Academic Style, Language and Tone

Generally a written assignment will contain an introduction, main body, a conclusion and a set of references. To give your writing structure and cohesion, writing fully developed and structured paragraphs is fundamental.

The introduction is the first paragraph of an  essay. Its purpose is to introduce a reader to the topic and to present the main point or argument. Introductory paragraphs should engage the reader's interest.  The main body paragraphs are what make up most of the essay. The number of body paragraphs depends on the purpose and required length of each assignment.

All academic body paragraphs, however, do have a few things in common:

1. Each body paragraph focuses on one main idea. Paragraphs can be seen as pieces of the overall essay. Each piece is one part of the larger work.
2. Each body paragraph is organized in a logical way. The internal structure of a paragraph should follow the PEEL structure- POINT, EVIDENCE, EXPLAIN and LINK.
3. Each body paragraph connects to the thesis, or main idea/topic, of the paper. It is important that all body paragraphs work to develop the main idea of the essay and that none of them go off topic.

The conclusion is the final paragraph of the paper. This is the place where you end the discussion by summarizing the overall focus of the paper and providing the significance of that focus.

Whilst academic writing requires a formal tone and style, it does not require the use of complex, long sentences and complicated vocabulary.

The purpose of academic writing is to convey your ideas, and the evidence which supports them, as clearly, concisely and smoothly as possible. We write so that our marker/reader can clearly see our understanding or argument.

Good academic writing  is formal , objective and concise.

We avoid casual language, slang, conversational language and contractions such as :

• doesn't
• couldn't
• won't
• shouldn't

We write with clarity and precision, saying what you mean as clearly and economically as possible. Use your words with accuracy.

With the exception of reflective writing, most assignments require you to use the third person , passive voice;

‘it’ and ‘they’, rather than ‘I’, ‘my’ and ‘we’,

This approach is preferred because it focuses on what was done and what was found, rather than who did it.

This also negates the requirement for a personal pronoun (where the identity of the person is of no consequence). This helps convey your objectivity and professionalism.

It is your responsibility as a writer to ensure your reader can follow your argument and logic. Structure is very important in helping your reader navigate through your written work.  Cohesive language, however, is just as important. Your reader needs to know what to expect, where they are going and  what they will find. Your introduction will establish your intention to your reader, with perhaps the use of a roadmap.  Within the body of the work, however, you do not want to lose your reader.

There are phrases or words that you can use to signpost your reader. These transitional phrases will help your reader follow your narrative's flow.  Signposting words have very specific meanings, so use them appropriately to add clarity to  your work. There is language to show the relationships between your arguments - for sequencing, expressing finality and ordering your ideas.

Use Manchester Phrase Bank for more transitional language examples.

Few things in academia are definite, so your writing should always reflect a note of caution, judging each statement or piece of evidence and using the appropriate amount of caution when evaluating it.  Words that indicate caution include -

• tends
• suggests
• could
• possibly
• probably

These hedging words deflect from sweeping generalisations and help moderate your tone.

Every point that you make in your academic writing needs to be supported with evidence form the literature.

You can use your own ideas, but they must be fully developed and informed by the literature.

This is called citing. Citing is when we refer to what the experts have published in the literature and we have read about.

Citing and referencing are core academic skills and you should refer to your Subject Librarian for instruction around citing, referencing and finding credible academic sources.

You practice academic integrity in your written work by using correct and accurate referencing.

Refer to your module handbook or your Subject Librarian for advice on which style to use. There are five core competencies that reflect academic integrity:

• be honest about which ideas were derived from others;
• act fairly by not taking credit for others’ work;
• take responsibility by finding out what is required of you and how you should carry it out;
• show respect for others by acknowledging the part they have played in building your knowledge and understanding.
• produce work that can be trusted

Plagiarism is when you accidentally or deliberately represent another person's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as your own original work. For support in avoiding plagiarism refer to the Library referencing training.

You will find more guidance online relating to Ulster University Students and the responsible use of AI and Academic integrity & Plagiarism.