Students often ask this question, but it is easier to say what academic style is NOT rather than define what it IS. For instance, academic writing normally uses an impersonal form, rather than personal pronouns such as 'I' or 'you'. But even in this case there can be exceptions, and an acceptable style also varies from subject to subject. So one answer to the question is to read journal articles in your subject area, and notice how they are written.
But that is likely to be a slow process, so the simplest answer is perhaps to say that good academic style aims to be accurate, impersonal and objective.
a) Accurate = use vocabulary precisely, do not be vague or too general.
b) Impersonal = avoid giving your opinions or beliefs
c) Objective = show all sides of any debate and analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments
For more ideas about academic style see:
Academic Writing Chapter 2.10 page 150
The hardest part of writing an essay can be the first sentence - especially in exams when time pressure can make you feel nervous. But staring at a blank piece of paper won't help - so it's worth learning a simple approach to writing the important first paragraph.
The first few sentences need to be general but not vague, as they set the tone for the rest of the essay. So the subject can be introduced by giving some background information:
In recent years the internet has become an important tool of academic research.
There is increasing interest in the use of wind power to produce electricity.
These statements tend to consist of:
Time phrase Topic Development
In recent years the internet has become an important tool of academic research.
These generalisations can be followed by further information and examples:
There is increasing interest in the use of wind power to produce electricity. In north Wales, for example, one wind farm produces enough electricity to light 120,000 homes. Wind power is a renewable resource which does not produce carbon dioxide.
For more ideas about writing introductions see:
Academic Writing Chapter 1.11 page 83
All academic writers need to show the sources of their ideas and information. This allows readers to go back to the sources if they want more detail.
References give the information needed to find a source. They are usually listed alphabetically at the end of the article or book eg:
Smith, M. (2009) Power and the State. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan.
(Author, date of publication, title, place of publication, publisher)
Citations are links, included in the text, to the full reference. Citations for quotations have this form:
Smith 2009:37
(Author's surname, date of publication, page number)
Citations for summaries use this format:
Smith (2009)
(Author's surname, date of publication)
For more details about references see:
Academic Writing Chapter 1.8 page 62
Not many students set out to cheat by copying work from other writers, but it's quite easy to plagiarise accidentally. So it's important to learn good study habits that help reduce this risk. Here are some tips:
- Effective time management is essential. If you don't give yourself enough time to write and re-write your work, you may be tempted to 'borrow' from your sources. Aim to finish essays at least a day before your deadline.
- When you make notes, always use your own words. Then when you write up the notes, there's no danger of repeating phrases from your sources.
- As you make notes, keep a careful record of the source - author, date, title, page numbers and publisher. This will save time later and should ensure accuracy.
- Before handing it in, check your work to make sure that every in-text citation is included in the list of references.
Your university or college website may explain the policy on plagiarism. Alternatively, try this site:
http://uefap.com/writing/plagiar/plagfram.htm
