English Literature

1. Academic Writing and its
Characteristics
Presented by Bhavna Sosa

2. Prepared by: Bhavna Sosa
Roll no. : 02
Semester : 4
Batch : 2021-23
Paper: Research Methodology
Topic : What is Academic Writing and its
Characteristics
Submitted by: Department of English

3. Table of
Contents
What is Academic
Writing?
Importance of Good
Academic Writing
Characteristics
Conclusion
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4. Academic writing refers to a particular style of expression that scholars use to define
the boundaries of their disciplines and their areas of expertise.
Academic Writing is based on formal study especially at an institution of higher
learning
Characteristics of academic writing include a formal tone, use of the third-person
rather than first-person perspective (usually), a clear focus on the research problem
under investigation, and precise word choice.
What is Academic Writing?

5. Academic writing is a form of writing non fiction prose that
communicates information, ideology, details, and research to a
broader academic community.
This form of writing, which is also often called scholarly writing, can
be divided into two separate branches: the first is student scientific
writing, which is used in colleges and schools in an exam or project
format to prepare for university studies; and the second is
Professional Scientific Writing, intended for publication in academic
journals or books.

6. Importance of Good Academic
Writing
The Big Picture
Unlike fiction or journalistic writing, the overall structure of academic writing is formal and logical. It must be
cohensive and possess a logical flow of ideas, which means that various parts are connected to form a unified
whole.
The Tone
Throughout your paper, it is important that you present the arguments of others fairly and with an appropriate
tone. When presenting a position or argument that you disagree with, describe this argument accurately and
without loaded or biased language.
The Language
Clear use of language is essential in academic writing. Well-structured paragraphs and clear topic sentences
enable a reader to follow your line of thinking without difficulty. Your language should be concise, formal, and
express precisely what you want it to mean.

7. Academic Conventions
Citing sources in the body of your paper and providing a list of references are very important aspects of
academic writing. It is essential to always acknowledge the source of any ideas, research findings, or
data that you have used in your paper. To do otherwise is considered plagerism.
Evidence-Based Arguments
Your assignments often ask you to express your own point of view on research problem you are
discussing. However, what is valued in academic writing is that your opinions are based on a sound
understanding of the pertinent body of knowledge and academic debates that are currently being
debated in your discipline. You need to support your opinion with evidence from academic sources.
Thesis-Driven Analysis
The writing is “thesis-driven,” meaning that the starting point is a particular perspective, idea, or “thesis”
on the chosen research problem, such as, establishing, proving, or disproving solutions to the questions
posed for the topic. In contrast, simply describing a topic without the research questions does not qualify
as “academic writing.”

8. Complexity and Higher-Order Thinking
One of the main functions of academic writing is to describe complex ideas as clearly as possible. Often
called higher-order thinking skills, these include cognitive processes that are used to comprehend, solve
problems, and express concepts or that describe abstract ideas that cannot be easily acted out, pointed
to, or shown with images.

9. Characteristics
Clear format
Proper citation:
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Good
structure
Some of the major characteristics of academic writing are :

10. Characteristics
Good structure:
An academic paper must have a clear structure appropriate to the topic on which the piece is
being written.
For instance, a dissertation should have an introduction with a problem statement, detailed
aims or objectives, and the method, whereas an essay would have a plain introduction, the
body divided into paragraphs, each dealing with a separate point and a conclusion.
The best tip to achieve this is to carry out thorough planning and research before writing.
Having all the research completed beforehand will allow you to plan the structure and write
with clarity and a logical progression.

11. Clear format:
Academic writing relies on a strong formal style of expression that demonstrates the
author's subject knowledge and expertise in the field.
To maintain objectivity, which is another key aspect of academic writing, writers typically
use a third-person perspective.
However, in isolated cases, as needed, writers may resort to expressing certain things
subjectively to demonstrate a reflective treatment of the subject matter.
Maintaining a formal style of writing adds credibility to the ideas presented by the author.
And the best tip to go about with this is to have a clear and precise understanding of what
you are trying to express, so that you are able to convey it in a clinical manner.

12. Proper citation:
Academic writers, to gain credibility and to demonstrate their knowledge of the subject
matter, often support a major part of their write up with evidence and citation from primary
and authority sources and resources.
A bibliography is a key element at the end, which lists out the scholarly articles, books, or
other resources that the author references throughout the text. Students should note that
significant emphasis is laid by examiners to the referencing done by them.
On the other hand, professional pieces of academic writing, if not references properly, will
usually lose all credibility.

13. How can you ace citations and referencing? There are two tips here - first, take meticulous
notes, even if you reference the same text multiple times, ensure you note it down each
time.
And tip two is to use technology to your advantage. There are a number of different
software options that make bibliography writing a breeze, EndNote and Microsoft Word
being two such options.
These not only help you keep track, but will also format your bibliography for you.

14. Conclusion
component of academic writing, as it allows you to summarize your main points and
present your final thoughts on the topic. A well-written conclusion should leave your
reader with a clear understanding of the main argument and a sense of closure.
For most course papers, it is usually one paragraph that simply and succinctly restates
the main ideas and arguments, pulling everything together to help clarify the thesis of the
paper. A conclusion does not introduce new ideas; instead, it should clarify the intent and
importance of the paper.

15. ChatGPT
Academic writing refers to the type of writing that is commonly used in academic settings,
such as universities and research institutions. It is a formal and structured form of writing that
is typically used to communicate research findings, theories, or arguments in a scholarly
manner.
In research methodology, academic writing is particularly important as it is used to convey the
results of research studies, and to communicate research findings to other researchers,
scholars, and academics. Characteristics of academic writing in research methodology
include:
Formality: Academic writing is formal in tone, language, and structure. It is important to use
proper grammar, syntax, and vocabulary to convey your ideas effectively.
Objectivity: Academic writing should be objective and impartial, avoiding personal biases or
opinions. It should be based on facts, evidence, and logical reasoning.

16. Clarity: Academic writing should be clear and concise, with ideas presented in a logical and
coherent manner. This helps readers to understand and follow the arguments and
conclusions presented.
Precision: Academic writing should be precise and specific, with terminology and concepts
defined clearly and accurately. This helps to avoid ambiguity or confusion.
Evidence-based: Academic writing in research methodology should be based on evidence,
research findings, and established theories. It should cite credible sources to support claims
and arguments.
Critical analysis: Academic writing should involve critical analysis and evaluation of existing
research, theories, and ideas. It should identify gaps in knowledge and propose new
research questions or directions.
Academic conventions: Academic writing in research methodology should follow specific
conventions and guidelines, such as formatting, referencing, and citation styles. These help
to ensure consistency and accuracy in academic writing.

17. Resources
Jaiswal, Nancy. “What Is Academic Writing? Characteristics, Jobs and Types.” Telegraph
India, https://www.telegraphindia.com/edugraph/career/what-is-academic-writing-
characteristics-jobs-and-types/cid/1880483.
Hartley, James. Academic Writing and Publishing a Practical Guide. Routledge, 2008.
“Research Guides: Organizing Academic Research Papers: Academic Writing Style.”
Academic Writing Style - Organizing Academic Research Papers - Research Guides at
Sacred Heart University, https://library.sacredheart.edu/c.php?g=29803&p=185910.
Thank you