Academic writing

Regardless of whether English is your first, second or third language, you will probably find some aspects of writing at university challenging. Academic writing is a complex process involving reading, thinking and planning before going on to draft, redraft and edit a text. The materials in this section take you through each stage of this process, using sample texts to illustrate some of the most important features of academic writing. You'll also find explanations and examples of different text types: essays, reports, and reflective writing.

Academic writing has five main characteristics:

1. Evidence based - referencing and citing
2. Appropriately structured
3. Clearly organised
4. Demonstrates critical reading, writing and thinking
5. Written in an appropriate style