academic writing course

academic writing course

The Importance of Academic Writing Skills

1. Introduction

Consider one with academic qualifications attempting to explain or impart different aspects of his knowledge to an audience which is less informed in the matter – say, a physics tutor attempting to educate a class of high school students in basic projectile motion. The ability to write clearly not only aids in explanation but serves as an example of clarity and direction that others can follow in their attempts to improve their own writing and comprehension of the topic. High-quality prose is still prose, and this skill can be taken and applied to writing in any given field. Times differ, and the nature of the written word is ever-changing. A journalist must investigate or highlight a particular issue, a field which is very similar to the research of information and explanation of conclusions in less science-type academic writing. The ability to think, translate the thought to word.

What then are the vital objectives in attempting to develop this skill over the course of a lifetime? Should the writer place a strong emphasis on one aspect, perhaps to the detriment of another? Above all else stands the acute necessity for proficiency and clarity in writing in the specific field of academia. Any writer who has indulged in the consumption of multiple and varied academic papers will agree on one thing: the saturation of pretentious and overblown prose is an unfortunate effect of the attempt to sound intelligent and informed. The eminent Icelandic scholar Sigurour Nordal had this to say regarding academic writing – “The characteristic style of the learned man violates the basic premises that a man should communicate effectively with his fellows.” This is a harsh indictment of the modern academic writer, but not without a ring of truth to it.

The importance of academic writing skills can only be fully appreciated and understood by individuals who have spent the years and effort to grow their abilities and talents in this arena. Whether they are scholars, in or nearing completion of their tertiary education, or perhaps more mature persons with a penchant and some propensity for writing in scholarly styles, this is a beneficial and valuable skill to possess. It is most certainly an asset in the acclaimed world of academia where criticism is both constructive and harsh. It is also a means of livelihood for those who have learned the value of the written word, an art which can be mastered in many different genres of writing.

2. Understanding the Basics of Academic Writing

While writing an assignment, it is important for a student to remain focused on the topic and not go off on tangents. Often, students lose track of what they are trying to say. The task of writing a good academic assignment is now made much easier if an internet connection is available. This allows students to find many resources to help improve their writing.

The most common mistakes made in academic writing are those of generalization and unsupported opinions. A student should always avoid generalizations, and it is especially dangerous to use words such as “all,” “every,” and “always.” Using some of these words can lead to a biased view on a particular topic. Unsupported opinions are those which are not backed up by evidence or valid reasoning. This is important in an assignment since the marker needs to assess whether a student has understood a topic, and this requires the use of evidence.

There are many different styles of writing, each of which the lecturer may interpret differently. This often causes confusion for students regarding what the lecturer expects from them. The main style of writing that is expected from students is analytical. That is, in order to write a good assignment, a student must demonstrate that they have understood the topic. This involves using information accurately and taking a balanced view on a particular topic. This contrasts with descriptive writing, which simply describes a topic without passing any judgment on it. Usually, it is appropriate for students to show the weaknesses in their own argument. This is often difficult for many students, since their argument is always biased towards their own opinion.

The next stage of the essay will discuss the basics of academic writing. This section will define what is expected of students who need to write an academic assignment. The point will be made that writing an assignment that is satisfactory to the lecturer will not be enough to achieve high marks. This is due to the fact that assignments need to be written in a particular style in order for a student to get good marks. This often proves to be difficult for many students.

3. Developing Effective Research Skills

Once a topic is established, getting a good feel for it can prove to be beneficial. Use the internet, books or brainstorm with a friend relevant subtopics and questions in relation to the research. After this, often it is necessary to make sure the focus of the research is not lost halfway through and many revisions of the topic are needed. Keep a record of what has been revised so it can be discussed with a supervisor to ensure the research is going in the right direction.

Begin by finding out exactly what is required. This may sound too simple, but it is an important step to take. It’s not uncommon for students to dive into a research topic head first and find out a week later that the topic was unsuitable or not quite what was needed. Take the time to make sure the topic meets the requirements of an assignment and will be something that will invoke an interesting debate.

Research is a huge element in the academic world. To become an expert in your field, you need to be able to think critically and use research methods to explore a topic thoroughly. The process of research can be a difficult task to take on. A student may not have completed or had to do a task as vigorous as some research projects can be and can feel at a loss for where to start. There are ways to make this process easier and to ensure high standard results in the end.

4. Crafting a Well-Structured Academic Paper

The structure of an essay should always be guided by the thesis statement. This means that everything you include in the essay should help the reader to gain a fuller understanding of the statement. Since the reader needs to know what the essay involves, it is always a good idea to go back after you have written the essay and compose a new thesis statement that only contains the essential material to your essay, in order to see if you have succeeded in writing a coherent essay. Anything not reflected in the thesis statement should be deleted. Stick with your topic to avoid wandering off the topic and losing valuable content to your essay. The first draft of an essay is often quite difficult to write because this will mean writing the thesis in your prewriting activities you have not yet done. Revising the thesis statement is also still a good idea during the writing process. Over time re-evaluation of the relevance of the material in relation to the thesis will result in a strong essay.

Your thesis statement should define the scope of your essay. In other words, you need to decide what specifically you are trying to say in your essay. Say you are assigned to write a 5-page paper on some topic of your choosing. You are not going to be able to address the entirety of that topic in 5 pages, which means you will need to narrow down the topic. A good strategy is to begin by defining your topic in the form of a question. For example, if you are interested in an aspect of the Vietnam War, you could pose the question “How did the US involvement in the Vietnam War lead to the post-war unpopularity of the US politicians and Americans who supported the war effort?” After defining your topic in the form of a question, you need to narrow down the topic to a specific issue regarding the question and then try to answer that question. The answer to this will be your thesis statement. So a narrowed down version of this question might be “The US government’s Mounting Credibility Gap and the Effectiveness of the Tet Offensive in Turning Americans Against Continued Involvement in Vietnam.” The answer to that question will be a complex thesis statement with its scope of the essay on the last page or two of the introduction. Over time you remain true to this defined scope, you will have a clear and concisely structured paper that follows a discernible and logical progression of ideas.

Develop a clear thesis statement. Every academic essay should have a thesis statement. This is the main idea of your paper. Often the thesis is developed through the prewriting activities. Depending on the academic discipline, the thesis could be explicitly stated in the introduction, or it may be more implicit. Regardless, be sure that you construct a thesis statement that is clearly stated and that the readers of your paper can identify. See our thesis handout for help constructing a solid thesis statement.

5. Strategies for Improving Academic Writing Skills

There are many methods that someone could use in order to improve their academic writing skills. One step that a majority of people find useful is to draft an outline for the paper that they are going to write. This can be an easy, informal outline with bullet points, or it may be more formal with Roman numerals and letters. This may assist in organizing one’s thoughts to ensure that they do not forget to include any important information in the paper. An outline might also be especially helpful for papers with a more complex thesis statement, where the writer will have to make several points to prove the thesis. Another major problem that students in all levels of education would often run into is making a statement or proving a point. If a student asks themselves, “What is the point that I am trying to make?” and then writes it down in a clear, concise sentence, then the rest of the paper should be spent trying to prove that point. If it does not prove that point, then the student knows that they are straying off topic and off subject. In the long run, if a point is made, your audience should understand it and take something away from the paper.