WEEK 3

Academic and Non-Academic Texts

• Difference between Academic and the Non-Academic Text

• Characteristics of Academic Text

Fundamentals of Reading Academic Texts

• Examples of Academic Text

• Structure of Academic Texts
• Content and Style of Academic Texts

Lesson Objectives:

• Differentiate academic texts from non-academic texts

• Evaluate academic texts according to its language use
• Identify the features of academic texts.
• Discuss key ideas or information.

Difference between Academic and the Non-Academic Text

Academic and nonacademic writing are distinct styles with different characteristics and purposes. Academic
writing is formal, evidence-based, and aimed at scholarly audiences, while nonacademic writing is informal,
personal, and intended for a wider audience. Choosing the appropriate style depends on the target audience
and the writer's specific purpose.

Non-academic Texts

• Non-academic texts are writings that are informal and dedicated to a lay audience.
They are emotional, personal and subjective without any kind of research involving. Therefore,
anyone can write a non-academic text. Newspaper articles, e-mail messages, text messages,
journal writing, and letters are some examples of non-academic text

Academic Texts

• Academic texts are critical, objective and specialized texts that are written by professionals or
experts in a particular field. They are written in formal language and have a formal style and tone.
Since these are objective texts, they are based on facts. The emotions and feelings of the authors
are not delivered through them. Academic texts are well-focused, concise, clear, accurate,
and well-structured. They are based on information and evidence, free from repetition,
exaggeration, rhetorical questions, and contractions and are always in the third person point of
view. Generally, academic texts debate or provide answers to a specific question in a field. The
main purpose of academic texts is to enhance the reader’s understanding of a specific field.

NO ACADEMIC TEXTS NON-ACADEMIC TEXTS

Academic writing refers to a piece of writing Non-Academic writing refers to a piece of
1 which focuses on specific academic writing which focuses on a general topic.
subject/topic.
Academic writings are based on academic Non-Academic writings are based on any
2
findings and academic research etc. general conversation or topic.
3 Its reader includes academicians. Its reader includes family and friends.
Its purpose is to inform the readers with solid Its purpose is to inform, entertain or persuade
4
evidence. the readers.
It may include some complex sentences. Simple and short sentences are always
5
preferable.
6 Its content is based on serious thought. Its thought is based on conversational.
It contains citations and references. It often does not contain citations and
7
references.
Academic writing is structured in manner. Non-Academic writing is not structured in
8
manner.
 9 It always follows a formal way of writing. It may follow formal or informal way of writing.
It is organized in a clear and well-planned It is less likely to be clear and organized.
10
manner.
The grammar point of view academic writing is In grammar point of view, it may contain error
11
error free. but mostly avoided.
In academic writing technical and academic In non-academic writing use short forms,
12
language used accurately. idioms and slang.
For example, suppose a professor writing on a For example, you are an employee of an
concept related to Chemistry and that company and you are writing a business letter
13
published on college’s monthly magazine. to your colleague related to the current
project.

Characteristics Of Academic Writing

The fundamental characteristics of academic writing are described as follows:

1. Clear and concise: Academic writing is clear and concisely written. The use of jargon and
excessive wordiness are not effective means of communicating through academic writing.
Academic writing attempts to eliminate any confusion and aims for readers to grasp the content
thoroughly. It does so by using words and sentences carefully so there is no room for
misunderstanding. The goal is to be as unambiguous as possible, making sure the information is
easily understood by those reading it.
2. Evidence-based content: Academic writing is based on evidence and research. Credible sources
are used, and they are cited appropriately. Assumptions and personal opinions find no place in
academic writing. Instead, authors are required to conduct thorough research, sift through data,
or meticulously examine existing information to ensure that every assertion, argument, or claim is
carefully backed by empirical evidence. Research-backed content is also one of the key differences
between academic and non-academic texts.
3. Formal tone: Academic writing uses a formal tone and avoids contractions, colloquial language,
and informal expressions. The formal tone in academic writing is akin to a scientific or legal
discourse, where the emphasis is on objectivity and the dissemination of knowledge free from
personal bias. The avoidance of colloquial language, which includes slang and informal expressions,
conveys a sense of authority and credibility, creating an environment where readers can trust the
information presented and engage in a serious and scholarly dialogue.
4. Structured writing: Academic writing has a clear structure, such as introduction, methodology,
and conclusion sections.
5. A uniform citation style: Different fields have their own citation styles, and it is important to
follow the specific citation style required by your institution or field. They ensure clarity in
acknowledging sources and crediting original authors whose insights contribute to knowledge.
Citations also serve as guideposts for tracking the origins of ideas, ensuring transparency, and
upholding academic standards. Plagiarism can be avoided by properly citing sources, paraphrasing,
and summarizing.
6. Proofread and edit: Always proofread and edit your work before submitting it for review. Peer
review is another significant difference between academic and non-academic writing. Before
academic writing gets published, it usually goes through a thorough peer review process. T his
means that experts in the same field carefully check the work to make sure it is of high quality and
dependable. During this process, any errors or issues are identified and corrected, and the content
is improved.
 Fundamentals of Reading Academic Texts

Examples of Academic Text

Type of Academic Text Definition

A fairly short, self-contained argument, often using sources from a class in
Essay
response to a question provided by an instructor.
A more in-depth investigation based on independent research, often in
Research paper
response to a question chosen by the student.
The large final research project undertaken at the end of a degree,
Thesis/dissertation
usually on a dissertation topic of the student’s choice.
An outline of a potential topic and plan for a future dissertation or
Research proposal
research project.
A critical synthesis of existing research on a topic, usually written in order
Literature review
to inform the approach of a new piece of research.
A write-up of the aims, methods, results, and conclusions of a lab
Lab report
experiment.

Structure of Academic Texts

Most academic texts in the sciences adhere to the model called IMRAD, which is an acronym for
introduction, methods and materials, results, and discussion. IMRAD is often illustrated with the following
image.

Aim

The aim determines the entire academic text, and the content found in each section. The aim captures
what you intend to achieve with your study. It is crucial that the aim is consistent with every other section
of the text. The title should highlight the same aspects of the study that your aim does, and all the
subsequent sections of the text should respond to the aim.

Research questions

The aim is often rather general and may have to be narrowed down with research questions. In other
words, research questions are specific questions that enable you to reach your aim. Remember that there
must be a clear link between your aim and your research questions, but they should not be identical. Only
ask questions that will help you fulfill your aim.

Introduction

In order to make your delimited research interesting to others, however, you must place it in a larger
context. For that reason, the introduction of the text must start with something much more general than
your research questions. It is often said that the introduction should be shaped like a funnel (as it is in the
IMRAD model above). This means that you should start in a broad and general manner and then gradually
zoom in on your own, more specific topic. The text needs to start with something that your reader can
relate to, and that shows your reader what field your research will contribute to, as well as how it will do
so.
The introduction should provide everything the reader needs to know in order to understand your aim as
well as why the aim is important. Convincing your reader that your aim is important often entails showing
that there is something we do not know, but that we would benefit from knowing. It could also entail
indicating that there is a problem with an existing method and that alternative methods are needed. When
you have accounted for the context and pointed to the importance of new knowledge in the field, your
reader will be well prepared when you present your aim and research questions towards the end of the
introduction.

Please note that the introduction may also be called a background. Sometimes the two terms are used to
refer to the exact same thing; at other times, they refer to different things. You may be asked to write a
short introduction that raises your reader's interest and gives a very short introduction to the field, followed
by a more extensive background section.

Methods and Materials

In the methods section you should show your reader exactly how you have conducted your research, that
is, what you have done to fulfill your aim and answer your research questions. First, your reader should
understand how you got the results you did, and second, after reading this section, they should be able to
duplicate your research. But what is meant by "exactly" how you conducted your research? Keep in mind
the significant facts; how you got your results, and what the reader would need to do to duplica te them.
Disregard irrelevant details: you do not, for instance, need to tell your reader that you went to the library
or that you talked to Barbro the librarian. Neither do you need to tell your readers about all the ideas you
had or things you wanted to do but did not do. Focus on what you did, and account for the choices you
made, when necessary.

It is helpful if you begin your methods section by writing something overarching about your method, such
as mentioning your study design. If you tell your readers right away that your work is a literature review
or that your method consisted of interviewing people using semi-structured interviews, it is easier for the
reader to understand the details that follow the overarching statement. Your reader needs to be able to
understand the purpose of the details before being introduced to them.

Results

In the results section you should account for your results in an objective manner, without interpreting them
(interpreting your results is what you do in the discussion part). If you posed several research questions,
you should account for the results in the same order that you posed your research questions; consistency
will help make the text coherent and help your reader understand the information you are presenting.

It may help your readers if you use illustrations such as tables and charts when presenting your results.
The illustrations should be clearly linked to your text, but you should not repeat all the information provided
in the chart. Instead, account for the most important aspects or trends visible in the tables or charts; in
other words, tell your reader what you want them to observe. Please note that tables and charts should be
understandable without reading the body text, so it is important that you include captions that indicate
what they illustrate.

Discussion

The discussion section of your text is where you interpret your results for your reader. It is the section of
your text that is usually most difficult to write, for here you are not merely writing about something that
you have already done, you have to write and analyze at the same time. All parts of your discussion should
analyze your results. While you may occasionally need to remind your reader of significant points accounted
for in earlier sections of your text, your discussion should not include too much repetition from your
background or introduction, your methods and materials, or from your results. Please read the section
about the principles of paragraphing and topic sentences and make sure that each paragraph – except the
very first one – contains some analysis of your topic.

A common outline of the discussion is the following:

1. The first paragraph reminds your reader about the aim, preferably hinting at how you will contribute
to the field. You may for example write “This is the first study to examine the correlation between
…” Then you briefly account for the most important parts of your results. You may say that the
first paragraph makes for a shortcut into the discussion: it should enable your readers to
understand the discussion without reading all the sections of your paper.
 2. The rest of the discussion should analyze and discuss your results. It may be helpful to keep the
following questions in mind:
o What do your results mean?
o How do they relate to previous research? What are the reasons for potential differences
between your study and previous research? What do potential similarities indicate?
o How may your method have affected your results?
o What are the strengths and weaknesses of the study? How do they affect your results?
o How are your results important to future developments? What are the clinical implications,
for example?
o What kind of research is needed in the field in the future, and why?
o It is also common to divide the discussion into two parts: a results discussion and a
methods discussion. If you do that, you first focus on the results of your study, and then
scrutinize your methods.

Conclusion

In conclusion, you should fulfill your aim and account for what you have found in your study. When you
write your conclusion you have a golden opportunity to make sure that all the sections of your thesis are
connected and that the focus is consistent in each section.

Please remember that the conclusion is not merely a brief repetition of your results. Focus instead on what
your results may imply after careful consideration (the consideration that you outlined in your discussion).

However, keep in mind that accounting for what you have found in your study does not mean that you can
or even should make absolute claims; these cannot often be drawn from a small study, if ever. Focus
instead on what your results may imply – and it rarely hurts to note that more research is needed.

Contents of Academic Texts

1. Introduction: Presents the background, purpose, and scope of the text. It often includes a thesis
statement or research question.
2. Literature Review: Summarizes existing research relevant to the topic, establishing the context and
showing the knowledge gap the current research addresses.
3. Methodology: Describes the procedures and methods used in the research or analysis, ensuring
replicability and transparency.
4. Results: Presents the findings of the research, usually with data, statistics, or qualitative insights.
5. Discussion: Interprets the results, explaining their significance and how they relate to the research
question or hypothesis.
6. Conclusion: Summarizes the main findings, discusses limitations, and suggests directions for future
research.
7. References: Lists the sources cited within the text, adhering to a specific citation style (APA, MLA,
etc.).

Style of Academic Texts

There are five important features of language use that a writer needs to know about; Formality, Objectivity,
Explicitness, Caution, and Structure.

Formality:

• Formality reflects your dignified stance in your writing as a member of the academic community.
This means that since your audience are fellow members of the academic community, the language
you use requires precision to make it a “legitimate” piece of academic writing.
• Formality can be achieved through the following ways:
o Choosing expanded modal forms over contracted forms, such as using cannot instead of
can’t, do not instead of don’t.
o Choosing one verb form from over two-word verbs, such as damage instead of mess up.
o Choosing expanded terms over their abbreviated equivalents, such as soon as possible
instead of ASAP.
 o Avoiding colloquial and idiomatic expressions, such as kind of like, as matter of fact, I need
to go to the John.

Objectivity:

• Academic writing requires social knowledge and the use of more complex language and objectivity.
This means that the writing must be impersonal and maintain a certain level of social distance.
• Objectivity can be achieved by:
o Avoiding the use of personal pronouns such as you, I and we.
▪ Poor example: You need to conduct the experiment.
▪ Improved version: The researchers need to conduct the experiment.
o Avoiding rhetorical questions as it marks “closeness” with the reader, and constantly seeks
his/her attention.
▪ Poor example: How can these problems be solved?
▪ Improved version: Certain measures must be discovered to solve the problems.
o Avoiding emotive language that shows biases and lessens objectivity.
▪ Poor example: The investigators were very shocked to see the outcome of the
tests.
▪ Improved version: The investigators did not expect the results.

Explicitness:

• Academic writing demands the use of signposts that allow readers to trace the relationships in the
parts of a study.
• If you intend to show a change in your line of argument, make it clear by using however.
o It is apparent that the government hope to provide assistance to the poor. However, giving
dole outs to the “poorest of the poor” does not work in the long term.
• The following phrases may be useful in making ideas explicit:
o This is due to the…
▪ A number of MERALCO consumers trooped to the City Hall to claim a PHP 500 cash
incentive. This is due to the Supreme Court ruling that overcharges must be
returned to the end users whose electric consumption for the April-May period was
below 100kw/hr.
o This resulted in…
▪ With the Supreme Court ordering MERALCO to return overcharges to the end
users, government offices have been tapped to operate as claim centers. This
resulted in a number of MERALCO consumers trooping to the City Hall to claim the
PHP 500.00 cash incentive
• When two ideas seem the same, express each one clearly.
o The study showed that eighty percent of the 200 participants involved in the study were
dissatisfied with the operations of MERALCO. Similarly, the date revealed that majority of
the participants were not aware of the charged imposed on them by MERALCO.
• If you intend to give extra information in your sentence, make it clear by writing “In addition…”
o MERALCO has been operating as a business conglomerate involving foreign stakeholder s
and independent power producers or IPP. In addition, MERALCO owns major IPPs
operating in the region.
• If you are giving examples, do so explicitly by writing “For example…”
o The MERALCO issue has led to disputes between opposition and administration senators.
For example, those who have been labeled as against the president considered the issue
as the administration’s way of avoiding the NBN-ZTE scandal.

Caution:

• Academic writing requires care since knowledge is built from proven-theories and concepts.
Therefore, caution is needed to avoid sweeping generalization. Consider the following examples:
o Poor example: Government officials are corrupt.
▪ The statement is not completely true and the rhetorical impact of the statement
may be misleading. The statement can be improved through the use of devices
such as modal verbs, adverbs, or verbs.
o Improved version:
▪ Some government officials may be corrupt. (modal verb)
 ▪ Corruption is commonly linked to some key government officials. (adverb)
▪ A number of government officials tend to be linked with cases of corruption. (verb)
• In academic writing, caution needs to be observed in the following parts of your paper:
o When a hypothesis needs to be tested.
o Drawing conclusions or predictions from your findings that may generalize certain matters
or may not be conclusive
o Referencing others' work to build on your own paper
• Below are some forms that you may use in observing caution in writing.
o Verbs indicating caution: tends, suggests, appear to be, think, believe, doubt, indicate.
▪ The findings of the survey suggests that students who use the social networking
in their academic work tend to be more updated on recent developments in their
respective subjects.
o Modal verbs: will, must, would, may, can, might, could
▪ The observations of students' use of social networking sites may lead to the
different behaviors that manifest in real-life communication.
o Adverbs of frequency: often, sometimes, usually
▪ The essays that were given marks were usually high.
• Since academic writing draws on previous writings done related to your topic (in the case of
research writing), it is important that creating knowledge is expressed through means that do not
lead to sweeping generalizations that may directly attack other writers' point of view.
• If your results show something different from another author's ideas, there are possible ways in
writing these points:
o The results contradict Meyer's findings
o The results appear to be different from Meyer's findings
• While both sentences essentially mean the same thing, sentence 1 expresses an explicit difference
between your findings and of Meyer's. This may be interpreted by readers as an attempt to highlight
your findings as superior compared to Meyer. On the other hand, sentence 2 shows that you are
distancing yourself from your work (basing conclusions on what is observed) and comparing it to
previous works done by other researchers relating your contributions to other ideas in the
discipline. Remember that in academic writing, since you are part of a community, it is important
that you express ideas with openness, striking a balance between being concise and cautious.

Structure:

• Aside from language, sentences need to be constructed in such a way that they show a level of
complexity that reflects the sophistication of an academic writer. Combining ideas effectively,
nominalization and passivation are some ways to achieve structure fit for academic writing.
• In combining ideas effectively, you will need to avoid redundancy and at the same time, make sure
that ideas are packed effectively.
• Consider the following examples.
o The earthquake caused loss of life.
o The earthquake caused massive property damage.
o The earthquake changed the landscape of the village.
• Though these sentences are grammatically correct, they do not possess the sophistication of
academic writing. They can be improved by continuing similar ideas expressing them through a
more complex construction. Hence, they can be rewritten this way:
o The earthquake was a disaster that caused loss of life, property damage, and permanent
changes in the landscape
• In nominalization, the verbs are made central as they denote action. Transforming verbs into nouns
helps readers focus on the action and not on the doer of the action.
o Poor example: The company created software to manage the transactions successfully.
o Nominalization: The creation of software to manage transactions was a success.
o Poor example: The president announced a three-day holiday this September,
o Nominalization: The president's announcement of a three-day holiday for September was
released.
o Poor example: The mall distributed several free items to consumers in the hope to boost
sales.
o Nominalization: Distribution of free items for consumers was done in the hope to boost
sales.
 • In passive construction, the results of actions are highlighted. In academic writing, since the writer
of the paper is presumed to have done the collection and analysis of data, it is understood that all
results of the action are a product of the writer's work.
o Poor example: The researcher conducted experiments to validate the hypothesis.
o Passivization: Experiments were conducted to validate the hypothesis.
o Poor example: An engineer built a saltwater lamp to help communities with no elec- tricity.
o Passivization: A saltwater lamp was built to help communities with no electricity.
o Poor example: Several scientists conducted experiment to examine the effects of al- gae
on biodiversity.
o Passivization: An experiment was conducted to the examine the effects of algae on
biodiversity

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS:

• Academic Text vs. Non-academic Text:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq47aSwmFuY&t=79s
• Similarities of Academic Texts and Non-academic Text:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Njo32WTW9IU
• Creating an IMRAD Format of Academic Papers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfFNkXf3YCg
Activity No. 2: Brochure on Fundamentals of Academic Texts

With a partner, students will create a brochure to explore and present a specific aspect of academic texts, demonstrating
their understanding of the topic through research and design.

Instructions:
1. Topic Assignment:
o The teacher will assign each pair of students one of the following topics related to the fundamentals of
academic texts:
▪ Characteristics of Academic Texts
▪ Examples of Academic Texts
▪ Structure of Academic Texts
▪ Content of Academic Texts
▪ Style of Academic Texts
2. Brochure Layout:
o The brochure must be divided into three folds. Each fold should address the following questions related to the
assigned topic
▪ Definition of the Topic Assigned: Provide a clear and concise definition of the assigned topic.
Explain your own understanding on the assigned topic that is outside the instructional material.
▪ Examples of the Topic Assigned: Include relevant examples that illustrate the assigned topic.
These examples should be specific and relevant to the subject matter.
▪ How the Topic Assigned Helps the Academic Community:
Explain how understanding and applying the assigned topic benefits the academic community. Discuss
its impact on academic writing, research, and communication.
3. Front of the Brochure:
o The front cover of the brochure should include:
▪ The names of both partners (students) working on the project.
▪ The assigned topic.
4. Format and Submission:
o The brochure can be created using either traditional (hand-drawn) or digital (design software or online tools)
platforms.
o The brochure must be designed on one long bond paper (8.5 x 14 inches). Ensure that the design and content
fit within the three folds.
o The brochure must be submitted on September 10, 2024, until 4:00 PM

CRITERIA 5 4 3 2-1
The brochure has The brochure has The brochure has
The brochure has
exceptionally some formatting and limited formatting
Attractiveness attractive formatting
attractive formatting organized and
& Organization and well-organized
and well-organized information. organization of
information.
information information.
Use of facts and Use of facts and
Use of facts and the Use of facts and
Content - quantity of quantity of
quantity of quantity of
Accuracy/ information information is
information information
Quantity is good but not present
is exceptional. is very good.
consistent. but limited.
Brochure has
Writing - Brochure has very Brochure has good Brochure has limited
exceptional
Organization good organization organization. organization
organization
There are several
There are no There very few There are some
Writing - grammatical
grammatical mistakes grammatical mistakes grammatical mistakes
Grammar mistakes in the
in the brochure. in the brochure. in the brochure.
brochure.
Graphics go well with Graphics go well with Graphics go well with Graphics do not go
the text and there the text, but there the text, but there with the
Graphics/
are a good mix of are so many that are too few and the accompanying text or
Pictures
text and they distract from the brochure seems "text appear to be
graphics. text. heavy". randomly chosen.
Careful and accurate Careful and accurate Sources are not
Careful and accurate
records are kept to records are kept to documented
Sources records are kept to
document the source document the source accurately or are not
document the source
of all of the facts and of some of the facts kept on many facts
graphics in the of most of the facts and graphics in the and graphics.
brochure. and graphics in the brochure.
brochure.
ONLINE REFERENCES:

• https://www.aje.com/arc/academic-vs-nonacademic-writing/
• https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/difference-between-academic-writing-and-non-academic-writing/
• https://researcher.life/blog/article/academic-writing-vs-non-academic-writing/
• https://www.scribbr.com/category/academic-writing/
• https://kib.ki.se/en/write-cite/academic-writing/str ucture-academic-texts
• https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/writing/types-of-academic-writing.html