A Complete Beginner's Guide to Academic Writing

Written by Scribendi

Academic writing has a distinct, formal structure and style that students, academics, and professionals use in their work to present research, information, and arguments.

This detailed beginner's guide explores academic writing's characteristics, types, and strategies, and will help you better prepare for your next assignment.

What Is Academic Writing?

Academic writing is a style that students, researchers, and educators use in scholarly publications or assignments.

With its key characteristics and "rules," academic writing is designed to communicate ideas clearly, explain complex topics, and share knowledge with peers.

Characteristics of Academic Writing

Throughout this guide, you'll see the words "academic writing" and "scholarly writing" being used interchangeably. Both of these terms refer to the same form of writing, and both adhere to the same set of characteristics.

As you begin your essay, report, dissertation, or other paper, you'll begin to see how academic writing differs from other forms of writing. From tone and language to structure and form, academic writing requires organization and attention to detail that you may not be used to.

To help you get acquainted with it, let's take a closer look at three major characteristics of academic writing.

1. Evidence-Based Arguments

Academic writing prioritizes objective, evidence-based arguments rather than personal opinions or unsupported claims. It relies on credible sources, data, and research that others can verify.

Evidence for scholarly writing comes in many forms, with the most commonly used being research studies. However, you can also include evidence from books, surveys, and official reports. As long as you can either verify or challenge your research, you're crafting a strong, evidence-based argument.

For example, rather than simply stating, "Gut microbiota specific respond and adapt to dietary changes," you can reference a relevant study with verifiable findings, like this: "A study involving gnotobiotic mice found that Bacteroides cellulosilyticus WH2 adapts to dietary shifts by utilizing plant-derived xylans, showing significant metabolic responses to changes in diet." Don't forget to correctly cite the study.

The former example sentence is subjective and lacks empirical support. The latter provides specific evidence from a peer-reviewed study, adding objectivity to your claim and demonstrating that your paper is a reliable source of scientifically grounded information.

Most scholarly pieces will include bibliographies, footnotes, and endnotes, along with visual data, such as charts, graphs, or tables, to support their findings and add to the writer's credibility.

2. Formal and Objective Tone

Scholarly writing uses a formal tone free of colloquialisms, slang, and emotional language. You'll be expected to write in the third person rather than the first person, so avoid personal pronouns such as "I," "my," or "we".

You should also write in a neutral, narrative tone while remaining objective throughout.

If you find a study during your research that contradicts yours, you must thoughtfully review and acknowledge it rather than dismissing the study's findings.

For instance, you may note that a study came to a different conclusion than you did, and you can discuss the similarities and differences between the two before offering a possible explanation for the discrepancies.

Alternatively, this contradiction may prove that additional research on the topic is needed for a better understanding.

Using a formal and objective tone in your academic writing will help you comply with the requirements of the academic settings. Such relevance is critical for the successful communication of your ideas and research findings.

You can minimize the risk of your writing being misunderstood and ensure that your study can be accurately replicated by others if you use clear and precise language.

3. Proper Citations and References

Proper citations are one of the most important characteristics of academic writing, and you must always support any evidence or claims with approriate references.

Doing so allows you to credit the original authors of research you may have drawn upon or the findings you have based your arguments on. This also enables readers to verify or explore your sources further and prevents plagiarism claims because you're being transparent and giving credit where it's due.

The way you cite your sources will vary depending on your style guide, which may be assigned to you or be dependent on your academic discipline. Common style guides include APA, the Chicago Manual of Style, and MLA, and this guide will touch on their use cases later.

However, the purpose of all style guides is to help you uphold academic integrity, add authority to your work, and demonstrate how your academic writing fits into the broad conversation around your topic.

Major Types of Academic Writing

Next, let's take a look at some of the most common common types of academic writing you'll encounter, along with summaries and examples.

Essays

Essays are usually written by college and university students as part of their courses, but academics may also write them to explore ideas. These are short papers that focus on specific topics.

Lab Reports

Lab reports document experiments, methodologies, results, and conclusions about a topic in a scientific field. Students typically write lab reports as assignments, but researchers in various scientific disciplines also write them.

Book Reports

Short assignments, such as book reports, require students to summarize and explore the content of a book, demonstrating their comprehension and analytical skills.

Theses and Dissertations

Long-form papers that involve extensive research, such as theses and dissertations, are usually required to complete an associate's, bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree.

Grant Proposals

Grant proposals are written by individuals or organizations seeking funding for a project or research from sponsors, government agencies, or foundations. In grant proposals, writers explain the goals, methodology, purpose, budget, and other relevant details of the proposed project or research.

Literature Reviews

Detailed evaluations of existing research on a topic, such as literature reviews, provide summaries, identify gaps, or offer context within a given field of study.

Academic Writing Subcategories

The major types of scholarly writing can be split into further subcategories: descriptive, analytical, persuasive, or critical. Each subcategory has a distinct purpose and will need different language and tone choices.

For example, descriptive writing simply provides information and explains concepts or processes to readers without offering an analysis.

In contrast, persuasive writing encourages readers to adopt a perspective or take a specific action. As with descriptive writing, you'll be expected to provide facts and information, but you'll go a step further by providing a clear argument to support your position.

With analytical writing, you'll evaluate evidence and compare different perspectives to draw an informed conclusion.

Finally, in critical writing, you'll use both persuasion and analysis techniques to explore the strengths and weaknesses of various arguments and critique or challenge the reliability and validity of existing theories. 

Finding Your Research Question and Thesis Statement

Now that you understand what academic writing is, let's explore its main elements.

We'll begin with the star of the show: the thesis statement. All types of academic writing have thesis statements. Your thesis statement is an overview of your research and reflects your main arguments or claims.

For certain types of academic writing—such as dissertations, grant proposals, and lab reports—you'll also include a research question. You'll usually develop your research question before writing your thesis statement.

Narrowing Your Research Question

Your research question should be original, relevant, and feasible to answer.

Select a topic that interests you, and draft an intriguing question about it. That question is your research question. Make it as specific as possible, and as you dig into your research, continue to narrow its scope.

For example, this literature review's research question is "How does climate change affect global biodiversity, particularly with respect to species extinction, distribution shifts, and terrestrial and marine ecosystem dynamics?" The question is reflected in the paper's title and abstract.

Crafting a Strong Thesis Statement

Often, the answers to your research question will become your thesis, which summarizes what your paper will investigate, prove, or disprove.

A strong thesis statement should be:

• Focused – Don't get carried away with detailed explanations or arguments; you'll have plenty of time to expand on them throughout your paper.
• Concise – Keep your thesis statement short, typically one or two sentences long.
• Consistent – Every point made in your thesis statement must be supported or explained in your paper.

Your thesis statement gives readers an organized overview of your argument and stance, so they know what to expect while reading your paper. 

To return to our literature review example, the thesis statement is in the paper's introduction and states:

This review focuses on the impact of such climate change on global biodiversity, and it draws from the wide body of scientific evidence that has accumulated over the past few years. It is intended for students and the lay public to inform them that global warming is a real and growing problem that threatens the existence of human and other life forms.

This thesis statement shows a clear, focused statement that addresses the research question and sets the purpose and tone for the paper's content.

To learn more, check out our article on how to write a great thesis statement.

The Importance of a Strong Structure

A strong, logical structure will help you present your ideas and show the connections between different points and arguments.

The Standard Structure

Many types of academic writing adhere to a structured format that readers expect you to follow. While there is flexibility in how you organize your work, it’s important to follow a structure that effectively conveys your argument or findings.

For example, academic essays typically follow a five-part structure. While it's okay to escape the five-paragraph essay from time to time, this is a good starting point.

For university-level academic papers, a more robust structure is typically required to accommodate complex arguments and in-depth analysis. Rather than limiting yourself to a simple five-paragraph essay, consider the following expanded structure:

1. Introduction

• Introductions provide relevant context to situate your argument or research.
• Clearly state your thesis or main argument, outlining the focus of your paper.
• Briefly preview the structure of your essay to guide the reader through your key points.

2. Body Paragraphs

The number of body paragraphs or sections will vary depending on the depth and complexity of your topic. However, note that three body paragraphs are an actively detrimental limit. Make sure to avoid artificially restricting yourself to three paragraphs, as this limits your ability to explore your argument thoroughly.

• Organize into sections or subsections based on your main arguments, supporting evidence, or themes.
• Each section should begin with a clear topic sentence that introduces the main point of that section.
• Provide evidence, analysis, and examples to support your claims. Evidence can include research findings, data, or citations from credible sources.
• Discuss counterarguments, alternative perspectives, or limitations to show critical thinking and strengthen your argument.

Use logical transitions between paragraphs and sections to maintain a cohesive flow.

3. Conclusions

• Restate your thesis in light of the evidence and arguments presented in your conclusion.
• Summarize the key points of your paper, highlighting how they support your thesis.
• Provide final insights, implications, or recommendations related to your argument or research.
• Avoid introducing new information or evidence in the conclusion.

4. References

• Include a properly formatted list of all sources cited in your paper, adhering to the citation style required by your field (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago).

This expanded structure allows for more in-depth exploration and analysis, which is critical for university-level academic writing. By adapting your structure to the needs of your argument and audience, you’ll be better equipped to produce clear, persuasive, and high-quality work.

Check out our ultimate essay checklist for additional essay-writing advice.

Outlines

To have a strong structure for any type of academic writing, it's best to create an outline before you begin writing. Outlines can provide guidance to keep you on track and prevent you from going on unnecessary tangents that don't contribute to your main argument.

Since all academic writing requires an introduction, you can begin by putting it at the start of your paper. In some cases, you'll have an abstract before the introduction.

After the abstract and introduction, you can begin outlining the main body of your paper.

For a journal article or a dissertation, you may start with a literature review, then move to the methodology, results, discussion, and finally, the conclusion and references sections. You can break these sections down to expand your outline, detailing the key points and arguments you plan to include in each section.

Another useful technique is reverse outlining, where you first write a draft of your paper and then create an outline based on what you’ve written. This method allows you to visualize the structure of your paper and makes it easier to identify areas that need structural changes or better clarity.

Reverse outlining is especially effective for “pantser” academic writers, who prefer to write freely and then organize their ideas, while traditional outlining works better for “plotter” writers. The availability of both approaches accommodates a wider range of writing styles and preferences.

Here is what an outline of a journal article may look like:

Title

• A concise and descriptive title that reflects the article’s content and main focus.

Abstract

• A brief summary of the article, including the research problem, methodology, main findings, and significance.

Introduction

• Overview of the research topic and its significance.
• Identification of the research problem or gap in knowledge.
• A clear statement of objectives or research questions.
• A brief preview of the article’s structure.

Literature Review

• Summary of existing research and theories related to the topic.
• Critical analysis of gaps, inconsistencies, or areas for further study.
• Contextualization of the current research within the broader field.

Methodology

• A clear description of the research design (e.g., qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods).
• Participants or study samples.
• Procedures for data collection and analysis.
• Explanation of tools, instruments, or techniques used.
• Ethical considerations, if applicable.

Results

• Presentation of key findings organized logically.
• Use of tables, graphs, or charts to summarize data where appropriate.
• Clear and concise reporting without interpretation.

Discussion

• Interpretation of findings in relation to the research questions or hypotheses.
• Comparison with existing studies or literature.
• Implications of the findings for theory, practice, or policy.
• Limitations of the study and areas for future research.

Conclusion

• Summary of the study's key contributions and significance.
• Restatement of how the findings address the research problem.
• Final thoughts or recommendations.

References

• Complete and properly formatted list of all sources cited in the article.

Supplementary Materials

• Appendices, additional data, or materials relevant to the study.

In other types of academic writing, you may follow a slightly different structure. If you're not sure how to create an outline, you can refer to papers similar to yours.

In all cases, follow a linear structure where you build on your argument rather than jumping back and forth between ideas and topics. At times, you may refer back to previous points but be sure to maintain a logical flow so you don't confuse your reader and weaken your argument.

Paragraph Structure

Paragraphs are typically around 200–300 words, and each begins with a topic sentence that leads to discussion, evidence, and reflection. Some paragraphs may also have a concluding sentence. When a paragraph discusses two or more points, a transition sentence can help you transition gracefully between ideas.

Overly long paragraphs that look like big blocks of text can be a chore to read, as they might overwhelm the reader and obscure key points. For example, a paragraph discussing climate change impacts might become unreadable if it crams data on rising temperatures, species extinctions, and policy responses into a single block.

On the other hand, paragraphs that are too short, such as one that merely states "Global warming affects biodiversity" without elaboration, lack the necessary supporting points and essential details to be informative or persuasive.

You should explain all the context your readers need to understand your paper so they aren't left with any questions about your points and arguments.

Sentence Structure

Sentences should be a complete thought and include a subject, a verb, and a complement.

For example, this sentence from a study on theory-driven evaluation states, "The purpose of theory-driven evaluation is not only to assess whether an intervention works or does not work, but also how and why it does so."

The subject identifies what the sentence is about: "The purpose of theory-driven evaluation"

The verb indicates the action or state of being: "is"

The complement completes the thought by adding details: "not only to assess whether an intervention works or does not work but also how and why it does so"

There are some exceptions where academic writers may structure their sentences differently, but every sentence should be valuable, coherent, and grammatically correct.

Always Keep Your Writing Concise

Verbosity, or wordiness, is one of the most common issues in academic writing.

Including unnecessarily lengthy sentences or using phrases that don't add meaning and specificity to your message will make your paper excessively wordy and generic. This reduces the value of your work and is likely to put off your readers. 

In your first draft, your writing may be more verbose because you're focused on getting your ideas on paper. However, as you edit your paper, you should be looking for opportunities to remove words and shorten sentences.

Here are a few examples of ways to reduce wordiness in your writing by revising phrases:

In order to – to
Due to the fact that – because
At the present time – currently
In the majority of cases – usually
Despite the fact that – although
In light of the fact that – since
In the event that – if

Writing in an active voice rather than a passive voice can also make your paper more concise.

For instance, instead of saying, "It can be argued that," you could write, "In their study, Smith and Johnson argue that." This small change removes unnecessary passive constructions and modality, while being more specific, assertive, and confident, increasing the impact of your argument.

Style Guides: Don't Wait until the Last Minute

Style guides describe standards for academic papers. Although their many different requirements may make them seem complicated, they simply offer a set of rules to follow.

If you're a student, your college, university, or teacher may assign you a specific style guide to follow. If you're writing independently, your choice of style guide will depend on your field.

Here are three of the most common style guides and the fields in which they're often used:

• The Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago) is used in history, criminology, and business.
• The Modern Language Association (MLA) Handbook style is used in the humanities and liberal arts.
• The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) style is used in the social sciences, psychology, business, and economics.

Style guides are also regularly revised, so ensure that you adhere to the latest edition, unless otherwise instructed.

For example, APA's 7th edition was released in 2020 and includes revised and updated guidelines. Following the 6th edition's guidelines after the new release could lead to inconsistencies and inaccuracies in your citations and formatting.

Although each style guide has its own rules for citations, formatting, and structure, it's important to refer to the style guide at the start of your writing process rather than as an afterthought.

Waiting until the end can lead to mistakes and take more time than incorporating the style guide's requirements from the beginning.

Editing and Proofreading Your Academic Writing

Finally, never underestimate the value of editing and proofreading your work. You wouldn't believe the number of errors you can catch after simply taking a break, refreshing your mind, and completing an editing or proofreading pass.

If you want to perfect your writing truly, you can also turn to professional editing and proofreading.

When you work closely with a text, especially for longer pieces, it's easy to skim over errors, unclear sentences, and confusing language. You already know how your writing should go, so it's easy for your brain to fill in the gaps.

With an editing or proofreading service, you can get a fresh set of eyes on your writing to pick up any mistakes you may have missed. That way, you can be sure your final piece is polished and of the highest possible quality

Academic Writing Checklist

Be sure to refer to the following academic writing checklist as you progress through your work:

• Review your style guide by checking specific rules in the official manual or website.
• Choose a topic in your field of study or one that aligns with your assignment's guidelines.
• Develop an original research question that is clear, focused, and researchable.
• Create an outline to organize your ideas logically.
• Write in the third person, and avoid any first- and second-person pronouns.
• Stay objective and unbiased while avoiding unsupported claims and personal opinions.
• Ensure all arguments are backed by evidence to maintain your paper's credibility.
• Avoid emotive language that could skew your work's objectivity.
• Include sources that are relevant to your research and ensure they add value to your argument.
• Create an informative and intriguing title that accurately reflects your topic.
• Craft a thesis statement that summarizes your argument and research.
• Structure your writing using paragraphs that support your thesis or main argument.
• Create clear transitions between paragraphs, ideas, and arguments to guide readers through your paper.
• Consistently use either American English or British English, depending on your institution's or publisher's preference.
• Format all numbers correctly according to the guidelines of your chosen style guide.
• Reduce verbosity by removing unnecessary words and shortening sentences.
• Define any technical terms that readers may be unfamiliar with or unclear about.
• Write a strong conclusion that summarizes your key points, emphasizes the significance of your findings, and highlights opportunities for further research.
• Cite all sources correctly and according to your chosen style guide.
• Include a bibliography that includes the correct details of all listed sources formatted according to your style guide.

Get Extra Help with Academic Writing

You now have all that you need to step into the world of academic writing, and it's time to put what you've learned into practice.

Academic writing can be challenging, whether you're a student tackling a complex essay or a researcher finalizing a thesis. At Scribendi, we specialize in providing tailored solutions to support your academic success.

Our team of experienced editors and proofreaders ensures your work meets the highest standards of clarity, coherence, and accuracy. Contact us today for more information!

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