Effective strategies for academic writing

It’s very important whilst at college or university, you find effective strategies when it comes to academic writing as this can be a key to success. Remember that academic writing needs to have good reasoning and be very clear. Any conclusions that you come to need to be based on evidence. The evidence that you provide also needs to be readily available and make sure that you gain it from reliable sources.

Getting prepared to write

We have highlighted some points to bear in mind when you begin a task related to academic writing.

• First and foremost, make sure you are absolutely clear about the task that you need to complete. Think carefully about what is expected and what you need to do in order to answer any questions and complete the academic piece.
• Research and identify resources that are available to you.
• If you have been provided with any guidance for completing your academic writing, make sure that you listen to this, and respond appropriately.
• It’s vital that you remain focused on the task you have to complete. Remember to keep questioning yourself as to any material that you plan to include in your academic writing to ensure it is relevant to the task.
• Make sure your writing is concise, clear, and hits the point that you are trying to make. Also, present your ideas so that they can be understood in a clear and logical manner.
• Any sources that you use need to be correctly referenced.
• Once you receive any feedback on your academic writing it’s very important to take note of the feedback and apply it to any future pieces of academic writing that you complete. This is the only way to improve your academic writing skills.

Effective strategies for academic writing

We have listed the effective strategies for academic writing.

1. Have a time plan in mind and be realistic. You need to face the facts that there are many stages when it comes to writing something academic and these stages include research, reading, writing as well as editing before you submit your academic text.
2. Begin your academic writing as soon as you can as it’s very easy to spend time thinking when you have to write something academic as the process of academic writing does differ from other kinds of writing. This means that many students feel that they need to rush in order to hit their deadline which can have a negative impact on the quality of the writing. Make sure you spend time reading the questions and understanding the instructions, so you are fully aware of what you need to do.
3. It’s important to write as regularly as you can because once, you will get into the habit of academic writing, and you’ll find it easier to manage.
4. Be ready to focus on the task that is in front of you. You need to have plenty of self-discipline and determination and avoid distractions. You may use your smartphone or laptop to research for your academic writing, use it to play music, watch films, or access social media. Therefore, it’s crucial that you remain productive and avoid getting distracted as this will just result in time running away.
5. Once you have a paragraph or section ready then write it. Always bear in mind that you don’t have to write everything in chronological order.
6. Think carefully about the words that you use in your academic writing. It needs to be formal but that does not mean you need to try too hard as you’ll probably end up not impressing your lecturers as you would have thought. Don’t think you need to use complicated or confusing vocabulary. Remember to use a dictionary to check the meaning of words that you are unsure of.
7. Before you are ready to write, it may be an idea to expand your academic writing based on a plan. This could be in the form of a diagram, a visual plan, or an outline. You could even start with an idea that you may have for a paragraph or a sentence.
8. Avoid using technical language abbreviations and slang. You also want to avoid being over wordy and opt for simple words instead. Don’t overuse a word that is common, it is better to find a synonym instead.
9. Make sure you take regular breaks by spending time with friends or getting fresh air. However, it’s also important to organize your time so you stick to your plan and are ready to write when scheduled.
10. Keep your paragraphs short in your academic writing as this makes it easier for your lecturer to read. If you’ve not been given any direction in relation to formatting, make sure you follow this. It allows the reader to easily navigate between all parts of your work and clearly understand everything that is going on and make analyzing valuable. When completing your academic writing, make sure you have a logical structure to ensure that you get the best grade possible.
11. Make sure you make time to write and the time that you choose, needs to relate to the times that you focus and concentrate the best.
12. Once you begin writing, it may be an idea to stop at a point where you feel you are comfortable to continue writing. At this point make some notes related to the next point you plan to make. You’ll find that this will help you to get back into your academic writing the next time you begin.
13. When you get to the end of your piece of academic writing you need to make sure that you have time to edit your work numerous times. Check all spelling, grammar, and punctuation as you edit. Perhaps, ask a friend or family member to take a look over your writing as a second pair of fresh eyes can sometimes pick up on small errors that can be easily missed.