Introduction to Academic Writing Workshop 1

After successful completion of this workshop you will be able to: Identify some of the main characteristics of academic writing through the analysis of formal and informal texts. Apply your knowledge of the characteristics of academic writing by editing an informal text to make it more formal.

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Workshop One: Introduction to Academic Writing

What is Academic Writing? This is a very good question. Most of us have a vague idea of what academic is something formal, perhaps old-fashioned or archaic and lots of big words that make the text difficult to read. But we need more than this vague image of academic if we are to really master this type of writing. Let us try, therefore, to define what we mean when we say a written text must be academic. The following is a list of four should be points found in most books on academic writing. Let us see for ourselves if these words of advice should be taken seriously. Academic writing should be 1. Analytic concerned with real facts and details, rather than general aspects. Let us try this should be out and see if it is correct. Compare the following:

1. There were a lot of students who enrolled at the university for the first semester. 2. In 2004 there were approximately 250 students who enrolled in the first semester at James Cook University to undertake a Bachelor of Education (Primary).

The second text does sound more academic doesnt it? The second text may appear in a formal report but the first text .well, it sounds almost like something someone would say in the coffee shop (ie. in a spoken text). So, yes then, this is a good point to remember in our writing academic writing is concerned with FACTS and DETAILS. That is why, in order to write a good academic essay, we need to do a lot of reading and research. Okay, the next should be. Academic writing should be 2. Objective based on things which can be seen or measured, rather than on personal feelings.

Let us try this should be out and see if it is correct. Compare the following: 1. Statistics from Road Safety Australia show that male drivers accounted for 40% of total traffic accidents in the North Queensland region in 2004 and female drivers accounted for the remaining 60%. These figures suggest that male drivers are more skilled in avoiding traffic accidents than female drivers. From this we can conclude that . . . . 2. It is my honest opinion that men are better drivers than women.

Which one is more academic? The first one, isnt it? Not only does the first text contain more FACTS and DETAILS but it is also forming a conclusion or opinion based on this data, rather than stating a general and unsupported opinion. So, yes, lets remember this in our own writing. Avoid assumptions or unsupported opinions.** Let us now move on to the third should be on our list. Academic writing should be 3. Intellectual based on an enlightened judgement of complex ideas and information, rather than an appeal to emotions. Once again, lets see for ourselves if this statement is true. Compare the following: 1. Thus, based on personality theory as developed by Mr I. M Sure, it is quite clear that personality is a product of both genetic and environmental influence. 2. Thus, differences in personality can obviously be attributed to genetic influence. I am sure that all of us have recognised similar personality traits in ourselves and our parents. If we would but look at our own circumstances, frustrating though these may appear at times, would we not be able to conclude for ourselves that personality is actually the product of genetic transfer?

** Exceptions to this rule would be where a reflective piece of writing is required. Some pieces of writing, in Education for example, actually do ask for students personal experience and feelings on issues or observations they have made. Always check assessment expectations with your lecturer. 1

Mmmm.now this is a little difficult to decide, isnt it? Both texts appear quite academic or formal in their choice of language, but the second text sets out to persuade the reader to their point of view through an appeal to the readers own circumstances. This is quite appropriate for other texts, such as debating, oral presentations/speeches, a letter to the editor or lively discussion in the coffee shopbut is it really appropriate for academic essays? Not usually. Most academic essay tasks require you to analyse ideas and information, rather than make a direct appeal to the reader. So, lets vote for text number one as the more academic one. And, let us remember to avoid appeals to the readers emotions or circumstances in our own academic writingunless of course the task specifically requires us to do as such. This now brings us to the last should be point on our list. Academic writing should be 4. Rational using clear thinking to make decisions and judgements based on reason, rather than passionate arguments against a doctrine or belief. Let us check this truth for ourselves by comparing the following texts: 1. The potential for abuse of the proposed voluntary euthanasia legislation, quite clearly necessitates that every state in Australia reject the proposal outright. 2. The pain that legalising euthanasia would bring to unwitting victims of such legislation far outweighs the pain of any terminal illness and thus such legislation should be rejected immediately.

Now, both texts are trying to say the same thing that euthanasia should not be legalised because there is potential for such legislation to be abused. Which text, in your opinion, makes this point in a more academic manner? Did you think text one is more academic? Then I would agree with you. The second text presents a very passionate argument and it appeals to the readers emotions through use of such words as unwitting victims and pain; it is more like a persuasive text that would appear in a letter to the editor or in a spoken text (such as a debate). Remember point three? I think the second text is also attempting to appeal to the readers emotions rather than present an enlightened judgement based on complex ideas or information. The first text, on the other hand, could quite easily be found in a report on the subject of euthanasia or in an argumentative essay.

So, our four should be characteristics of academic writing appear to be good ones to keep in mind when doing our own academic writing. Here they are again: Academic writing should be analytic concerned with real facts and details, rather than general aspects; objective based on things which can be seen or measured, rather than on personal feelings; intellectual based on an enlightened judgement of complex ideas and information, rather than an appeal to emotions; rational using clear thinking to make decisions and judgements based on reason, rather than passionate arguments against a doctrine or belief. Here are some other should be points when it comes to academic writing, covering language, style and presentation (well learn more about these in future workshops). Why not test each point for yourself, like we have done above?

The language of academic writing

Some of the main characteristics of the language of academic writing include: Frequent use of passive verb forms; Impersonal pronouns and phrases; Qualifying words and phrases; Complex sentence structures; Specialised vocabulary, style and presentation.

Style of academic writing:

Academic writing has a characteristic style: It is serious, rather than conversational; It is impersonal, rather than personal; It is formal, rather than colloquial.

Presentation of information in academic writing:

Information is presented in recognisable sequences: For example, events are recorded in chronological order (from earliest to most recent); Points are made and expanded through examples; Points are arranged hierarchically in ascending or descending order; Details or outcomes are compared or contrasted.

Now it is your turn to put into action what we have talked about. Option A: Take out an assignment you are working on at the moment and check your text for characteristics of academic writing. Is there anything you want to change? Are there any areas in which you could make your writing more academic? Read your draft closely, ask your peers for their advice and make a few changes. Option B: Have a try at the following tasks, working by yourself or with a partner if you like learning in pairs or small groups is often a lot more fun.

Workshop Task One

Analyse the following two extracts in terms of style. Which one has a formal, academic style? Identify the features of acceptable and unacceptable academic style used in the extracts. A. Contact with neighbouring people must have been limited prior to European settlement in Australia in 1788. Melanesians from New Guinea and the islands of Torres Strait are known to have visited the northern shores, especially Cape York Peninsula. The Indonesians frequently visited Arnhem Land and the northwest of Western Australia to collect pearl and tortoise shell. As early as 1803, Matthew Flinders documented the size and frequency of Indonesian expeditions. He made contact with several ships while he was charting the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria. B. I think the first Europeans came to live in Australia around 1788. I dont know too much about how many Aborigines there were at the time but everyone says there must have been around 300 000 altogether. They say they came here 40 000 years ago when Java was joined to Asia and then they island hopped to New Guinea and then on to Australia. Anyway, when the Europeans came the Aborigines were split up into about 500 tribes. About a third of them lived in Queensland, probably along the coast. It looks like only about 18 000 lived in the central deserts of SA and WA.

Workshop Task Two

The following paragraph is an introductory paragraph to a short essay about the quality of life. It is written in an informal style. Your task is to rewrite the paragraph in a more formal (i.e. academic) style and correct any grammatical errors. These are the things you should think about: changing from personal and specific to impersonal and general sentence length contractions use of qualification

choice of vocabulary. Some words and phrases are underlined. Try to replace these underlined words and phrases with more formal vocabulary from the box below: considering infrastructure aspect possessions ignore

improving inhabitants is inevitable

You are encouraged to discuss the paragraph with other people before and while you are re-writing it, as this is not a test.

Whats quality of life?

When you have the really great experience of living in other countries, you can see how different the people who live theres values and lives are from yours. In some countries people base their quality of life on the amount of material goods theyve got, most individuals in these countries base their welfare on the accumulation of money, goods and services. I would say definitely that roads, electricity etc, technology and material progress have brought a higher standard of living to these people. But in other countries material things play a quite a bit of a smaller role in the quality of life. People in these countries maybe judge that their traditions and folklore, education and social relations are the most important things in their lives. Development cant be avoided in every country, but as we develop weve got to remember that the quality of life of individuals has two sides. When we talk about making better a countrys quality of life, we should consider individuals living comfortably and fulfilling both material and spiritual needs and its a mistake to look only at the material side and to take no notice of the spiritual side when thinking about quality of life I think. Adapted from Smalzer, W. (1996) Write to be read, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press