision

• use of particular information, dates and figures

• e.g. There are a lot of participants

• There are 1000 participants

Explicitness

• Not just facts and summaries

• This can be achieved by using transitional devices

• Moreover, in connection to this, Thus, therefore

Accuracy

• truthful and exact

• not only in information and data but also in the use of

words

• e.g “gathering”, “conference” and “meeting” refer to

different things
Organization

• content flows from one to another

• introduction, body and conclusion

Planning

• academic writing is well-planned

• the writer has a specific purpose in writing which has

been established after research and evaluation.

• many research sources should be used to support ideas

that are integrated in the paper.
Activity

• 105

• informative essay that is faulty an weak by standard

Tone and Style in academic writing

• Tone is most associated with speech

• writers’ voice in his/her

• writers attitude is reflected in his/her work

• writers should know how to use tone properly in order to

convey the right ideas to the readers
APA indicated that all of the following should be
avoided so as to ensure objectivity

• generalization: using words always, never

• Over-sweeping objectives: excellent, perfect

• Adverbs: really, very

• Qualifiers: a little, some

• Emotional language: “it is heartbreaking”

Formality

• does not have a personal or conversational tone

• Avoid the following:

• Addressing using second person pronoun YOU

• You will find the graph in the appendices

• Contractions - doesn’t does not

• Questions - unless in the statement of the problem of
research paper * How does the process work

• Exclamations * Evidence is needed!

• Two-word verbs - proficiency level “went down”

• Run on expressions * some of these are tablets, smart

phones etc.

• Coordinating conjunctions:

• SO, the evidence indicates

Citing and Referencing in academic writing

• Primary: public available data (historical docs, interview

data), raw data from experiments and demographic
records

• Secondary: data based on primary data for public

consumption in journals, articles or chapters in edited
books
Citation styles

• American Psychological Association (APA)

• social science and related fields - author, date

• In text referencing: Diaz (2010) suggested that

• Modern Language Association (MLA)

• literature and language, last name of the author and page

number

• In text referencing: Diaz suggested that ….. (11)

Using other authors’ ideas in your paper

• A. summarizing

• consolidated key important features of a text.

Original Text Summarized version

According to Quijano (2007),

reading problems are one of the
primary reasons why some
students do poorly in the National
Achievement Test or NAT has
something to do with reading.
Students’ poor reading skills are
credited to their lack of interest in
self reading
One of the main reasons why students do
poorly in the National Achievement Test is
poor reading skills (Quijano, 2007), which in
turn are due to the students’ disinterest in
reading.
Paraphrasing
• restating information differently

• Rewrite using different words and phrases (Bowker, 2007)

• order of ideas did not change.

Orginal Text Paraphrased version

This study was conducted among 100 100 Grade V pupils in Reina Mercedes
Grade V pupils of Reina Mercedes Central School in the school year
Central School during the school year 2017-2018 participated as respondents in
2017-2018. Through data gathering, this study. Data gathered from the
the researcher was able to determine respondents indicated the relationship
the relationship between the reading between reading performance and the
performance and anxiety of the pupils. reading anxiety experienced by the pupils
Additional Techniques in Summarizing and
paraphrasing

• Extensive vocabulary of words you can use.

predict, theorize,

articulate, mention,
demonstrate, confirm, verify conduct, observe,
suggest, indicate
conceptualize

develop, generate, create,

argue, challenge, consist,
assert, acknowledge synthesize, collaborate,
compare, challege recognize
reveal, analyze, evaluate

formulate, condemn, negate, affect,

practice, increase,
report, record include, exclude, influence, transform,
justify, explain
locate conclude, summarize
Quoting author’s idea

• direct quotation must be placed as support to other points

made or as support for other statements

• According to Natividad (2018), “ prospective teachers need

to master communicative competence…”.

• Ex. Communicative competency is regarded as a crucial

ability for teachers; that’s why they should be trained as early
as possible. According to Natividad (2018), “ prospective
teachers need to master communicative competence…”.
• Process of Writing

• Research paper