This document provides guidance on writing for academic purposes. It discusses the key differences between writing reports and essays. Reports use a formal structure with sections, numbered paragraphs, headings, and references. Essays have a less formal structure but still require arguments and objective commentary. The document emphasizes tailoring writing to the specified audience and assignment instructions. It also provides tips for planning, organizing, and structuring academic writing.

1. Writing for Academic Purposes
Writing reports and essays

2. 2
• What do you write?
• Why is this different?
• Two distinct approaches; essays
and reports
• Both are acceptable for academic
work, but read the instructions/brief
for each assignment – this will tell
you what format is expected
Ignore this titleWriting
• Needed for all…
• Introduction
• Context
• Ideas or discussion
• Conclusions
• and for academic work…
• REFERENCES
There are other descriptions for formats – you could be asked to plan a
PowerPoint presentation or develop a briefing paper – you will get additional
briefings and guidance as that happens in your course

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• You do what is asked in the task briefing
- Style and content
• Good grammar and spelling
• Accurate punctuation
• Jargon explained and clarified
• Unless specified use an impersonal and
objective style
so not ‘I’ or ‘we’ or ‘my’
Ignore this titleWriting - expectations

4. 4
• Writing academically involves writing in a
different, impersonal style and being
cautious about claims (hedging)
• Examples:
I discovered….it was discovered
I think….it might/could be argued
• Use references to source ideas….Simmons
(1997) argued that ….
Ignore this titleWriting - expectations

5. 5
• The agency or organisation’s name (rather than
‘my organisation’ does….)
• Avoid abbreviations in text (local authority rather
than LA; housing association rather than HA)
• Where acronyms are in common use – use full
name first with initials in brackets, then can use
acronym – saves words and time
• Example: The Department of Communities and
Local Government (CLG) said…..According to
the CLG, rent collection is a…….
Ignore this titleWriting - expectations

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• You can’t start until you know what you will be
writing about – that blank sheet of paper or blank
screen
• Plan out the structure
• Think about the way you will organise and order
the work – does it have a logical flow?
• The assignment brief might give some clues
about ordering
• Advantage of using pcs (or Macs) you can insert,
add, move things around
Ignore this titlePlanning for writing

7. 7
• The writing sandwich

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• Purpose
• To inform a given audience
• Tutor, tenants, colleagues, board members – the
assignment brief will tell you
• Tailor your style and language to suit their needs
• Consider and picture your audience
 Who are they?
 What do they need to know and why?
 How will they need this information?
 What benefits will this information provide for
them?

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• For all audiences
• Avoid or explain jargon
• Avoid slang and abbreviations (unless
acronyms)
• Be clear about what goes into your work –
content but leave writing the introduction
fully until you have written the body of the
work

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• A word about conclusions
• Nothing NEW goes here
• If you think of something new to add, insert in the
appropriate place in the report (or essay)
• You cover:
• What was covered or discussed (briefly) and what
was most significant or what the overall impact has
been
• Recommendations are only required if asked for –
don’t be tempted to suggest new ways forward if you
haven’t been asked for them

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• Reports
• Most useful for work, so try the
format
• Signposting
• White space
• Headings and subheadings
• Numbering of sections and
paragraphs – being consistent
• Referencing is required in all
‘academic’ reports
FORMAT OF REPORT
• Header page
• Contents page or list
• Introduction
• Chapters
• Conclusions
• Summary and
recommendations (if asked
for)
• Appendices

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• Tips
• Be consistent in style and approach
• Use a logical numbering system
• It is useful to use numbered paragraphs – think
about someone wanting to refer to your work and
pinpoint exactly where something is
• BUT…perhaps write first and then number – both to
help the work flow and so things are logically ordered
• You reference all your work in the course, even
though a work based report wouldn’t usually be
referenced

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• Essays
Less formal structure than reports but
still needing argument and objective
commentary
Introduction
Main arguments - leading to
Conclusions
Even here, you might use
headings, but check this with
whoever set the essay
 no numbering of
headings/sections
 no appendices
 lots of referencing
• TELL THEM WHAT YOU ARE
GOING TO TELL THEM
• TELL THEM
• TELL THEM WHAT YOU TOLD
THEM (and what was most
important)