Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Define academic writing and explain its importance.

2. Identify and explain the functions of academic writing.
3. Analyze the basic structures of academic texts.
4. Recognize the key features that distinguish academic texts from other forms

COMMUNICATION FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES (Academic writing)

What is Academic Communication?
Academic communication involves presenting ideas effectively and formally within a scholastic environment. Also
known as scholarly communication, it refers to highly structured methods of conveying information that are typically used
in educational or pedagogical settings. This form of communication encompasses not only the specific words and
structures used to express ideas but also the various methods by which these ideas are shared or disseminated.

What is Academic Writing?

Academic text is defined as critical, objective, specialized texts written by experts or professionals in a given field using
formal language. This means that academic texts are based on facts with solid basis. Academic writing, therefore, is
generally quite formal, objective (impersonal) and technical. It is formal by avoiding casual or conversational language,
such as contractions or informal vocabulary. It is impersonal and objective by avoiding direct reference to people or
feelings, and instead emphasizing objects, facts and ideas. It is technical by using vocabulary specific to the discipline. To
be a good academic writer, you will need to learn the specific styles and structures for your discipline, as well as for each
individual writing task. Some examples of academic writing are as follow: Literary Analysis, Research Paper, Dissertation
or thesis, textbooks, academic journal articles. Academic writing is a particular style used in formal essays and other
assessments for the course. It requires formal language, a logical structure and is

 Academic writing is a formal style of writing used in universities and scholarly publications.
 You’ll encounter it in journal articles and books on academic topics, and you’ll be expected to write your essays,
research papers, and dissertation in academic style.
 Academic writing is clear, concise, focused, structured and backed up by evidence.
 Its purpose is to aid the reader’s understanding.
 It has a formal tone and style, but it is not complex and does not require the use of long sentences and complicated
vocabulary.
 Academic writing follows the same writing process as other types of texts, but it has specific conventions in terms of
content, structure and style.

Key Features of Academic writing

a. Formal and Unbiased

Academic writing aims to convey information in an impartial and objective manner. Its primary goal is to base arguments
on the evidence being considered rather than the author's personal opinions or preconceptions. Every claim made should
be supported with relevant and credible evidence, rather than simply asserted without justification. To maintain fairness
and avoid bias, it is essential to represent both the work of other researchers and the results of one’s own research
accurately and honestly. This includes clearly outlining the methodology used and being transparent about the limitations
of the research. A well-defined methodology provides the necessary guidelines to make a project manageable, efficient,
and effective.
Example:
• Interviews
• survey
• observation
 The formal style used in academic writing ensures that research is presented consistently across different texts, so
that studies can be objectively assessed and compared with other research. 

b. Clear and precise

Using clear and precise language is essential in academic writing to ensure that the reader fully understands your intended
meaning. This involves being as specific as possible and avoiding vague or ambiguous terms. It's also important to avoid
hedging your claims with words like "perhaps" or "maybe," as such language can suggest a lack of confidence in your
arguments. Carefully reflecting on your word choices helps ensure that your writing communicates your ideas accurately
and directly.

c. Focused and Well-Structured

An academic text is more than just a collection of ideas about a topic—it must have a clear and defined purpose. This
begins with formulating a relevant research question or thesis statement, which serves as the foundation for developing a
focused and logical argument. All information included should directly support this central purpose, avoiding unnecessary
or unrelated content. Additionally, maintaining a coherent structure is essential for effectively organizing ideas. This
involves careful attention to the overall structure of the text, the internal organization of paragraphs, and the clarity of
individual sentences.

d. Well Sourced
Academic writing relies on sources to support its claims, using other texts or media—such as photographs or films—as
evidence or subjects of analysis. Many of these sources are works produced by other scholars, highlighting the
collaborative nature of academic writing, which builds upon previous research. It's crucial to select credible and
appropriate sources, as not all are suitable for academic work; for instance, citing Wikipedia is generally discouraged.
Instead, students should use academic databases and university libraries to find reliable materials. Proper citation is
essential in academic writing—any time you quote or paraphrase another person’s work, you must include a citation in the
text and a corresponding reference in the bibliography. Various citation styles exist, including APA, MLA, and Chicago,
each with its own formatting rules. It is important to consistently follow the required style of your institution. Failure to
cite sources correctly can result in accusations of plagiarism, which carries serious academic consequences.

e. Correct and Consistent

As well as following the rules of grammar, punctuation and citation, it’s important to consistently apply stylistic
conventions regarding:
• How to write numbers
• Introducing abbreviations
• Using verb tenses in different sections
• Capitalization of terms and headings
• Spelling and punctuation differences between UK and US English

Structures of Academic Texts

Structure is an important feature of academic writing. In academic writing, a clear structure and a logical flow are
imperative to a cohesive text. These are the two common structures of academic texts that you need to learn which
depends on the type of assignment you are required: the three-part essay structure and the IMRaD structure. Different
disciplines also have different styles and structures of writing. For example, some disciplines, such as in the humanities,
expect longer paragraphs, which include topic sentences to show how your argument is structured. Other disciplines, for
example in the sciences, expect short paragraphs, with no topic sentences, which are denser in factual information.

The three-part essay structure is a basic structure that consists of introduction, body and conclusion. The introduction and
the conclusion should be shorter than the body of the text. For shorter essays, one or two paragraphs for each of these
sections can be appropriate. For longer texts or theses, they may be several pages long.

Introduction. Its purpose is to clearly tell the reader the topic, purpose and structure of the paper. As a rough guide, an
introduction might be between 10 and 20 percent of the length of the whole paper and has three main parts:
A. the most general information, such as background and/or definitions.
B. the core of the introduction, where you show the overall topic, purpose, your point of view, hypotheses and/or research
questions (depending on what kind of paper it is); and
C. the most specific information, describing the scope and structure of your paper.

The Body. It develops the question, “What is the topic about?”. It may elaborate directly on the topic sentence by giving
definitions, classifications, explanations, contrasts, examples and evidence. This is considered as the heart of the essay
because it expounds the specific ideas for the readers to have a better understanding of the topic. It usually is the largest
part of the essay.
Conclusion. The conclusion is closely related to the introduction and is often described as its ‘mirror image’. This means
that if the introduction begins with general information and ends with specific information, the conclusion moves in the
opposite direction. The conclusion usually begins by briefly summarizing the main scope or structure of the paper,
confirms the topic that was given in the introduction, ends with a more general statement about how this topic relates to its
context. This may take the form of an evaluation of the importance of the topic, implications for future research or a
recommendation about theory or practice.

The IMRaD Structure

The sections of the IMRaD structure are Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. The Introduction usually depicts
the background of the topic and the central focus of the study. The Methodology lets your readers know your data
collection methods, research instrument employed, sample size and so on. Results and Discussion states the brief
summary of the key findings or the results of your study.