Do you struggle to follow the rules of academic writing? Understand your WHY first! Our guest, Mohamed, shares why the intent of academic writing matters.
In my experience, most of the research students are in some sort of a struggle or even a battle with the “rules” of academic writing – students often assume that everything is a rule, hence the inverted commas.
It is not so much a case of the “rules” being difficult to understand, but students do not seem to understand why there are rules to begin with and why should they be followed? After all, “my research is very different to anything else” and so the established “rules” would not really apply.
No matter how unique the subject matter of the research is, the likelihood that something similar has not been undertaken in a research context somewhere in the world is very low.
It is therefore vitally important to read and read and then read some more before starting any writing. This will assist in ensuring that you have the best possible understanding of the context within which your academic writing is taking place.
After having read extensively, if you believe that your research is still so unique, there is no automatic assumption that your work is exempt from the “rules” of academic writing. With the right mentorship and supervision, any nuance that is specific to your work can be navigated within the scope of the scientific method or the “rules”.
Why rigour is key to academic writing?
It is important to note that the “rules” or as I prefer to think of, the disciplined, scientific methods of academic writing is the basis of its rigour. Rigour is the strength, reliability and validity of your work. It is the cornerstone of truth.
Fake news, internet bots and other automated mechanisms designed to interfere with truth have become part and parcel of our daily lives. It is an increasingly rare skill to decipher what is real and what is published on the internet.
The answer cannot be to gamble with what is true and not because of what is at stake. It is not simply a case of falling victim to incorrect information in the news. One’s finances and even one’s identity could be compromised if one is unable to discern sources of legitimate information from that intent on deceiving and duping you into falsehood.
Therefore, one has a duty to oneself and those around you to make every effort to reject deception and falsehood. That requires a deep examination of what constitutes valid and reliable information. To do so, one must ask self-reflective questions. For instance, have you ever examined or reflected on why rigour is important?
What is the intent of academic writing?
We live in an age where data, information and knowledge are available aplenty to people and places where food is not available. How widespread wisdom is though, we cannot say for sure. It is for this reason that rigour is vitally important to all writing in general and to academic writing in particular.
How then does one overcome the struggles and battles referred to above? The answer lies in one’s intention for writing to begin with. You must constantly examine and re-examine your intention in all spheres of life and academic writing is not different. I have found that the students that have established sound intentions make the best academic writers.
It must follow then – What is a good intention? Or what is an appropriate intention? That is for each person to decide for themselves based on their own values, beliefs and moral compass.
The guiding principle is that YOU should be comfortable with what you are writing and why you are writing it.
How to derive the intent for academic writing?
If you are having difficulty clarifying your intention, perhaps ask yourself the following questions:
- Who am I writing this for? Who is the target audience? Think about the idea of deconstructing academic audiences from people with PhDs to people that have never been to school but can read your work online.
- How will my writing be of benefit to my audience and beyond?
- Will my writing harm anyone and if so, what can I do to mitigate the harm?
- Regardless of the context or subject matter, is there a way for my writing to have timeless longevity? No matter what I am writing about, can this be relevant for future generations
Conclusions
By no means is the above an exhaustive list but it will certainly set you off on a journey to discover intention. It is a lifelong journey that must be undertaken by us all. On that journey, “rules” for academic writing no longer seem to cause the same struggles or battles. You are more likely to embrace those “rules” and to use them to strengthen the message you seek to convey.
