Academic Writing for University

Learn how academic vocabulary—terms, general academic vocabulary, and transition signals—helps create precise, concise, and objective research writing, balancing field terms with non-academic language to inform readers.

Learn to write in an objective, impersonal academic style by avoiding personal pronouns and direct address, passive voice, steering clear of colloquialisms and emotive language, and using hedges and evidence.

Define your thesis statement as the essay's main idea and qualify it with evidence, scope, and hedges to craft a debatable, well-supported academic argument open to challenge.

Craft persuasive academic arguments by presenting a claim supported with evidence from credible sources and organized analytically. Incorporate counter-arguments, integrate evidence, and reinforce your thesis to double defend your position.

Learn to evaluate source reliability and relevance, distinguish primary, secondary, and tertiary evidence, and master paraphrase, quotation, and referencing to avoid plagiarism.

Explore the research proposal as a plan for your thesis or dissertation, detailing introduction, research question or hypothesis, literature review, design, timetable, and broader impact.

Explore the demands of academic writing across assignments, from 4,000-word essays on topics like gender and development to dissertations summarizing papers, with emphasis on fieldwork, lab reports, and methodology.