2021级研究生英语学术论文写作

王新

目录

  • 1 Preface: General understanding of academic writing
    • 1.1 Definition of academic writing
    • 1.2 Characteristics of good academic writing
  • 2 Types of academic writing
    • 2.1 Types based on writing format
    • 2.2 Types based on writing purpose
      • 2.2.1 Writing to summarize
      • 2.2.2 Writing to synthesize
      • 2.2.3 Writing to explain
      • 2.2.4 Writing to argue
      • 2.2.5 Writing to propose
      • 2.2.6 Writing to analyze
      • 2.2.7 Writing to evaluate
  • 3 Process of effective academic writing
    • 3.1 Identifying the rhetorical context
      • 3.1.1 Topic or subject
      • 3.1.2 Identifying audience
      • 3.1.3 Identifying purpose
    • 3.2 Researching the topic
      • 3.2.1 Library research
        • 3.2.1.1 Sources in the library
        • 3.2.1.2 Card catalog
        • 3.2.1.3 Note taking
      • 3.2.2 Field research
        • 3.2.2.1 Observing
        • 3.2.2.2 Interviewing
        • 3.2.2.3 Using questionnaires
          • 3.2.2.3.1 Usefulness of questionnaires
          • 3.2.2.3.2 Choosing restricted topic
          • 3.2.2.3.3 Writing the questions
            • 3.2.2.3.3.1 Two basic types of questions
            • 3.2.2.3.3.2 Writing relevant questions
            • 3.2.2.3.3.3 Writing reliable and valid questions
          • 3.2.2.3.4 Writing effective instructions
          • 3.2.2.3.5 Presenting an effective questionnaire
          • 3.2.2.3.6 Selecting respondents
          • 3.2.2.3.7 Distributing a questionnaire
          • 3.2.2.3.8 Tabulating responses
        • 3.2.2.4 Questionnaires versus interview
      • 3.2.3 Internet research
    • 3.3 Outlining
      • 3.3.1 Importance of outlining
      • 3.3.2 Draft outline
      • 3.3.3 Formal outline
      • 3.3.4 Two commonly used patterns of formal outlines
      • 3.3.5 Four rules for writing outlines
      • 3.3.6 Writing a thesis statement
    • 3.4 Drafting, revising, editing and proofreading
      • 3.4.1 Drafting
      • 3.4.2 Revising
      • 3.4.3 Final editing and proofreading
    • 3.5 Some tips for an effective academic writing
  • 4 Strategies of academic writing
    • 4.1 Choosing right words
      • 4.1.1 Common words, formalwords and nonstandard words
      • 4.1.2 General words and specific words
      • 4.1.3 Idiomatic expressions
      • 4.1.4 Synonyms
      • 4.1.5 Faulty use of pronouns
      • 4.1.6 Jargon and slang
    • 4.2 Writing effective sentences
      • 4.2.1 Conciseness of sentences
      • 4.2.2 Variety of sentences
      • 4.2.3 Emphasis of sentences
      • 4.2.4 Faults of sentences
    • 4.3 Writing valid paragraphs
      • 4.3.1 Understanding paragraph structure
      • 4.3.2 Two special types of paragraphs
        • 4.3.2.1 Opening paragraph
        • 4.3.2.2 Concluding paragraph
    • 4.4 Basic Organizational patterns of essays
      • 4.4.1 General-to-specific / abstract-to-concrete order
      • 4.4.2 Specific-to-general / concrete-to-abstract order
      • 4.4.3 Order of importance
      • 4.4.4 Chronological order
      • 4.4.5 Spatial order
      • 4.4.6 Other organizational patterns
    • 4.5 Strategies for development
      • 4.5.1 Definition
      • 4.5.2 Classification
        • 4.5.2.1 Choosing the principle(s) to classify
        • 4.5.2.2 Testing the effectiveness
      • 4.5.3 Example
        • 4.5.3.1 Relevant examples
        • 4.5.3.2 Specific examples
        • 4.5.3.3 Sufficient examples
      • 4.5.4 Comparison and contrast
        • 4.5.4.1 Points for comparing and contrasting
        • 4.5.4.2 Two ways for organizing comparison and contrast
      • 4.5.5 Cause and effect
        • 4.5.5.1 Distinguishing between cause and effect
        • 4.5.5.2 Necessity, sufficiency, and Mill’s Methods
        • 4.5.5.3 Organizing cause and effect analysis
      • 4.5.6 Generalization
      • 4.5.7 Visual elements
  • 5 Documentation of sources
    • 5.1 Importance of documenting the sources
    • 5.2 Avoiding plagiarism
      • 5.2.1 Forms of plagiarism
      • 5.2.2 Ways to avoid plagiarism
      • 5.2.3 Common knowledge
      • 5.2.4 Confidential information
    • 5.3 Two formats of documenting the sources
      • 5.3.1 Notes and bibliographies: (MLA style)
      • 5.3.2 Author-date method and references: (APA style)
Some tips for an effective academic writing

3.5 Some tips for an effective academic writing

In order to write an effective academic writing, we should follow the tips given below:

l  The writing is based onextensive research of proven facts and authoritative testimony.

  Just as mentioned earlier, these proven facts can be gathered through first-hand experiments, field research, and library research.

l  The author’s voice tends to be objective and neutral.

  The author’s voice in a typical academic paper tends to be neutral, objective, and unemotional because its primary purpose is to appeal to the intellect readers, or to gain the readers’ intellectual agreement rather than to move emotionally. In fact, emotional orbiased use of language will cause the paper to lose its credibility, hinder the accurate presentation of information, and affect the judgment of the content presented. Thus, the writers of academic papers usually refrain from using colorful terms to add “flavor” or “spice” to the prose.

l  The style tends to beformal.

  Since an academic paper is written for professionals in the same field and in many cases intended for publication in professional or academic periodicals, and the purpose is to present accurate information, the style of writing tends to be formal. The formality is achieved through its diction, sentence structure, and format. Of course, the level of formality of a given paper depends on its subject, audience, purpose, and other relevant factors in the rhetorical context.

l  Appropriate and precisediction is needed.

  The rhetorical context of the academic writing determines that its diction should be both precise and appropriate. Some informal expressions, such as some colloquialisms and slang expressions, are usually frowned upon as being unprofessional and out of place in academic writings.

l  Moderately complexsentences are used.

  It is true that sentence structures for the academic writing tend to be complex because the complex ideas demand complex sentences to express them clearly and accurately. It often takes longer and more complex sentences to show the relationships between ideas. However, there is always the danger of overdoing it. The key word for complexity of sentence structures is moderate. Strings of short and simple sentences will give readers an unfavorable impression of lack of intellectual maturity. On the other hand, wordy, tangled and excessively leaden sentences are unwelcome because they hinder understanding and obscure meaning.

l  Neat appearance andformat are presented.

  While the ideas being presented are the most important in an academic paper, its appearance and the format which isused also participate in the making of meaning. Therefore, an academic writing should have a pleasing appearance: type written or printed on good-quality white paper, free from errors, and clear, with easy-to-read diagrams, figures, and tables. It should be correct even down to such details as mechanics, punctuation, and margins (top, bottom, left and right). In addition, careful documentation of the sources is required. Deferent academic disciplines follow the different styles in documentation. In American colleges or universities, two documentation styles are usually recommended: the MLA style for the disciplines in Humanities and the APA style for social science.