Nature and Characteristics of an Academic Text

Academic Text - is a written language that provides information, which contain ideas and concepts that
are related to the particular discipline
STRUCTURE
The basic structure that is used by an academic text is consist of three (3) parts introduction, body, and
conclusion which is formal and logical. This kind of structure enables the reader to follow the argument
and navigate the text. In academic writing a clear structure and a logical flow are imperative to a
cohesive text.
TONE
This refers to the attitude conveyed in a piece of writing. The arguments of others are fairly presented
and with an appropriate narrative tone. When presenting a position or argument that disagrees with
one’s perspectives, describe the argument accurately without loaded or biased language.
LANGUAGE
It is important to use unambiguous language. Clear topic sentences enable a reader to follow your line
of thinking without difficulty. Formal language and the third person pointof-view should be used.
Technical language appropriate to area of study may also be used, however, it does not mean using “big
words” just for the sake of doing so.
CITATION
Citing sources in the body of the paper and providing a list of references as either footnotes or
endnotes is a very important aspect of an academic text. It is essential to always acknowledge the
source of any ideas, research findings, data, or quoted text that have been used in a paper as a defense
against allegations of plagiarism.
COMPLEXITY
An academic text addresses complex issues that require higher-order thinking skills to comprehend.
EVIDENCE-BASED ARGUMENTS
What is valued in an academic text is that opinions are based on a sound understanding of the pertinent
body of knowledge and academic debates that exist within, and often external to a specific discipline.
THESIS-DRIVEN
The starting point of an academic text is a particular perspective, idea or position applied to the chosen
research problem, such as establishing, proving, or disproving solutions to the questions posed for the
topic.
Features of an Academic text
1. Complex - it is lexically more varied vocabulary
2. and the language has more grammatical complexity, follows the correct subject-verb
agreement
3. Formal - Should avoid colloquial words and expressions.
4. 4. Objective - definition or interpretation that is based on facts, evidence, or a generally
accepted understanding that is not influenced by personal feelings, opinions or biases
5. 5. Explicit - content, language, action are very clear specific and direct, no room for
misinterpretation-straightforward
6. Accurate - Uses vocabulary accurately - Most subjects have words with narrow specific
meanings.
7. Precise - Facts are given accurately and precisely.
8. 7. Hedging - It is necessary to make decisions about your stance on a particular subject, or the
strength of the claims you are making.
9. 8. Responsible - You must be responsible for and must be able to provide evidence and
justification for any claims you make.
10. Organize - Well-organized. - It flows easily from one section to the next in a logical fashion.
11. Plan - Well-planned.
12. - It usually takes place after research and evaluation, according to specific purpose and plan.
Purposes in Reading an Academic Text

1. To locate a main idea;

2. To scan for information;
3. To identify gaps in existing studies;
4. To connect new ideas to existing ones;
5. To gain more pieces of information;
6. To support a particular writing assignment; and,
7. To deeply understand an existing idea.

Factors to Consider in Writing Academic Text

1. State critical questions and issues;
2. Provide facts and evidence from credible sources;
3. Use precise and accurate words while avoiding jargon;
4. Take an objective point of view;
5. List references; and,
6. Use cautious language

Academic language is the language needed by students to do the work in schools. It includes, for
example, discipline-specific vocabulary, grammar and punctuation, and applications of rhetorical
conventions and devices that are typical for a content area (e.g., essays, lab reports, discussions of a
controversial issue.) Students who master academic language are more likely to be successful in
academic and professional settings.
Social language is the set of vocabulary that allows us to communicate with others in the context of
regular daily conversations.

Characteristics of Academic Language

A. Formal - It should not sound conversational or casual. Colloquial, idiomatic, slang or journalistic
expressions should particularly be avoided. Examples: Use… Instead… Consider, monitor Look
at Revise, review Go over Solve, repair, amend Fix
B. Objective - This means it is unbiased. It should be based on facts and evidence and are not
influenced by personal feelings.
C. Impersonal - This involves avoiding the personal pronouns ‘I’ and ‘we’. For example, instead of
writing ‘I will show’, you might write ‘this report will show’. The second person, ‘you’, is also to be
avoided.
THESIS STATEMENT
A thesis statement is the controlling idea that you will develop in your paper. This can be found
usually at the end of an introduction. A thesis statement can be one sentence. However, if
necessary, it can also be two or three sentences.

Elements of a Thesis Statement

1. Topic. The topic of your paper.
2. Argument/Claim. This depends on the type of paper you are writing. If it is an argumentative
paper, then this should express your opinion. If it is a research or explanatory paper, this should
explain the purpose of your paper.
3. Evidence. The support for your argument/claim.
Argumentative Thesis
- States the topic of your paper, your position on the topic, and the reasons you have for taking
that position.
Technology has decreased our level of connectedness to others because it allows us to disconnect
from the people in our physical environment and it does not foster the social skills in order to help
us connect to those around us.
Analytical Thesis
- States the topic of your paper, what specifically you analyzed, and the conclusion(s) you reached
as a result of that analysis
An analysis of alternatives to fossil fuel indicates that a better option is use of solar and wind power.
Expository Thesis
- States the topic of your paper and lists the key aspects of your topic that will be discussed in the
paper.
Factors related to student success include effective time management, motivation and family
support.
More guidelines on Writing Thesis Statements
1. Avoid making an overly–opinionated stands.
While a thesis statement needs to reveal your attitude toward the topic, be careful not to go to the
extremes and write a thesis statement
with an exaggerated claim. This is because you need to prove your thesis statement first, and avoid
imposing your opinion on the reader.
2. Avoid making announcements.
Sometimes, it is just easier to tell your reader what they intend to write about. You might say, “In
this essay, I will be discussing the benefits of joining the Reserve Officers Training Corps.” The
problem with this statement is that it does not specify what those benefits are or what your attitude
toward the subject is.
3. Avoid stating only facts.
Do not rely on facts in your thesis statements because you will not have much room for discussion.
Remember that facts are generally
not debatable as opinions. It must contain a position that your readers can oppose.
Source: Reading and Writing Skills textbook by Tiongson, Marella Therese A., pages 42-48.

Outline
 An outline is a design to follow when writing a structure, a discourse, or a article. It arranges a
material in a logical way into main ideas, supporting ideas, and supporting details.
The main idea or topic is the main topic of the outline. All main topics are indicated by Roman
Numeral. Subtopics are noted by letters and supporting details are indicated by Arabic Numerals.
An outline can be a sentence outline or topic outline. A sentence outline is written in full
sentence while a topic outline is in words or phrases.
Guidelines in Writing an Outline:

1. Place the title at the center above the outline.

2. Every level of the outline must have at least two items (I and II, A and B, 1 and 2).
3. Put a period after each numeral and letter.
4. Indent each new level of the outline.
5. All items of one kind (roman numerals, capital letters, Arabic numerals) should line up with each
other.
6. Capitalize the first letter of each item.
7. The terms Introduction, Body, and Conclusion do not have to be included in the outline. They
are not topics; they are merely organizational units in the writer’s mind.
Critical Approaches in Writing a Critique
1. Formalism
 claims that literary works contain intrinsic properties and treats each work as a distinct work of
art.
 posits that the key to understanding a text is through the text itself; the historical context, the
author or any other external contexts are not necessary in interpreting the meaning.
2. Feminist Criticism or Feminism
 focuses on how literature presents women as subjects of socio-political, psychological, and
economic oppression
 reveals how aspects of our culture are patriarchal, i.e., how our culture views men as superior
and women as inferior.
3. Reader-Response Criticism
 concerned with the reviewer’s reaction as an audience of a work.
 claims that the reader’s role cannot be separated from the understanding of the work; a text
does not have meaning until the reader reads it and interprets it
 Readers are therefore not passive and distant, but are active consumers of the material
presented to them.
3. Marxist Criticism
 concerned with differences between economic classes and implications of a capitalist system,
such as the continuing conflicts between working class and the elite.
 attempts to reveal that the ultimate source of people’s experience is the socio-economic system
4. Historical Criticism

 posits that every literary work is the product of its time and its world.

 Focus on the era and significant events that happened during the time the
text/movie/book/art/poem was produced

5. Biographical Criticism
emphasizes the importance of the author’s life and background into account when analyzing a text.
Focus on the life and background of the writer/artist and connect it to the subject of your review or
critic.
How did the life of Dr. Jose Rizal affect his written works?
How did Pablo Picasso’s life experiences shape his painting style

Other critical approaches you can use:

● Post-modern criticism
● Post-colonial criticism
● Structuralism
● Psychological criticism
● Gender criticism
● Ecocriticism
● Mythological criticism

How to write a critique paper

Introduction
I. Introduce the input material
- Title
- Author
- When written etc…
II. Give a background of the material
- What era
- Who are the characters
- Importance as to why it was written on that era
- What transpired in that era, e.g.politics, economics- the world in general
Introduction
III. Provide a brief summary
- Focus on the major points
- Read the material several time
BODY
IV. Give a comprehensive assessment of the input material
- Answer invisible questions
- Focus on tBase the standards on the input material
- Article
- Research
- Literary piece
- Work of art,..etc.
- he content, characters, literary devices (depending on the input material)

INVISIBLE QUESTIONS
1. What is the purpose of the material?
2. Did it achieve its purpose?
3. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the input material?
4. Is it appropriate to its intended audience?
5. Is the input material objective or subjective
6. Identify the literary theory/approaches