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Academic writing

Writing at university isn't just about what you say, it's also about how you say it. Developing an academic voice helps you express ideas clearly, thoughtfully, and with confidence. Keep reading to learn how to build your academic voice and write with impact.

Watch to see how to review a paragraph to improve academic voice and clarity. You'll see how small changes in language and structure can make your writing more formal, precise, and appropriate for university assignments. 

What to avoid in your academic writing

In this video you'll see examples of where the writer can make improvements to their academic writing.

What to use in your academic writing

In this video you'll see examples of what the writer is doing well in their academic writing.

Tips for academic writing

There are a few key differences between spoken English and the type of language you should be using for written assignments. NB. If you feel overwhelmed at this prospect, any of the following elements can be 'upgraded' after you have finished writing your first draft, so just get writing!

Use more sophisticated vocabulary

For example:

  • Use "beneficial" instead of "good".
  • Use "detrimental" instead of "bad".
  • Use "a large number of students" or "a significant number of students" instead of "lots of students".

Avoid general, informal terms

For example:

  • Instead of, "He has lots of stuff", use "He owns many possessions".
  • Instead of, "Many things can explain this", use "Many reasons can explain this".

Avoid phrasal verbs

For example:

  • Instead of "bring up (children)", use "raise children"
  • Instead of "set off (for work)", use "depart for work"
  • Instead of "work out (a solution)", use "calculate (a solution)"

Avoid colloquial language and slang

For example:

  • Use "children" instead of "kids"
  • Use "manager" instead of "boss"

Avoid idioms and metaphors (expressions which are not literally true)

For example:

  • Instead of "It’s a double-edged sword", use, "This can have both advantages and disadvantages"
  • Instead of "being on a good wicket", use, "being in a beneficial situation"

Avoid generalisations

For example:

  • Instead of "All high school students dislike homework", use, "Many high school students dislike homework"
  • Instead of "Melbourne’s weather is always changing", use, "Melbourne’s weather is often changeable"

Using nouns in place of verbs (nominalisation)

For example:

  • Use "development" instead of "to develop"
  • Use "improvement" instead of "to improve"
  • Instead of "Australian beaches are eroding rapidly which causes significant problems", use, "The rapid erosion of beaches is causing significant problems"

Using numbers

  • Numbers under ten should be written as words.
  • Use percentages rather than fractions.

Academic writing does not usually incorporate personal pronouns such as:

    • I
    • we
    • our
    • me
    • my

This is because academic writing focuses on information, not on you personally. We adopt a formal way of expressing an idea to maintain the sense of objectivity in relation to the topic being explored.

Examples

  • Instead of, "My argument is that...", use, "The argument is that..."
  • Instead of, "Our research focuses on...", use, "This research focuses on..."
  • Instead of, "My essay will look at...", use, "This essay will look at..."
  • Instead of, "I found that...", use, "The essay found that..."

Academic writing seeks to convey logic and reason, not an emotional response. This means that ideas are presented in such a way that they feel convincing to a reader. To do this, the writing cannot sound like opinion or hearsay. Instead, ideas in academic writing always appear to be evidence-based and well-reasoned. To achieve this, the writer puts forward evidence and then explains how this evidence relates to their overall argument.

Acronyms and abbreviations are shortened versions of one or several words, such as UNICEF, which is the acronym of United Nations Children’s Fund.

In academic writing, it is best to only abbreviate a term if you plan to refer to it multiple times. The first time you use a term which you will abbreviate, state the whole name and then include its abbreviated form in brackets. From then on, you can use the abbreviated form on its own.

Be aware that having many different abbreviations in one piece of writing can be confusing for the reader.

Examples

You'll find the abbreviation examples in [brackets]:

The [National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)] is estimated to have sent over 2,200 animals into space since 1947. The first animal used in a space mission by [NASA] was a monkey. 

In global crises, organisations such as [the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)] deliver resources to communities in need. [UNICEF] relies on philanthropic donations…

Contractions

Contractions are another way of shortening two or more words into one, such as ‘don’t’ instead of ‘do not’, or ‘might’ve’ instead of ‘might have’. 

We [do not] advise using contractions in academic writing, as they make the writing seem more informal.

Academic writing aims to be fair and unbiased. Using inclusive language portrays an unprejudiced view, one that does not discriminate based on gender, culture, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, age or religion.

Examples

  • Omit gendered pronouns, instead use plural (‘their’).
  • Use neutral language unless the context requires it (for example, use [humankind] instead of [mankind]; [police] instead of [policeman]; [chair] instead of [chairman]; or [firefighter] instead of [fireman]).
  • Vary the order in gendered phrases such as ‘men and women’, ‘boys and girls’.

Including bias in your writing projects a support for it, so consider paraphrasing material that reflects an unnecessary or inappropriate bias rather than quoting it. 

Using inclusive language in your academic writing also acts against stereotypes, generalisations and assumptions.

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