Academic Writing

BM
2016

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Writer-centered
(expressive
writing)

Communicat
ion

Reader-centered
(argumentative
writing)

Subject -centered
(analytical writing)

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How?
Communication, of course, involves all three of these
components, but some kinds of writing concentrate more
on one than on the others
Autobiographical writing, for example, such as diaries or
memoirs or stories about personal experience, centers on
the writer and his or her desire for self-expression.
Argument, in which the writer takes a stand on an issue,
advocating or arguing against a policy or attitude, is
reader-centered; its goal is to bring about a change in its
readers actions and beliefs.
Analytical writing is more concerned with arriving at an
understanding of a subject than it is with either selfexpression or changing readers views.
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Journalistic writing
Informs readers by reporting on current
events
The style is crisp and lively
Usually answers the questions: who
did what, to whom, when, where,
how, and why
Journalistic devices like catchy titles,
play on words; metaphors & puns
used extensively
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Academic writing
1. Ideas take centre stagepeople are in the
background
2. The writer's personal feelings have no role in
the presentation of ideas or insights
3. Everything the reader needs should be stated in
the text
4. Arguments are accepted or rejected on the
basis of logic or evidence, not because of
who proposes them
5. The writer's personality does not infuse the
text with special meaning
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6. Readers expect
expression of clear thought processes
in the writing
well-organized data
credible analysis

7. Language style is formal

8. Subdued tone

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Argument as justification
The goal is to find a reason that is a
good reason
An impersonal normative
justification
There is a reason to believe the
conclusion, regardless of who has a
reason to believe it.
Therefore it is not a personal
justification.
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Argument as explanation
Explanations are used for sense
making
They answer the why and how of
the argument

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Structure of a logical argument?

An argument involves the process of
establishing a claim and then
proving it with the use of
logical reasoning

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The parts of an
argument
The conclusion: the authors
opinion and recommendation for the
action
The premises: the facts the author
uses to back up his or her opinion
The assumption: unstated
conditions that must be true in order
for the argument to make sense
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Argument Markers

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Premise indicators

If
Since
Because
for/for one thing
for the reason that
follows from
In as much as
as shown by
In light of
In view of

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given that
seeing that
owing to
seeing that
as/as indicated by
assuming that
considering that
in view of
assume
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Conclusion indicators

therefore
hence
thus/ergo
follows that
consequently
which entails that
which proves that
which implies that

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necessarily
must be the case
that
which means that
demonstrates that
we can conclude that
as a result
showed that
concluded that
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Assuring
We offer assurances when we think
that something might doubt or
challenge what we say. They ways are:
Doctors agree
Experts believe..
Recent studies have shown
It has been established

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Assuring
Another way to give assurances is to
comment on the strength of our own belief:
Im certain that
Im sure that
I can assure you that
Im not kidding
Over the years, I have become more
and more convinced that
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Guarding
Strategy for protecting your premise from attack.
Here we reduce our claim to something less
strong.
1. Weakening the extent of what has been said:
retreating from all to most to a few to
some, and so on.
2. Introducing probability phrases such as It is
virtually certain that, It is likely that,
it might happen that, and so on.
3. Reducing the level of commitment moving
from I know that, to I believe that, to
I suspect that, and so on.
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Discounting
The general pattern of discounting is to cite
a possible criticism in order to reject it or
counter it.
The ring is beautiful, but expensive.
The ring is expensive, but beautiful.
Although versus But
Although the ring is beautiful, it is
expensive.
Although the ring is expensive, it is
beautiful.
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Discounting
The clearest cases of discounting occur when
we are dealing with facts that point in different
directions. We discount the facts that go
against the position we wish to take. Examples:
Jones is an aggressive player, but he is
not dirty.
The situation is difficult, but not
hopeless.
A truce has been declared, but who
knows for how long?
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A partial list of
discounting terms

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Every argument is built

out of

What is my claim?
What reasons support my claim?
What evidence support my reasons?
Do I acknowledge
alternatives/complications/
objections and how do I respond?
What principle makes my reasons
relevant to my claim? (This principle
is called warrant)
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Reference
Booth, W.C., Colomb, G.G. &
Williams, J.M. (2008).The
Craft of Research. Chicago:
The University of Chicago
Press.

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