What Exactly Is Academic Essay Writing?
In the world of writing, academic essays distinguish themselves for many reasons. For example, blogs and news articles are structured to be engaging and to appeal to universal audiences. They rarely use arcane terms or jargon, and they are designed for the masses. Academic writing, however, must be eloquent, well versed, and indicative of intent research. This genre of writing can be tricky, because it must engage the audience, while stimulating them intellectually. This can prove to be a trying task for most novice writers. Academic essay writing is characterized by a specific type of format. For example, most academic essays adhere to the conventional structure of introduction and thesis, body paragraphs, conclusion, and works cited.
The introductory paragraph encompasses every idea expressed throughout the essay, but presents these ideas in a succinct, abridged way. When writing an introductory paragraph, it is important to note the major themes you will be conveying throughout your paper, integrating a concise, nuanced, complex thesis. The thesis statement is the foundation upon which you will build your essay's body paragraphs and ideas. A thesis is essentially the collective purpose behind your essay as a whole.
The body paragraphs should be organized in a traditional fashion. They should consist of an informative introductory sentence that foretells what will come in the body paragraph. The remaining content of the body paragraph should expound upon that introductory sentence, and it should probe deeper into the thesis statement itself. Every body paragraph should explore the thesis statement with clarity and profundity. These paragraphs represent an opportunity to delve further and further into your paper's overarching goal.
The conclusion is the turning point in your paper, in which you summarize the content of your essay, while presenting your thesis statement in a new light. Your conclusion should create intrigue, and present any potentially unanswered questions about the topic. Once you have completed this step, you proceed to the works cited section of the paper, which compiles all of your sources.
Remember, academic writing differs substantially from everyday freelance writing. Typically, an essay is given guidelines and a grading rubric by an instructor. So, you cannot exactly choose your own format or criteria. It is also important to note that plagiarism is a serious offense in the academic world. Hence, whenever you extrapolate any data from another source, you must include either in text citations, or you must cite the sources at the end of the document.