Key features of academic writing

What are the key features of academic writing:

• Planned: part of the marking criteria is to ensure that your paper addresses the full purpose of the assignment. It is important that your paper is focused on answering the question(s) included in the assessment brief.
• Evidenced: the points you put forward in your paper need to be supported by academic literature and evidence. Instead of making generic claims, you demonstrate knowledge of the subject area and support your arguments with credible evidence. For example, if you state something like 'one of the limitations of this study is its small sample size' it is important to provide evidence to support this argument showing how the sample size is small and how that has impacted on the study. 
• Structured: this is about  developing a sound structure through which you will develop your argument.  You need to ensure paragraphs are connected and that sections follow logically on from each other. It is helpful here to think each paragraph is one theme a time and always check the link between the different themes you are discussing.  

In the first style, you tend to describe to the reader main concepts, theories or the context of your study so that they can understand your perspective. This needs to be brief and provide only enough detail to allow your reader to understand. Ask yourself here, 'does the reader need to know that?'

In the analytical style, you do not just tell that reader what others have said or written about a topic, but you aim to examine, apply and critique this knowledge. For example, you could apply a theory to your work outlining aspects that are applicable or requiring changes/improvement.

In the third type, you look back and reflect on an experience with the purpose of moving forward with your learning and profession. It is not just about describing what happened to you or an experience you had but rather what can be learned from that experience.

It is always about the ‘implications’ of what you are including in your essay, the ‘so what’?. What can be learnt from your essay and what new meaning can be constructed from it. Think of yourself as an ‘analyst’ who briefly describes events but focuses on their implications, consequences and any conclusions that can be drawn.