Writing for academic purposes

1. Writing for Academic Purposes
In this short presentation we look at
writing reports and essays

2. Writing
• What do you write?
• Why is this different?
• Two distinct approaches;
essays and reports
• Both are acceptable for
academic work, but read
the instructions/brief for
each assignment – this
will tell you what format
is expected
• Needed for all.....
• Introduction
• Context
• Ideas or discussion
• Conclusions
• and for academic work......
• REFERENCES
There are other descriptions for formats– you could be asked to plan a
PowerPoint presentation or develop a briefing paper – you will get
additional briefings and guidance as that happens in your course

3. Writing - expectations
• You do what is asked in the task briefing
– Style and content
• Good grammar and spelling
• Accurate punctuation
• Jargon explained and clarified
• Unless specified use an impersonal and
objective style
• So not ‘I’ or ‘we’ or ‘my’

4. Writing - expectations
• Writing academically involves writing in a
different, impersonal style and being cautious
about claims (hedging)
• Examples:
I discovered....it was discovered
I think ..... it might/could be argued
• Use references to source ideas .... Simmons
(1997) argued that ......

5. Writing - expectations
• The agency or organisation’s name (rather than
‘my organisation’ does…..)
• Avoid abbreviations in text (local authority rather
than LA; housing association rather than HA)
• Where acronyms are in common use – use full
name first with initials in brackets, then can use
acronym – saves words and time
• Example: The Department of Communities and
Local Government (CLG) said ……… According to
the CLG, rent collection is a …….

6. Planning for writing
• You can’t start until you know what
you will be writing about – that blank
sheet of paper or blank screen
• Plan out the structure
• Think about the way you will organise
and order the work – does it have a
logical flow?
• The assignment brief might give some
clues about ordering
• Advantage of using pcs (or Macs) –
you can insert, add, move things
around

7. The Writing Sandwich
Introduction – the base which holds
the substance
The ‘meat’
gives it
meaning:
narrative,
research,
case studies
Conclusions
Completes the report
What it all means
Appendices
Tables and charts
The ‘relishes’

8. Purpose
• To inform a given audience
• Tutor, tenants, colleagues, board members – the
assignment brief will tell you
• Tailor your style and language to suit their needs
• Consider and picture your audience
– Who are they?
– What do they need to know and why?
– How will they need this information?
– What benefits will this information provide for them?

9. For all audiences
• Avoid or explain jargon
• Avoid slang and abbreviations (unless
acronyms)
• Be clear about what goes into your work –
content but leave writing the introduction
fully until you have written the body of the
work

10. A word about conclusions
• Nothing NEW goes here
• If you think of something new to add, insert in
the appropriate place in the report (or essay)
• You cover:
• What was covered or discussed (briefly) and what
was most significant or what the overall impact
has been
• Recommendations are only required if asked for –
don’t be tempted to suggest new ways forward if
you haven’t been asked for them

11. Reports
• Most useful for work, so
try the format
• Signposting
• White space
• Headings and
subheadings
• Numbering of sections
and paragraphs - being
consistent
• Referencing is required
in all ‘academic’ reports
FORMAT OF REPORT
• Header Page
• Contents page or list
• Introduction
• Chapters
• Conclusions
• Summary and
recommendations (if asked
for)
• Appendices

12. Tips
• Be consistent in style and approach
• Use a logical numbering system
• It is useful to use numbered paragraphs – think
about someone wanting to refer to your work
and pinpoint exactly where something is
• BUT….perhaps write first and then number –
both to help the work flow and so things are
logically ordered
• You reference all your work in the course, even
though a work based report wouldn’t usually be
referenced

13. Essays
Less formal structure
than reports but still
needing argument and
objective commentary
è Introduction
è Main arguments -
leading to
è Conclusions
Even here, you might
use headings, but check
this with whoever set
the essay
• no numbering of
headings/sections
• no appendices
• lots of referencing
• TELL THEM WHAT YOU ARE
GOING TO TELL THEM
• TELL THEM
• TELL THEM WHAT YOU TOLD
THEM (and what was most
important)