1. Raphael
Academic Style School of Athens
1509–1510
Academic Writing
Investigating Art – Writing Guide II

2. What is
Academic Style
When you write in an academic
style, you use vocabulary that is:
 formal
 impersonal
 objective
 precise
Friedrich Nerly
Portrait of Carl Friedrich von Rumohr
(Art Historian)
1823–1827

3. Is This Academic?
I mp r e c i s e .
I mme d i a t e q u e s t i o n s
f r o m r e a d e r s :
„H o w m a n y ? Wh o ? ‟
Many people think contemporary art is getting worse.
They say this has been going on for quite a long time. I
think they are right because we now have bad artworks
and funny displays in the museums and galleries all the
time.
“A significant number of museum-goers believe that...”
“A considerable number of critics think that...”
“It is widely believed that...”
“It is generally accepted that...”

4. Is This Academic?
I mp r e c i s e .
Wh a t a s p e c t o f “c o n t e m p o r a r y
a r t ” i s b e i n g r e f e r r e d t o ?
I s i t t h e c o n c e p t o r t h e
t e c h n i q u e ? I s i t a b o u t
p a i n t i n g o r 3D w o r k s ?
Many people think contemporary art is getting worse.
They say this has been going on for quite a long time. I
think they are right because we now have bad artworks
and funny displays in the museums and galleries all the
time.
“...the contemporary art scene has
deteriorated considerably.”

5. Is This Academic?
I mp r e c i s e . H o w l o n g ?
Many people think contemporary art is getting worse.
They say this has been going on for quite a long time. I
think they are right because we now have bad artworks
and funny displays in the museums and galleries all the
time.
... in the last 10 years.
... since theNational Arts Council has lowered
their criterion for the artist’s project grants in 19xx.

6. Is This Academic?
I n f o r ma l .
Gi v e s a
s u b j e c t i v e
u n s u p p o r t e d
o p i n i o n .
Many people think contemporary art is getting worse.
They say this has been going on for quite a long time. I
think they are right because we now have bad artworks
and funny displays in the museums and galleries all the
time.
This opinion is reinforced by a steady and
unmistakable decline in visitors to the museum...

7. Is This Academic?
S u b j e c t i v e I mp r e c i s Hy p e r b o l
p r o n o u n - e . e , e x a g g e
g e n e r a l l y „w h a t i s r a t i o n .
t h o u g h t t o “b a d ” a n d Pr o b a b l y
b e i n f o r ma l “f u n n y ”? u n t r u e .
Many people think contemporary art is getting worse.
They say this has been going on for quite a long time. I
think they are right because we now have bad artworks
and funny displays in the museums and galleries all the
time.
Museum’s visitors surveys carried out between 19xx to
20xx showed that a vast majority of them found the
artworks exhibited to be coarse, irrelevant, and
incomprehensible.

8. Is This Academic?
Many people think contemporary art is getting worse.
They say this has been going on for quite a long time. I
think they are right because we now have bad artworks
and funny displays in the museums and galleries all the
time.
A considerable number of critics believe that the contemporary
art scene has deteriorated significantly, adding that this has
gone on for at least ten years. This opinion is reinforced by
the steady but unmistakable decline in the number of visitors
in the Museum. The Museum’s visitors surveys carried out
between 19xx to 20xx also showed that a vast majority of them
found the artworks in the exhibitions to be
coarse, irrelevant, and incomprehensible.

9. Feedback
Identify the examples of poor academic style. Can you write a
more academic alternative?
When you first look at this painting, it looks like there’s this ship in
the terrible sea and a storm is coming. When you look at it, you
will find that the background is most attractive, then you will see
the setting sun makes the sky very bright with the multi-colours.
This colour made the news people of that time laughed at him and
said that it is “passionate extravagance of marigold sky.” People
always laugh at Turner in this way because they don’t understand
what he wanted to do. He wanted to “recreate rather than
represent” the effects of light, because he cares a lot about visual
appearances and therefore he was very rush and he only follow
his feelings so that he can catch them.

10. Feedback
At first glance, this painting seems to be of a ship in rough seas
heading into a storm. When looking at this painting, the eye is first
drawn to the background; the setting sun lights up the sky in a
beautiful blend of colour which the contemporary press ridiculed
as “passionate extravagance of marigold sky.” Turner was often
mocked in this way because his intentions were misunderstood.
He wanted to “recreate rather than represent the effects of
light, being very concerned with visual appearances and working
impulsively and intuitively in order to capture them.

11. Feedback
At first glance, this painting seems to be of a ship in rough seas
heading into a storm. When looking at this painting, the eye is first
drawn to the background; the setting sun lights up the sky in a
beautiful blend of colour which the contemporary press ridiculed
as “passionate extravagance of marigold sky.” Turner was often
mocked in this way because his intentions were misunderstood.
He wanted to “recreate rather than represent the effects of
light, being very concerned with visual appearances and working
impulsively and intuitively in order to capture them. 1
1. Brian B Wills, A Battle from the Start: The Life of J W Tuner (New York: HarperCollins, 1992), 187.
A footnote

12. Non-academic versus Academic Texts
Non-academic Writing Academic Writing
Contracted forms Full forms
There’s There is
The tests didn’t show The test did not show

13. Non-academic versus Academic Texts
Non-academic Writing Academic Writing
Linking words /phrases Linking words / phrases
The theory appears to provide an
I want to go to the cinema,butI have explanation for this phenomenon.
to work late. However, this is not the case on a
closer examination of the facts.
Because of work, I can’t go to The experimental design was
Bangkok this weekend. Anyway,I weak.Moreover, the methodology
don’t have enough money. was faulty.

14. Non-academic versus Academic Texts
Non-academic Writing Academic Writing
Linking words /phrases Linking words / phrases
The theory appears to provide an
I want to go to the cinema,butI have explanation for this phenomenon.
to work late. However, this is not the case on a
closer examination of the facts.
Because of work, I can’t go to The experimental design was weak.
Bangkok this weekend. Anyway, I Moreover, the methodology was
don’t have enough money. faulty.

15. Non-academic versus Academic Texts
Non-academic Writing Academic Writing
Linking words /phrases Linking words / phrases
The theory appears to provide an
I want to go to the cinema,butI have explanation for this phenomenon.
to work late. However, this is not the case on a
closer examination of the facts.
Because of work, I can’t go to The experimental design was weak.
Bangkok this weekend. Anyway, I Moreover, the methodology was
don’t have enough money. faulty.

16. Non-academic versus Academic Texts
Non-academic Writing Academic Writing
Use of nominal groups (i.e.
Use of pronouns verbs made into nouns)
We need to carefully consider how The application (noun) of the results
we apply the results. needs to be carefully considered.

17. Non-academic versus Academic Texts
Non-academic Writing Academic Writing
Informal & general Formal and concise
…talks about x …the focus is on x
They thought that… Researchers assumed that…

18. Non-academic versus Academic Texts
Non-academic Writing Academic Writing
Point of View Point of View
Subjective and personal, e.g. Objective and impersonal, e.g.
In my essay I will attempt to… This essay attempts to…
Asking rhetorical questions, e.g. Using qualifying language, e.g.
How can this be so? One possible reason may be…