Academic Writing Slides

Academic Writing
A. H. Fatima
Saying:
Its good to learn from ones

own mistakes but its better
to learn from others.
A. H. Fatima
A. H. Fatima (24 August 2015)
What is academic writing?

Writing
for an academic purpose:

For university requirement purposes
(assignment, dissertation, thesis)
Report and discuss findings and ideas,
with basis (research, conference or
journal papers, books)
* Not mutually exclusive
Egs. Parts of PhD thesis journal paper
What are the Types of Academic

Writing?
Essays / Assignments
Conference papers and Journal articles
Dissertation / Thesis
Book chapters and Books
Professional magazines, newspaper articles on

subject matter.
Features of Academic Writing

Writing has structure It is
planned & should be well thought out.
Academic
formal tone is used and the language

has to be precise.
There
has to be deductive reasoning in

the arguments.
Fundamental processes:
Easy Peasy
Purpose
Preparation & Planning
Precision, Practise & Polish
Presentation of the Product
PURPOSE
What is the Purpose of Academic

Writing? (General)
As a form of record
Accumulate information
Discuss ideas
Report findings (mini research)
Sharing & Developing Knowledge
Learning from the past
nts
e
m
n
g
i
Ass
Literature review (seminal) & gap
Record to enable repetition & replication
PhD
thesis
f:
o
t
Theory & method (research methodologies)
r
o
p
rs
e
e
R
h
t
/
O
Reporting of findings, analyses & discussion
d
r
o
m ers
c
o
r
e
f
R
h
g
t
n
o
Suggesting further development of knowledge
i
rn wing YOU
a
e
L
Limitations & suggestions of future research
llo from
A
&
arn
e
l
A. H. Fatima (24 August 2015) to
PREPARATION
& PLANNING
No-one
speaks (or writes) academic

English as a first language (Bourdieu &
Passeron, 1994, p. 8). It must be learned by
observation, study and experiment.
http://www.uefap.com/writing/writfram.htm
LEARN from OTHERS
Bourdieu, P. and Passeron, J.-C. (1994). Introduction: Language
and the relationship to language
in the teaching situation. In P.
Bourdieu, J.-C. Passeron & M. de Saint Martin, Academic
discourse (pp. 1-34). Cambridge: Polity Press.
Preparation
Preparation:
Many books in the library
To help with English
& Help with writing in English
A Guide to Effective Writing by Margaret C.
McLaren
Common Errors in English: Grammar Exercises
for Malaysians by Richard Hughes & Carmel
Heah
Pocket Book of English Grammar for Engineers &
Scientists by Leo Finkelstein, Jr.
( Some of the books are quite technical in
learning English)
Better Sentence Writing in 30 minutes a day by

Dianna Campbell
Pocket Guide to Technical Writing (2nd Edition)
by William S. Pfieffer
First Steps in Academic Writing by Ann Hogue
Writing Paragraphs by Carol Pemberton
Writing Clear Paragraphs (2nd Edition) by
Robert B. Donald
And many more ..
( some of the books are specific towards
academic writing, improving sentences, or
paragraphs)
There are also online references

For example:
Using English for Academic Purposes
from UEfAP.com
Must Refer to
The
previous references will help with the

writing aspect.
However, for a PhD thesis writing:
Prolific writers work (content & style)
Examples of previous theses
IIUM Thesis Manual (2009) 96 pgs.
Requirements
egs. Words (min., max.)?
Template
Preparation & Planning

PLANNING:
Academic writing has structure & defined order.
PhD thesis structure:
General
Introduction
(Modifica
tions
Literature Review
allowed)
Theory & Hypotheses
Research Method
Data Analyses & Discussion of Results
Conclusion
Planning: Chapter 1
What would be the structure of the Introduction

chapter?
Background
(General)
Problem Statement
(Specific)
Research Objective (& Research Questions)

[Summary of thesis to come (theory,
sample & main findings)]
Motivation of the Study (Personal)
*** Significance /
Contribution
Structure of thesis
Example:
Background General
The need for Islamic banking
Problem
Problem Statement
In the traditional economy, the
emerged in the Muslim world in the tangible assets and their efficient
usage would be an indicator
8th century due to the extensive
towards the financial performance
international trade between Arab
of these Islamic banks. However,
traders and their European
after the transition into the new
counterparts (Chachi, 2005).
economy (i.e. knowledge
However, Islamic banking practices
economy), intangible assets,
started to dwindle after the 11th
specifically the efficient use of
century (Chachi, 2005) and were
intellectual capital (IC) has gained
reintroduced, initially in Egypt, in
significance. The issue of general
the 1960s. Since then, the Islamic concern is whether the Islamic
banking sector has expanded
banks have indeed used their IC
rapidly over approximately half a
efficiently in order to facilitate
century and has accumulated
financial performance.
hundreds of billions of assets.
PRECISION,
PRACTISE
& POLISH
Myths of Academic Writing
X Myth
The lengthier my writing (more number of pages)

shows that I have done more work.
FACT:
PhD thesis:
Most succinct writing is best.
Do NOT exceed
More words, higher the likelihood of mistakes
100,000
words
and contradictions.
The more bombastic language I use, the more
impressed my readers will be.
FACT: Using bombastic words unnecessarily is
likely to confuse your reader, particularly when
used in the wrong context.
X Myth
Precision, Practise & Polish

Academic
Read
Language
& Write: Tips on writing
What is academic language?

Academic
language is the language

used in textbooks, in classrooms, and
on tests.
It is different in structure and vocabulary
from the everyday spoken English of
social interactions.
(http://www.academiclanguage.org/Academic_Languag
e.html)
4 elements of academic language

(http://www.suite101.com/content/what-is-academic-language-a94264)
1. Objective tone
Written
in 3rd person avoid using I or
you
Unbiased
Avoid
getting personal or emotional
All
judgments and conclusions are drawn

from reasoning and not personal beliefs
2. Formal language
Usually I is not used in
academic writing.
i. British style
Exception: stating OWN
opinion (deduced).
ii. Academic
Abbreviations are NOT
vocabulary &
used (dont, wasnt, cant).
technical jargon Allowed: Malaysian
Accounting Standards
(MAS) long-form +
iii. Grammar
list of abbreviations
2. Formal language
i. British style
ii. Academic
vocabulary &
technical jargon
iii. Grammar
Academic vocab. = subtechnical vocabulary

(egs. Research question,
theory, hypothesis)
(
http://www.academiclanguage.org/Academic
_Language.html
)
Familiar with the vocab.:

To understand the
content of journal articles
Necessary to use this
vocab. in your writing
2. Formal language
Technical jargon:
Use of technical terms
i. British style
is necessary.
Definitions must be
ii. Academic
provided to ascertain the
vocabulary &
researchers definition &
technical jargon
point of view egs.
earnings management,
iii. Grammar
ethical judgment, firm
value.
2. Formal language
Proper punctuation
Faulty agreement
ii. Academic
between
vocabulary &
subject & verb
technical jargon singular or plural
Tenses
iii. Grammar
Spelling
i. British style
Faulty agreement
http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/style-and-editing/hitparade-of-errors
(modified for relevance)
Recent discoveries about of the figure reveals

(X)
Recent discoveries about the figure reveal ... ()
The data was biased (X)
The data were biased ()
Nouns and pronouns must agree in number:
A student is free to express their opinion.
A student is free to express his or her opinion.
Students are free to express their opinions.
Tenses
normally in the future tense
(as proposing)
The study will conduct a questionnaire
survey
Multivariate regressions will be used.
Once the research has been done, & you
are reporting use past tense (thesis).
A questionnaire survey was conducted.
Multivariate regressions were used.
Proposal
Spelling
Spelling
(UK English or US English)?

Standard UK English
Set the default spelling as UK English
Certain American spelling is acceptable
egs. organization
* ensure consistency
try to avoid simple mistakes (it just
shows care)
3. Balanced essay structure

Reference
material should be used as

support and should not drown out the
author.
Paragraphs should be about the same
length.
The thesis should be written in a similar
style.
(http://www.suite101.com/content/what-isacademic-language-a94264)
4. Scientific approach to writing

Technical vocabulary must be used (as discussed)
Statements based on reference and evidence.
Deductive reasoning: Logical sequence to
arguments & conclusion Do NOT expect the
reader to fill in the blanks misinterpretation.
Egs: Better governance would lead to higher

disclosure.
Why?
Better governance results in more effective
monitoring of financial reporting practices, thus
promoting higher disclosure.
Read & Write: Tips on Writing

Start writing early (even before you feel
that you are "ready" to write)
Write down what seems readiest to be
written need not follow order as just a
draft
Keep the overall purpose and
organization in mind Outline (could
evolve as you progress)
Write with a readership in mind (egs.
supervisors, examiners)
(http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/general/general-advice)
Structure & Content

Headings
Background
Problem Statement
Research Objectives &
Research Questions
Motivation of the Study
Significance of the Study
Structure of Thesis
Paragraphs & Sentences
Paragraphs & Sentences

Each
paragraph contributes to the topic.

Each sentence supports the theme of the
paragraph.
Constructing sentences & paragraphing
Clarity and coherence
Transition
Diction
Economy
Paragraphing
Each
of the paragraphs discusses one

major point
.: sentences in a paragraph deal with 1
main idea (Pemberton,1991)
When you read from 1 paragraph to
another paragraph, you move from 1 main
idea to another (Pemberton, 1991).
.: A series of paragraphs is a collection of
main ideas on a specific theme / argument.
Each paragraph should lead to the next.
Content of a paragraph: Ministerial

Three (Donald, 1983)
The sentence stating the main idea
(or the controlling idea)
Introduces the subject / topic
.: must be worded carefully &
clearly expresses the
controlling idea
limits / controls the
discussion towards that
topic / idea
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCuExRE6N-4
Pemberton
(1991) & Donald (1983)

Supports the topic sentence
(every sentence is related to
the topic / controlling idea).
Expands the topic, provides
details about it.
Contains facts, examples,
definitions, explanations
[Order of importance,
chronology]
Pemberton
(1991) & Donald (1983)

Concluding sentence of the

paragraph
Sums up and reaches some
conclusion about the topic.
Pemberton (1991) & Donald (1983)
Example:
The Kulliyyah of Economics and Management

Sciences (KENMS) offers various postgraduate
programmes. The programmes include both
Masters and PhD programmes from the four
departments: Accounting, Business
Administration, Economics and Finance. The
Master programmes are generally a combination
of taught courses and research, whereas the PhD
programmes are primarily research based. Due to
the variety, a student who intends to pursue her
postgraduate studies has to ensure that she
selects the appropriate and relevant programme.
Analyses of example:

programmes.
The programmes include both Masters and PhD
programmes from the four departments: Accounting,
Business
Administration, Economics and Finance. The
Topic Sentence:
Master programmes are generally a combination of
taught
Introduces
of the
paragraph
coursesthe
and topic
research,
whereas
the PhD
variety of
in the
programmes
areprogrammes
primarily research
based.
KENMS
Due
to the variety, a student who intends to pursue
her postgraduate studies has to ensure that she
programmes.
Business Administration, Economics and Finance. The
Master programmes are generally a combination of
taught courses and research, whereas the PhD
programmes are primarily research based.
Due to the variety, a student who intends to pursue
Body
/ Content: studies has to ensure that she
her postgraduate
selects the
appropriate
relevant programme.
Provides
details
and and
elaborates
on the topic.
*Can use evidence / reference to strengthen

programmes.
Closing
sentence:
Restates topic sentence slightly differently
Adds
a little
extra information
couldThe
Business
Administration,
Economics(which
and Finance.
lead
to programmes
next paragraph).
Master
are generally a combination of
taught courses and research, whereas the PhD
programmes are primarily research based.
Due to the variety, a student who intends to pursue
her postgraduate studies has to ensure that she
Quality of a good paragraph

Unity ONE main idea (Pemberton, 1991)
All sentences in the paragraph deals with that
idea Does not wander away from that idea
Leads readers to a clear understanding of that
idea.
Adequate development (Pemberton, 1991)
Explain the idea / argument thoroughly
Be specific (with facts & logic) general
statements will not be sufficient.
Paragraph length it must be long enough to tell
the readers what they need to know (Donald, 1983)
Construction of sentences
Try to keep each sentence simple discussing 1
main argument / fact.
Ensure each sentence passes the grammar
check.
Turn related sentences to more complex
sentences using connectors / transitions
Corresponding ideas
Contradicting ideas
Do not have too many connections in a sentence
the sentence will become too messy.
Some guidelines for writing sentences

simplified from Finkelstein (2006).
A sentence has a subject and predicate.

Subject = the object/aim of your sentence
Predicate the explanation of the subject
For example:
The net income has increased by 20%.
The net income is below the targeted figure.
Forming complex sentences

Complex sentences
(Simple)
The net income has increased by 20%.
The net income is below the targeted figure.
The net income has increased by 20% but it is still
below the targeted figure.
OR
Although the net income has increased by 20%, it
is still below the targeted figure.
*** Take care to match the tenses (& style) in the 2nd
part of the sentence to the 1st.
Clarity & coherence

Coherence = connection and consistency.
All sentences in a paper should be related logically
and grammatically to make a whole allows the
reader to follow the writers train of thought, step by
step.
Transition:
Paragraphs should flow smoothly from one to the
next (e.g. the last sentence in each paragraph
serves as an effective link to the next paragraph
OR 1st sentence to the paragraph before).
Supporting ideas are linked together within the
paragraphs in a smooth manner.
(http://amarris.homestead.com/files/Academic_Writing.htm)
Within a paragraph, there are three major ways to

develop coherence through related sentences:
Repetition of important words and pronouns
Repetition of key words helps the reader follow from
sentence to sentence as important terms are defined
and the relationship between them is explained.
Synonyms and substitutions
Synonyms are words that have similar meaning.
Substitution is a word that describes the subject.
Transitional expressions
Transitional expressions are words and phrases that
point out the exact relationship between one idea and
another, one sentence and another.
(http://amarris.homestead.com/files/Academic_Writing.htm)
Practise & Polish

Revise extensively need to be critical
Reading (prior literature) critically:
Do not have to agree absolutely with
published work.
Is the argument sound?
Does it make sense?
Practise & Polish

Reading (own work) critically:
Does your statement have basis?
Has each sentence been written most
succinctly?
Is there a possibility of an alternate
argument (discussion needed)?
Is there a logical flow?
le
b
a
Practise
&
Polish
is
r
e
d
a
re
a
t
a
th
g
n
Ensuri
f
o
s
e
c
n
e
u
q
e
s
e
th
w
o
ll
to fo
Revise extensively
need
to
be
critical
m
o
fr
,
s
e
c
n
te
n
e
s
ideas within
d
n
a
,
e
c
n
te
n
e
s
to
e
c
n
te
sen
.
h
p
ra
g
ra
a
p
to
** Once you
have
a
fairly
h
complete
and
wellp
ra
from parag
organized draft, revise sentences, with

special attention to:
Transitions
Diction
Economy
Practise & Polish

Usage of exact and
** Once you have
a fairly words.
complete and wellappropriate
organized draft, revise sentences, with
Transitions
Diction
Economy
Practise & Polish

The fewest words without
of clear
expression
** Once youloss
have
a fairly
complete and wellandrevise
full thought.
organized draft,
sentences, with
Transitions
Diction
Economy
Transitions continuity & flow
It is a good idea to continue one paragraph where

another leaves off.
(Instances where this is especially challenging may
suggest that the paragraphs do not belong together)
Picking up key phrases from the previous paragraph
and highlighting them in the next can create an
obvious progression for readers.
Many times, it only takes a few words to draw these
connections (for egs.: Another important point to
note is or In addition to the benefits discussed
above
(http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/574/01/)
Transitional words (Pemberton,

1991):
Therefore
Consequently
Even so
In addition
On the other hand
However
Nevertheless
Nonetheless
By contrast
For instance
Moreover
Conversely
In fact
On the contrary
For example
Furthermore
Subsequently
Although
Even though
Then / Next
* Please note that

Transitions
do not only apply to

paragraphs, but sections & chapters as
well.
For example:
After the discussion of in this section /
chapter, the next section / chapter will
proceed with the
Diction selecting precise words

Must not just cut & paste (copy) sentences from
published papers and use synonyms to change
some words.
Must understand the sentence and state in your own
words (with reference) if not, considered as
plagiarism.
Synonyms may be used in the wrong context .:
need to find out proper usage.
Try to find the most precise word as one
appropriate word could replace three (or more
words).
Economy
Diction could help to economize.
Minimize digression & repetition.
Just because certain facts sound interesting and is
vaguely related to your topic does not mean it is
RELEVANT Digression
Ask yourself:
Is it related to the argument that is being made?
(include in paragraph?)
Is it related to the topic of discussion? (include in
section / chapter?)
Is it relevant to the topic of thesis (include in
appropriate chapter?)
Remember
The length of the thesis does not ensure the
quality of it.
Keep the reader in mind examiners are BUSY
people.
Normally, if the necessary content is included, it
will reach the appropriate length.
Avoid repeating, unless it has specific purpose:
For ease of reference (egs. Research
questions)
As a reminder in connecting arguments
Avoid unnecessary wordiness
Example from
http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/styleand-editing/hit-parade-of-errors
A definition that can be employed usefully,
according to La Plante et al. (1993), states
that "assistive technology (means)
La Plante et al. (1993) state that "assistive
technology (means)
(OR) LaPlante et al. (1993) defines
assistive technology as
Recapitulation
Writing takes patience & practice (Pemberton,
1991).
Have to reread own writing critically (content &
grammar).
Start with general ideas, then refine them &
make them more specific (Pemberton, 1991).
Pemberton (1991):
Add supporting explanation / evidence.
Subtract irrelevant statements.
P
PR RO
ES D
U
EN C
T
TA S
TI
ON
Presentation of the PhD thesis

Should
resemble at least 3 years of effort

An academic work which tells a consistent
overall story ensure consistency of
flow:
Best
overall presentation (defendable)
Figure, table, chart, essay

English
editing / proof-reading
*In library for near eternity (hard/soft copy)
De
a
s
e
adlin
!
t
n
a
rt
o
p
r e Im
References
Donald, R.B. (1983), Writing Clear Paragraphs, Prentice-Hall,
New-Jersey, USA.
Finkelstein, Jr. L. (2006), Pocket Book of English Grammar for
Engineers & Scientists, McGraw-Hill, New York, USA.
http://amarris.homestead.com/files/Academic_Writing.htm
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/574/01/
http://www.academiclanguage.org/Academic_Language.html
http://www.suite101.com/content/what-is-academic-languagea94264
http://www.uefap.com/writing/writfram.htm
http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/general/general-advice
http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/style-and-editing/hit-paradeof-errors
Pemberton, C. (1991), Writing Paragraphs, Allyn & Bacon,
Massachusetts, USA.
Thank you for your

attention
Any Questions???
READY TO WRITE : )

Academic Writing Slides

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Academic Writing Slides

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Academic Writing

Its good to learn from ones

A. H. Fatima (24 August 2015)

What is academic writing?

for an academic purpose:

What are the Types of Academic

Conference papers and Journal articles

Book chapters and Books

Professional magazines, newspaper articles on

A. H. Fatima (24 August 2015)

Features of Academic Writing

formal tone is used and the language

has to be deductive reasoning in

A. H. Fatima (24 August 2015)

A. H. Fatima (24 August 2015)

What is the Purpose of Academic

Literature review (seminal) & gap

Record to enable repetition & replication

A. H. Fatima (24 August 2015)

speaks (or writes) academic

A. H. Fatima (24 August 2015)

Better Sentence Writing in 30 minutes a day by

There are also online references

A. H. Fatima (24 August 2015)

previous references will help with the

Preparation & Planning

What would be the structure of the Introduction

Research Objective (& Research Questions)

Myths of Academic Writing

The lengthier my writing (more number of pages)

A. H. Fatima (24 August 2015)

Precision, Practise & Polish

& Write: Tips on writing

A. H. Fatima (24 August 2015)

What is academic language?

language is the language

4 elements of academic language

A. H. Fatima (24 August 2015)

in 3rd person avoid using I or

getting personal or emotional

judgments and conclusions are drawn

A. H. Fatima (24 August 2015)

Academic vocab. = subtechnical vocabulary

Familiar with the vocab.:

A. H. Fatima (24 August 2015)

Recent discoveries about of the figure reveals

A. H. Fatima (24 August 2015)

A. H. Fatima (24 August 2015)

(UK English or US English)?

3. Balanced essay structure

material should be used as

4. Scientific approach to writing

Egs: Better governance would lead to higher

A. H. Fatima (24 August 2015)

Read & Write: Tips on Writing

Structure & Content

Paragraphs & Sentences

paragraph contributes to the topic.

of the paragraphs discusses one

Content of a paragraph: Ministerial

Content of a paragraph: Ministerial

Content of a paragraph: Ministerial

Concluding sentence of the

The Kulliyyah of Economics and Management