ACADEMIC WRITING IN UNDERGRADUATE YEARS

Though some students undertake intensive writing projects that are based on analysis of empirical data, such as senior thesis and honors thesis, in their undergraduate years, most academic papers that are written after the first year in a university do not warrant such empirical requirements. Instead, most writing assignments at the undergraduate level involve a critique, application, or development of a theory in some way primarily conceptual and theoretical.

While empirical and conceptual papers tend to be treated discretely, I contend that both types of writing projects share one underlying logic. Once students understand this logic, I believe that they will be able to write academic papers that are theoretical or empirical without undue struggle, for they will have mastered the essence of scholarly writing, which is the production of a claim, argument or finding that emerges from a critique of the existing literature.

Besides, there is a lack of clarity and consistency about the various terms and procedures involved in the academic writing process that are used across textbooks. For example, the term "dissertation" generally means a doctoral-level document in North America, but something else in the UK. Similarly, the term "thesis" or "thesis statement" is used in confusing ways as well; it is used to indicate a conclusion, a main idea, and the actual text itself. Perhaps most importantly, previous works do not disambiguate how research questions are formulated in the first place, often providing students with vague directives to "brainstorm" ideas based on topical interest.

How to Read Journal Articles in Various Fields introduces students to critical reading as a prelude to writing; there is a need for a resource that teaches students how to address the shortcomings they identify in their readings. A resource that consolidates similarities and differences from existing textbooks and terminology into one accessible resource that clarifies the logic of academic writing.

#reading #writing #academicwriting #journalarticle #thesis #dissertation #thesisstatement #writingprojects #university #academicpaper #empiricaldata #assignment #undergraduate #students #writingassignments HAMNIC CUSTOM WRITING SERVICES