academic writing coursera

academic writing coursera

The Importance of Academic Writing

1. Introduction

This essay will provide a critical analysis of the importance of academic writing and its evidential support by various research and proven facts by renowned scholars. This will be done by explaining the difference in communication of ideas through an academic writer and an amateur writer. The essay will also contain a supportive theory proving the importance of academic writing. Last but not least, the conclusion of the essay will summarize the whole discussed content and give an inference to the reader. In order to show the importance and clear idea of academic writing, this essay will use a to state its points in a clear and concise way.

Now the question lies what kind of writing is being done on the academic forum. This writing is in the form of an academic paper. An academic paper includes assignments, coursework, research papers, theses, and many others. All these forms of literature are highly used in the academic sector to pass on knowledge and to add on to the training or education of a student. So the importance of all the forms of academic writing is still the same, i.e., to its principle of effective writing.

Now an effective communication can be provided in writing, orally as well as non-orally. For academic writing, we consider writing as a mode of communication to the readers. A person writes on a specific topic to communicate his ideas with his peers or academicians. Now academic writing is not just about writing rather it has its own essences and one of the most important essence is the language used in the writing. Language plays a vital role for how ideas would pass on to the readers. Academic writing uses formal and non-slang language to communicate with its audience. Both grammar and vocabulary of the language used are correct and it is free from any colloquialisms.

Academic writing is an art of communicating ideas that effectively satisfies the purpose of the writing. Academic writing is considered important as it helps the writer to effectively communicate ideas to the readers. Effective communication is important in every walk of life and same is the case with academic essay. It is significant to state that in any culture, language and community effective communication brings success to the communicator. It is not only beneficial for the communicator but the society can also receive benefits from his communication.

2. Understanding Academic Writing

Emphasizes on the reality of academic writing and importance of genre by beginning with a discussion of discipline. It explains that most disciplines they will be expected to write and how the writing will vary of on what is expected of the writing is the same an assignment might be to write a term paper in which case that individual would select or be given a general topic to research and write about. Then they might be asked to write a specific genre using a specific discourse community for instance the same individual may be asked to write scientific report. This individual will need to know what writing the report entails what kind of report is asked a progress report a lab report and who will be in his discourse community the science report may involve data collection and collaboration with other students who are also writing scientific reports. After that he might be asked to do some writing in order to further his entry into a discourse community a student may very well have to write what would be defined as a success genre. Finally he explains that every discipline has gate keeping writing which basically decides whether individual can join the discourse community or be part of it for example an undergraduate student taking prerequisite psychology course may decide that they want to take on higher psychology course yet he will never be able to get involved with the professional discourse community of psychologist unless he can get into graduate school.

3. Key Elements of Effective Academic Writing

The reader will follow your work much better if your work is well-structured. You should ensure that your writing is clearly structured with a clear introduction, body and conclusion. The introduction should explain what it is that you’re discussing and what you’re trying to achieve with the piece of writing. It should set the scene for the body of the writing in which each paragraph should address a different point and evidence should be presented, along with any argument to support that point. Your paragraphs should be linked, and you should aim to signpost the reader through your work, that is, tell the reader what you’ve done and what you’re going to do. Finally, the conclusion should sum up the piece of writing and the evidence presented to support the conclusion. A clear structure will show that you have a good grasp of the material and that you are not just writing aimlessly about a topic.

A well-structured piece of writing.

While this understanding may seem simple, it is one of the most difficult areas. No two people will interpret the same piece of writing in the exact same way; in fact, it is not uncommon for a university tutor to get a piece of writing and fail it because the student didn’t answer the question. For the same reason, it is imperative that you are clear what you are being asked to do. Often the key terms in the question will tell you how to frame your argument. Also, understanding the limitations of the assignment can stop you from going too far with your research, in which case you might find sources that will disprove your thesis, making your work unsuccessful. Knowing exactly what the assignment’s limitations are will directly affect the way you decide to write it.

A clear understanding of the assignment.

4. Overcoming Common Challenges in Academic Writing

Once you have a solid understanding of your assignment, you can plan out your work. Procrastination is often a crutch for many students, and it can disrupt your progress. Try breaking your work into smaller, more manageable steps. Set completion goals for each step, and allocate specific time periods for doing this. Make a rough draft outline as a guide. A well-organized plan can give you a sense of direction and control over your assignment, and often this is where many good ideas are born. Writer’s block, the point at which you have no idea how to go on or what to write next, often happens when you try to do too much at once. If this occurs, simply refer to your outline and take things one step at a time. If you are still having problems, move on to another phase of the assignment, or discuss ideas with a peer to get a fresh perspective.

4.1 Procrastination and writer’s block

First and foremost, writing problems seldom disappear; they are overcome through awareness and a strong willingness to succeed. The first step to improving your writing is to understand the problems that you are facing, and the ways in which they affect your work. In this section, we will address the following issues and offer suggestions and possible solutions. At the end of the day, writing is a difficult and often time-consuming project for many, but students with strong writing skills have a definite advantage, both in their school and professional careers. These skills will carry them through the hard times, and the same skills will help them work through trying problems. Step back and take an objective look at what is involved in your given assignment. First, there is critical thinking and analysis. Then there is the actual writing, which involves organization, development and support of ideas, and coherence. If you have problems at any point in this process, it may be best to seek guidance from your instructor to understand exactly what is expected.

5. Conclusion

In conclusion, I believe academic writing is an essential part of university studies and, most importantly, it’s a great tool to learn and master one’s discipline. Although it may be discouraging at first, it is essential to persevere through obstacles and seek consultation when needed. Remember that the learning process is a difficult journey and success is often not gained without failure. Academic writing is a way of learning to express oneself and apply learned knowledge into a subject matter. The skills that one can take away from academic writing are essential and priceless. The ability to construct and articulate a logical argument, critically analyze various points of view, and sustain a coherent and logical line of reasoning are all skills that will be beneficial for any job profession. At the end of the day, practice makes perfect and the best way to begin gaining these skills is through academic writing.