Academic writing is somewhat different from writing a blog or an article. In this blog post I will talk about writing a thesis, a journal article and writing for an academic magazine.
Use Formal Language
The first and foremost rule for any formal writing is to use correct language. Whichever language you choose to write in, be sure to use formal language. Slang words and abbreviations are appropriate for messages, and maybe even writing for the internet. Research and academic writing should ideally not use slang words. It would be ideal that you express in the language in which you think. The repertoire of words would be much more and you will be able to write more in a few words. However, if you must write in a language that you are not comfortable in, make sure that you seek the help of an editor. An editor maybe a peer who agrees to help you, a student who agrees to assist you or a professional who you pay to edit your work. Edited work ensures that your ideas are put forth in the best possible language and are better understood.
In the End it is Your Work
You maybe requesting or hiring someone to edit your work, however, in the end, the onus lies on you. If your work is not well edited, it will still be your responsibility. Remember that you will be known for the work that you take. With the inroads that technology has made into research and publication, your thesis and papers will be on the internet forever. You must, therefore, ensure that you take ownership for every word that is written in your name. If the editor changes the meaning inadvertently, it will still be attributable to you. This means that you must read and re-read every word that is written by you, even after a language expert has edited it. There must be space for dialogue in case you and your editor disagree with how something needs to be written or the idea that needs to be conveyed.
Work Several Drafts
Even if you have excellent language and expression skills, I would strongly recommend working at least three or four drafts of every chapter in your thesis. I had made it a rule to not submit the first draft of my chapter to my supervisor. If you have ever read your work again, you would know that while writing our thesis, we often tend to leave loose ends to be sewn up in the end. In submitting the first drafts, we tend to leave some of these loose ends as it is. This can be a problem for the supervisor. Your supervisor is supposed to guide you. It is not his/her job to do language correction or to find your mistakes for you. Ensure that the chapter is a smooth read for your supervisor if you want comments on the content and not the language. It is best that you read your own work again after a few days or a week to ensure that you are able to understand your own ideas. If you can get a peer to review your work, that would be a good feedback to the way your ideas are communicated to the rest of the world.
Identify Who you are Writing For
A thesis read by an academic audience. So is a journal article. People from other specialisations, but in the same academic field will be able to understand the writing, even if it is terse. An academic magazine however, caters to a larger audience who may or may not be familiar with the area. Here academic writing needs to be simplified. Be conscious of who you are writing for, explaining ideas wherever you feel they will be unfamiliar with what you are referring to. Make use of footnotes and end notes where necessary. However, contemporary writing styles to not support excessive use of footnotes and end notes. Earlier, academic writing was gauged by the number of pages it entailed. This is no longer a barometer. Even in the Social Sciences, a thesis is not expected to be more than 300 pages, apart from Annexures. Distinguish here between a thesis and a dissertation. In PhD, you are likely to write a thesis. Think of how many pages you read when you pick up a thesis in the library. If you have not read a thesis cover to cover, maybe you should do it now. However, there will be a handful that you would read every page of. In most cases, thesis that are fat are barely ever read fully. Remember that when you are writing your own work.
Simplify, But Don’t Trivialise
A thesis is not a literary piece of work. A well written thesis is a joy to read. But it is not a popular book that will be appreciated for its linguistic acumen. You will be known for your ideas and for the academic merit of the work that you have done. Focus on capturing the complexity of your work rather than the complexity in the language. The simpler your writing is, the more likely that it is understood for the ideas you want to convey. However, do not go overboard. This is particularly true for the conceptual framework and review chapters where simplifying may lead to distortion and trivialising. Write in your own words but capture the essence of the works that you are citing.
Be open to Feedback
Be aware of your own writing abilities. If you feel you need improvement, or have not written for a long time and are hesitant in starting again, the only way to do it is to start writing. Write and be open to feedback. The more feedback you get, the more likely you are to improve. My supervisor used to give me feedback by using track changes. When she didn’t, I would often compare documents to see how a sentence structure has been changed, or which word used sounds more appropriate. In the end, you have to make a choice between making your research journey a learning experience, or a product that needs to be showcased.
I want to conclude with a word of caution. Do not become overly conscious of your writing. Like I said above, research writing, like PhD, is a learning experience. A PhD may be the considered the ‘highest’ degree, yet it is just a part of a long, learning journey. If you are willing to learn, don’t get put down by linguistic handicaps and people’s comments. Just keep writing and make good friends who are ready to give feedback and willing to learn along with you.
*Acknowledgements are due to Ms. Deepti who has inspired me to write this blog post.