Academic and Professional Writing

Outputs in Academic Writing

Academic essay Thesis Dissertation Library research Coursework Reaction paper Book review Literature review Research report Project proposal Position paper

Most common type of academic writing

Academic essays Book reviews Literature reviews Research reports Project proposals Position papers Reaction papers

Language

Channel used to convey the message. Can either be: Visual or textual, Formal or informal, Verbal and non-verbal. Follow the standard form and usage of language in professional writing

Message

Content of your document. Includes: Main topic and details that support it. These details may be: form of facts. statistics, testimonies and observation.

Primary

Direct receiver of your document

Impersonal and formal

Forms of academic writing

Two level of purpose

General Specific

To inform and persuade

In context of professional and academic writing, two general purposes

Secondary

Indirect receiver of your document

Output in professional writing

Instructional manual Specification Brochure Business correspondence (letter and memo) Business and technical report

Formal

It strictly adheres to formal English and avoids word contractions

Product

Output that you intend to produce after considering all the other components

Purpose

Paper will lack relevance if it does not have this

Purpose

Reason or motive that you have when communicating. Also helps you determine the reactions you want to elicit from your target audience

Second-level purpose

Reason why you want to inform or persuade your target audience

Audience

Receiver of the message; can be either primary or secondary

Context

Situation where professional writing is performed. Includes: the people involved (the sender and the receiver), relationship between the people involved in the communication, time and place, some possible interference.

To persuade

To influence the readers to change their attitudes or actions

To inform

To make the audience understand a concept

Academic writing

Type of writing produced by students in an academic setting. Main purpose is to inform and persuade; not to entertain;

Impersonal

Usually uses the third person perspective and does not have a direct reference to persons and feelings