Thread by @kajaosterud

Academic writing - a thread

This fall I have taken a course in academic writing. I have learnt a lot and to synthesize some of my lessons I have made a manifesto - ideals to live by and points to remember.

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1. Write every morning until 10. Then reward yourself with a 10-minute break. Yes, even the days you don’t really want to.

2. Start writing, even though you feel you need to read more. You’ll know better what you need to read, once you start writing.

3. Remember that you need to practice to become a good writer! Being a good academic writer is not an inherent skill, it is something you learn by practice

4. Know what audience you are addressing and what conversation you are trying to join. Academic writing is deeply intertextual and this is an essential element to be conscious of.

5. Mimicking others is an indispensable skill. Learn from the ones that have published articles before you. Actively use reference articles from your target journal to map out you own.

8. There is a bunch of general academic phrases scholars use repeatedly – steal them! Use reference articles or a phrase bank: phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk

6. Garbage writing is necessary to produce good texts – accept the process! This is just a stage of constructive chaos. It will turn into something better later.

7. A good introduction should
- Establish a research territory
- Establish a niche
- Occupy the niche

9. Well-crafted signposting helps the reader, piling it on is boring. Metadiscourse is necessary, but make it interesting.

10. You can use the passive voice! You are allowed to ignore the spell checker. But use it knowingly and with purpose. For example when the subject is being acted upon and and the actor is not relevant

11. Establish connections between your sentences. To facilitate flow, follow a progression from old to new information.

If you have any other writing tips that have helped you, feel free to share them!