Academic Writing: An
Overview
“Whether you knew it or not when you started,
conducting research is the defining feature of
your graduate career. If you plan to stay in
academe, it will be the defining feature of your
academic life.”
--Lesli Mitchell
The Ultimate Grad School Survival Guide
The genre of research
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What it’s not:
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What it’s not only:
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A loose collection of anecdotal information
Reporting of others’ knowledge
What it is:
Creation of knowledge
 Added security of academic support
 Contribution to a larger academic discussion
 Problems and solutions
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Before you write:
Read sources critically
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Read studies similar to what you want to write
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Abstracts
Literature Reviews
Conclusions/Discussion
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Professional journals, master’s theses, Google scholar
Recommendations for Future Study
Take notes (don’t highlight!)
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Summarize/paraphrase passages
Quoting Sources (in brief)
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Use quotations sparingly and strategically.
Use quotations only when the language is so
unique that you must use it; that is, the language
adds “color, power, or character,” to your
project.
Too many quotes are distracting; reader needs to
hear your voice.
Quote use
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Identify quotes with frames that precede, follow,
or interrupt.
Use appropriate verb of attribution.
Punctuate correctly.
Quotes should be syntactically correct and
integrated into your own language.
The Art of the Paraphrase
You are writers, not re-typers.
Instances of plagiarism (from the Office of the Associate VP, CSU Fresno):
 “Failure to use quotation marks when quoting
directly from another, whether it be a paragraph,
sentence or part thereof
 Copying phrases or ideas from a book, magazine, or
other source without giving credit to the author
 Turning in a paper or computer program that is the
work of another individual”
Drafting
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Should be the least time-consuming of all steps
in the process
If it’s taking you forever to write 1,000 words,
two things could be happening:
1. You don’t have a clue what you should be
saying.
2. You're revising while you draft so that you end
up with one sentence an hour.
The Introduction: Your paper’s
“first impression”
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Introductions should:
 Introduce
subject and problem
 Clearly state purpose
Strategies for Introductions
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Begin with a narrative
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Begin with a question or series of questions.
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Bold, expert opinion captures readers’ attention.
Begin by citing key data
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Shows reader that your subject is provocative and interesting.
Begin by quoting a key source.
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Anecdotes that make the topic more “real” to reader.
Alarming stats emphasize importance
Writing Studio at Duke University:
http://uwp.duke.edu/writing-studio/resources
Review of Literature
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Examine/analyze what has already been
published on your topic
Find the gaps (Recommendations for future research)
 Provide framework for scope of the problem
 Explain where your study “fits”
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Review must be thorough
Currency, credibility
 Snowball your sources
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Review must be accurate
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Follow rules for specific documentation style
Report your findings
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What trends did you find in the research?
Did you discover something that hasn’t been
addressed? (Creation of knowledge)
Did you gather your own data? (surveys,
experiments)
Presentation of findings in tables, figures, etc.
Conclusions
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Place the paper in a larger context
Convince readers that what they read was meaningful.
Go beyond mere summary and avoid repeating wordfor-word a statement you wrote earlier in the paper.
Answers the question, “Where could we go from
here?”
Makes suggestions or calls to action
You are the author
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Paper should be predominately your ideas and
opinions.
Show your critical thinking skills.
A paper with patched together summaries and
paraphrases, even if they’re in your own words,
will not succeed.