The document outlines essential aspects of academic writing, including its structure, common stylistic problems, and the significance of a strong thesis sentence. It emphasizes the challenges of writing while also highlighting the rewards and the necessity of presenting clear, persuasive arguments. Additionally, it warns against common mistakes such as overly informal language and weak claims.

1. How to write an academic paper

2. Organisation
What is academic writing?
Common stylistic problems
Academic genres
Writing an academic paper
Avoiding common mistakes

3. The writing challenge 1
Writing can sometimes be difficult
and even frustrating…

4. The writing challenge 2
But it can also be rewarding

5. Common stylistic problems
Non-native language often sounds translated, not
natural
Choppy and disconnected writing style
Sentences are needlessly wordy
Too informal or too direct style

6. We don’t want to write like Tarzan,
do we?

7. The thesis sentence
Thesis sentence = asserts, controls, and structures the entire
argument
Thesis sentence= strong, persuasive, thoughtful to avoid
unfocused, weak paper
A good thesis makes a claim = develops an interesting
perspective that you can support and defend (+ than a mere
observation)
e.g. observation: "Americans are violent”
e.g. perspective/position: “Americans are violent because they
are fearful"

8. Sources
http://www.papermoz.co.uk/theses/
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/697/1
http://www.hawaii.edu/eli/online/eli83/CAPModel1.h
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