purpose of academic writing

purpose of academic writing

The Importance of Academic Writing

1. Introduction

When you write an academic piece, you are creating a potential to present your findings in front of a crowd. Let’s say a student makes a research report, and the findings are quite satisfying. By publishing the report with a good piece of academic writing, he is sharing knowledge with everyone who is reading the report. They will understand more about the topic and gain information. This is far more effective than just hanging out the print-out of the report on the faculty’s information board. There is a high probability that the report will be ignored or lost. This is also applicable to a job situation. When an employee writes a good report of a solution for a company’s problem, not only will it give a beneficial result for the company, the employee will also gain a good appraisal, considering he writes thoroughly with a good analysis. In the end, it will become a good capital for him for future career improvement. See? The employee’s writing has made the company simulate the report, thus making it an indirect employee’s promotion tool. In both cases, R&D and ads, it will definitely cut off more costs if the company puts the report into a printed media or a website. Now, if you have a good writing, it will get even more interesting. It is probable that the company will hire the employee to do more writing. From this situation, we can say that doing academic writing will promise a career improvement.

We cannot deny that in today’s times, most employers are looking for employees who are not only well qualified in their specific field, but also possess a great ability to think critically and communicate well. This is where academic writing plays an important role.

The result is unexpected. Many students don’t understand what academic writing is. They assume that by doing essay writing, they are already doing academic writing. Some claim that because they are not going to become a lecturer, there is no necessity for them to learn how to write academically. Few others perceive that anything they do with regards to writing is considered as academic writing. From this experiment alone, many students were confused with the term “academic writing” itself.

Academic writing is an important skill that every undergraduate and graduate student should possess. The author makes an experiment in a certain university. He is surprised how many students do not realize the importance of academic writing, especially that it is a mandatory requirement for every student, regardless of their course. He gathers 20 students from different faculties and inquires them with questions related to academic writing.

2. Benefits of Academic Writing

Not only does academic writing enhance work and communication skills, but it also has an impact on the confidence of an individual. An article titled “The Relationship between Confidence and Writing” states that “self-esteem is enhanced not by a focus on self but by a learned focus and competency in specified areas. The more the focus on contingent attaining of competency, the more likely there is a positive impact on self-esteem” (McCrosky 1997: 90). This quote is essentially stating that people feel good about themselves when they learn something and do it well. Self-esteem is directly linked to confidence. The more confident one is, the better they handle everyday situations, and the more likely they are to put themselves in a leadership role. Confidence, like the skills learned through academic writing, is highly sought after by employers and is useful in all professions and scenarios. If what is said is true about the relationship between self-esteem, confidence, and competencies learned through writing, then it is clear that the skills learned through academic writing have a positive impact on confidence. So not only is the demonstration of said skills beneficial, but also the personal status of the individual.

In considering the benefits of academic writing, it is necessary to keep in mind the qualities of an academic paper. An academic paper is methodical. An outline is always used for the paper so that the writer stays on track. Also, an academic paper is well researched and is all about making a point. All of these qualities directly relate to the qualities expected of work and employees in a professional environment. What you put into your academic writing (such as research, outline, thought, etc.) are the things that make a good employee. The workforce is always in need of good problem solvers and decision makers. Academic writing teaches and hones these skills. All professions demand communication, so this skill is very valuable in the workforce. This whole process of academic writing gives the writer, as well as the reader/employer, a clear picture of what the writer is like and what they might provide to the work community. An employer will hire a new employee based on what they seem to be like and what they can do. Academic writing does this with the use of what is written on the paper. The step from academic writing to professional performance is very small.

3. Elements of Effective Academic Writing

With a clear plan and understanding, it is possible to begin the actual writing of the task.

This is done by carefully analyzing what is required, then forming a plan. This can be a mind map of the topic with a large aim and smaller subtopics all linking to the main theme. This way, in doing the task, you can steer your writing in the direction that you have planned with a clear aim to follow. Mind maps can be amended at any time, and this can be used as a reference to keep the essay on track.

Step one begins before you start writing. It is essential to have a good understanding of your assignment or task. This can be in the form of a question or topic that you have been given. A common mistake is to blindly start the task and halfway through, change direction, having not understood what you were meant to do. Time wasted at this point is effectively time wasted in poorly writing something off-topic, with later having to redo the task.

These elements are important, and structured writing should effectively transfer thoughts onto paper, summoning positive marks.

Finally, learn to finish at the right time. Essays usually come with a word count, and you should not waste words. A good way to finish is to sum up what you have discussed, its relevance to the original topic, and then provide a decisive conclusion whether you were for or against the topic.

An often overlooked part in essay writing is the inclusion of clear analysis. After explaining something, show what it means in relation to your topic using examples and, if possible, case studies. This shows broader understanding and will carry all your explanations.

This leads to the second element. A good essay will have a logical and linear flow. This means following your plans or mind maps and going through one point at a time. Using linking words, you can move from point to point. The aim for an essay is to show understanding, so do not just state points then finish. Explain everything, and also interpret the questions or sources cited. This is the meat of the essay, showing off the knowledge that you have gained.

Next, begin to understand the question or task set. Many writers stumble at this point, doubting what they are doing and ending up changing their task. Make sure you have a clear understanding to avoid wandering your writing off-topic. A good tip is to break the task into smaller questions that can be answered. This way, you can build up your writing using the questions as pointers.

The first step in writing anything at all is to decide what you want to do. Think about the topic and main theme that you want to convey. If this is not clear, you may end up with a poor end result. Try brainstorming a mind map for the topic, using arrows to show the direction of your thoughts.

Writing involves transforming thoughts onto paper. To be effective, there are certain steps you can take. Some of them may seem generic, such as finding a quiet place to write. However, the majority of points made are too often forgotten.

4. Common Challenges in Academic Writing

When writing problem statements and constructing arguments at this level, it is important to constantly be checking the relevance of the different sections of the paper to the problem being addressed. Anything irrelevant to the problem is probably also unrelated to the research’s goal.

Complex problems will make for better statements. Open-ended questions assigned with the double task of also finding a solution. Often a solution will not be found, and it will be more difficult than a problem that is known to be solvable. It is important to keep the problem statement as clear as possible, avoiding vague language and abstractions. In order to do this, the problem will usually have to be simplified in some way while maintaining a link to the full complexity of the actual problem. This is a matter of finding the right balance: too much simplification and it loses its interest, too little and the reader may be unable to determine what exactly is being addressed.

A problem statement is a move from a topic in the direction of a question or a puzzle. This usually involves posing the question of “how?” “In what way?” or “why?” to move from a broad topic to a manageable and interesting research problem. This is the for a concrete answer.

Stating a problem is merely the beginning of the argument, but its success or failure will determine the entire essay’s validity. For this reason, writing a problem statement is a crucial step in the writing process. A clear, effective problem statement will help the reader understand how the specific problem will be addressed. This may be the most difficult portion of an essay to conceptualize; it can be very abstract in nature. The following is a simple way to begin narrowing a problem into a workable statement.

To sustain a thesis, the writer must demonstrate that its assumptions are warranted and then build it into a complex and nuanced argument.

5. Conclusion

On the other hand, academic writing can be wearisome and time-consuming for certain people. This is due to some people not understanding the proper way to make academic writing and also not understanding the goal of academic writing itself. In some cases, time constraints are reasons why some people just disregard academic writing. But by understanding the importance of academic writing and making it into a habit, it will be easy to make academic writing and achieve the goal.

As it has been mentioned, there are many importance of academic writing for people, such as saving and sharing knowledge, easier to understand, practicing critical thinking, monitoring progress, and many more. Academic writing can be a good way for scientists, students, or teachers to explain their ideas to other people. Also, academic writing has a major component in educating someone because it’s part of the learning process in understanding knowledge.