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Four Main Types Of Academic Writing - A Complete Guide

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Academic writing

Academic writing is a part of every student’s life. No matter what, students do to avoid it. At some point, they have to deal with it. Academic writing is writing with reasoning and rationality to prove a statement or draw a conclusion from the findings of the task.

Academic writing has to be done structurally. It is not a random task which can be done mindlessly. The writing has to represent an idea or process. Keen attention and proper planning are the prerequisites of academic writing.

The points are to be meant justified with logical reasoning and systematically. Each type of academic writing has a distinct feature and purpose. In this blog, we will talk about different types of academic writing and their purposes.

Types Of Academic Writing

Essay Writing

Essays are usually short and posit arguments in nature. It has a general structure to follow, comprises an introduction, the main body, and a summary connecting your key points to the drawing conclusion. If you are writing a short essay of 1500 words, avoid headings and break down the arguments in paragraphs.

Purpose

Knowing the purpose will help you to write in a direction. Essays are usually written to persuade an opinion. Justification by establishing a coherent argument also counts in the essay. The simplest form of essay is to explain a topic descriptively.

Report Writing

Academic reports are different from academic essays. In report writing, you have to describe how you will conduct research and arrive at a conclusion. You will follow a brief pattern and justify your research step by step. PhD assignments are often based on this type of report writing. A general pattern would be an introduction, literature review, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion.

Purpose

You write a report when you need to add to the existing knowledge of a topic. The purpose of report writing is to address the what, why, and how of the research you have conducted. It will report the findings and justify the patterns you have followed in conducting the research. The report will provide reasons for your findings and arrive at a comprehensive conclusion.

Reflective Writing

In reflective writing, a case has to be discussed, highlighting the experiences and feelings of the person involved in the case. The reflection is drawn to reexamine the experience subjectively. You can write a reflective essay by using different reflective models.

Purpose

The purpose of reflective writing is to evaluate any previous incident systematically. Knowing where you have been lacking in expertise is a good practice. It also leads to thinking about what could have been done differently. The reflection helps to understand the future situation more evenly and act purposefully. It is a good practice for medical and nursing students, helping to highlight flaws and strengths.

Presentations

As the name suggests, this form of writing presents ideas with concise text and visual aids. You have to provide an oral explanation of the topic to the people. While you are giving the presentation, the brain’s auditory, visionary, and intuitive functioning are activated.

Purpose

Presentations are meant to demonstrate the concepts most simply. The purpose is to develop a deeper understanding of the topic. Informing the population about a cause or providing justifications for your report writing can be done through the presentation.

Research Paper

You are required to write a research paper as a degree requirement. It will be detailed information about the research you have conducted and how you contributed to the academic literacy of the subject.

It is the most extensive form of academic writing. Using authentic sources, you will use the most suitable method for getting the answer to your research questions and justify each decision you’ve made.

Purpose

The research paper provides a unique and objective solution to the studied problem. It is also held to explore a phenomenon. The influence of your findings must be observable in your study area. This is an impactful academic practice, and you must ensure that your findings contribute to expanding knowledge.

Patterns Of Academic Writing

There are several main types of academic writing. Each type has its own purpose and features. Here we will discuss each of them to orient you with different patterns of academic writing.

Expository writing

Expository writing is the most common type of academic writing. It is often used to inform or explain and can be either dry and factual or more creative and expressive. When Writing expository, it is important to clarify concepts, offer evidence or examples, and maintain a neutral tone.

Argumentative writing

Argumentative writing persuades the reader to agree with your point of view. It should be clear, concise, and well-reasoned. It is important to support your claims with evidence and logic when making an argument. Be sure to consider counterarguments as well, and anticipate questions your reader might have. If you have a strong grip on criticism, argumentative writing will be a painless job for you.

Narrative writing

Narrative writing tells a story. It can be personal or fictional but must be engaging and well-written. A good narrative will have strong characters, a compelling plot, a vivid description, and a resolution. Unlike other types of academic writing, narrative allows you more freedom in voice and style. However, it must still adhere to basic grammar rules and be well-organised. You might have to write in a narrative pattern while doing reflection.

Descriptive writing

You will find descriptive writing as the simplest form of academic writing. When writing descriptively, you only have to describe a subject being discussed. The purpose of academic writing is to explain to the reader a topic. There is no add-on information.

Analytical writing

Analytical writing seeks how and why questions. By writing analytically, you will be writing to inquire about a concept or technique. It can be done by closely studying the subject, breaking down the topic into parts and adding to your suggestion by analysing different perspectives. To understand clearly, think about analytical writing in a linear pattern. One concept will lead to another one.

This way, you can observe a stream-line of the focused key findings. Unlike descriptive writing, analytical writing will help you to stimulate further analysis based on logical reasoning. This type of academic writing aims to contrast or analyse the relationship between two or more variables. You can also use this pattern for the evaluation of theories or methods.

Persuasive writing

When writing persuasively, you must make a point and back it up with facts and statistics. Supporting your claims is the main idea behind persuasive writing. Write convincingly and weigh up your opinion by providing evidence. You also have to refute counter opinions through logical reasoning.

Academic Writing Features

There’s no question that academic writing can be tricky. Balancing formal and informal tones, using the correct formatting rules, and ensuring that your argument is clear and concise can all be challenging for students. We suggest that instead of getting yourself tired from academic stress, you can simply get our best assignment help. We will help you follow these common features in all types of academic writing.

Research-savvy

Strong research is the backbone of academic writing. Whether you are writing a simple essay or justifying your research findings, you will need authentic sources to cite and support your viewpoint. Knowing where to look for is also an art of academics, and our writers are experts in this art.

Tone of Writing

One of the most important aspects of academic writing is maintaining a formal tone throughout your paper. This means avoiding contractions (e.g., “don’t,” “can’t,” “didn’t”), using a third-person point of view, and steering clear of jokes or colloquial language.

While it can be tempting to use the first-person point of view when discussing your own research or experiences, it’s important to remember that academic writing is meant to be objective. Using a third-person point of view will help ensure that your paper sounds professional and authoritative.

Formatting

Academic papers also need to adhere to specific formatting rules. The most common format for academic papers in the UK is the Harvard format, but other formats such as APA or Chicago style may also be used depending on your discipline or instructor’s preferences.

Regardless of your format, certain elements should always be included in an academic paper, such as a title page, abstract (if required), introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion, and works cited page (if using MLA format). By following these basic guidelines, you’ll be well on your way to mastering academic writing!

WRAP UP

You might not feel any difficulty in comprehending the types of academic writing. But it is expected that while perfecting your paper, you might feel it quite demanding. You don’t have to worry because we offer the best academic writing services. Contact us for your academic writing needs. It could be the best decision you ever make!