Descriptive Academic Writing: Definition and Characteristics
2. Inappropriate use of specialized terminology. Because you are dealing with concepts, research, and data within your discipline, you need to use the technical language appropriate to that area of study. However, nothing will undermine the validity of your study quicker than the inappropriate application of a term or concept. Avoid using terms whose meaning you are unsure of--don't just guess or assume! Consult the meaning of terms in specialized, discipline-specific dictionaries by searching the USC Libraries catalog or reference database [see above].Among all different types of writing, this is the most demanding one, mainly because the requirements for an extensive research process. You have to build your case with strong persuasive essay topic, logic, facts, cases, examples, and expert opinions. Plus, you must present both sides of the argument, so youll convince the reader that your stand is the most logical option.Critical writing requires strong writing skills. You need to thoroughly understand the topic and the issues. You need to develop an essay structure and paragraph structure that allows you to analyse different interpretations and develop your own argument, supported by evidence.The persuasive (also known as argumentative) essay is one of the most common genres of academic writing required for school. Its the type of essay your professors assign when they want you to prove how great you are as an academic writer. It requires you to investigate a topic, form your own opinions, generate evidence in support of those opinions, and convince the reader that youre making a valid point.
Each subject discipline will have certain writing conventions,
vocabulary and types of discourse that you will become familiar
with over the course of your degree. However, there are some
general characteristics of academic writing that are relevant
across all disciplines. 1. Academic Writing :
Academic writing refers to a piece of writing which focuses on
specific academic subject/topic. Through academic writing the
writer intends to prove a theory or viewpoint in one way or the
other. Mainly academic writings are based on academic findings
and academic research and is intended for a scholarly audience.
The writer can explain a specific subject matter by providing
his/her own point of view. It includes scholarly essays, research
papers, dissertations, etc. III. Diction
Diction refers to the choice of words you use. Awareness of the
words you use is important because words that have almost the
same denotation [dictionary definition] can have very different
connotations [implied meanings]. This is particularly true in
academic writing because words and terminology can evolve a
nuanced meaning that describes a particular idea, concept, or
phenomenon derived from the epistemological culture of that
discipline [e. g. , the concept of rational choice in political
science]. Therefore, use concrete words [not general] that convey
a specific meaning. If this cannot be done without confusing the
reader, then you need to explain what you mean within the context
of how that word or phrase is used within a discipline.
Academic Writing. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University;
Academic Writing Style. First-Year Seminar Handbook. Mercer
University; Bem, Daryl J. Writing the Empirical Journal Article.
Cornell University; College Writing. The Writing Center.
University of North Carolina; Murray, Rowena and Sarah Moore. The
Handbook of Academic Writing: A Fresh Approach. New York: Open
University Press, 2006; Oppenheimer, Daniel M. "Consequences of
Erudite Vernacular Utilized Irrespective of Necessity: Problems
with Using Long Words Needlessly. " Applied Cognitive Psychology
20 (2006): 139-156; Pernawan, Ari. Common Flaws in Students'
Rsearch Proposals. English Education Department. Yogyakarta State
University; Style. College Writing. The Writing Center.
University of North Carolina; Invention: Five Qualities of Good
Writing. The Reading/Writing Center. Hunter College; Sword,
Helen. Stylish Academic Writing. Cambridge, MA: Harvard
University Press, 2012; What Is an Academic Paper? Institute for
Writing Rhetoric. Dartmouth College. VI. Academic Conventions
Citing sources in the body of your paper and providing a list of
references as either footnotes or endnotes is a very important
aspect of academic writing. It is essential to always acknowledge
the source of any ideas, research findings, data, paraphrased, or
quoted text that you have used in your paper as a defense against
allegations of plagiarism.
A characteristic of academic writing is the use of professional
and businesslike language, free of jargon, colloquial expressions
and politically incorrect terms. Jargon is referred to as
shoptalk, or specialized language known only to a particular
profession (e.g, the term hydrodesulfurization is a term known
only among chemists) and which may have another meaning in
another field (e.g., script means prescription in the medical
profession; while it means a manuscript containing the storyline
in the film industry). Other expressions to avoid in academic
writing include colloquial expressions, or informal expressions
that belong to more casual, informal discourses. Examples of
informal expressions include how dya do? (instead of how do you
do?); wanna (instead of want to); dunno (instead of dont know).
Even popular expressions used by millennials such as LOL (laugh
out loud) and FYI (for your information) may be unknown to some
readers, so avoid using them in academic writing.1. Excessive use
of specialized terminology. Yes, it is appropriate for you to use
specialist language and a formal style of expression in academic
writing, but it does not mean using "big words" just for the sake
of doing so. Overuse of complex or obscure words or writing
complicated sentence constructions gives readers the impression
that your paper is more about style than substance; it leads the
reader to question if you really know what you are talking about.
Focus on creating clear and elegant prose that minimizes reliance
on specialized terminology.VIII. Thesis-Driven
Academic writing is thesis-driven, meaning that the starting
point is a particular perspective, idea, or position applied to
the chosen topic of investigation, such as, establishing,
proving, or disproving solutions to the research questions posed
for the topic. Note that a problem statement without the research
questions does not qualify as academic writing because simply
identifying the research problem does not establish for the
reader how you will contribute to solving the problem, what
aspects you believe are most critical, or suggest a method for
gathering data to better understand the problem.Simon Fraser
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