Have you ever been told you need to ‘write more academically’? Ever had feedback that you need to develop a more academic voice’? Ever wished you knew how to ‘write like an academic’?
Such feedback is not uncommon and, whilst the advice itself is often valid, when it’s framed in these ways the comments can be confusing, demotivating and in some cases downright unhelpful.
It is important to communicate your ideas, arguments and findings in an appropriate and confident manner. But this is sometimes presented as a greater challenge than it really should be. Whatever your level of writing, you can – over time – develop a style of writing (and presenting) that is appropriate to your discipline area.
Have a look at the recording of our Lightning Session on ‘Finding your Academic Voice’ then scroll down for a summary of the three key steps you can take to develop your confidence in this area.
Step 1: Apply the simple conventions of academic writing
There’s no single set of conventions that apply to every bit of academic communication. For example, there is a clear distinction between the style of writing in Science subjects compared to say Humanities. Likewise, the ‘rules’ may change slightly depending on whether you’re writing ay a formal essay, a piece of reflection, or a report.
So it’s important to recognise the conventions for the specific type of writing you are doing, and then to apply these conventions to that work. We explore the common ones in the Lightning Session, so go back and have a look at that part of the recording if you’re still not sure what they are.
Step 2: Talk the language of your subject
As well as the general conventions mentioned above, every subject or discipline has its own language or technical vocabulary – words and phrases that someone outside of the discipline may struggle to understand but which instantly convey meaning to those in the know. Using this language confidently and competently is a key step in developing a confident and effective academic voice.
One of the great ways to develop your confidence here is to pay attention to the reading that you do. How do other people write about your subject? What kind of language do they use? Beyond just the vocabulary though, pay attention also to how they make arguments, how they use evidence, how they attempt to persuade you as the reader.
Step 3: Keep it simple, clear and authentic
People often fall into the trap of trying too hard to sound ‘academic’. Academic voice does not mean writing torturously long sentences or having a thesaurus beside you so you can find a fancy long word to replace a perfectly adequate short one.
If you’re following steps 1 & 2 then you’re well on your way to developing an authentic and effective academic voice. The final step is to write as clearly and simply as possible. The great thing about this is that, as you develop your confidence, that ‘simple’ level of writing will naturally increase, so that over time you will find yourself using more complex language and putting more of your personality into the writing.
But don’t force it – if you’re at the start of that journey, focus on doing the basics well and things will evolve naturally from that point.
This blog post was written by Dr Gordon Spark (Academic Skills Centre)