Writing an academic paper can be nerve-wracking for a beginner. There are many rules to follow, not just those given by a teacher but even those related to grammar and citation styles. However, once you understand the basics, writing an essay, dissertation, or any other academic paper becomes much simpler. Besides, it would be unwise to underestimate the importance of having excellent academic writing skills. Below are the basic rules of academic writing that high school and even grad students should use to ensure their assignments are up to the standards expected in academia.
Do Make Assumptions
In academic writing, assumptions, whether explicit or implicit, are the foundation of any research work. Assumptions are phrases that the reader views as true or false. It’s an examined belief and determines the conclusions of the research work. Students can confuse assumptions and hypotheses and use them interchangeably. However, while both have to be proved or disapproved, research usually begins with an assumption. Also, the student has to prove the validity of a hypothesis.
Don’t Plagiarize
Academic writing is evidence-based. Before writing any paper, extensive research must be done on the topic and recent scholarly sources collected as evidence to support the main argument. What you will notice about essay uk is that they are appropriately referenced. However, students who are in a hurry to complete an assignment might unintentionally plagiarize. Once accused of plagiarism, a student can face the following consequences:
- Getting a low grade or having to retake the task.
- Getting suspended or expelled affects a student’s reputation.
- Having to pay monetary penalties.
Even if you have graduated and the school finds plagiarism in your dissertation or thesis, they might go as far as revoking your degree, resulting in serious professional and personal consequences. So even when you get papers online, ensure they are from a reliable and professional essay uk writer. To ensure assignments have zero plagiarism, students in all academic levels can go as far as hiring an expert from a trustworthy UK essay writing service to check or rewrite the work.
Do Read Instructions
Every assignment will have its own set of specifications which depend on the teacher. Reading the instructions before writing any academic paper will ensure you know the format, font, spacing, tone, and word count expected. If the task lacks clear instructions, it’s better to ask the professor first before embarking on the writing process.
Don’t Forget to Proofread
Thorough proofreading ensures the academic task is flawless. So check the structure, format, and uniqueness to confirm that everything is in order. Remove any odd phrases, filler, and fluff as they lower the quality of an academic paper. Check for grammar and spelling mistakes as well as typos. Remove instances of passive voice and repeated words. Finally, ensure the text is within the specified word count; otherwise, remove some phrases or cut sentences that don’t add value.
Read About the Formatting Requirements
You might have read about the basic rules of a specific citation style, but maybe they only apply to the previous edition. Formatting rules frequently change and depend on the latest edition. For example, as of 2021, APA is in its seventh edition, while MLA is in its ninth edition. Staying updated on the changes in each citation style ensures your content meets the current academic standards.
Don’t Forget to Structure Your Content
Academic papers have a specific structure. While essays will have a beginning, body, and end, thesis, dissertation, and research papers have their own structure, including a table of content, discussion, methodology, and literature review.
The trick to ensuring you use the correct structure is first to create an outline. Then ensure each paragraph starts with a topic sentence and that each section discusses one idea. The paragraphs should flow smoothly, so use appropriate transitions to connect them. Overall, the writing should be easy to comprehend, and just by reading the first sentence, the reader should be able to tell what that paragraph is going to talk about.
Do Complete Tasks Early
Students tend to procrastinate and wait until the last minute to start working on an assignment. This often results in missing the deadline or handing in low-quality work. Even if you have a whole month to write an essay that you believe is simple, it’s best to start early. That way, you can have ample time to write a quality piece and edit it with a clear mind.
With these simple dos and don’ts, have fun writing any academic paper.
