Academic Texts: Purpose, Structure, o Background and method
and Language o Results or main findings
Academic Text o Discussion, along with the
-critical, objective and specialized texts interpretation of the results
written by experts or professionals using a o Recommendations
formal language o Conclusion
-usually formal, objective, and technical o Bibliography
-avoids casual or conversational language,
such as contractions or informal 4. Reports
languages Audience: (Depends on the field)
corporations, office employees, employers,
Examples of Academic Texts etc.
o Journal articles Structure:
o Research articles o Context/Overview (Title, Contents etc.)
o Academic essays o Introduction
o Dissertations o Methodology/Description of the event
o Academic books (e.g. piece of research)
o Findings/Main points
1. Textbooks o Discussion/Evaluation
-books that cover specific subjects to be o Conclusion
studied
-are a good place to start when learning 5. Student Essays
about a new topic Audience: Teachers, students
-vary in style, tone and level depending on Structure:
their audience o Title
Audience: Learners, teachers o Introduction
o Main body
2. Research Paper o Conclusion
Audience: Researchers, academics, and o References
postgraduate students
Structure: Non-Academic Text
o Introduction -not intended for a scholarly or specialized
o Literature review audience
o Background and method -uses informal language
o Results or main findings -focuses on entertainment, persuasion, or
o Discussion, along with the personal expression
interpretation of the results -does not have any reference to support
o Recommendations the idea
o Conclusion -found and read through newspapers,
o Bibliography magazine, blog articles, face book post and
email messages
3. Case Studies -subjective and personal; based on
Audience: Researchers, academics, and personal opinions and feeling rather than
postgraduate students on facts that comes from reliable sources
Structure:
o Introduction
o Literature review
, Learning to read and write Academic c. Concluding Sentence
Text will teach you to be: -restates the idea in the topic
o Clear sentence, to remind the reader of
o Concise the main point
o Efficient
o Considerate 3. Conclusion
o Organized -restates thesis statement
o Analytical -wraps up the essay
-gives opportunity to evaluate the
Important Features of Academic topic
Writing -begins by briefly summarizing the
I. The Three-Part Essay Structure main scope or structure of the paper
1. Introduction -must be clear and concise
-starts off the essay with ideas that -takes the form of an evaluation of the
will be discussed in the body importance of the topic, the
-the thesis statement is usually implications for future research, or a
found at the end of the introduction, recommendation
where it can act as a transitional
sentence for the body Steps in writing conclusion
a. Repeat the statement
2. Body b. Set out general conclusions
-consists of one or more points c. Draw together the question
following the introduction
-each point supports the main idea by
breaking it down into smaller ideas or
sub-topics
-consists of topic sentence and
several supporting sentences
-considered as the heart of the essay
because it expounds specific ideas to
have a better understanding
-is usually the largest part of the
essay
-develops the question “What is the II. IMRAD Structure
topic about?” 1. Introduction
-explains what we know and what we
a. Topic Sentence are uncertain about
-lets the reader know what the -everything that is written here must
paragraph is going to be about and be related to the research questions
the main point it will make It should contain:
b. Supporting Sentences o A summary of existing research
-expand on the central idea, o Research question, hypothesis, or
explaining it in more detail, statement
exploring what it means, and giving o Theory (if relevant)
the evidence and argument that o Introduction to the field, the
back it up current situation, or prevailing
practice
and Language o Results or main findings
Academic Text o Discussion, along with the
-critical, objective and specialized texts interpretation of the results
written by experts or professionals using a o Recommendations
formal language o Conclusion
-usually formal, objective, and technical o Bibliography
-avoids casual or conversational language,
such as contractions or informal 4. Reports
languages Audience: (Depends on the field)
corporations, office employees, employers,
Examples of Academic Texts etc.
o Journal articles Structure:
o Research articles o Context/Overview (Title, Contents etc.)
o Academic essays o Introduction
o Dissertations o Methodology/Description of the event
o Academic books (e.g. piece of research)
o Findings/Main points
1. Textbooks o Discussion/Evaluation
-books that cover specific subjects to be o Conclusion
studied
-are a good place to start when learning 5. Student Essays
about a new topic Audience: Teachers, students
-vary in style, tone and level depending on Structure:
their audience o Title
Audience: Learners, teachers o Introduction
o Main body
2. Research Paper o Conclusion
Audience: Researchers, academics, and o References
postgraduate students
Structure: Non-Academic Text
o Introduction -not intended for a scholarly or specialized
o Literature review audience
o Background and method -uses informal language
o Results or main findings -focuses on entertainment, persuasion, or
o Discussion, along with the personal expression
interpretation of the results -does not have any reference to support
o Recommendations the idea
o Conclusion -found and read through newspapers,
o Bibliography magazine, blog articles, face book post and
email messages
3. Case Studies -subjective and personal; based on
Audience: Researchers, academics, and personal opinions and feeling rather than
postgraduate students on facts that comes from reliable sources
Structure:
o Introduction
o Literature review
, Learning to read and write Academic c. Concluding Sentence
Text will teach you to be: -restates the idea in the topic
o Clear sentence, to remind the reader of
o Concise the main point
o Efficient
o Considerate 3. Conclusion
o Organized -restates thesis statement
o Analytical -wraps up the essay
-gives opportunity to evaluate the
Important Features of Academic topic
Writing -begins by briefly summarizing the
I. The Three-Part Essay Structure main scope or structure of the paper
1. Introduction -must be clear and concise
-starts off the essay with ideas that -takes the form of an evaluation of the
will be discussed in the body importance of the topic, the
-the thesis statement is usually implications for future research, or a
found at the end of the introduction, recommendation
where it can act as a transitional
sentence for the body Steps in writing conclusion
a. Repeat the statement
2. Body b. Set out general conclusions
-consists of one or more points c. Draw together the question
following the introduction
-each point supports the main idea by
breaking it down into smaller ideas or
sub-topics
-consists of topic sentence and
several supporting sentences
-considered as the heart of the essay
because it expounds specific ideas to
have a better understanding
-is usually the largest part of the
essay
-develops the question “What is the II. IMRAD Structure
topic about?” 1. Introduction
-explains what we know and what we
a. Topic Sentence are uncertain about
-lets the reader know what the -everything that is written here must
paragraph is going to be about and be related to the research questions
the main point it will make It should contain:
b. Supporting Sentences o A summary of existing research
-expand on the central idea, o Research question, hypothesis, or
explaining it in more detail, statement
exploring what it means, and giving o Theory (if relevant)
the evidence and argument that o Introduction to the field, the
back it up current situation, or prevailing
practice
