Academic writing has certain features, which add to the style of the writing. You'll notice it in the sources you read, and will have adopted it within your study at Levels 4 and 5.
What features do you know academic writing has? How does it achieve the style and tone it has? Have you noticed anything about the sources you have read which can help you adopt the appropriate tone in your own writing?
Why do you think academic writing has this tone?
This resource on the Skills Hub might be useful: Academic Style
What do you notice about the kinds of words and phrases used in academic writing?
Technical and discipline-specific language is used; this may include the names of policies, procedures, roles, theories, or anything else which is important in your discipline. Using the language adopted by your profession or discipline enables you to be specific about the things you're writing about, in a way which others in your field will understand. It helps your writing be relevant, up-to-date and focused.
Academic writing also uses a formal tone, avoiding 'chatty' language and keeping with clear, concise, formal language. So instead of writing 'there are loads of things...', you would choose words and phrases to be more specific: 'studies have found a large range of nature-focused equipment such as...'. This, again, is so your meaning is really clear. Being concise also helps with communicating clearly.
Do you know whether, in academic writing, is it common practice to use or avoid contractions (e.g. can't, there's, shouldn't, etc)? Whether you knew the answer to that or not already, can you explain why they are not used?
Structure is important in academic writing. The structure of the whole piece will vary, depending on the kind of piece it is (e.g. report, essay, journal article, dissertation...), but a clear and appropriate structure helps you communicate your ideas in a logical and organised way. Be clear on the structure expectations of your assignments, and let the structure help you formulate your writing.
A well-structured piece will help the reader out by guiding them through the writing, making things clear and building over the body of the piece. Most types of writing have some kind of introduction, then connected and developed ideas in the middle, and then a conclusion which summarises and ties it all together. Keep your reader in mind when you are deciding how to organise your writing.
Paragraphs can help you organise the ideas within your academic writing. Use a paragraph to introduce a point, develop an idea, explore different aspects of it, and then tie it together. There are many different structure supports for paragraph writing. Some people find PEEL helpful (this is a possible structure for paragraphs). Have a look at this guide on the Skills Hub about paragraphs and PEEL.
One of the key features of academic writing is the use of literature. Academic sources are used to support your point, explore perspectives and findings, and explain ideas. You can find academic sources via NELSON (see glossary), and a great place to start is your module reading list (see glossary). Don't forget other sources such as policy, legislation, government documents and so on. Read widely to better understand the topics, theories, areas and ideas you are focusing on.
Integrating academic sources into your writing is key, and at Level 6 there is an expectation you will combine a range of them in your writing. How do you think you might do this? Pause to make a list of ways in which you might use different sources in your writing.
These resources on the Skills Hub may be useful:
Useful phrases for reporting - this offers suggestions for integrating sources into your writing.
A new paraphrasing resource is going to be uploaded to the Skills Hub soon - check back to the 'writing' section to see this.
You can book a tutorial with Learning Development for support with this as well.
- Choose your words carefully to ensure a concise, formal tone, which shows your understanding of the discipline's vocabulary.
- Consider the structure of your writing - make a plan to help you ensure your structure helps people understand the points you are making and your overall message.
- Use academic literature in your writing. Book an appointment with an Academic Librarian for support with searching for literature, and Learning Development for integrating it into your writing.