UTS Academic English Summer: Reflection on Academic Writing Process

This essay presents a reflection on the academic writing process, focusing on a previously written piece about online scamming. The reflection evaluates the writing process, including conceptualization, formulation, editing, and proofreading, and assesses the efficacy of the strategies employed. It identifies areas for improvement, such as syntax, topic knowledge, time management, and citation accuracy. The reflection highlights the significance of self-assessment in enhancing future academic writing endeavors. The student also provides suggestions for improvement and emphasizes the importance of allocating sufficient time for academic writing tasks. Desklib offers a platform for students to access similar solved assignments and past papers.

REFLECTION ON ACADEMIC WRITING
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Table of Contents
1. Description of chosen piece of academic writing........................................................................2
2. Evaluation of the process of academic writing............................................................................2
2.1 Steps of academic writing......................................................................................................2
2.2 Efficacy of the strategy followed...........................................................................................3
3. Suggestions for improvement......................................................................................................3
4. Significance of the reflection.......................................................................................................4
Reference list...................................................................................................................................5
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1. Description of chosen piece of academic writing
This study has revolved around reflection on academic writing process with special reference to
one of my own academic write up namely Scamming. This piece of academic writing involves
review of two journal articles regarding two types of online scamming. For that reason, the write
up has been started with a brief introduction that includes basic information about scamming in
general along with outline of the whole write up. The whole piece of academic write up has been
divided in three further sections that include summary of the first article, summary of the second
article and an overall evaluation of both the articles based on their level of reliability, relevance
and more. Finally, the write up ends with a brief conclusion that states the summary of both the
articles in one or two sentences. Moreover, a list of references has been mentioned in the
bibliography section on the last page of the work. This work has been chosen for this study
because this is a type of academic writing that can be researched for reflecting on it.
2. Evaluation of the process of academic writing
Academic writing can be of many types such as reports, essays, case studies and more. The
chosen piece of writing was supposed to be in an essay form that has been followed throughout.
Thus, the chosen academic writing task will be going to be assessed keeping the process of
writing an essay in mind. In this regard, this can be added that the chosen write up followed the
assessment task guidelines that were provided for writing that task (Hyland, 2014). In order to be
more specific, the guidelines stated to summarize the given articles and to synthesize own
opinions from them. Thus, an essay form was chosen for the task as this form was thought to be
properly suited for the requirements of the task.
2.1 Steps of academic writing
As any other academic writing tasks, the chosen write up also followed some steps that can be
termed as parts of the academic writing process. As mentioned by Astafurova, Skrynnikova and
Sytina (2017), a proper academic write up generally follows four phases or steps such as
conceptualizing, formulating, editing and proofreading. In the context of the chosen write up, it
can be mentioned that it followed all the stages. The conceptualizing part was done in a pre
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writing phase where the writer interpreted the purpose of writing that task. For example, it has
been noticed that the subject of the task was scamming and that subject needed to be presented
through analysing two journals. For that reason, other resource materials were researched and
read by the writer in order to be able to start the writing part. In addition, an outline was
structured that was followed while writing the essay. After that, the step of formulating was
followed where firstly a raw draft was written that included all the ideas that the writer gathered
during the research process. In this stage, the write up looked imperfect and unorganized. Then
the next stage of revision was followed where the draft was revisited in order to edit it to give it
its final look (Paltridge et al. 2009). Finally, the completed task was again revisited for
proofreading in order to identify any faults both in lexical and conceptual aspects of the write up.
In this regard, this can be said that the core principles of academic communication were followed
in the chosen task (Cummins, 2014). In order to be more specific, the task was begun after
understanding the expected readers of the assignment along with the aim of writing that essay. In
addition, it was kept in mind that the ideas presented in the essay needed to be less broad and less
confusing. As a result, a rounded depiction of scamming was presented through the task.
2.2 Efficacy of the strategy followed
As per the above mentioned information, this can be stated that the chosen assessment task
followed the strategy of four successive phases for completing the task of academic writing. In
this regard, it can be mentioned that it was not effective to follow the steps successively (Uccelli,
Dobbs and Scott, 2013). Rather, steps like conceptualizing and revising needed to be followed
throughout the writing process. On the other hand, writing an initial draft was effective as it
helped the writer to present all the ideas without any obstacles (AlHassan and Wood, 2015).
Moreover, the decision to revisiting the write up twice was effective as it helped the task to have
an almost efficient final look.
3. Suggestions for improvement
Even after following a good strategy, the task lacked efficiency in various areas that is needed to
be identified for further improvement. For example, the write up could have looked much better
if the syntax could have followed more accurately. On the other hand, my own lack of
knowledge regarding the topic of the essay could have been avoided through researching more
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about the topic before jumping onto the writing part. In addition, it would have been more
effective if I would be given more time for completing the task (Hirvela and Du, 2013). This is
so because allocation of more time could have stopped me from rushing from one phase to
another quickly. Moreover, it can be mentioned that it would have been more accurate if the in-
text citations could have been followed without errors.
4. Significance of the reflection
The reflection on own academic writing process has helped me in realizing the drawbacks of my
own writing process that can be avoided in my next attempt. On the other hand, reflection has
been helpful for me to again go through the completed task and remodel it in a more effective
way (Devereux et al. 2018). Moreover, it has been learned that academic writing process is a
time consuming process that needs a lot of time in order to justify the aims of writing any
academic piece.
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Reference list
AlHassan, L. and Wood, D., 2015. The effectiveness of focused instruction of formulaic
sequences in augmenting L2 learners' academic writing skills: A quantitative research
study. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 17(2), pp.51-62.
Astafurova, T.N., Skrynnikova, I.V. and Sytina, N.A., 2017. Methodology of mastering
academic writing competence in English within program of university training. Journal of
Academic Language and Learning, 12(3), pp.11-29.
Cummins, J., 2014. Beyond language: Academic communication and student
success. Linguistics and Education, 26(1), pp.145-154.
Devereux, L., Wilson, K., Kiley, A. and Gunawardena, M., 2018. The proof of the pudding…
analysing student written texts for evidence of a successful literacy intervention. Journal of
Academic Language and Learning, 12(1), pp.239-253.
Hirvela, A. and Du, Q., 2013. “Why am I paraphrasing?”: Undergraduate ESL writers'
engagement with source-based academic writing and reading. Journal of English for Academic
Purposes, 12(2), pp.87-98.
Hyland, K., 2014. Activity and evaluation: Reporting practices in academic writing. In Academic
discourse 12(1), pp.125-140.
Paltridge, B., Harbon, L., Hirsh, D., Shen, H., Stevenson, M., Phakiti, A. and Woodrow, L.,
2009. Teaching academic writing: An introduction for teachers of second language writers. Ann
Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press. Michigan 11(2), pp.21-39.
Uccelli, P., Dobbs, C.L. and Scott, J., 2013. Mastering academic language: Organization and
stance in the persuasive writing of high school students. Written Communication, 30(1), pp.36-
62.
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