2.9 Online Writing and Academic Writing
Nancy Ami; Natalie Boldt; Sara Humphreys; Jemma Llewellyn; and Erin Kelly
As the world of digital media evolves, so too does the world of digital academic scholarship. Today, academics are sharing their work in the form of blogs and online forums like Twitter. These types of platforms are making it increasingly easy for scholars from different disciplines to interact. Psychologists can read and respond to philosophers, biologists can correspond with sociologists, and so on.
Sharing knowledge also means that scholars don’t need to start from scratch and make unnecessary mistakes. Rather, they can share the research and build on the work of their colleagues in both their own and different disciplines (in other words, two, or more! heads are better than one). As you write and research, it’s good to remember that you can bring concepts and terms from other disciplines to bear on your own research. Likewise, you too can add your voice to the dynamic conversations taking place online.
Forums
Forums are online discussions similar to class discussions. Course instructors assign forum posts (sometimes called discussion posts) to encourage students to engage with course content, respond to and question key issues, and thoughtfully engage with others. Tips on writing forums are included in this helpful resource at the University of Waterloo.[1] But we’d like to weigh in with our own advice:
- Begin by considering course content, selecting a topic, and making a claim.
- Start new threads in the discussion instead of responding to lengthy chains.
- Consider evidence for support: What have you learned from course readings, scholarly sources, and social media?
- What personal experiences might you share to support your view?
- When creating a title, think “newspaper headline.” Write your title choosing phrases that clearly represent the key point of your post.
- Write one or two paragraphs, using an engaging style with short, concise sentences and clear vocabulary.
Your instructor may provide a prompt or question or may require a particular structure. Some course instructors ask students to summarize a scholarly article in their first paragraph and then respond in their following paragraphs.
Participating in a forum involves responding to others. When reading others’ posts, look for opportunities to affirm content shared, ask questions, build on ideas, and disagree. Start with a reference to the original post; then, offer a quote or summarize the key point and respond. If you agree, offer reasons for supporting the writer’s main idea. While you may feel uncomfortable disagreeing with a writer, presenting a different opinion in a constructive, polite manner can strengthen the discussion. If you find yourself reacting emotionally to a post, draft your response and wait before posting. Taking a brief time away will help you respond in a calm, professional manner. JWU’s Kellie Nappa offers additional tips for online discussio