THE ART OF ACADEMIC WRITING: AN EXCERPT FROM MY BOOK

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E. B. White, considered by many to be the greatest essayist of the 20th century.

E. B. White, considered by many to be the greatest essayist of the 20th century.

Academic writing is scientific writing: It must be as accurate and objective as possible. But we should never lose sight of the fact that, just as for every form of writing, first and foremost, it is storytelling. Essentially, one should approach all types of writing as a story. In academic writing, instead of, say, presenting a murder and taking your reader through the investigation and numerous subplots and dead ends, you’re presenting a problem and taking your reader through its background, including what we know about the problem, and then solving the problem or suggesting some steps that might lead to a solution.

I have identified 12 important aspects of academic writing. They are accuracy, clarity, objectivity, persuasiveness, conciseness, continuity, vocabulary, content, formula, organization, verbs and verb tenses, and lastly,  using one’s own voice.

I’ve found in my teaching that first-year students have two main concerns with academic writing: Either they have anxiety that their vocabulary is lacking, or if they have been out of school for a while, they worry about their ability to write using an academic writing style. So, as it’s the beginning of a new academic year and this is a common concern, let’s start by looking at vocabulary.

VOCABULARY

Good vocabulary is a major component of accuracy in writing. However, please do not get overly worked up about this. E.B. White—who is considered by some to be the greatest essayist of the 20th century—had this to say: “Avoid the elaborate, the pretentious, the coy, and the cute. Do not be tempted by a twenty-dollar word when there is a ten-center handy, ready and able.” 

So, if you are worrying that you are not perspicacious or sagacious about writing, and you further worry that your vocabulary is not sufficiently profuse, don’t become overly trepidatious. (Are you getting the idea?) Courtney Hopf, lecturer at New York University, London, provides a pointed contrast between the convoluted and the clear:

Sentence A: A sentence, overly and perhaps overtly com­plexi­fied, turgid with rarified language, gains the semblance of scholarship though it may indeed lack the capacity to communicate its import to any but a reader utterly dedicated in his attentions.

versus 

Sentence B: A complex sentence may seem scholarly but confuse casual readers.

I suspect that many writers who insist on using the most officious words are trying to cover up their own insecurities about their literary or intellectual abilities. In my experience, this “style” of writing is often the hardest to edit because the language distracts and interferes with comprehension. 

Let’s now get down to what’s really essential in choosing one’s words carefully. Trimble wrote, “Good writing starts with a profound respect for words—their denotations, their connota­tions, their force, and their rhythm.” So, choose your words with care.

It’s also important to vary your word choice, which will keep your reader engaged. For example, rather than writing over and over, “The researchers reported,” you might use other verbs such as submitted, contended, suggested, or theorized.

You’ll want to be more descriptive than simply saying something is good or bad while also being mindful to use vocabulary that is understood by your colleagues. 

Here are a few ways to build your vocabulary:

1.     Pay close attention to the words used in your readings. 

2.     Use the computer’s thesaurus. The synonyms provided will help you find the most precise word, and it also helps to ensure that the word you are considering holds your intended meaning. 

3.     Put a word or phrase into your browser, as this will help you find numerous examples using that word or phrase, which will further ensure that your word has the intended meaning. 

To sum up, the words you choose should not be colloquial, nor should they be archaic. It’s neither rad nor bad, nor is it meretricious or contumelious (Latin roots!). It just might be noteworthy or admirable.