24 Introduction to College-Level Writing
Basic Principles of Academic Writing
Academic writing presents thoroughly investigated ideas to an informed audience.
Learning Objectives
Contrast academic and popular writing
Key Takeaways
Key Points
- Academic writing makes a claim or an argument, and uses a combination of evidence (details and facts ) and clear explanations of logical reasoning to support that claim in order to persuade the reader.
- Good academic writing is concise; rather than using flowery language and overly complex sentence structures, which can distract from an argument, writers should use the simplest language possible to let their ideas shine through.
- Academic writing usually uses objective language, which allows writers to convince the reader that their argument is true, rather than just subjective opinions.
- A good academic writer is able to see both sides of the argument, or claim, and counter it with supporting evidence.
Key Terms
- analysis: A critical examination by the writer which draws connections (or notes disconnections) between points of evidence.
- counter-arguments: Ideas and evidence which refute or oppose the original claim.
- claim: An assertion, used as the basis for an academic piece of writing, that must be proven with evidence.
- academic writing: Writing that is published or presented to a specialized audience in order to inform, persuade, demonstrate, explore, or achieve some other specific purpose.
- genre: A category or type of writing, usually in reference to different academic disciplines.
“Academic writing” is a broad term that covers a wide variety of genres across disciplines. While its features will vary, academic (or scholarly) writing in general tries to maintain a professional tone while defending a specific position or idea.
There are many different approaches to academic research, since each discipline has its own conventions that dictate what kinds of texts and evidence are permissible. Scholarly writing typically takes an objective tone, even though it argues in favor of a specific position or stance. Academic writing can reach a broader audience through more informal venues, such as journalism and public speaking.
Overarching Principles of Academic Writing
Academic writing comes in many forms and can cover a wide range of subject matter; however, successful writing will demonstrate certain conventions, no matter what is being written about.
The Thesis Statement: Making and Supporting a Claim
Strong academic writing takes a stance on the topic it is covering—it tries to convince the reader of a certain perspective or claim. This claim is known as the “thesis statement.” The majority of an academic paper will be spent using facts and details to “prove” to the reader that the claim is true. How this is done depends on the discipline: in the sciences, a research paper will present an original experiment and data to support the claim; in a literature class, an essay will cite quotations from