What Is Academic Writing?

Presented by prof. Dr. Hanaa El kazazz

Architectural glass des.prof., former head of glass dep.
 What is academic writing?

• Academic writing is writing which communicates ideas,

information and research to the wider academic community.
• It can be divided into two types: student academic writing, and
expert academic writing,
Types of Academic text Definition
Essay A fairly short, self-contained
argument, often using sources from
a class in response to a question
provided by an instructor.

Research paper A more in-depth investigation based

on independent research, often in
response to a question chosen by
the student.
• What Is an Academic Essay?
• An academic essay is a structured form of writing students face in
school, college, and university as a part of their curricula.
• Compared to other types of academic writing, essays are usually
shorter in length and present the authors’ opinions to support
their arguments.
• Here are some key features of an academic essay for you to keep
in mind:
• Conciseness — as a rule, essays are short; the length of such
papers range from 200 to 500 words.
• Topic — due to their short lengths, a perfect topic for an essay
should be narrowed-down and not too broad.
• Well-structured text — although essays can be considered as one
of the least formal types of writing, they still need to have a solid
structure and follow the proper academic paper format.
• Clear central idea — every academic essay should deliver a
specific point that should be clear and powerful (i.e. thesis
statement).
• Personal motivation — unlike other types of writing, essays often
imply that their authors are personally interested in the subjects
they are discussing.
• Supporting facts, evidence, and examples — although essays may
present an author’s personal beliefs and ideas, they should also
provide arguments that support those ideas.
• How to Write an Academic Essay: Format, Examples | EssayPro
• Research Paper:
• 1- Define Your Research Question.
• 2- Create a Research Strategy by ……..2. First, review your
library's website.
• Second, make an appointment with a reference librarian.
• 3- Evaluate Sources.
• Why Write Research Papers?
• Learning Scholarly Conventions: During the research and writing
process, you'll learn how to document your research, cite sources
appropriately, format an academic paper, maintain an academic
tone, and more.
• Organizing Information: In a way, research is nothing more than
a massive organizational project.
• The information available to you is near-infinite, and it's your job
to review that information, narrow it down, categorize it, and
present it in a clear, relevant format.
• Managing Time: Research papers put your time
management skills to the test. Every step of the research and
writing process takes time.
• Exploring Your Chosen Subject: No matter what topic you
choose, you're bound to come away from the research process
with new ideas and countless nuggets of fascinating
information.
• The best research papers are the result of genuine interest and
a thorough research process. With these ideas in mind, go
forth and research. What Is a Research Paper?
(thoughtco.com)
Thesis/dissertation The large final research project
undertaken at the end of a degree,
usually on a topic of the student’s
choice.
Research proposal An outline of a potential topic and
plan for a future dissertation or
research project.
Literature review A critical synthesis of existing
research on a topic, usually written
in order to inform the approach of
a new piece of research.
• Main Differences Between a Thesis vs. Dissertation
• The biggest difference between a thesis and a dissertation is that a
thesis is based on existing research.
• A thesis is for master’s students and the dissertation is for PhD
students.

• Structurally, the two pieces of written analysis have many

differences.
• A thesis is at least 100 pages in length.
• A dissertation is 2-3x that in length.
• A thesis expands upon and analyzes existing research.
• A dissertation’s content is mostly attributed to the student as the
author.
• Similarities:
• Each is considered a final project and required to graduate.
• Both require immense understanding of the material.
• Written skills are key to complete both.
• Neither can be plagiarized.
• Both are used to defend an argument.
• Both require analytical skills.
• You will have to draft, rewrite, and edit both pieces of writing.
• For both, it is useful to have another person look over before
submission.
• Both papers are given deadlines.
• Differences:
• A dissertation is longer than a thesis.
• A dissertation requires new research.
• A dissertation requires a hypothesis that is then proven.
• A thesis chooses a stance on an existing idea and defends it with
analysis.
• A dissertation has a longer oral presentation component.
• Dissertation vs Thesis: The Differences that Matter (uopeople.edu)
Research proposal
• Key Questions to Be Asked
• At this stage, it is good to ask these preparatory questions to
help you steer your research in the right direction:
• What is the topic I want to study?
• Why is it worthwhile to study it?
• What practical or valuable problems will it help solve?
• How does it build upon—and possibly improve—existing
research already done about the topic?
• What are the specific tasks that I must plan to do?
• Can I get those tasks done within the time and resources
available?
• Research Proposal Writing
• A. Introduction.
• B. Background and Significance.
• C. Review of Prior Studies and Literature.
• D. Aims and Research Questions.
• E. Research Design & Methods.
• F. Implications and Contribution to Knowledge.
• G. Compliance with Ethical Principles.
• H. Budget.
• I. Timetable.
• J. Conclusion.
• K. Appendices.
• After reading the introduction, your readers should be able to
clearly understand what you want to do. Likewise, they should be
able to appreciate your enthusiasm(excitement) for the topic and
to be engaged in the potential results of the study (Jackowski &
Leggett, 2015).

• Consider your introduction as a two-four paragraph narrative that

concisely responds to the following questions:
• What is the central problem of the study?
• What is the field of study that is relevant to that core problem?
• What methods should be utilized to analyze that problem?
• Why is this study important?
• What is its significance to the academy and to the world at
large?
• Why should someone reading the proposal be concerned about
the results of the proposed research?
• Take note that most academic institutions and funding agencies
do not require an abstract or synopsis(summary) before the
introduction.
• However, it is best to check your institution’s guidelines.
• How to Write a Research Proposal: Structure, Examples &
Common Mistakes | Research.com
• B. Background and Significance
• This part is for explaining the context of a research proposal and
for clearly describing its importance.
• you should endeavor (seek) to address the following key
considerations:
• Specify the problem of the study and provide a more detailed
elaboration (preparation)of the research purpose.
• This is very important when the research problem is multifaceted
or complex.
• C. Review of Prior Studies and Literature
• Your study background and significance is directly related to this
section, while, at the same time, showing the innovation and
originality of your proposed work (Abdulai & Owusu-Ansah, 2014).
• As there are many efficient ways in framing your review of existing
related studies, many scholars are following the use of the “five
Cs” in writing a literature review (Sudheesh et al., 2016):
• Cite properly in order to maintain the primary focus on the
previous studies related to the research problem.
• Compare the methods, outcomes, models, and arguments
mentioned in the literature.
• Contrast the different themes, controversies, methodologies, and
arguments underscored in the literature.
• Critique the literature. Identify the engaging arguments used by
scholars.
• Connect the literature to your own particular study area and
topic.
• Discuss whether and how your proposed study draws upon,
deviates from, synthesizes, or contributes new knowledge to
existing literature.
• D. Aims and Research Questions
• Give considerable time in properly framing your objectives and try
to write them in a single sentence, if possible.
• A research objective will help you stay focused and prevent you
from drifting off on tangents (Krathwohl & Smith, 2005).
• all study proposals must deal with the following questions:
• What do you plan to achieve? Be straightforward and concise in
describing the research problem and what topic you are proposing
to study.
• Why do you want to conduct the research? You must also provide
compelling (convincing) evidence that your selected topic is
worthy of a thorough examination.
• How are you going to conduct the research? Make sure that your
proposed study is doable (usable) and provide a clear, coherent set
of strategies to complete it.
• E. Research Design & Methods
• This part must build confidence among your readers that it is
something worth pursuing.
• An effective way to frame your study design is by drawing good
examples from your literature review. Emulate the good
approaches used by other researchers.
• F. Implications and Contribution to Knowledge
• By drawing from your research objectives, explain how the
expected outcomes will affect future studies, practice, theory,
policymaking, procedures, etc.
• Discussing study implications typically have either
methodological, theoretical, or substantive significance (Abdulai
& Owusu-Ansah, 2014).
• G. Compliance with Ethical Principles
• There is nothing fundamentally best or worst when it comes to
the scientific writing style.
• It is just a standardized approach for presenting information that
is tailored to facilitate communication.
• Different scholarly disciplines have diverse publication styles.
• So this section depends on the protocols set by the target
institution or agency.
• Another major ethical APA principle promotes the need to
ensure the accuracy of scientific knowledge.
• The underlying principle behind the (universal) scientific
method comprises observation, which can be verified and
repeated by other scholars.
• H. Budget
• Some universities do not require a detailed budgetary allocation
for proposed studies that only involve archival research and simple
academic research, although some still do.

• The actual cost – present how much money do you need to

complete the entire study
• Justification – discuss why such budget item is necessary to
complete the research
• Source – explain how the amount was calculated
• Materials – Will you need access to any software solutions?
• Does using a technology tool require installation or training
costs?
• Time – How much will you need to cover the time spent on your
research study?
• Do you need to take an official leave from your regular work?
• Travel costs – Will you need to go to particular places to
conduct interviews or gather data?
• How much must you spend on such trips?
• Assistance – Will you hire research assistants for your
proposed study? What will they do and how much will you
pay them?
• Will you outsource any other activities (statistical analyses,
etc.)?
• I. Timetable
• The research schedule is another aspect where one should be
realistic and to the point.
• The study turnaround time shows that your proposed study can
be finished within the allowed period of completion, e.g., the
student’s candidature or the university’s academic calendar.
• Conclusion
• One of the best ways to conclude your research proposal is by
presenting a few of your anticipated outcomes.
• Revisions and Proofreading
• As with any other piece of academic writing, it is essential to
redraft, edit, and proofread your research proposal before you
submit it (van Ekelenburg, 2010).
• If you have the opportunity, ask a friend, colleague, or supervisor
for feedback and writing suggestions before handing it over to
the evaluators.
• In academic publishing, proposal rejection is a reality, even for
the most seasoned scholarly writers.
• In fact, the success rate of reapplied proposals is considerably
higher compared to the first submissions.
• V. Common Mistakes to Avoid in Proposal Writing
• Submitting lengthy proposals. When writing research
proposals, be to the point.
• Covering too much research ground. It is common for
students to fail in delimiting the contextual boundaries of
their studies, be it the topic, time, place, etc.
•
• Not citing major works in a literature review. While it is advised to keep
everything in the proposal at a minimum—a few milestone(landmark)
research studies must already be included.
• Too much focus on minor issues, yet very few details on major issues. A
proposal must focus only a few key study questions to clearly argue why it
should be conducted.
• Inability to frame a persuasive and coherent argument for the proposed
study.
• Poor grammar or careless writing.
Thanks a lot