Academic Writing: Definition and Peculiarities

• Informative

Academic writing  in college or university

The difficulty of academic writing definition actually lies in the variety of forms this type of writing has. Academic writing could be defined as any type of writing done in college or university with the purpose to meet the needed requirements. Moreover, any types of presentations at conferences or publications read by a professor or researcher are academic writing. If taken generally, academic writing definition means any written piece which was assigned in the academic setting.

The characteristics of this type of writing should be observed in any circumstances:

• Before compiling a written assignment, you need to do some planning for the sake of logical flow and structure of the paper.
• The value of an outline could not be underestimated. Notwithstanding the fact that it will not help you to formulate your thoughts, it will unquestionably come to your aid in structuring data and seeing the relationships between the paper’s topics.
• The formal tone is an integral part of academic writing. The use of slang, clichés, abbreviations, and jargon is utterly forbidden. Pay closer attention to the language you use – avoid any ambiguity and focus on precision. Check out thesaurus to speed up the writing process.
• Make sure to use the third person singular while presenting the point of view since the focal point of academic writing is the research and facts but not supporting the standpoint.
• For creating a valuable academic paper, you need to present the reader not only the valid yet bare conclusions but also the path that has brought you to them. Deductive reasoning is your assistant whereas analytical approach is a must.
• Double-check the required format and style.

You do not need the academic writing definition to say what the structure of these papers is.

It is simple and obvious:

1. With the main objectives to grab the readers’ attention and introduce the thesis statement, feel free to insert a famous quotation, some relevant facts, several questions, and definitions of the terms used in the work.
2. In the main part of the paper, the paragraphs should be arranged in an appropriate order, for instance a chronological one or an order of importance. To “smooth” the flow of thoughts, make the necessary links between the initial sentence and the preceding paragraph. In addition, use transitional words within each paragraph to make the presentation of your thoughts more cohesive.
3. It is only one-paragraph length, so make sure not to pad it out. Devote special attention to restating the thesis statement and to summing up the paper.

The structure of academic writing is a typical and resembles the essay format. Nevertheless, the academic paper should be more formal than a personal one.

As far as you can see, academic writing is a piece of cake if you know the requirements and have conducted the research.

Nonetheless, it has its own set of rules and practices, which differentiate it from personal writing.

• First and foremost, the rules and practices of academic writing are centered on the formal order and structure, in which the writer is supposed to present ideas. Furthermore, the citations in the literature should be provided to each and every idea.
• Second, the specific tone of writing is required. Be conscious of academic tone and phrasing, which it requires. Moreover, each paper should follow the punctuation, grammar, and spelling rules of the language. This requirement is easily justified: the target audience is likely to be very different from you and presumably will not be aware of things you are referring to. It is pivotal to avoid ambiguity in your piece of writing, so adhere to the general conventions of English grammar. In addition, respect your target audience and the formality, which academic writing determines. The audience is broad and consists of intelligent people with critical thinking, but these people might not be informed of the topic. That means you need to define the terms and concepts (not the simplest ones for sure).
• Third, academic writing is more focused on abstract thoughts and concepts, which do not exist in physical form. However, you can use some concrete and “physical” words to present these concepts and describe the relations between the abstract ideas.