This document provides an overview of academic writing skills. It discusses what academic writing is, including defining features such as being formal, objective, and using third person point of view. The document compares formal and informal writing styles. It also covers how to reference sources like books, websites, and journal articles using APA 6th style referencing. Key steps in writing an essay are outlined such as planning, drafting an introduction, body, and conclusion. Tips are provided on proofreading and formatting an academic essay.

1. ACADEMIC
WRITING

2. What will we do in this session?
⬜ This workshop looks at Academic Writing, a skill
you will need in order to produce essays for
assessment.
⬜ We will look at what academic writing is, and how
you can develop your writing.
⬜ We will look at APA 6th referencing conventions and
practise referencing texts.
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3. By the end of the session you will
be able to:
List 3 of the defining features of an academic text
Explain the difference between an informal text and a
formal text
Reference a book using APA 6th
Explain the importance of proofreading and self-correcting
your written work
Most of you will also be able to reference a web page
using APA 6th
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4. ⬜ The academic writing style we are familiar with
today developed from the writings of early
academic writers in the sciences, whose ‘scholarly’
style was further copied and developed by
humanities scholars to encourage the ‘seriousness’
of their study.
⬜ When writing at tertiary level you are writing an
academic paper, in preparation for publication in
the future.
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What is Academic Writing?

5. ⬜ Academic writing is NOT what you see in text
books, but rather what you will see in journals.
⬜ There are a number of ‘rules’ which need to be met
in order that your academic writing be ‘taken
seriously’.
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What is Academic Writing?

6. Formal Writing Style
⬜ Complex – Longer sentences are likely to be more prevalent in formal writing. You need
to be as thorough as possible with your approach to each topic when you are using a
formal style. Each main point needs to be introduced, elaborated and concluded.
⬜
Objective – State main points confidently and offer full support arguments. A formal
writing style shows a limited range of emotions and avoids emotive punctuation such as
exclamation points, ellipses, and so forth, unless they are being cited from another
source.
⬜
Full Words – No contractions should be used to simplify words (in other words use "It
is" rather than "It's"). Abbreviations must be spelled out in full when first used, the only
exceptions being when the acronym is better known than the full name (BBC, ITV or
NATO for example).
⬜
Third Person – Formal writing is not a personal writing style. The formal writer is
disconnected from the topic and does not use the first person point of view (I or we) or
second person (you).
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7. Formality in Writing
⬜ Let’s look at the notion of formal vs informal
⬜ Look at the examples of text on the sheet. Working
together, place these text types in order of
formality from left to right, with the least formal on
the left, working towards to most formal at the
right.
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8. Being Reflective
The resource is easy to adapt for students at different levels. It can
be a bit boring if used for long periods of time.
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Being Critically Reflective
The resource is easy to adapt for students at different levels. For
example, questions can be made more complicated and the amount
of questions can be increased as students become more able.
It can be a bit boring if used for long periods of time, so the insertion
of illustrations and a break at the midway point may stop this
boredom from setting in.

9. Pick one of the objects below :
⬜ Now critically reflect upon your
object. Use no more than 5
sentences to write your response.
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10. First, second and third person writing
1. I like using ICT in my teaching practice.
1. You like using ICT in your teaching practice.
1. Many teachers like using ICT in their teaching
practice.
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11. Rewrite this sentence in the third person:
I find that when teaching it
helps to have a sense of
humour, a bottle of gin, my
sanity, and a pen at all times.
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12. 12
It might be suggested that
when teaching, as well as a
pen, a sense of humour, a
bottle of gin, and some sanity
be at hand at all times.

13. This is a genuine example of academic writing. Is it
successful? Discuss.
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The move from a structuralist account in which
capital is understood to structure social relations in
relatively homologous ways to a view of hegemony
in which power relations are subject to repetition,
convergence, and rearticulation brought the
question of temporality into the thinking of
structure, and marked a shift from a form of
althusserian theory that takes structural totalities
as theoretical objects to one in which the insights
into the contingent possibility of structure
inaugurate a renewed conception of hegemony as
bound up with the contingent sites and strategies
of the rearticulation of power.

14. USING THE APA 6TH
REFERENCING SYSTEM

15. Why do we reference?
⬜ To acknowledge the work and ideas of others
⬜ So readers can locate the source
To claim someone else's work as your own is wrong. It is known
as plagiarism. The university takes this very seriously.
Assignments are run through plagiarism software to check for
inconsistencies.
You can do this yourself, before handing in, to be certain you
have referenced everything accurately by using an online tool
such as refworks, grammarly, or turn it in.
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16. References
⬜ Your Reference List/Bibliography should be
set out in alphabetical order by author
surname. Where you refer to more than one
work by the same author, these should be set
out in chronological sequence.
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17. How to reference a book using APA 6th
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Source In text referencing Reference List layout
Book –
1 author
Bathgate (2014) reveals many
interesting details about her
experiences at Otley Campus, such
as…
Bathgate, N. (2014). The Secret Life of
Trainee Teacher. Basingstoke, UK:
Palgrave Macmillan
Book –
2 authors
Wright & Dalton (2013, p 3) state that
“students need to be well-prepared…
for the realities of teaching ‘anything
they are given a timetable for’ in
economically adverse conditions”.
Wright, Z. & Dalton, E. (2013). An
Overview of the Lifelong Learning Sector.
John O’Groats, UK: Joyce Grenfell Press
Book – 6+
authors
Tyler, et al suggest that teaching is
“not all it’s cracked up to be…” (2015,
p 84)
Tyler, D., Santry, P., Taylor, N., Blonska,
M., O’Callaghan, A., Wright, Z. (2015). It
ain’t what you do it’s the way that you do
it. Ipswich, UK: Easton Press

18. 18
How to reference a webpage using APA 6th
Source In text referencing Reference List layout
Internet web
site
Charleston (BBC, 2014) reveals that:
‘Sales of Rowntree’s Randoms
quadrupled following the broadcast of
the new BBC series featuring Bobby
Ball.’
BBC (2014). Bobby Ball’s random
thoughts. Retrieved from
http://bbc.co.uk/bobby_ball-random

19. Referencing a journal article
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Source In text referencing Reference List layout
Article in
journal /
magazine
Cowels (2010, pp. 20-21) states
that Mok’s Ukulele for Beginners
‘…is ground-breaking in part due to
her innovative use of playing when
blindfolded’.
Cowels, J. (2010). ‘Examining the
Ukulele Playing of Sophie Mok’. Weird
Instruments Journal 34 (3): 17-24

20. Task 2. Using a book that contains
information relevant to this course.
⬜ Write one direct and one indirect quote
correctly within a sentence.
⬜ Cite quotes correctly - for example:
(Humperdink, 1982, p. 23)
⬜ Reference each quote using APA 6th in a
reference list
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21. ESSAY PLANNING

22. ⬜ A written argument
⬜ A balanced argument
⬜ Critically reflective
⬜ Academic in style
⬜ Passive voice, 3rd person (Not ‘I’ or ‘We’)
What is an Essay?

23. ⬜ Clarify the task - Look at the assignment brief,
marking criteria & learning outcomes.
⬜ Do some background reading
⬜ Collect and record information
⬜ Organise notes and make a plan
⬜ Reflect and evaluate
Initial Steps

24. ⬜ Decide on an order (Introduction, main body, conclusion)
⬜ How many words can you write on each point?
⬜ Quick Task: You are required to write AN ESSAY OF 2000 words.
⬜ Divide this into the parts of an essay.
⬜ How many words are you allowed over & under (10%)?
⬜ You have 5 minutes, use a calculator if you need to.
⬜ Get a REALLY rough draft down on paper
⬜ Develop your first draft
⬜ Try to leave time between drafts – at least go away and do
something totally unrelated, like the washing up!
⬜ Final edit →BE CRITICAL!
Planning

25. Say what you are
going to say
SAY IT and BACK
IT UP WITH
EVIDENCE
Say what you said

26. ⬜ Aim for about 10% of word count
⬜ Interpret the title
⬜ Focus the essay
⬜ State your argument/hypothesis
Introduction

27. ⬜ Split topics up into paragraphs (group topics)
⬜ Try to lead from one paragraph to the next – this is called flow
⬜ Paragraphs are more than one sentence long!
⬜ Present the arguments:
- Compare and contrast
- Critically evaluate
- Demonstrate that you are aware of
complexities
- Back-up your claims with evidence from research
& wider academic reading
- Objectively show your line of reasoning
Body

28. ⬜ Refer back to the title
⬜ Summarise what has been said
⬜ Summarise your evaluation
⬜ Link your final sentence to the question
Conclusion

29. ⬜ Read the essay ALOUD to yourself – you’ll pick
up more errors this way
⬜ Get someone else to read it (a friend or partner)
⬜ Correct any errors before handing in, including
spelling, punctuation and grammatical slip-ups –
you are marked on these so take pride in your
work.
Now Proofread and Edit

30. ⬜ Abbreviations such as etc., can’t and don’t
⬜ Questions? An essay is an answer
⬜ Colloquialisms (informal phrases)
⬜ Lists/bullet points
⬜ One sentence paragraphs
⬜ Symbols + - #= % (£ $ are OK)
⬜ Graphs/charts/pictures →put them in the
appendices
⬜ Really long sentences
Avoid

31. ⬜ Use a clear font (Arial/Tahoma/Calibri) NOT comic sans
⬜ Font size 12
⬜ Full assignment title at the top of 1st page
⬜ DOUBLE SPACE
⬜ Number the pages
⬜ Put your name & student number in the
header
⬜ Put your name in the document’s name – we
have lots of submissions called Module 1
Essay. i.e. F_Bloggs Mod 1 Essay FINAL
Layout

32. Before you submit your essay,
please proofread it & edit for
errors.
Warning: Contains adult themes.
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33. What have we achieved?
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1. List 3 of the defining features of an academic text.
1. Explain the difference between an informal text and a
formal text.
1. Reference a book using APA 6th.
1. Most of you will also be able to reference a journal
article using APA 6th.
1. Some of you will also be able to reference a web page
using APA 6th.