Academic Writing

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to Academic Writing
   1. Thinking about academic writing
   2. Academic Writing Activity
   3. Overview 1: What is expected of you as a student
   4. Overview 2: The key elements of a good essay
2. Essay Writing
3. Different writing styles
4. Back to Study Skills Introduction

Overview 2: The key elements of a good essay

Appropriate Style

Writing is a form of communication and, therefore, the priority must be that what you write is clear for the reader to understand. So you should write in a formal style. If you are presenting or describing factual information you will need to write in an impersonal way, often using the passive form of the verb, as in 'the patient was examined', instead of the active form as in 'the doctor examined the patient'. But, if you are discussing ideas, being critical or bringing in your reflections and showing your personal engagement, you may want to use the first person as well.

Clear Expression and Thinking

A good essay will demonstrate clear expression and thought with logical progression. So the content needs to be well organised throughout.

Originality

When you use other people's work as will be expected, this doesn't mean to say you have to give up your own ideas. On the contrary, you need to be able to clarify for the reader what you think about their ideas and use your own experience and knowledge to discuss them. So, your own ideas may be relevant but they have to be set in context. This allows you to present a balanced view. Otherwise, if you present your ideas in isolation and then set about locating the literature to prove your point, you risk presenting a biased view.

Good presentation

This is about communicating effectively with the reader. As Fairbairn and Winch (1996) recommend, whenever you write you should ensure that your work is:

• Grammatically correct
• Correctly spelled
• Accurate in punctuation
• Legible
• Following the referencing style
• Using a clear and consistent format throughout

Check

Appraise your own work. A good essay revision check list appears on the skills4study website. Go to 'Essay writing revision'.

It is important to critically read your work as you go along, not just at the end. There are some areas where you should endeavour to lose as few marks as possible. These include referencing style conventions, grammar, spelling and presentation.

Also use the essay guidelines as a checklist to ensure you have included everything that is required.

Ask someone else to read through your work to check if you have not only conveyed your intentions but also carried them out. That person may also be able to help you with proof reading. You need to choose someone who can be objective, honest and supportive. But be sure not to let the reader change your intended meaning.

When you receive your work back from the markers, try and learn from their comments. See interpreting feedback

Now consider the different writing styles you may encounter.