Some tips on academic writing

I wanted to pull together some tips on academic writing for student who were tackling their first written assignment for me, and thought that a single blog post  listing some previous academic writing posts might be the best way to do that quickly and efficiently.

So following are a list of what I hope are relevant tips!

• Restarting with academic writing. I wrote this post as a guide for returning students at https://www.samyoung.co.nz/2020/11/restarting-with-academic-writing.html
• Academic writing conventions. This is a two parter at https://www.samyoung.co.nz/2015/09/academic-writing-conventions.html and https://www.samyoung.co.nz/2018/10/academic-writing-conventions-part-2.html
• Defining academic writing. How academic writing is different to journalistic writing at https://www.samyoung.co.nz/2022/05/how-academic-writing-differs-from.html and https://www.samyoung.co.nz/2022/05/philosophical-differences-between.html
• Problem-solving. Read about how to tackle problems using Professor Pólya's four step technique: Understanding the problem; Devising a plan; Actioning the plan; and Reviewing/Reflecting at https://www.samyoung.co.nz/2023/01/four-problem-solving-steps.html
• Tying theory to reflection. Learn the three steps in reflective academic writing, by: first stating the theory; then defining the theory; then connecting the theory to our outcomes using reflection at https://www.samyoung.co.nz/2023/02/three-steps-in-academic-writing.html
• Writing about evidence. Read about the 'what'; the 'how'; and the 'why' in using evidence in academic writing at https://www.samyoung.co.nz/2022/09/the-what-how-and-why.html
• Paragraphs. Learn about writing in academic paragraphs of five plus sentences at https://www.samyoung.co.nz/2022/04/writing-good-paragraphs.html
• Critical writing. Learn about taking a "critical" perspective in academic writing at https://www.samyoung.co.nz/2022/06/critique-and-write.html
• Keeping our power. Learn about how not to give our power away in academic writing at https://www.samyoung.co.nz/2017/11/the-laundry-list-lit-review.html
• Hedging. Learn about why we use hedging language in academic writing: to meet academic standards of precision; to reduce the possibility of being proven wrong; to demonstrate critical thinking; and to be respectful of other researcher's work, at https://www.samyoung.co.nz/2023/02/hedging-in-academic-writing.html

I hope all this helps!

Sam