concepts about a specific topic. It is scholarly because it involves a thorough, careful, investigative and scientific study of a specific topic. - result from one’s struggle to increase his knowledge about his carefully chosen subject matter and to present his findings skillfully through different rhetorical or discourse patterns. - a process that starts with posing a question, problematizing a concept, evaluating an opinion, and ends in answering the questions posed, clarifying a problem, and arguing for a stand. Research Paper, Academic Journals, Reports, Conference Paper, Feasibility Study, Thesis/Dissertation, Reviews, Essay Academic writing has a specific purpose Addresses specific audience. The assumption is, your audience is composed of people who are knowledgeable on the subject you are writing about. Academic Writing is thinking. It requires deliberate, thorough, and careful thought and that is why it involves research. Structure Tone Language Citation
Complexity Evident-Based Thesis
Unlike fiction or journalistic writing, the overall structure of an academic text is formal and logical (Introduction, Body, Conclusion). It must be cohesive and possess a logically organized flow of ideas. This means that various parts are connected to form a unified whole. Structure Tone Language Citation
Complexity Evident-Based Thesis
The overall tone refers to the attitude conveyed in a piece of writing. The arguments of others are fairly presented and with an appropriate narrative tone. When presenting a position or argument that disagrees with one’s perspectives, describe the argument accurately without loaded or biased language. Structure Tone Language Citation
Complexity Evident-Based Thesis
It is important to use unambiguous language. Clear topic sentences enable a reader to follow your line of thinking without difficulty. Formal language and the third person point-of view should be used. Technical language appropriate to the area of study may also be used, however it does not mean using “big words” just for the sake of doing so. Structure Tone Language Citation
Complexity Evident-Based Thesis
Citing sources in the body of the paper and providing a list of references as either footnotes or endnotes is a very important. It is essential to always acknowledge the source of any ideas, research findings, data, or quoted text that have been used in a paper as a defense against allegations of plagiarism. Structure Tone Language Citation
Complexity Evident-Based Thesis
An academic text addresses complex issues that require higher-order thinking skills to comprehend. Structure Tone Language Citation
Complexity Evident-Based Thesis
What is valued in an academic text is that opinions are based on a sound understanding of the pertinent body of knowledge and academic debates that exist within, and often external to a specific discipline. Structure Tone Language Citation
Complexity Evident-Based Thesis
The starting point of an academic text is a particular perspective, idea or position applied to the chosen research problem, such as establishing, proving, or disproving solutions to the questions posed for the topic. CHARACRTERISTICS ACADEMIC TEXT NON-ACADEMIC TEXT Audience Academia Mass public Purpose Inform the readers with Inform, entertain or solid evidence persuade the readers Style Formal and impersonal Personal, impressionistic, emotional or subjective Structure Standard structure No rigid structure Language Formal language avoids Informal and casual colloquialisms language, may contain Subject/Content Shared historical events Personal life and or literature or other everyday events forms of knowledge Formality Complexity Objectivity Explicitness
Hedging Precision Accuracy
- reflects your dignified stance in your writing : use of language appropriate in academic & professional settings - Language use requires precision to make it “legitimate” piece of academic writing. - Follows accepted rules, forms & conventions of writing in a particular community discipline. - Choosing expanded modal forms over contracted forms such as using cannot instead of can’t, or do not instead of don’t. Choosing one verb form over two-word verbs, such as damage instead of mess up - Choosing expanded terms over their abbreviated equivalents like as soon as possible instead of ASAP. Avoiding colloquial/trite/idiomatic expressions such as kind of like, as a matter of fact, or I need to go to John. Formality Complexity Objectivity Explicitness
Hedging Precision Accuracy
- Refers to the organization of ideas in the text - Show relationship and connection of ideas in the text - Indicates the source of the idea - Academic writing demands the use of signposts that allow readers to trace the relationships in the parts of a study.
- Shorter in length, but uses longer, more
complex word and phrases 1) This is due to the… A number of Manila Electric Company consumers trooped to the City Hall to claim a PHP 500 cash incentive. This is due to the Supreme Court ruling that overcharges must be returned to the end users whose electric consumption for the April-May period was below 100kw/hr. 2) This resulted in… With the Supreme Court ordering Manila Electric Company to return overcharges to the end users, government offices have been tapped to operate as claimed centers. This resulted in a number of Manila Electric Company consumers trooping to the City Hall to claim the PHP 500.00 cash incentive. 3) When two ideas seem the same, express each one clearly The study showed that eighty percent of the 200 participants involved in the study were dissatisfied with the operations of Manila Electric Company. Similarly, the data revealed that majority of the participants were not aware of the changes imposed on them by Manila Electric Company. 4) If you intend to give extra information in your sentence, make it clear by writing “In addition. . .” Manila Electric Company has been operating as a business conglomerate involving foreign stakeholders and Independent Power Producers or IPP. In addition, MERALCO owns major IPPs operating in the region. 5) If you are giving examples, do so explicitly by writing “For example. . .” The Manila Electric Company issue has led to disputes between opposition and administration senators. For example, those who have been labeled as against the president considered the issue as the administration’s way of available the NBN-ZTE scandal. - Use of more lexical words than grammatical words - Shorter in length, but uses longer, more complex word and phrases 1) Other examples:
How much money will be invested should be
determined.
The amount of money to be invested should
be determined. 2) Other examples: Improvements in technology have reduced the risk and high cost associated with simultaneous installation. Because the technology has improved its less risky that it used to be when you install them at the same time, and it doesn’t cost so much 3) Other examples: Findings also suggest that the positive reactions of the participants to the intervention was associated with the new information. The information acquired was about themselves. Finding also suggest that the positive reactions of the participants to the intervention was associated with the new information that they acquired about themselves. Formality Complexity Objectivity Explicitness
Hedging Precision Accuracy
- Academic writing requires special knowledge and use of more complex language and objectivity. This means that the writing must be impersonal and maintains a certain level of social distance. Characterized by use of the third person rather than first person - Avoiding the use of personal pronouns such as you, I and we. Poor example: You need to conduct the experiment. Improved version: The researchers need to conduct the experiment. - Avoiding rhetorical questions as it marks “closeness” with the reader, and constantly seeks his/her attention. Poor example: How can these problems be solved? Improved version: Certain measures must be discovered to solve the problems. - Avoiding emotive language that shows biases and lessens objectivity. Poor example: The investigators were very shocked to see the outcome of the tests. Improved version: The investigators did not expect the result. Other examples:
In my opinion, this is a very interesting study.
This is a very interesting study.
Other examples: Teachers need to realize the value of feedback on student writing.
As teachers, we need to realize the value of
feedback on student writing. Formality Complexity Objectivity Explicitness
Hedging Precision Accuracy
- Expresses tentativeness and possibility in communication. - Cautious or vague language
- Enables you to express a perspective on
claims that have not been acclaimed yet by others. 1 When there are exceptions to the findings or results are inconclusive 2 When they are sure about what they are saying but want to appear more modest or show deference to their readers or colleagues. 3 When they want to open up possibilities for discussions Formality Complexity Objectivity Explicitness
Hedging Precision Accuracy
- Specifying Information, dates and figures Example: Do not use ‘a lot of people’ when you can say ’50 million people’ 1 Chemist had attempt to synthesize quinine for the previous hundred years but all they had achieved was to discover the extreme complexity of the problem. 2 The volatile oily liquid beta-chloro-beta-ethyl sulphide was first synthesized in 1854 and in 1887. It was reported to produce blisters if it touched the skin. It was called mustard gas and was used at Ypres in 1917, when it caused many thousands of casualties. Formality Complexity Objectivity Explicitness
Hedging Precision Accuracy &
Caution - Sentence are free from grammatical errors - Correct and appropriate words are used
- Academic writing requires care since knowledge is
built from proven theories and concepts. Therefore, caution is needed to avoid sweeping generalizations. * Government officials are corrupt. Improved Versions: Some government officials may be corrupt. Corruption is commonly linked to some government officials. A number of government officials tend to be linked with cases of corruption In academic writing, caution needs to be observed in the following parts of your paper: ✓ When a hypothesis needs to be tested ✓ Drawing conclusions or predictions from your findings that may generalize certain matters or may not be conclusive ✓ Referencing others’ work to build on your own paper Below are some forms that you may use in observing caution in writing: 1. Verbs indicating caution: tends, suggests, appear to be, think, believe, doubt, indicate Example: The findings of the survey suggest that students’ use of social networking sites in their academic work tend to be more updated on recent developments in their respective subjects. 2. Modal verbs: will, must, would, may, can, might, could Example: The observations of students’ use of social networking sites may lead to the different behaviors that manifest in real-life communication. 3. Adverbs of frequency: often, usually, sometimes, rarely, never. Example: The essays that were given marks were usually high. If your results show something different from another author’s ideas, there are possible ways in writing these points: The results contradict Meyer’s findings. The results appear to be different from Meyer’s findings. What’s the difference? The results contradict Meyer’s findings. Sentence 1 may be interpreted by readers as an attempt to highlight your findings as superior compared to Meyer. The results appear to be different from Meyer’s findings. On the other hand, sentence 2 shows that you are distancing yourself from your work and comparing it to previous works done by other researchers relating your contributions to other ideas in the discipline. Remember that in academic writing, since you are part of a community, it is important that you express ideas with openness, striking a balance between being concise and cautious. Directions: Choose one feature of language use. Explain how it contributes to the success of the academic text. Create your own hashtag and write your ideas in one paragraph with 50 words only. #_______________________