Loading

Academic Writing

 Here are some important considerations to keep in mind as you write your literature review and research paper…

  • Academic Writing Expectations and Best Practices

    Maintain a Formal and Scholarly Approach: Your remaining assignments require a formal, research-based synthesis of scholarly LIS literature and a high degree of critical thinking—this is an expectation of graduate-level work.

    Follow Assignment Guidelines Closely: Each assignment builds toward your final research paper. Carefully review the assignment pages and adhere to submission procedures for each task.

    Organize Your Writing with a Logical Structure: Begin with a cohesive outline and ensure your writing has a clear, logical flow, particularly in the research paper.

    Use Provided Resources: Take advantage of assignment helpers and strictly follow formatting requirements for your research paper.

    Cite All Sources Properly: Always cite your sources in written work. Use APA 7 formatting consistently (note: APA formatting may not be perfect in WordPress).

    Refer to Citation Guidelines: Review Module 2 and other course materials for APA 7 citation rules, including proper in-text citations.

    Support Your Claims with Evidence: Avoid generalizations in academic writing unless they are supported by peer-reviewed or professional sources.

    Use Precise and Scholarly Language:

    Avoid generic praise: Instead of saying “This is a great study,” specify why it is valuable—e.g., “This study provides a comprehensive analysis of X, offering new insights into Y.”

    Avoid contractions: Use “It is…” instead of “It’s…” to maintain a formal tone.

    Be mindful of colloquial phrases:

    Colloquial: “Based on our research, it really seems like X and Y are connected, no doubt about it.”

    Better: “The findings of this study strongly suggest a causal relationship between X and Y.”

    Use precise academic verbs: Scholars argue, write, find, discuss, note, propose, etc.

    • Instead of “In the article, Stephens talks about a professional development program…”, use:

    “Stephens (2016) discusses a professional development program…”

    “In the article, Bates writes that information seeking…”

    Follow APA 7 Citation Standards: Avoid including article titles in your text. Instead, use the standard APA format: Author’s last name and year in parentheses.

    Example: “Stephens (2016) finds that students using blogs…”

    Use Balanced, Evidence-Based Arguments: Academic writing is grounded in research—avoid sweeping generalizations or unsupported opinions. Support all statements with peer-reviewed studies, scholarly monographs, or academic sources.

    Clarify the Nature of Your Readings: Most monographs in INFO 200 are nonfiction—they are not novels.

    Proofread Your Work Carefully: Avoid grammar errors and typos. Proofread closely and, if possible, ask a colleague or friend to review your work before submission.

Action Item: Download Dr. Linda Schamber’s TipsForCoursework – Dr. Schamber was one of my professors at the University of North Texas.

SJSU iSchool Writing Support

SJSU Grad Writer Toolbox

  • The SJSU Writing Center has also curated the “Grad Writer Toolbox” with Online Resources to help increase your comfort and confidence in graduate-level writing and research projects. Includes resources for writing research papers, making presentations, citing sources, managing time, and more.

Purdue’s OWL: APA 7 Formatting

For More Help:

References:

American Psychological Association. (2020). Concise guide to APA style (7th ed.).

Selinger, K. (2018). Academic writing:  mastering the fundamentals of academic writing to deliver outstanding essays, dissertations, and papers and to stand out of the crowd. New York, NY: Beryl Assets LLC.

Skip to toolbar