NAME: TAKUDZWA CHIGODORA

PHONE NO: 0779674461

Reg NUMBER : M231600

MODULE NAME: ICCT

MODULE CODE: 101

LECTURER : MR J MOYO

QN: Discuss the significance of each step in the academic writing process.

1|Page
NAME: TAKUDZWA CHIGODORA

PHONE NO: 0779674461

Reg NUMBER : M231600

MODULE NAME: ICCT

MODULE CODE: 101

LECTURER : MR J MOYO

QN: Discuss the significance of each step in the academic writing process.

2|Page
Academic writing is an essential component of higher education as it plays a pivotal role in
developing students' critical thinking and communication skills. The academic writing process is
a multi-step process that involves prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading. Each
step is significant in its own way, and together they ensure the effectiveness and clarity of
academic writing. This essay will discuss the significance of each step in the academic writing
process, with references to relevant literature.

The first step in the academic writing process is prewriting, which involves brainstorming,
researching, and outlining the topic at hand. This step is crucial in defining the scope of the
writing, identifying the audience, and gaining a comprehensive understanding of the topic.
Prewriting lays the foundation for the entire writing process, and it helps writers clarify their
thoughts and organize their ideas effectively. It also helps writers identify potential challenges
and determine the best approach to overcome them (Brand et al., 2011).

According to Hogan (2012), prewriting is essential in academic writing because it enables

writers to plan the structure, content, and tone of their writing. Through brainstorming, writers
can generate a variety of ideas and concepts related to their topic, which they can explore further
through research. The research process enables writers to find credible sources that support their
argument and provide evidence to back up their claims. Outlining, on the other hand, helps
writers to organize their ideas into a logical framework and identify how those ideas will be
developed throughout the writing process.

The second step in the academic writing process is drafting, which involves putting the ideas
generated in the prewriting stage into writing. This stage is critical in turning the ideas into actual
written content. Drafting allows writers to put their ideas down on paper without worrying about
grammar, spelling, or punctuation. It is an opportunity to experiment with different writing styles
and explore the best way to communicate the message effectively. Drafting helps writers identify
areas that require further research or clarification, and it provides a starting point for the revision
process (Silverman, 2016).

According to Oshima and Hogue (2007), the drafting stage is crucial because it allows writers to
transform their ideas into a cohesive and coherent piece of writing. Through drafting, writers can
refine their arguments and explore different ways to communicate their message effectively. It
also provides an opportunity to experiment with different writing styles and structures to create a

3|Page
compelling piece of work. Additionally, drafting allows writers to identify areas that need further
development or revision, which can be addressed in the next stage of the writing process.

The third step in the academic writing process is revising, which involves reviewing and refining
the content to ensure that it meets the desired objective. This stage requires a critical analysis of
the draft to identify areas that require improvement or further development. Revision is
fundamental in ensuring that the writing is clear, concise, and coherent. It is also an opportunity
to ensure that the writing is free from grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and usage errors.
This stage helps writers to improve the quality of their work and showcase their ideas effectively
(McWhorter, 2017).

According to Flower and Hayes (1981), the revision stage is crucial because it enables writers to
refine their ideas and arguments to create a more coherent and concise piece of writing. It
provides an opportunity to re-organize, delete, or add content to ensure that the writing meets the
desired objective. Revision also helps writers to identify areas that require further research or
clarification, ensuring that the evidence and logic used to support the argument are sound.
Overall, revision allows writers to improve the quality of their work and make it more persuasive
and effective.

The fourth step in the academic writing process is editing, which involves reviewing the content
for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and punctuation errors. This stage requires a keen eye
for detail and a focus on ensuring that the writing is free from errors that can prevent the reader
from understanding the message effectively. Editing ensures that the writing is clear, concise,
and easy to read. It involves a systematic review of the content, with a focus on ensuring that the
language used is appropriate and that the writing meets the desired format (Hacker & Sommers,
2016).

According to Zinsser (2006), the editing stage is crucial in academic writing because it ensures
that the writing is free from grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and punctuation errors. It is an
opportunity to refine the language used and ensure that the message is communicated effectively.
Editing also enables writers to ensure that the tone used is appropriate for the intended audience
and context. Additionally, editing allows writers to check the formatting, ensuring that the
writing meets the desired structure and style.

4|Page
Lastly, proof finding, this plays a central role in supporting researchers and advancing scientific
progress. By doing this helps ensuring what is published is relevant for the field and of high
quality research. According to to Recco et al (2011), academic writing is mostly done for one or
more of the following three reasons. Firstly it can advance the writer's career. This
advancement can be direct for example when a certain number or frequency of publications is
required for a promotion or job. It can also be rather indirect if, for instance, published article
lead to a wider prominence of the writer Langenbery (2008) which leads to him or her being
involved to participate in conference, research projects up to him/ her becoming recognized as a
capacity for a subject he/she publishes .On publishing in an academic writing, it can help to
clarify or understand issues or results. A researcher and publisher on a subject is in likely to be
able to include all existing knowledge on the the topic he covers this is according to Pain (2016),
in a publication into his work. Consequently, other academic engaged in the same area of
research may add different aspects, ideas, or even findings. These can help to understand or
clarify the initial publication.It can trigger controversial conversations and contribute to
academic knowledge. The conversational aspects of publications, meaning that the authors of
articles converse through their publications with one another. According to Maron and Smith
(2009), can be considered.

In conclusion, the academic writing process is a multi-step process that involves prewriting,
drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading. Each step is significant in its own way, and together
they ensure the effectiveness and clarity of academic writing. The prewriting stage sets the
foundation for the entire writing process by defining the scope of the writing, identifying the
audience, and gaining a comprehensive understanding of the topic. Drafting allows writers to
turn their ideas into actual written content, while revision is fundamental in ensuring that the
writing is clear, concise, and coherent. Editing ensures that the writing is free from grammatical
errors, spelling mistakes, and punctuation errors, while proofreading is the last line of defense
against errors that can undermine the credibility of the writing. By following the academic
writing process, writers can produce high-quality academic writing that is clear, concise, and
effective.

5|Page
References:

Brand, D., Duffield, C., & Bernhardt, S. (2011). The writing process: A scaffolding approach.
Intervention in School and Clinic, 46(5), 259-267.

Flower, L., & Hayes, J. R. (1981). A cognitive process theory of writing. College Composition
and Communication, 32(4), 365-387.

Glatthorn, A. A., & Joyner, R. L. (2019). Writing the winning thesis or dissertation: A step-by-
step guide. Corwin Press.

Hacker, D., & Sommers, N. (2016). The Bedford handbook. Macmillan Higher Education.

Hogan, T. P. (2012). Writing matters: A handbook for writing and research. McGraw-Hill
Education.

McWhorter, K. T. (2017). Successful College Writing: Skills, Strategies, Learning Styles.

Bedford/St. Martin's.

Oshima, A., & Hogue, A. (2007). Introduction to academic writing. Pearson Longman.

Silverman, M. (2016). Mastering academic writing. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Zinsser, W. (2006). On writing well: The classic guide to writing nonfiction. HarperCollins.

6|Page