What Makes Academic Writing Different from other Types of Writing

It is easy to slip into the trap of heavily written academic terms while learning the mechanics of formatting an academic paper. However, in an attempt to make your writing appear more scholarly, you may end up obscuring your point and frustrating your reader. The first section of this paper discusses the differences between academic and other styles of writing. The second section discusses the ten academic phrases your writing doesn’t need.

Formal Language versus Informal Language

When feasible, academic writing should utilize formal language that avoids slang terminology and reduces the use of contractions and colloquialisms. Only use informal language to emphasize a point. Furthermore, academic writing seldom uses first-person pronouns such as “I” or “we,” although different types of writing allow for variable degrees of language freedom, with a wide variety of informal components permitted in various forms of writing.

To learn more about the distinctions between informal and formal language, check out the example below!

Text speak: saw John the mall 2 day w Erick… they saw chick flick.

Informal: I saw John at the mall today with Erick. They saw a chick flick.

Formal: Today, John and Erick went to the mall and watched comedy.

Structure and Form

Style guidelines such as the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Publication Manual and the Chicago Manual of Style are vital tools for academic writers, with distinct style guides used for different fields of study. These style guides standardize how references should be presented and how a document should be formatted, taking into account things like margins, headings, typeface, and a variety of other factors; some even prescribe the type of language to be used in various situations encountered most frequently in the field.

Regardless of the segments or formatting features utilized according to different types of writing, all kinds of academic writing will adopt a structure that should allow the logical flow of material from one part to the next. A scientific research piece, for example, would usually include parts for the abstract, introduction, methodology, analysis, findings, and conclusions, but a paper produced for the humanities will have a completely different structure that varies by artistic field.

Various writing styles have different key structural components. This implies that some styles, such as artistic writing, provide the author far more leeway than others, such as the style used to write technical documentation.

Tone

The tone of expressing ideas has a profound impact on how readers understand those ideas. It is critical that different writing styles use tones that are acceptable for their particular target audiences.

It is extremely important to eradicate all personal prejudices, both apparent and unconscious, in scholarly writing. Academic writing should be objective. It should not contain rhetorical strategies, such as broad generalizations and emotive arguments as much as possible, since this will provide the greatest level of impartiality demanded from academic writing.

Academic writing should be clear, short, and objective at its heart; the specific requirements for these traits vary across different kinds of writing, but academic writing’s reputation is frequently weak without these features.

Audience

The intended audience will determine the tone, phrasing, and formality of academic writing. As a result, for good academic writing, the target audience is critical.

In an academic situation, your audience may include academics, professors, and/or field specialists, but in a casual one, your audience might be your family and friends. We speak to figures of authority differently than we speak to siblings or friends, and writing to these different groups is no different; the word choices in academic writing should suit the audience just as much as a person’s vocabulary and gestures may shift for face-to-face communication depending on these different groups.

When the public is the intended readership for a piece of academic writing, for example, it’s probably a good idea to clarify any complex words used in the text using simple language. You may even consider replacing the academic jargon with a commonly used word. This holds true for a variety of writing styles. The written text must be comprehensible for the audience!

If you’re unsure whether a word is acceptable for your target audience, ask a buddy who isn’t familiar with the subject. This should demonstrate how simple the topic is for the typical individual to comprehend.

Ten Academic Phrases You Don’t Need in Your Writing

These academic expressions are frequently used to aid in the transition from one concept to the next. True, the use of a transitional word or phrase from time to time is a must to link concepts and keep your work flowing. It is also true that professionalism and academic language should provide your work or research the authority it requires to communicate your thoughts. Unfortunately, the line between clarity and repetition, thoroughness and overwriting can be blurred.

On the other hand…

Certain sentences in the English language must be matched together to make meaning. You cannot have one without the other, and the connecting and contrasting words on the one hand…on the other hand are an example of an often overused pair. Simply, you can’t use the second hand without first incorporating the first. You can easily delete these academic terms from your work, even when used correctly to contrast linked concepts in support of your thesis.

In order to

In order to is a phrase that is frequently used to assist novice English writers in comprehending or structuring sentences. It’s also utilized by native English speakers who are learning a new language and translating it into English. As a result, it’s not surprising that it appears in several examples of scholarly writing. In truth, in order to is an example of overwriting (i.e., using more words than are required) and may nearly always be expressed simply as to.

Indeed

Indeed, is one of those old academic expressions that few native English speakers use unless they wear a monocle, speak with a Victorian English accent, and wear a pocket watch. It’s amazing how frequently this term appears in academic writing. In most circumstances, removing this term from your academic writing is a smart idea.

However, moreover, furthermore . . .

Transitional words certainly have a role in the English language, but it isn’t at the start of every phrase. However, moreover, and moreover can be useful for bringing a reader from one topic to another or connecting sentences to retain the flow and clarity of your academic writing when used sparingly and effectively. If you use it too often, it will have the opposite effect, and your writing will become monotonous and confused.

As well as

The commonly used phrase as well as is another example of overwriting. It usually links the last member in a list with when a simple and would suffice—and be more succinct!

For a short (or long) period of time

In scientific or technical academic writing that details experiments or research techniques, these tangled academic terms are ubiquitous. Your work will become simpler to read when using for a short instead of for a short period of time.

By using

Sneaky little prepositions have a habit of popping up where they are entirely unnecessary. Such is the case with by using, a phrase that many writers use without thinking twice about it. But wait! Does that little two-letter word actually need to be there? Again, cut the unnecessary clutter in your academic writing and simply write using instead.

Due to the fact that

This academic term appears often in several types of literature. It is usually sufficient to make your work concise and accessible. Get rid of the unneeded words.

In relation to

Adding more filler words isn’t the best strategy to enhance your word count. The phrase in relation to, which appears in a variety of unfavorable contexts, is another classic example of wordiness. If you often use this phrase, try using the prepositions about, to, or with instead, and give your readers a breather.

In the event that

In the case there are wordy phrases in place of two-letter conjunctions, this is the winner. You can easily use if instead of this lengthy conjunction.

Conclusion

The next piece of advice is applicable to all types of writing: allow time for editing! Your work, regardless of the content, should be completely error-free. Proofreading for grammatical issues and editing for features like word choice can ensure that the text is clear and coherent. To avoid this, you can use Rovedar publication services to enhance the quality of your manuscript and text.