Academic writing uses a different style than other types of writing. It avoids flashy vocabulary or being overly formal, aiming instead to be clear, concise, and objective so ideas are communicated effectively.
In the world of academic communication, how one shares knowledge matters just as much as what is being shared. Academic writing is shaped by its own style, which uses a formal tone, a clear focus on the research problem, and a consistent third-person perspective to express complex ideas with clarity.
Those who write in this field—whether researchers, practitioners, or experts—must carefully consider word choice to ensure precise meaning.
What is Academic Writing Style
Academic writing style follows a neutral language tone and avoids informal or conversational words. Formal terms such as “many factors” are preferred over casual phrases like “loads of things,” and personal references are generally excluded unless the task is reflective.
Formal
Academic writing avoids slang, contractions, and overly casual language. It maintains a professional tone appropriate for a scholarly audience.
Example:
- Informal: “Kids these days don’t really get how serious climate change is.”
- Formal: “Younger generations often lack full awareness of the severity of climate change.”
Conciseness
Good academic writing is concise. It avoids wordiness and redundancy to improve readability and clarity.
Example:
- Wordy: “It is important and necessary to ensure that you check all of your sources.”
- Concise: “It is essential to check your sources.”
Formal and Unbiased
Writers must avoid emotionally charged language or showing personal bias. The tone should be neutral and based on evidence.
Example:
- Biased: “This ridiculous policy harms everyone.”
- Unbiased: “This policy has been shown to negatively impact various demographics.”
Non-Discriminatory Language
Academic writing respects all individuals by using inclusive, non-offensive terms. It avoids outdated or biased expressions.
Example:
- Discriminatory: “Manpower is needed to complete the project.”
- Inclusive: “Staffing is needed to complete the project.”
Objective
Academic writing focuses on facts, logic, and evidence, not opinions or feelings. Avoiding personal pronouns helps maintain objectivity.
Example:
- Subjective: “I think online learning is better.”
- Objective: “Studies suggest that online learning offers comparable outcomes to traditional classroom instruction.”
Objective of Writing
The purpose is to present arguments and analysis without personal influence or emotion. Objective writing uses third-person perspective and avoids emotive language.
Example:
- Subjective: “I feel the results were not what I expected.”
- Objective: “The results did not align with the original hypothesis.”
Academic Writing Follows the Same Principles Across Disciplines
While subject matter may vary, academic writing principles such as clarity, structure, referencing, and objectivity are consistent across all fields.
Example:
Whether writing a psychology report or a history essay, both should follow a clear structure, cite sources correctly, and remain impartial in tone.
Be Clear
Clarity is critical in academic writing. Avoid ambiguity and ensure your reader can follow your argument or analysis without confusion
Example:
- Unclear: “There are many problems with this method.”
- Clear: “This method lacks validity due to a small sample size and potential researcher bias.”
Cautious (Hedging Language)
Writers often use hedging to avoid absolute statements. It reflects the complexity of academic topics and shows respect for alternative viewpoints.
Example:
- Too strong: “This strategy will definitely increase sales.”
- Cautious: “This strategy may increase sales under certain conditions.”
Importance of Good Academic Writing
In the writer’s early days of crafting college-level essays, it became clear that good writing was more than just putting thoughts on paper—it was about meeting the intended expectations of a specific audience.
Especially in the social and sciences fields, each piece of academic work had to align with certain disciplinary norms and traditions.
These shape not only the stylistic elements like tone and structure but also the methodological approach used in gathering and presenting data. When drafting research papers, the precision demanded attention to detail and consistency, which helped sharpen critical thinking.
Over time, this structured form of writing taught how to organize ideas, support arguments with logic, and follow a clear path—all essential for credible and professional communication.
Styles and Structure of Academic Writing
Understanding Academic Communication
Academic writing is a method of communication that follows set rules and conventions. It often begins with an introduction that frames the problem or topic, forming the foundation for a thesis-driven argument.
This style is structured, objective, and authoritative, aiming to solve problems through reasoning and investigation.
See Things like a Big Picture
Unlike creative or journalistic writing, academic writing requires a more formal and logical structure. The flow of ideas must be cohesive and organized, ensuring that all the parts come together to form a unified whole.
The narrative links between sentences and paragraphs should make it easy for the reader to follow the argument. The introduction should clearly outline how the rest of the paper is structured, and all sources should be properly cited throughout the content.
Tone in Academic Writing
In academic writing, the tone refers to the attitude conveyed throughout the paper. It’s crucial to present the arguments of others fairly, ensuring that you describe any position you disagree with accurately and without using loaded or biased language.
The author must investigate the research problem from an authoritative point of view, stating the strengths of their arguments confidently. The language used should be neutral, avoiding a confrontational or dismissive tone.
Diction
In academic writing, diction refers to the choice of words and their denotation or connotation. Words and terminology carry nuanced meanings that relate to the epistemological culture of a discipline, such as the rational choice theory in political science.
Use concrete words to ensure specific meaning, and always explain terms when necessary in the context of the discipline.
Language Use
In academic writing, language refers to the system of words used for clear communication. When addressing research problems in the social sciences, which can be complex and multi-dimensional, it’s essential to use unambiguous language.
Well-structured paragraphs and clear topic sentences help the reader follow your line of thinking. Ensure your language is concise, formal, and precise, avoiding vague or indeterminate words like “super” or “huge,” as well as abbreviations like i.e., e.g.,
Academic writing avoids informal, conversational, or colloquial language. It uses neutral words like “many factors” instead of “loads of things.” Unless it’s a reflective assignment, avoid personal language. Replace subjective phrases like “really bad” with objective language such as “key negative consequence.”
Punctuation and Grammar Writing
Punctuation marks are used in writing to separate sentences and clarify meaning. Scholars rely on precise words to establish the narrative tone. For example, exclamation points are rarely used to express a heightened tone because it can seem unsophisticated or over-excited.
Dashes should be limited to inserting an explanatory comment, while hyphens connect prefixes to words or form compound phrases.
Semi-colons represent a pause longer than a comma but shorter than a period. They are used to expand a second clause, show a sequence of actions, or mark off a series of phrases with commas. If you’re unsure about semi-colons, rewrite with shorter sentences.
Punctuation marks in writing help to separate sentences and clarify meaning. Scholars use precise words and language to shape the narrative tone, avoiding exclamation points that seem unsophisticated or over-excited.
Use dashes for an explanatory comment, hyphens for prefixes or compound phrases, and semi-colons for a pause between second clauses, a sequence of actions, or lists with commas. If unsure, rewrite in shorter sentences or revise.
Reasoning with Evidences
In academic writing, your point of view on the research problem should be grounded in evidence-based reasoning. This involves understanding the pertinent body of knowledge and academic debates within your discipline related to the topic.
Your arguments must be supported by evidence from scholarly sources, presented with an objective stance and a logical argument.
The quality of evidence you cite will determine the strength of your argument and help convince the reader of the validity of your thoughts in a well-documented, coherent, and logically structured manner.
This approach is essential when proposing solutions or delineating recommended courses of action.
Writing Norms
Academic conventions guide how scholars structure writing and the sharing of information. This includes citing sources in the body of your paper, adding a list of references, and avoiding slang, colloquial language, emotive language, and unsupported declarative statements.
Use headings, subheadings, and spell out acronyms; limit first person, second person pronouns, and contractions.
Variations in Academic Styles
There are several recognized styles in academic writing, each serving different functions and disciplines. For example, the creative style often blends descriptive and reflective approaches, while the journalistic style prioritizes concise, emotive, and direct reporting.
These styles may differ in attitude, tone, and purpose but still follow academic principles.
Writers may adopt a neutral, confident, or even confrontational stance depending on their position and perspective. Some may express thoughts through summational or prescriptive styles.
Others may challenge the status quo using a biased or dismissive lens. Regardless of tone, statements should be evidence-based and backed by proper citing.
Language and Terminology in Use
To ensure validity and quality, academic writers avoid vague expressions, abbreviations, and indeterminate phrases. Instead, they rely on terminology with specific denotation and connotation.
This distinction is important in fields like science, political theory, or epistemological culture, where every word carries weight.
Use of concrete, specific, and unambiguous terms helps to limit misunderstanding. Writers must also avoid one-dimensional explanations, especially when discussing multi-dimensional concepts, phenomena, or issues.
The goal is to make even abstract ideas relatable and understandable for the target class or academic audience.
Strategies for Improved Academic Writing
Using Jargon or Specialist Terminology in Academic Writing
Academic writing often uses jargon, or specialist terminology, that has specific meanings within different academic disciplines. These terms are important for precise communication, but they can be confusing if used incorrectly or without explanation.
Example of the term used differently:
- In political science, the word rational might refer to a decision made based on strategic self-interest (e.g., rational choice theory).
- In psychology, rational may describe behavior that aligns with logical thinking or mental stability.
So, even though the word is the same, its meaning changes based on the field.
To ensure you’re using specialist terms correctly:
- Check subject-specific dictionaries.
- Use reliable sources like Google Scholar or Credo Reference or your university’s library database.
- Make sure the term fits the academic context you are writing in.
Simple example of misunderstanding jargon:
Things to Avoid in Academic Writing
Academic writing often uses jargon, or specialist terminology, that holds unique meanings within each discipline. For example, the word rational may appear in both political science and psychology, but its use depends on how scholars in each field apply it in theory and practice.
To use such terms accurately, check a subject-specific dictionary or reliable sources like Credo Reference to ensure the context fits the area of study. This helps avoid confusion and strengthens your academic writing.
Opaque Writing
One common problem in academic writing is opaque writing, where scholars use overly complex syntax or unclear vocabulary. This can make writing hard to understand.
To avoid this, focus on using clear, concise language and ensure that any jargon used is well-defined and easily understood within the context of your discipline. By being mindful of your audience, you can keep your writing clear and accessible.
Use right terms in right place
In academic writing, it is important to use specialized terminology relevant to your discipline. This includes understanding concepts and research related to your data. Misapplying a term or concept can affect the validity of your work.
If you are unsure of the meaning of a specific term, avoid guessing. Instead, consult discipline-specific dictionaries or trusted sources like Google Scholar Libraries or Credo Reference to ensure correct usage and maintain the accuracy of your writing.
Avoid Personal Nouns
In academic writing, excessive use of personal nouns like “I,” “me,” or “you” can make the study appear subjective. This gives the impression that the study lacks empirical evidence to support the research problem.
To maintain objectivity, limit the use of personal nouns to describing specific actions you performed, such as “I interviewed ten teachers” or “We applied a regression analysis of the data.” These terms are most appropriate in the discussion section, where you, as the author or researcher, interpret your findings.
Avoid Directives
In academic writing, you should avoid directives that demand action like “do this.” Instead, use evidence-based recommendations aligned with goals and specific outcomes.
An exception exists in action research or qualitative research in the social and behavioral sciences, where authors may use a declarative tone to express urgency in evidence-based advocacy for social justice or transformative change.
Be Concise
Avoid wordiness by writing in a concise and straightforward manner. A clear narrative free of confusing or excessive language helps eliminate reader misinterpreting your study’s design and purpose, and prevents them from becoming disengaged.
Use Lists Wisely
Use numbered lists or bulleted items only when the narrative requires clarity. Always follow lists with detailed explanation and analysis. While proofreading, consider if a systematic paragraph format is better. Avoid implying ranked order unless necessary and skip symbols like check marks or multilevel lists.
Use Description Purposefully
In descriptive writing, provide background information only to help contextualize the research problem.You must be focus on prior research, methodology, analysis, and interpretation of findings.
Avoid tangential issues and describe details only when necessary for the reader to understand the implications.
Not Use Personal Experience
Use personal experience only as an example to introduce a topic or engage readers. While it can humanize the research problem and highlight its significance, academic writing depends on evidence-based analysis, not story-telling.
Quoting Correctly
When quoting, copy the text exactly, including any spelling, punctuation, or grammatical error. Insert [sic] in brackets after any mistake to show it’s from the original source. If the quote has too many errors, consider paraphrasing it instead.
Writing Trick
In academic writing, using the passive voice can help you shift focus from the doer to the action or the result. This means making the object the subject of the sentence.
For example, instead of saying “Congress caused the economic crisis,” you can say “The economic crisis was caused by Congress.”
This style is more formal and impersonal, which is preferred in academic work. Use the verb “to be” with the past participle of the main verb to create this form. This helps readers focus on the important person, place, thing, or event that is being discussed.
Using Passive Voice in Academic Writing
In academic writing, use passive voice when the person, place, or thing affected by the action is more important than who did it. It also helps your writing sound more formal and impersonal. Use it when:
- The doer is unknown or not important.
- You want to highlight the effect or action.
- You need a more neutral and objective tone.
Forming passive voice
Make the object of the active sentence the subject. Add the right form of “to be” and the past participle of the main verb.
| Purpose for Using Passive Voice | Active Voice Example | Passive Voice Example | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| To focus on the object or result of the action | The committee approved the policy. | The policy was approved by the committee. | When the policy is the focus, not who approved it. |
| When the doer is unknown or not important | Someone broke the lab equipment. | The lab equipment was broken. | When it doesn’t matter who performed the action. |
| To emphasize the receiver of the action | The teacher gave the students their grades. | The students were given their grades. | When the emphasis is on those affected, not the giver. |
| To sound impersonal and objective | We conducted a survey in four cities. | A survey was conducted in four cities. | For a more formal, academic tone. |
| To describe a well-known fact or process | Scientists discovered penicillin in 1928. | Penicillin was discovered in 1928. | When the focus is on the discovery itself rather than the scientists |
FAQs
Q: What are the 7 types of writing styles with examples?
Ans: Academic writing includes various types, for example, narrative, descriptive, expository, persuasive, compare and contrast, reflective, and personal. Each style serves a distinct purpose, like explaining, influencing, or reflecting ideas.
Q: What are 4 main types of writing?
Ans: Academic writing style depends on your audience and purpose. The four main types—persuasive, narrative, expository, and descriptive—each serve different goals and structure content in distinct ways.
Q: What are the 7 stages of academic writing?
Ans: Academic writing follows a clear structure: start by choosing a topic, then research and outline your ideas. Next, write the introduction, body, and conclusion, followed by careful revision and editing.