Essay: Seven Features of Academic Writing - BA Business Studies

This essay, submitted by a student, provides a comprehensive overview of the seven key features of academic writing: structure, precision, objectivity, evidence, critical thinking, balance, and formality. The essay defines each feature, explaining its importance and providing examples of how it is applied. The author emphasizes the significance of organization, clarity, and accuracy in academic work. The essay also explores the role of evidence, critical analysis, and balanced perspectives in constructing a strong argument. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of formal language and style. The essay concludes by reiterating the value of these features in developing effective communication and argumentation skills within an academic context. The student has referenced various sources to support their points and enhance the credibility of their arguments.

Assignment 1 – Essay
SSHE
Seven Features of Academic Writing
Student ID:234316
Eudalise Aragão
BA in Business Studies (Foundation Year) University of Suffolk
Date of Submission: 8th November
I declare that this assignment is all my own work and that I have acknowledged all materials
used from the published or unpublished works of other people. All references have been duly
cited.

Seven features of academic writing
Academic writing is broadly defined as a style that provides information in a clear
and concise manner. It is a form of writing that is of most importance in academia but
also used in the workplace where a more detailed analysis of a topic is required.
What is the aim? Communication. The purpose is to share factual information, ideas,
and/or results of research. Academic writing is mainly used as a ground of
assessment to evaluate a theory or test a concept. In this context, it can also be an
evaluation tool to examine a student’s understanding and performance. As it is,
different circumstances call for different needs. Therefore, for a variety of academic
subjects, there are distinct styles and vocabulary standards. What characterizes and
sets academic writing apart from other types of writing is being: structured, precise,
objective, evidenced, critical, balanced and formal (Smith, 2021). This essay will
clarify the features in more detail and explain their importance.
Writing is more than randomly unloading information. Academically, organizing is
required. How to do it? It can start with introducing the focus, following the purpose
of the content, connecting each paragraph, demonstrating logic and cohesive display
of information, among different things. Structure eases the reading and
understanding of the content. Following it provides fluidity to the reader and makes it
faster and more accessible to scan or skim through information. For example, an
essay traditionally has a three-part division: introduction, main body and conclusion,
which facilitates the reader to find relevant key words. Each of these parts holds a
structure of its own, provided the type of academic writing. For instance, a thesis
statement is part of the introduction while topic sentences are part of the main body,
so if there is the case that a reader is only looking for topics on an essay, they can
quickly skim through the introduction. It might sound complicated, nonetheless" is
about finding the right building blocks each time and putting them in a coherent
order" (Creme and R. Lea, 1997, p. 36). Each and every building block has its part
while still being linked, and the whole needs to be clear for the reader.
While writing, being precise fills the need for attention to small and relevant details,
so whoever reads is correctly informed about the subject. The point is that no
essential information is lost in the process, and everything conveyed is properly
explained. Subsequently, technical language is suggested, along with outlining
definitions to avoid misunderstandings and confusion. It is about being clear, using
non-vague language, proper grammar, accurate vocabulary and focusing on the
theme. What is the consequence of not being precise? Starting with an illustration, if
a student writes a laboratory report that involves various measurements and
calculations, approximate figures will lead to not rigorous and accurate results,
therefore defying the purpose of the study and research. That said, it means that the
consequence of not being precise is that the lack of attention to details “ can lead to
inaccurate results that are not very close to the truth”, according to (Davies, 2019).
Seven features of academic writing

As mentioned before, a clear language is associated with proper vocabulary and
grammar, but so is an objective language. (Smith, 2019) referred that it is about
adding more weight to argument and context than on the writer. That is done by
using fewer verbs and adverbs, which usually suggest a participating subject or
active voice, and using more nouns and structures that are passive. As an example,
instead of saying: “As a student, I should try to spend as much time as possible
studying.” it can be said: “As a student, one should try to spend as much time as
possible studying.”. All of this, of course, is in line with specific forms of writing that
demand so. The emphasis is also on the results of an investigation and not on the
author's opinion. Well-structured research should be unbiased to reflect
professionalism. Being objective shows confidence, fairness and credibility.
In writing, credibility is too, is supported by evidence. Of course, that a well-written
text might by itself inspire trust, yet, how does one know that the information is
truthful? With evidence. A small, but fundamental part of academic writing, is
bibliography/referencing. Referencing is a list that provides details of the sources,
and these can be books, websites and articles amongst other things. Why is
evidenced writing important? Evidence gives a chance for the audience to analyze
and decide if the sources are reliable and if the information is applicable or not.
Based on the sources, there are: citations, quotes and paraphrasing. These can be
used freely and are recommended by lecturers and other experts. As a result,
evidence such as citations, increase the reader's engagement.
In life and academically, it is important to have critical thinking. However, thinking is
not enough, to actually apply it to writing, makes a big difference. To critically write
means to question and verify sources and conventions, explore thoroughly, analyze
arguments and translate the work results into relevant interpretations rather than
blindly accept everything that is given. A student should always be open to different
perspectives while still having an opinion of their own. Opposing arguments can be
accurate, however, there are times when the assignment can be, for example: a
critical evaluation of an argument. By developing the ability to write critically, there is
additional value to one’s research. It would no longer be just about paraphrasing and
rewriting, it would be likewise about stimulation from other experiences, contrasting
points of view and different realities. Being analytical in that sense, helps define
evidence for arguments, compare specific thoughts about the same research, and
ultimately deliver a reliable assignment.
Balance is also a feature of academic writing and an important one, just like any of
the previous ones mentioned. It concerns to having in consideration differing
possibilities while maintaining a voice. Fairness is of great importance, and for
achieving it, writing should hold a balance. Further than adding the supported
premises, it is resourceful to include diverging points regardless of any
disagreement. When, as an example, writing an essay about a novel, there might be
Seven features of academic writing

different existing interpretations to be taken into account. Adding different angles and
frames allows the reader to see the bigger picture and incentivizes analysis and a
deeper understanding. A correct way to introduce these angles is by using
vocabulary which separates factual information from allegations. That is what
hedging vocabulary is usually applied, is the type of language that indicates
ambiguity, showing that although the information shared might be truthful, it is not
necessarily coercive.
Lastly, another important feature of academic writing is its formality. What does it
mean to be formal? To be formal corresponds to the process of following systematic
norms of strict behavior. According to Collins English Thesaurus, (Formality,2021)
correctness, seriousness and decorum are amongst the synonyms. Whether there
is one topic or more, the wording must reflect an accurate expression of the
research, as well as uniformity and impartiality. Formality in writing is described as
complex and strict. How to write formally? With the use of the appropriate
vocabulary. Hence, by avoiding slang and urban language such as "cool" or "low
key”, by avoiding abbreviations and contractions as "can't" or "what's", and by
avoiding cliches and emotional language. Objectively speaking, a formal writing style
sets the tone for professional and well-written work. An example of this would be
comparing the following two phrases. "It's cool to write essays but I think it’s loads of
work" and "Essay writing is pleasurable however troublesome.". The first sentence
shows a lack of effort by the usage of contractions and colloquial word choices while
the second sounds assertive and professional.
In essence, academic writing is a communication tool that develops student's skills.
As it is, in order to do so, there are requirements to follow. There are different styles
of academic writing, and for each of them, respective guidelines. Nonetheless, there
are common features to every style, that lead to a well-structured text. As mentioned
previously, writing needs to be structured, precise, objective, evidenced, critical,
balanced and formal. To meet these requirements there are different instruments
from the usage of appropriate vocabulary, clear language, and the correct tone. To
own the technique of academic writing sets the path for improved communication
and argumentation.
Seven features of academic writing

Referencing
Monash University (2021) Features of academic writing
Available at:
https://www.monash.edu/rlo/research-writing-assignments/writing/features-of-
academic-writing (Accessed 05 October 2021)
Smith, Sheldon (2021); Academic Writing
Available at: https://www.eapfoundation.com/writing/what/ (Accessed:6 October
2021)
Biz e-training (no date), Features of academic writing
Available at: https://www.biz-e-training.com/features-of-academic-writing/#FAW3
(Accessed: 05 October 2021)
University of Leeds (no date), Academic Writing
Available at: https://library.leeds.ac.uk/info/14011/writing/106/academic_writing
(Accessed: 05 October 2021)
UEfAP(no date), Academic writing: Features of academic writing
Available at: http://www.uefap.com/writing/feature/featfram.htm
(Accessed: 08 October 2021)
Linnaeus University (2021), Features of academic writing
Available at: https://lnu.se/en/library/Writing-and-referencing/academic-language/
(Accessed: 08 Octobe 2021r)
York St John University (no date), Writing skills: Using Evidence
Available at:
https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/media/content-assets/student-services/documents/
academic-writing-study-development/writing-skills/WritingSkills-UsingEvidence.pdf\
(Accessed: 08 October 2021
Collins Dictionary (no date), Formality
Available at: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english-thesaurus/formality
(08 October 2021)
Phyllis Crème and Mary R.Lea (1997), Writing at University a guide for
students.Glasgow: Bell and Bain Ltd.
Seven features of academic writing