Since writing is the primary means of academic communication, academic writing is undoubtedly the most crucial skill in academic settings. It is also the hardest skill for the majority of students to master especially when it comes to essay writing.
Academic writing is writing which communicates ideas, information and also research to the wider academic community. Like other writings, there are rules to follow in academic writing, such as listed below;
1. Ideas should be organised in a formal order or structure.
2. Ideas are supported by references from academic literature.
3. It should deal with the theories and causes of a given topic, as well as explore alternative explanations for these theories or events.
4. It must follow a particular tone, which uses concise, formal, as well as objective language.
5. Academic writing also adheres to traditional conventions of punctuation, grammar, and spelling.
The above is what differentiates academic writing from personal writing. Academic writing comes with its challenges, just like every other type of writing, but there are ways to overcome these challenges.
This article talks about strategies to help students and academicians in addressing the challenges posed in academic writing and develop an insight into the writing process.
Here is a list of four common challenges in academic writing
1. Plagiarism
2. Manuscript language editing
3. Context problems
4. Content organization
Plagiarism
Most students and researchers alike find it hard to get their ideas and thoughts across while they’re writing. The academic writing process involves many steps, including adding citations and quotations, portraying data, and summarizing the material by outlining the main points of the research.
The research must be original in both design and content. You should complete a plagiarism check before you submit your paper for review or else your paper could be rejected.
A few pointers for avoiding plagiarism in academic writing
1. List the references or sources you consulted for this paragraph.
2. Whenever you quote from a source, always rephrase it to include your ideas.
3. Ensure the in-text citation includes the author’s name, as well as other relevant information.
4. Check for plagiarism using reputable online tools.
Manuscript language editing
Before handing over your research work or writing, it is your duty as a researcher or student to send a copy of your work that has been carefully edited to the relevant authority. Your writing must be understandable to your intended audience. Also, If English is not your native language, you might think about employing English language editing services.
Advice on revising a manuscript for academic writing purposes
1. Check for spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes in your essay with a spellchecker.
2. Make sure the intended meaning is communicated by carefully reading each section.
3. Follow the formatting rules to maintain uniformity.
Contextual issues
You must create a connection between the words and phrases as they are written, so as to sustain your reader’s interest.
Academic writing is the outcome of well-reasoned, as well as compelling arguments that the writer weaves into the paragraphs to create coherence. The readers’ ability to understand the context of the research is greatly aided by sentence form.
Advice for fixing contextual issues
1. To preserve consistency, keep the phrases precise and clear, in order to strike home your point.
2. Avoid run-on phrases by using the appropriate punctuation to break up your words.
3. There should be a subject-verb-object agreement in the sentences.
4. Get rid of any extraneous or unnecessary words that don’t add to the content’s original meaning.
Content organization
The organization of a paper is one of the most challenging aspects of academic writing, but also the easiest part when you have the right set of skills. There is a structure to every academic paper you produce. Whether it’s a research paper or an essay, each one begins with an introduction, and then contains a body with numerous sections like the methodology, literature review, and so forth, before the conclusion.
Guidelines for a content organization
1. Outline and also distinguish each area using headings and sub-headings.
2. By relating the information to supporting arguments, provide the context for the subject.
3. Utilizing manuscript editing services enables the presentation of ideas in an organized way also.
4. sustenance of the logical flow of ideas must be maintained
A lot of students and scholars alike frequently make use of academic writing services, probably as a result of time constraints, work overload or meeting deadlines.
Academic Hive provides you with numerous resources, such as articles, that help fortify you and even allow you to speak to a Consultant about any problem you might be facing in your academic journey.
