Academic writing requirements

A distinctive characteristic of academic writing is that it is based on reading and research and
it discusses the ideas and findings of other writers. As a student writer, therefore, it is
essential that you know how to discuss the work of other writers and researchers and
correctly acknowledge their contribution in the papers you submit for assessment
This resource deals with discussing the work of others in your writing and uses a sample
extract to demonstrate the various processes involved. Integrating information and ideas from
sources into your writing is a complex task, involving several skills.
There are three ways of using the ideas, research findings and words of others in your
writing. They are:
summarising
paraphrasing
quoting.
In your paper you should mainly summarise and paraphrase the writers you discuss and quote
only sparingly.
It is necessary to reference, whether summarising, paraphrasing or quoting.
An extract from a text follows, with examples of summarising, paraphrasing and quoting,
using the authordate !"arvard# style of referencing. $hichever referencing style is used,
writers need to summarise and paraphrase their sources and correctly reference them.
To write successfully at university you need a sense of what the final product should look and
sound like, so if possible, read model assignments or if these are not available, study the way
in which %ournal articles have been written in your specific area. These articles may be
lengthy and some may be based on research rather than a discussion of issues, but from them
you will get a sense of how academic writing &sounds&, that is, its tone, and also how
respected writers in your field assemble information. 'ou will also gain a sense of the
complexity of being an apprentice writer in an academic culture, or rather cultures, where
expectations may vary from discipline to discipline, even sub%ect to sub%ect and where you
can build a repertoire of critical thinking and writing skills that enable you to enter the
academic debates, even to challenge.
!The entire extract is used in the discussion on summarising( the highlighted segment for
quoting and paraphrasing.#
)ource: *orley$arner, T +,,-, Academic writing is.: a guide to writing in a university
context , +nd edn, /01A 2ublications, 3niversity of Technology )ydney, 4indfield, 5)$.
!This extract is from page 6.#
)ummary
A summary is a condensation of a passage, an article or a book. There is no correlation
between the length of a text and the length of a summary of it. An entire book can be
summarised in one sentence7 It all depends on your purpose as a writer. 8f course, it is
essential to understand the text and have a clear purpose for summarising it, in whatever
detail you choose to do so.
"ere is a summary of the entire sample extract using the authordate !"arvard# style of
referencing.
*orley$arner !+,,-, p. 6# suggests that for university students to convey the appropriate
academic tone in their assignments, they should read sample assignments and study the way
%ournal articles in their specific sub%ects are written. Through this process, she contends,
students will develop the critical thinking and writing skills that will allow them to participate
in academic debate.
2oints to note:
8nly the main points have been included.
The text is condensed without losing the essence of the material. 1xamples and
explanations have been omitted.
The summary writer&s own words are used. !58T1: 9o not change technical terms.#
0eporting verbs !&suggests& and &contends&# are used to discuss and comment on ideas in the
text.
Intext citation is provided, giving family name of author !no initials#, year of publication
and page number !as for the "arvard style#.
2age numbers should be provided if the summarised material appears in specific pages,
chapters or sections.
This source should have a reference list entry giving full bibliographic details.
2araphrase
A paraphrase is the rephrasing of a short passage from a text, in about the same number of
words. As a writer, you need to choose the passage or passages you wish to paraphrase
because of their importance or interest and relevance to your paper. 8f course, you need to
fully understand the passage and have a clear purpose for using it.
"ere is an example of a paraphrase of the highlighted text in the sample extract using the
authordate !"arvard# style of referencing.
)tudying how %ournal articles are written students will come to understand what is required of
them in their writing !*orely$arner +,,-, p. 6#. They will also become aware of the
different demands of various disciplines and even the different requirements from sub%ect to
sub%ect, argues *orley$arner !+,,-, p. 6#. Through this process, *orley$arner maintains,
students will develop critical thinking and writing skills that will allow them to participate in
academic debate and even to challenge ideas.
2oints to note:
The sentence structure and the vocabulary of the original have been changed. !58T1: 9o
not change technical terms.#
The first sentence introduces the paraphrased material. 0eporting verbs !&argues& and
&maintains&# are used throughout the paragraph to discuss the ideas from the source.
Intext citation is given. 2age numbers should be provided. The year and page numbers are
not required for second and subsequent references to the writer within the narrative in the
same paragraph, if the references are to the same work and the same page. $hen the name of
the author and year are in parentheses in any one paragraph, the year is included in
subsequent citations.
This source should have a reference list entry giving full bibliographic details.
)hort quote
A short quote is a sentence or part of a sentence which is reproduced exactly. It consists of
fewer than about :, words when using the authordate !"arvard# style and fewer than ;,
words when using the A2A style. This example relates to the authordate !"arvard# style.
*orley$arner !+,,-, p. 6# acknowledges the challenges of writing at university. )he
describes the novice student writer as &an apprentice writer in an academic culture, or rather
cultures, where expectations may vary from discipline to discipline, even sub%ect to sub%ect&.
2oints to note:
The quote is well chosen. It&s important to quote sparingly and be selective in what you do
quote.
The writer comments on the quotation, and does not simply reproduced it. 0eporting verbs
are used !&acknowledges& and &describes&# to introduce and analyse the quotation.
The quotation from the original is integrated into the writer&s sentence.
)ingle quotation marks are used to indicate the words from the original text.
The intext citation includes family name of author, !no initials#, year of publication and
page number. It is essential to provide page numbers for quotes.
This source should have a reference list entry giving full bibliographic details.
<lock quote
A block quote is a longer quote. It consists of more than about :, words when using the
authordate !"arvard# system and more than ;, words when using the A2A system. It is set
off from the body of the paper by indenting. This example relates to the authordate
!"arvard# style.
*orley$arner !+,,-# discusses how university students can learn to acquire and convey the
appropriate academic tone in their assignments. )he suggests that students should focus on
how %ournal articles in their sub%ect are written and structured. )he describes another benefit
of this process:
'ou will also gain a sense of the complexity of being an apprentice writer in an academic
culture, or rather cultures, where expectations may vary from discipline to discipline, even
sub%ect to sub%ect and where you can build a repertoire of critical thinking and writing skills
that enable you to enter the academic debates, even to challenge. !*orley$arner +,,-, p. 6#
0eading is central to study at university. It is through reading that ...
2oints to note:
The writer introduces the quotation and does not simply reproduce it. The quotation is
preceded by a preliminary explanation !the first three sentences#.
0eporting verbs !&discusses&, &suggests& and &describes&# are used to introduce the material
quoted.
The intext citation includes family name of author, !no initials#, year of publication and
page number. It is essential to provide page numbers for quotes.
The quotation is indented set in from the left margin.
The quotation is preceded by a colon.
)maller font si=e is used usually - point smaller.
)ingle spacing is used for the quotation( the rest of the paper should use -.> spacing or
double spacing !for university assignments#.
5o quotation marks are used because formatting !indenting, smaller font si=e, single
spacing# indicates it is a quote.
This source should have a reference list entry giving full bibliographic details.
1ntry in reference list: authordate !"arvard# style
$hether you summarise, paraphrase or quote, you should provide full details of each source
in a reference list at the end of your paper.
The reference list should contain all the works cited in the paper and no works that are not
cited. A work is listed only once in the reference list, regardless of how many times it is cited
in text.
"ere is the entry for the sample text in a reference list compiled according to the authordate
!"arvard# style:
*orley$arner, T +,,-, Academic writing is...: a guide to writing in a university context ,
+nd edn, /01A 2ublications, 3niversity of Technology )ydney, 4indfield, 5)$.
5ote:
*orley$arner, T family name and initial of author
+,,- year
Academic writing is...: a guide to writing in a university context title and subtitle in italics
+nd edn edition !if not the first#
/01A 2ublications, 3niversity of Technology )ydney publisher
4indfield city of publication
5)$ state !for relatively unknown city#