Academic writing is the tool students and scholars use to share information and communicate. Students are often asked to work on complex assignments, which demand extensive research and analysis. Those who fail their projects place their academic futures at risk. The good news is that you can ace your educational projects by paying attention to the rules of academic scholarship.
The Dos of Academic Writing
Academic writing is formal and created for university and scholarly journals. This writing style follows specific rules and guidelines to standardize scholarship and guarantee quality. Here are some rules to follow if you want to write impeccable documents.
- Always Write Objectively
One of the defining things about academic writing is the objectivity with which the work is approached. This type of writing is logical, unemotional, and concise. Hence, the students must adopt an impersonal stance when writing their projects. The writing also requires stating facts and data without personal prejudices and feelings. When presenting your research, readings, and analysis of the topic, do so in an impersonal and objective manner.
You can achieve objectivity in your writing by using credible sources and significant data to support your arguments. Also, eliminate clichés and clutter from your writing. Most importantly, write in the third person instead of first or second.
- Ensure Clarity
Another important element of academic writing is clarity. Students can sometimes obsess over assignment length and reaching the indicated word count, making them forget the need for clarity. Understand that all the regulations and standards of academic writing are intended to ensure easy comprehension by readers. It should allow your intended audiences to go through your text and understand the contents easily.
Audiences must be able to understand your writing without having to read the text multiple times. For clarity, start each new paragraph with a topic and subtopic or a fresh idea being introduced. This means each paragraph should contain only one main idea, supported using credible evidence and examples. The start of each sentence should be brief and simple. Avoid having too many ambiguous words and jargon in your writing.
- Employ Technical Vocabulary
Every subject in academics has some degree of jargon specific to the field. Introducing this subject-specific jargon to your essays and academic projects is often a good idea. Having appropriate jargon will help make your writing more precise and pointed. However, understand that jargon should make your writing clearer, easily understandable, but not complex. Use the terms appropriately, as incorrect use may make your writing sound like an amateur’s. If you need help, work with a custom essay writing service.
- Proofread Carefully
One of the main reasons college students fail their written assignments is the failure to revise their writing before presenting the work for assessment. Simple mistakes can take away from the quality of your writing and send the wrong message to your assessor. Also, typos can change the meaning of your sentences and may get you a bad score.
Understand that the first draft your write for your assignment will not be your last. This means you must proofread and edit your writing multiple times before it is ready for submission. Check whether you have followed the word count and citation requirements. Has your writing answered all the questions set out in the assignment prompt? The main tip is to start writing early and leave enough time for editing and proofreading.
Common Don’ts of Academic Writing
The most crucial mistake people make in their academic writing, which you must avoid at all costs, is failing to structure academic sentences and paragraphs. Regardless of your audience type, you must ensure your writing does not have a series of long winding sentences. These are often uncomfortable to read. However, this does not mean you should only have short sentences in your writing. Break up long sentences with short ones.
Here are other notable don’ts:
- Don’t use colloquial language in your writing;
- Don’t use inappropriate style and font;
- Don’t plagiarize from other sources;
- Don’t ignore citations and references;
- Don’t use personal language;
- Don’t go beyond the indicated word count.
This article summarizes a few dos and don’ts of academic writing. Understand that creating effective academic papers requires planning and serious editing. Avoid exceeding the indicated word count, and make your writing concise and clear.
