The four main forms of academic writing are descriptive, analytical, critical and persuasive.

In several academic texts you will have to use one or more type. For instance, in an empirical thesis:

• you will use critical writing within the literature review to exhibit where there clearly was a gap or opportunity when you look at the existing research
• the techniques section will be mostly descriptive to summarise the techniques used to collect and analyse information
• the results section are going to be mostly descriptive and analytical while you report regarding the data you collected
• the discussion section is more analytical, as you propose your interpretations of the findings as you relate your findings back to your research questions, and also persuasive.

Descriptive

The simplest type of academic writing is descriptive. Its purpose is to provide facts or information. A good example could be a summary of a write-up or a written report for the total link between an experiment.

The kinds of instructions for a purely descriptive assignment include: identify, report, record, summarise and define.

Analytical

It’s rare for a university-level text to be purely descriptive. Most academic writing is also analytical. Analytical writing includes descriptive writing, you also re-organise the known facts and information you describe into categories, groups, parts, types or relationships.

Sometimes, these categories or relationships are actually part of the discipline, sometimes you certainly will create them specifically for your text. For instance, if you’re comparing two theories, you may break your comparison into several parts, for example: how each theory relates to social context, how each theory deals with language learning, and how each theory may be used in practice.

The kinds of instructions for an assignment that is analytical: analyse, compare, contrast, relate, examine.

To produce your writing more analytical:

• spend sufficient time planning. Brainstorm the known facts and ideas, and try different ways of grouping them, relating to patterns, parts, similarities and differences. You could utilize colour-coding, flow charts, tree diagrams or tables.
• Create a true name for the relationships and categories you discover. For example, benefits and drawbacks.
• build each section and paragraph around one of several analytical categories.
• make the structure of your paper clear to your reader, through the use of topic sentences and a clear introduction.

In many academic writing, you have to go one or more step further than analytical writing, to persuasive writing. Persuasive writing has all the features of analytical writing (this is certainly, information plus re-organising the information and knowledge), by the addition of your own point of view. Most essays are persuasive, and there is a persuasive take into account at least the discussion and conclusion of a study article.

Points of view in academic writing may include a disagreement, a recommendation, interpretation of findings or evaluation regarding the work of others. Each claim you make needs to be supported by some evidence, for example a reference to research findings or published sources in persuasive writing.

The kinds of instructions for a assignment that is persuasive: argue, evaluate, discuss, take a posture.

To greatly help reach finally your point that is own of in the facts or ideas:

• read some other researchers’ points of look at the topic. That do you feel is considered the most convincing?
• look for patterns within the data or references. Where is the evidence strongest?
• list several interpretations that are different. What are the real-life implications of each one? Which ones are likely to be most useful or beneficial? Those that have some problems?
• Discuss the known facts and ideas with someone else. Can you agree with their point of view?

To develop your argument:

• list the different known reasons for your point of view
• consider the types that are different sourced elements of evidence which you can use to aid your point of view
• Consider ways that are different your point of view is similar to, and buy essay various from, the points of view of other researchers
• seek out various ways to split your point of view into parts. For instance, cost effectiveness, environmental sustainability, scope of real-world application.

To present your argument, make certain:

• your text develops a argument that is coherent most of the individual claims come together to guide your overall point of view
• your reasoning for each claim is obvious to the reader
• your assumptions are valid
• you’ve got evidence for virtually any claim you will be making
• you employ evidence this is certainly convincing and directly relevant.

Critical writing is common for research, postgraduate and advanced writing that is undergraduate. This has all the features of persuasive writing, with the added feature of at least an added point of view. While persuasive writing requires you to definitely have your very own point of take on a problem or topic, critical writing requires you to consider at the least two points of view, including your own.

For instance, you could explain a researcher’s interpretation or argument and then assess the merits associated with the argument, or give your own personal interpretation that is alternative.

Examples of critical writing assignments include a critique of a journal article, or a literature review that identifies the strengths and weaknesses of existing research. The sorts of instructions for critical writing include: critique, debate, disagree, evaluate.

• accurately summarise all or an element of the work. This might include identifying the main interpretations, assumptions or methodology.
• have a viewpoint in regards to the work. Appropriate types of opinion could include pointing out some issues with it, proposing an approach that is alternative will be better, and/or defending the work against the critiques of others
• provide evidence for the point of view. According to the assignment that is specific the discipline, different types of evidence could be appropriate, such as for example logical reasoning, mention of authoritative sources and/or research data.

Critical writing requires strong writing skills. You will need to thoroughly comprehend the topic additionally the issues. You need to develop an essay structure and paragraph structure that enables one to analyse different interpretations and develop your own argument, supported by evidence.