English Academic Writing

English Academic Writing

The purpose of academic writing
Common types of academic writing
The format of long and short writing tasks
Academic Journals
Finding suitable sources
Reading: developing critical approaches
The purpose of academic writing
Writers should be clear why they are writing. The most common
reasons for writing include:
• to report on a piece of research the writer has conducted
• to answer a question the writer has been given or chosen
• to discuss a subject of common interest and give the writer’s view
• to synthesize research done by others on a topic
The format of long and short writing tasks
Short essays (including exam answers) generally have this
pattern:
Introduction
Main body
Conclusion
The format of long and short writing tasks
Longer essays may include:
Introduction
Main body
Literature review
Case study
Discussion
Conclusion
References
Appendices
Dissertations and journal articles may have:
Abstract
List of contents
List of tables
Introduction
Main body
Literature review
Case study
Findings
Discussion
Conclusion
Acknowledgements
References
Appendices
In addition to these sections, books may also include:
Foreword
The foreword to a book is an introduction by the author or by
someone else.
Preface
An introduction at the beginning of a book, which explains what the
book is about or why it was written.
Bibliography/Further reading
 Academic Journals
There are thousands of academic journals published in English
and other languages around the world.
The purpose of these journals is to provide a forum for academics
within a specific discipline (e.g. education or civil engineering) to
share cutting-edge research.
Most journals publish several issues a year and are often available
either online or in a hard copy.
 Academic Journals
One important feature of journals is that the articles they publish are
generally peer-reviewed.
This means that when an article is submitted the editors ask other
specialists in that field to read the article and decide if it is worth
publishing. Reviewers may make comments that lead to the article
being modified.
Students need to get to know the leading journals in their
subject, which are generally available via the university library.
Finding suitable sources
Students often underestimate the importance of effective
reading, but it is vital to be able to locate the most relevant and
suitable sources, including:
• to examine the most appropriate text types for academic work
• to explore ways of locating relevant material in the library
• to explain the use of electronic resources
The main features of academic texts:
1. Formal or semiformal vocabulary
2. Sources are given
3. Objective and impersonal style
Reading: developing critical approaches
Students are expected to adopt a critical approach to sources, which
requires a full understanding of written texts, including:
• to explain effective reading methods
• to examine common text features, including abstracts
• to explore and practice a critical analysis of texts
Reading: developing critical approaches
Moreover, the texts often contain new vocabulary and phrases, and
may be written in a rather formal style. This means that distinct
methods have to be adopted to cope with the volume of reading
required, which is especially important when you are reading in
another language.
Clearly, you do not have time to read every word published on the
topic you are studying.
The chart below illustrates an approach to finding and dealing with
texts.
1. Reading methods

Complete the empty boxes in the chart with the following

techniques:
• Read intensively to make notes on key points
• Scan text for information you need (e.g. names)
• Survey text features (e.g. abstract, contents, index)
2. Titles, subtitles and text features
Many books and articles have both a title and a subtitle, often divided by
a colon:
The Right to Have Rights: Citizenship Practice and the Political
Constitution of the EU

The title is usually shorter and may aim to be eye-catching.

The subtitle often gives more information about the specific focus.
After finding a text relevant to your studies, it is worth checking text
features before starting to read:
2. Titles, subtitles and text features
Author
Is the writer well-known in his/ her field? What else has he/ she
published?
Publication date and edition
Do not use a first edition if there is a (revised) second edition
available.
2. Titles, subtitles and text features
Contents
A list of the main chapters or sections. This should tell you
what proportion of the text is devoted to the topic you are
researching.
Introduction or preface
This is where the author often explains his/ her reasons for
writing, and also how the text is organized.
2. Titles, subtitles and text features
Index
An alphabetical list of all the topics and names mentioned in a
book. If, for example, you are looking for information about a
person, the index will tell you if that person is mentioned, and
how often.
3. Reading abstracts
They are normally found in peer-reviewed journal articles,
where they act as a kind of summary to enable researchers
to decide if it is worth reading the full article.
As a student you will not normally have to write abstracts,
but it is important to be able to read them effectively.
4. Fact and opinion
When reading, it is important to distinguish between facts:
Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia.
And opinions:
Kuala Lumpur is a welcoming, bustling city.
5. Assessing internet sources critically
You cannot afford to waste time on texts that are unreliable or out-of-date. If
you are using material that is not on the reading list you must assess it
critically to ensure that the material is trustworthy. Internet sources are
plentiful and conveniently available, but you need to ask several questions
about each site:
• Is this a reputable website, for example with ac. (= academic) in the URL?
• Is the name of the author given, and is he/she well-known in the field?
• Is the language of the text in a suitable academic style?
• Are there any obvious errors in the text, e.g. spelling mistakes, which
suggest a careless approach?
6. Critical thinking
Even when you feel that a text is reliable and that you can safely use
it as a source, it is still important to adopt a critical attitude towards it.
This approach is perhaps easiest to learn when reading, but is
important for all other academic work (i.e. listening, discussing and
writing).
Critical thinking means not just passively accepting what you hear or
read, but instead actively questioning and assessing it.
As you read you should ask yourself the following questions:
6. Critical thinking
(a) What are the key ideas in this?
(b) Does the argument of the writer develop logically, step by step?
(c) Are the examples given helpful? Would other examples be better?
(d) Does the author have any bias?
(e) Does the evidence presented seem reliable, in my experience and
using common sense?
(f) Do I agree with the writer’s views?
English Academic Writing
Reading: developing critical approaches
1. Reading methods
2. Titles, subtitles and text features
3. Reading abstracts
4. Fact and opinion
5. Assessing internet sources critically
6. Critical thinking