ISL WEEK 11 & 12 WAJ 3103

What is Academic Writing? Writing is one of the four main skills that is pertinent in various areas in life. One type of writing is academic writing which has its own set of rules and practices.

These rules and practices may be organised around a formal order or structure in which to present ideas, in addition to ensuring that ideas are supported by author citations in the literature. In contrast to personal writing contexts, academic writing is different because it deals with the underlying theories and causes governing processes and practices in everyday life, as well as exploring alternative explanations for these events. Academic writing follows a particular tone and adheres to traditional conventions of punctuation, grammar, and spelling.

i. Structure Some kind of structure is required, such as a beginning, middle, and end. This simple structure is typical of an essay format, as well as other assignment writing tasks, which may not have a clearly articulated structure. A. Academic writing structure

Typical university assignments follow a formal structure, which is often more formal than in personal writing. Essays In the case of an essay, the introductory paragraph informs the reader about the nature of the topic, which is discussed and evaluated in the middle of the essay, also referred to as the body. The introduction may also summarise very succinctly, in a sentence or two, your position on the issue, which is then elaborated on at length in the series of paragraphs that make up the essay's body. The final paragraph constitutes a conclusion in which you may summarise the overall points made. The concluding paragraph is also a good point at which to move the essay forward to touch on implications or future advancements surrounding the issues addressed.

Reports Another type of structure, common in university assignments is that of a report, often organised around the identification of problems or difficulties and corresponding solutions.

ISL WEEK 11 & 12 WAJ 3103

Unlike most essays, a report is divided according to clearly labelled sections, such as Introduction, Discussion, Conclusions, and Recommendations. Further, unlike an essay, reports allow for bulleted points with respect to the conclusions and recommendations sections.

ii. Referencing A significant difference between academic writing and other writing genres is based on the citation and referencing of published authors. A. Referencing and citation If you make judgments about something in academic writing, there is an expectation that you will support your opinion by linking it to what a published author has previously written about the issue. Citing the work of other authors is central to academic writing because it shows you have read the literature, understood the ideas, and have integrated these issues and varying perspectives into the assignment task. The importance placed on referring to other authors in your work can be reflected in the elaborate referencing conventions that have been created within different disciplines, such as APA (American Psychological Association) referencing, which is used in psychology, education, some social sciences, as well as for business.

iii. Academic Tone Like all varieties of writing, academic writing has its own tone, which dictates the choice of words and phrasing. Academic writing typically aims to be: objective (e.g. using inclusive language) concise formal (e.g. avoiding slang, exclamation marks, contractions) The tone of academic writing can also vary significantly depending on the subjectarea and the academic discipline you are writing for. The readings, textbook, and study guide of your course show you what tone is expected in the paper, so study their style carefully. A. Writing objectively

Being objective suggests that you are concerned about facts and are not influenced as much by personal feelings or biases. 2

ISL WEEK 11 & 12 WAJ 3103

Part of being objective is being fair in your work. Try to show both sides of an argument if you can and avoid making value judgements through your use of words such as wonderful or sarcastically. Being objective also makes your work more professional and believable. Techniques to make your writing more objective : Be explicit in expressing your ideas. For example, ten instead of several; 70% instead of most of the population; three years ago or in 2006 instead of some time ago. Avoid intensifiers which can tend to exaggerate your writing. For example, awfully, very, really. Avoid language that implicitly excludes any group of people. Avoid the personal pronoun I but write more impersonally. For example, It could be argued that instead of I think. Alternatively use citations to express your views, e.g. Satherley (2007) believes that

Note: Despite the fact that you are not encouraged to use the personal pronoun I in academic writing, your viewpoints and opinions will still come through. Although they may not be specifically attributed to you, the fact that the comments you choose to make are a part of your assignment tells the reader that you believe what you are writing. Stating I think or In my opinion weakens the text and the strength of your argument. In addition, adding such personal comments almost seems to emphasise that the writing is just your opinions or interpretations, rather than positions that are supported by logic and the evidence.

ISL WEEK 11 & 12 WAJ 3103

Exercise 1
6. Macmillan Education, London. (2nd ed.). Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners. 2007 From Science Direct database the full text of: Global and local threats to coral reef functioning and existence: review and predictions Marine and Freshwater Research Volume: 50, Issue: 8, 1999, pp. 867 878 Wilkinson, Clive R. Wednesday's children : a study of child neglect and abuse / by Leontine Young Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, Myers, John E. B. Risk management for professionals working with maltreated children and adult survivors. [Chapter] Myers, John E. B. (Ed); Berliner, Lucy (Ed); et al. (2002). The APSAC handbook on child maltreatment (2nd ed.). (pp. 403-427). Thousand Oaks, CA, US: Sage Publications, Inc. Herbert, Martin. Parenting skills interventions. Reder, Peter (Ed); McClure, Mike (Ed). (2000). Family matters: Interfaces between child and adult mental health. (pp. 237-256). New York, NY, US: Routledge. xii, 347pp Hendricks, Cindy S. Children in crisis. [Chapter] Hendricks, James E. (Ed); Byers, Bryan D. (Ed). (2002). Crisis intervention in criminal justice/social service (3rd ed.). (pp. 170-225). Springfield, IL, US: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. xvi, 427pp. Why children's suggestibility remains a serious concern. Amye R. Warren, Dorothy F. Marsil. Law and Contemporary Problems Wntr 2002 v65 1 p127(21) What to do with the angry toddler. Morris Green, Paula D. Sullivan, Carolyn G. Eichberg. Contemporary Pediatrics August 2001 v18 i8 p65 (5573 words)

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