Academic Writing Part 2 - Academic Writing

Academic w i ing skills Anneke & Gus a Bu le 17 Sep embe 2025 Pa 2 Academic w i ing con en ions In oduc o y ema ks •Pos g adua e esea ch ocuses on making a con ibu ion o knowledge h ough con incing a gumen a ion o a speci ic audience – he e o e you need o p esen esea ch app op ia ely o eade s in you discipline •Pos g adua e s uden s a e use s o he discou ses (how we p esen ideas and language) in speci ic disciplines – be awa e o how academics w i e in you discipline •Exis ence o gene alizable ea u es/con en ions o academic w i ing Ques ions o ask ou sel es Why is language use such a c ucial aspec o pos g adua e s udies? •Does w i en academic language di e om o he ypes o language use (e.g. spoken [con e sa ional] language)? •Does a speci ic se o cha ac e is ics/con en ions exis o academic w i ing? •A e you, as an academic w i e , bound by such w i ing con en ions? Yes! Yes, his p esen a ion will ocus on he con en ions Yes, i you wan o be aken se iously in he academic wo ld Why do s uden s expe ience di icul y wi h academic w i ing? •Pos g adua e s uden s no always adequa ely p epa ed o he ype o academic w i ing done a pos g adua e le el – ha e no had enough (o any?) exposu e o gen es/ ypes o ex s (and accompanying academic w i ing con en ions) used a pos g adua e le el •No one is a mo he - ongue use o academic language (academic language is ano he addi ional language ha we need o lea n) •S uden s he e o e o en p oc as ina e (pu o s a ing o w i e) – do no ealise ha pos g adua e w i ing is a p ocess (a mul iple d a ac i i y) Why do s uden s expe ience di icul y wi h academic w i ing? •The shee scale •A lo o p essu e •W i ing is a complica ed skill •Language di icul ies (2nd, 3 d, 4 h language) •W i ing while doing you esea ch • Don’ know whe e o s a •O he unique ci cums ances … (James Hay on – YouTube) Basic con en ions/ ea u es o academic w i ing 1. S uc u al ea u es 2. Tex ual w i ing con en ions 3. A gumen ea u es 4. In eg a ion o sou ces (ideas) 5. W i ing as a p ocess 1. S uc u al ea u es Use app op ia e ex s uc u es o o ganise ideas •Gene al ex s uc u e: in oduc ion; “body”; conclusion; e e ences •Speci ic o ma s: e.g. esea ch p oposal; academic a icle; disse a ion; hesis Cohe ence (1.1) and cohesion (1.2) •Logical low and connec ion be ween chap e s, sec ions, pa ag aphs and ideas •How do we c ea e such cohe ence and cohesion? 1.1) Tex cohe ence (o e all s uc u e) In oduc ion (beginning) – s a ing key issues Body (middle pa ) – elabo a ing on key issues in sepa a e pa ag aphs Conclusion (end) – d aws oge he he main poin s TIP The middle pa is no “Body” – akes headings om he con en Examples o cohesion (golden h ead) •This hesis is o ganised as ollows. Chap e 2 p esen s a heo e ical exposi ion o he concep s ‘in e nal con ol sys ems’ and ‘g uesome h eesome’ om he a ailable li e a u e. Chap e 3 p o ides an o e iew o he con ol sys ems applicable o Sec ion 21 Public Schools in Sedibeng Eas . In Chap e 4, an analysis and in e p e a ion o empi ical da a on he e ec i eness o Sec ion 21 Public Schools in Sedibeng Eas is p esen ed. The las chap e … •In he p e ious sec ion Kan ’s iew o he acul y o he ‘will’ has been discussed. The nex issue ha needs o be add essed is wha condi ions make a will posi i e o nega i e. Examples o cohesion (golden h ead) The indings also suppo ed he ac ha a small g oup o social wo ke s was sympa he ic owa ds he abused wi es. In con as , he es o he social wo ke s did no display clea sympa hy owa ds he abused wi es. The e o e, i is impo an o de e mine whe he he sympa hies o some social wo ke s esul ed in hem being biased in a ou o he wi es. James Hay on – common solu ions o common p oblems “Fundamen ally w i ing is all abou aking he in o ma ion and knowledge ha you ha e in you head and pu ing i on he page in a way ha somebody else can ollow.” “The p oblem is ha w i ing is linea , bu he knowledge in you head isn’ s o ed in a linea o de . I ’s mo e o a angled mess o in e connec ed ideas and insigh s.” 2. Tex ual w i ing con en ions 2.1 Fo mali y 2.2 Conciseness and exac ness 2.3 Impe sonali y 2.4 Nominalisa ion 2.5 G amma ical co ec ness 2.1 Fo mali y Fo mal egis e – ocabula y shi , a oid colloquial wo ds (e.g. dumb [igno an ]; kid [child]), slang (e.g. gease [man]; ozz [policeman]), con ac ions (a en’ [a e no ]; can’ [canno ]) •C ea ing a sense o se iousness •Au ho i a i eness o claims •Condi ion o app op ia eness o he academic con ex •Example: he use o GOOD 2.2 Conciseness and exac ness To he poin and exac (as economical as possible) o mee he equi emen o cla i y •The ac ha he au ho belie es ha social jus ice is possible leads he o de end he claim ha people should pa icipa e in hei democ a ic sys ems. (25 wo ds) oShe a gues ha people should pa icipa e in hei democ a ic sys ems because social jus ice is possible. (15 wo ds) •A oidance o inde e mina e/ ague lexical i ems (e.g. ‘ hing’), e bosi y & edundancy (e.g. "a iny li le child“), emo ional wo ds (‘g ea !’) Examples o e bosi y (S e en Pinke ) • “Mos impo an ly, he e is a lo o a iabili y in his popula ion ega ding he le el o linguis ic di icul y ha is being exhibi ed …” •Child en di e a lo in hei language p oblems … • “Comp ehension checks we e used as exclusion c i e ia …” •We excluded pa icipan s who did no unde s and he ask … 2.3 Exp essing you own ' oice' in you s udy (impe sonali y?) •His o ically, no place o a pe sonal oice (‘sel -men ions’) in academic w i ing – a oidance o 1s pe son p onouns (I; we; my; us; ou ) •Impo an : wha is you discipline's s ance on his? •Wha is he eal unc ion o a oiding a pe sonal s yle? •Dis ancing onesel pe sonally om wha one w i es c ea es an imp ession o being mo e objec i e Example: in eg a ion o ideas Example: in eg a ion o ideas Example: in eg a ion o ideas 5. W i ing as a p ocess •W i ing is a p ocess: you i s a emp is NEVER you inal a emp •Re ise: you cons an ly e ise you CONTENT •Edi : you cons an ly edi you language and s yle Conclusion •Academic discou se no o be sepa a ed om social and disciplina y con ex •Academic discou se a ies acco ding o disciplines •Key no ma i e ea u es can be iden i ied – egula ed by unc ional condi ions •How do we accomplish his? ▪(i) wha you see in you eading o you discipline ▪(ii) eedback om you s udy leade ▪(iii) mul iple d a app oach o w i ing Discussion and e lec ion on AI ools RULES •AI canno eplace he need o you o de elop you own w i ing skills •Always e iew ALL AI ou pu s c i ically IDEAS •AI can, o example, gi e you quick eedback on you w i ing (e.g. g amma and s uc u e) •AI is no good o gi e you eedback on discipline- speci ic, nuanced con en •Do no allow AI o make adical changes o you wo k ha would change he meaning •Good o sugges ing g aphs, images and isuals E.g. NWU & AI ools h ps://se ices.nwu.ac.za/a i icial-in elligence-ainwu/ai-hub Good luck wi h you academic w i ing!