Examples of other academic conventions to follow include the appropriate use of headings and subheadings, properly spelling out acronyms when first used in the text, avoiding slang or colloquial language, avoiding emotive language or unsupported declarative statements, avoiding contractions, and using first person and second person pronouns only when necessary.Īssignments often ask you to express your own point of view about the research problem. Even more important, the scholarly convention of citing sources allow readers to identify the resources you used in writing your paper so they can independently verify and assess the quality of findings and conclusions based on your review of the literature. It is essential to always acknowledge the source of any ideas, research findings, data, paraphrased, or quoted text that you have used in your paper as a defense against allegations of plagiarism. If you are not confident about when to use semi-colons, rewrite using shorter sentences or revise the paragraph.Ĭiting sources in the body of your paper and providing a list of references as either footnotes or endnotes is a key feature of academic writing.
#Which feature should not be listed on a formal outline series
In general, there are four grammatical uses of semi-colons: when a second clause expands or explains the first clause to describe a sequence of actions or different aspects of the same topic placed before clauses which begin with "nevertheless", "therefore", "even so," and "for instance” and, to mark off a series of phrases or clauses which contain commas. Finally, understand that semi-colons represent a pause that is longer than a comma, but shorter than a period in a sentence. Dashes should be limited to the insertion of an explanatory comment in a sentence, while hyphens should be limited to connecting prefixes to words or when forming compound phrases. For example, exclamation points are rarely used to express a heightened tone because it can come across as unsophisticated or over-excited. Scholars rely on precise words and language to establish the narrative tone of their work and, therefore, punctuation marks are used very deliberately. Do not use vague expressions that are not specific or precise enough for the reader to derive exact meaning, abbreviations like 'i.e.', 'e.g.', or 'a.k.a.', and the use of unspecific determinate words. Your language should be concise, formal, and express precisely what you want it to mean. Well-structured paragraphs and clear topic sentences enable a reader to follow your line of thinking without difficulty. Therefore, it is important that you use unambiguous language. The investigation of research problems in the social sciences is often complex and multi- dimensional. If this cannot be done without confusing the reader, then you need to explain what you mean within the context of how that word or phrase is used within a discipline.
Therefore, use concrete words that convey a specific meaning. This is particularly true in academic writing because words and terminology can evolve a nuanced meaning that describes a particular idea, concept, or phenomenon derived from the epistemological culture of that discipline. Awareness of the words you use is important because words that have almost the same denotation can have very different connotations. You should, therefore, state the strengths of your arguments confidently, using language that is neutral, not confrontational or dismissive.ĭiction refers to the choice of words you use.
In academic writing, the author is expected to investigate the research problem from an authoritative point of view. When presenting a position or argument that you disagree with, describe this argument accurately and without loaded or biased language. Throughout your paper, it is important that you present the arguments of others fairly and with an appropriate narrative tone.
The overall tone refers to the attitude conveyed in a piece of writing. The introduction should include a description of how the rest of the paper is organized and all sources are properly cited throughout the paper. There should be narrative links between sentences and paragraphs so that the reader is able to follow your argument. It must be cohesive and possess a logically organized flow of ideas this means that the various parts are connected to form a unified whole. Unlike creative or journalistic writing, the overall structure of academic writing is formal and logical. However, most college-level research papers require careful attention to the following stylistic elements: The accepted form of academic writing in the social sciences can vary considerable depending on the methodological framework and the intended audience. Extending the Timeliness of a Topic Idea.
0 kommentar(er)
