*Introductory Guide for Grad Students

Academic writing refers to a :

• particular style of expression that researchers use to
  • define the intellectual boundaries of their disciplines and
  • their areas of expertise
• certain characteristics of academic writing;
  • formal tone,
  • use of the third-person rather than first-person perspective (usually)
  • a clear focus on the research problem under investigation
  • precise word choice.

Like specialist languages adopted in other professions, such as, law or medicine, academic writing is designed to convey agreed meaning about complex ideas or concepts for a group of scholarly experts.

Academic Writing. Writing Center. Colorado Technical College; Hartley, James. Academic Writing and Publishing: A Practical Guide. New York: Routledge, 2008.

Seems simple enough-just start, just put pencil to paper but that blank page? It can be intimidating.

The 2 sites below will help.

Brad Gregory: Managing the Terror

Lynn Hunt: How Writing Leads to Thinking