Top Ten Tips
Academic Writing
1. Academic writing should be objective and impersonal; avoid phrases such as ‘I think’
instead use ‘it is thought that’ or ‘evidence has shown that’. If using the latter make sure
you include the references.
2. Academic writing should be structured; it needs to follow a logical order. It should have
an introduction, a main body and a conclusion. Academic writing needs to have
coherent sentences and paragraphs that follow on clearly from each other.
3. Use language or terms that are specific to your course or field of study, these are words
or phrases that your lecturer would commonly use and that you will also come across
frequently in your course texts. Referring to a dictionary of your particular course or
field of study will help with this, an example being a dictionary of American history if
you were studying American history.
4. Avoid using slang or contractions, examples of contractions are; it’s and that’s instead
you would write it is or that is.
5. Academic reading will also enhance your academic writing. When reading journals or
texts, pay attention not only to the content but also the style of writing.
6. Use linking words to help structure your work, examples of these are ‘therefore’,
‘consequently’, ‘furthermore’ and ‘however’.
7. Pay attention to spelling, you do get marked on this. Try and use a dictionary rather
than relying on your computer’s spell check, they are much more reliable.
8. A thesaurus will help you to avoid repeating the same words throughout your work; a
thesaurus offers you a list of alternative words.
9. Always reference your work, not just the quotations but the ideas as well. Make sure
that you use the correct referencing system for your course. If in doubt, refer to your
course or module handbook.
10. Always proof read your work; try reading it out loud, mistakes are far easier to spot
when you do this. Allow yourself plenty of time to make the corrections that you need.