ACADEMIC WRITING LECTURE NOTES_ FIRST SEMESTER_ 2023

INTRODUCTION

Writing for academic purposes is essential in postsecondary education and beyond. It is an

essential ability that enables people to think critically, communicate their ideas clearly, and
participate in the scholarly conversation in their subject. Academic writing, whether it be for
essays, research papers, or dissertations, has a number of significant advantages that are
worthwhile mentioning.
These include:
a. Communication of Ideas.
b. Development of Critical Thinking Skills.
c. Research Proficiency.
d. Academic and Professional Growth.
e. Intellectual Integrity and Ethical Writing. Etc

DEFINING ACADEMIC WRITING

In order to delineate the limits of their subjects and their areas of expertise, researchers employ
a certain style of expression known as academic writing. Formal tone, careful word choice, a
clear focus on the research subject under inquiry, and the use of the third-person perspective
rather than the first-person are all characteristics of academic writing. Academic writing is
intended to provide a group of scholarly specialists with a consensus interpretation about
complicated concepts, much as the specialized languages used in other professions like law.
Writing done for academic objectives is, to put it simply, academic writing. It involves striking
up a discussion with someone, but it's not like you have a regular discuss with someone. Yes,
expressing your thoughts is a necessary part of academic writing, but those ideas must also be
offered in response to another individual or group, and they must be meticulously developed,
solidly supported, logically organized, rigorously reasoned, and cohesively put together.
In academic fields, academic writing serves as a tool for knowledge and ideology production,
codification, transmission, evaluation, renovation, teaching, and learning. Proficiency in
academic writing is crucial for both academic success and disciplinary learning. You gain
capital, power, and agency in knowledge construction, identity formation, disciplinary
procedures, social positioning, and job progression when you have control over your academic
writing.
TYPES OF ACADEMIC WRITING

DESCRIPTIVE

TYPES OF
ACADEMIC
WRITING

NARRATIVE PERSUASIVE/ARGUMENTATIVE

− Descriptive: Tells how something is (feels; looks; smells etc)

− Narrative: Give an account or tell the story sequentially etc
− Argumentative/Persuasive: Convinces, Induces or appeals – usually to change
opinions or knowledge based on some reasons.

CHARACTERSITICS OF ACADEMIC WRITING

ACADEMIC WRITING
CHARACTERISTICS OF

• Planning(Analytical & Organised)

• Formal Tone( Appropriateness in the selection & use of words)
• Language (Clear & Precise)
• Outline ( consistency & coherence)
• Approach(Deductive Reasoning)
• Point of View ( Facts over Opinion)

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Academic writing should (be):

a. Formal.
b. Impersonal and objective.
c. Cautious or tentative.
d. References other writers’ work.
e. Rigorous and logical
f. Etc…

Exercise 1: Using the table below as an example; write 50 informal words/phrases and their
formal equals.

INFORMAL FORMAL
Try to find out Investigate
Carry out Conduct
Look at carefully Examine
Make sure is true Verify
Show Demonstrate
Get rid of Eliminate

POINTS TO NOTE IN ACADEMIC WRITING

1. PURPOSE AND AUDIENCE: You must be able to comprehend the goal(s) of your
desired write-up in order to communicate and write academically (you must be able to
understand what you want to say and why). Readers and the audience are also crucial.
You must comprehend their expectations as well as their level (education, specialty,
etc.). If you want to write but do not know who your audience is or what you want to
write about, you will probably write badly.

2. STRUCTURE AND COHERENCE: One of the two characteristics that lend unity
and purpose to a written or spoken matter is coherence. The overall meaning that a text
conveys through the arrangement of its ideas is referred to as coherence. It is presented
in writing by using paragraphs and sentences that are clearly and understandably
structured.
3. REVIEWING AND PROOFREADING: Proofreading is not the same as reviewing.
Reviewing is the process of looking at your writing from a "big picture" perspective in
order to spot areas that need improvement and passages or information that should be
added, updated, or deleted. When you edit your writing, your main goals should be to
ensure that: the writing accomplishes its intended goal; it flows logically; it smoothly
moves from one thought to the next; no crucial information has been left out and any
superfluous information supplied is minimal.

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METHODS OF USING AND INCORPORATING OTHER PEOPLE’S
WORK.
1. PARAPHRASING: "a restatement of a text or passage, giving the sense of the original
in other words," frequently with more specifics and length, c. 1540s, from French
paraphrase (1520s), from Greek paraphrasis "a free rendering," from Latin paraphrasis
"a paraphrase," from para- "beside" (see. para-(1)) + phrazein "to tell" (cf. phrase (n.)).
Here is how to paraphrase:
a. Step 1: Read, Reread, Then Read It Again
b. Step 2: Determine the Big Idea
c. Step 3: Break It Down
d. Step 4: Rewrite, Idea by Idea
e. Step 5: Check and Cite
f. Reread what you’ve written and ask yourself the following questions:
a. Does this portray the same big idea?
b. Have I included all relevant information and ideas?
c. Does my paraphrase maintain the integrity of the original’s
intent?
d. Are all sentences written in my own voice and my own words?
e. If you can answer yes to all four questions, you’ve successfully
paraphrased! If not, return to the quoted material and go through
each step again.
Finally, add your citation. Always credit the original source so you don’t
plagiarize.

Exercise 2. (TO BE DONE IN CLASS)

SUMMARIZING: Is a processes that gives the most important information about

something using few words.
Here are few steps involved in summarizing:

1. Identify the main points

2. Use the right words
3. Focus on the big picture
4. Present the ideas/content without distorting anything.

Exercise 3. (TO BE DONE IN CLASS)

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