Janene van Loon, Arnoud Thüss, Nicole Schmidt and Kevin Haines - Academic Writing in English

1 Introduction to academic writing

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An introduction to academic style

Although we recognise that there are many different types of academic writ ing, we will start with the idea that academic writing tends to be formal, ob jective, and conventional. Academic writing is formal in the sense that many words that are common in casual spoken English, such as slang , are avoided. Contractions and abbreviations are avoided as well; for instance “did not” is used rather than “didn’t”. Academic writing is objective , as opinions are often avoided or at least clearly labelled as such. Moreover, speculation, especially without solid argumentation, should generally be avoided. Another charac teristic of academic writing is that it is conventional; it often uses predefined structures and a specific type of documentation format to indicate when an other writer has been summarised, paraphrased, or quoted. The style is often impersonal and tentative. In academic texts the focus is on the subject that is being studied rather than on the person who is studying it. Authors may use the passive form to avoid referring to a person and take care that the way in which the message is formulated leaves some room for doubt. For example, you may say “deterioration of the ecosystem may be caused by pollution” rather than “deterioration of the ecosystem is caused by pollution”. Nothing is really certain in the academic world. In the Model text below, which is an abstract for a study regarding the politi cal side of textbook creation, the author selects formal, objective language to express opinion, rather than subjective or emotional language. This creates a credible foundation from which to build the text. 1A This article describes how biology textbooks can work to discursively con stitute a particular kind of “ethical subjectivity.” 1B Not only do textbooks constrain the possibilities for thought and action regarding ethical issues, they also require a certain kind of “subject” to partake in ethical exercises and questions. 1C This study looks at how ethical questions/exercises found in four Ontario textbooks require students and teachers to think and act along specific lines. 1D These include making ethical decisions within a legal-juridical frame; deciding what kinds of research should be publically funded; optimiz ing personal and population health; and regulation through policy and legis lation. 1E While engaging ethical issues in these ways is useful, educators should also question the kinds of (ethical) subjectivities that are partially constituted by discourses of science education. 1F If science education is going to address twenty-first century problems such as climate change and social inequality, educators need to address how the possibilities for ethical engagement afford ed to students work to constitute specific kinds of “ethical actors.” Model 1  Academic writing

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