Each university publishes an elaborate guide on how to write academic papers. University learning centers put particular regulations and conventions to students. Some of them can even take to 11 pages of requirements! I have analyzed guidelines of several universities – Dartmouth, Manitoba, Harvard and Wisconsin and compared them to the working tips of essaybuyers.com service. I found similarities in approaches to researching and writing processes. Thus, I want to share a few secrets on how to improve academic writing skills.
Determine a category of your academic paper
There are 2 common types– topic papers and research papers. The first ones are less time-consuming since you shouldn’t convert your assignment instructions into a topic regarding available resources and analytical tools you possess. Then you must consult with your professor about actuality and consistency of a chosen topic with the assignment requirements.
If you are assigned a topic paper, you face better perspectives to deal with a few stages before getting to the actual writing. However, you are also given the course readings, the resources of a course you must include into your paper. The difficulty about them is that you have to apply some main points of those readings into your work. An obvious aim is to teach you how to write academic essays relevant to the course.
Make a schedule and set deadlines
Divide the whole work process into 5-6 stages. Like this, for example:
- I make a research.
- I read and take useful notes.
- I organize and plan all gathered information.
- I make the first rough draft.
- I revise the whole academic paper for completeness.
- I proofread a final draft.
Create a debatable and specific thesis statement
Getting to the key point of your topic is like jumping onto the top from the foot of a mountain. I know those writers who compose their theses when they have completed the half of a paper. Of course, it’s easier to summarize and gather everything into one single idea, but in academic writing, you must start with a thesis. It is your goal that you put at the very beginning and which helps you not to digress from your leading argument.
Write your introduction, body, and conclusion in accordance with the outline
Your introduction isn’t about a thesis statement solely. It also determines some terms and concepts, explains your particular purposes, and reveals a well-thought plan. Your introduction must be tied to your body logically. The body of a paper itself is a place for expressing your viewpoints and arguments through cohesive evidence and valid information. In the conclusion, you have to underline the significance of what has been revealed in the main part. Stick to the structure and some boundaries because it’s the best way how to improve academic writing skills.
Cite your sources within a required style
If there are no strict limitations about the academic style, you can choose APA in-text citations and Bibliography. Remember that it’s crucial to cite a source with the number of a page and the author’s name, even if you used only 1 minor idea from it. This way you pay credit to an author and protect yourself from plagiarism accusations.
Hence, if you want to understand how to write academic essays like a pro, follow the requirements of your university or college learning guides. And keep an eye on the slightest detail in style, referencing and formatting.
