Academic Writing Genres in Postgraduate Levels: Similarities and Differences among the varied Genres

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Academic writing that serves as one of the compulsory activities of students pursuing their studies at postgraduate level is a somewhat challenging yet interesting experience (Petrova 2017). Whilst academic writing at undergraduate levels tends to be less demanding, academic writing at a postgraduate level requires lots of critical thinking and associated skills. Precisely there are four main writing genres in postgraduate level which entail essay, research proposal, research report and reflective writing. Essay writing entails in-depth exploration, analysis and evaluation of a given topic that is written in prose and presented in a continuous structure with the use of connected paragraphs. On the other hand, research proposals explain details about the plan, methodology, purpose and objective of a research study that could be undertaken in future. Moreover, a research report relies on particular sections which entail discussion, methodology, literature review and conclusion to present detailed information concerning a selected topic. Reflective writing offers detailed responses that a writer develops through their critical thinking capabilities with regards to a given document or situation (Rai 2006). Such categories of writing demand the use of particular structures and supporting evidence to back up information that is generated through critical thinking and the use of specific writing skills. Nevertheless, some variances exist amongst the different genres because of their varied purposes. Therefore, essay, research proposal, research report and reflective writing genres exhibit certain similarities and differences relating to their structures, required skills and development processes.

Similarities

First, each of the academic writing genres relies on evidence to support their points. Different academic writing documents depend on predetermined information to support their ideas and give them authority (Cumming, Lai and Cho 2016). Since critical thinking facilitates the development of personal opinions and ideologies, evidenced from earlier experiments and research findings are crucial in validating and proving such individual inferences. For instance, each type of academic writing relies on either direct quotes or paraphrased versions of other scholars’ findings. Nevertheless, such evidence should be obtained from reputable sources that may include quality scholarly articles that were developed through proven and acceptable processes like scientific experimentations and research studies. Without evidence, a document would be less convincing, and hence a writer may not attain their desired objectives and goals. Therefore, an individual has to conduct extensive and intensive studies and evaluations of available documents to determine the most suitable ones to be used in a given topic of writing. Thus, evidence act as qualifiers and validators of all categories of academic documents.

Secondly, all the different types of academic writing adhere to particular order and structures to guide the audience. Every form of academic writing exhibits a specific structure and order to ensure that their information flows smoothly from the begging to the end (Street 2009). Most academic documents rely on the use of three-part approach which entails the use of an introduction, body and conclusion. Each type of writing presents an introductory section that serves to inform and prepare the reader on what to expect from the other parts of the document. The body of the writing is where the author expresses and explain their points. Finally, the conclusion section offers summarized points and personal inferences that are drawn from the findings. Even so, every category of writing has a unique structure and order due to their varied uses. For instance, a research paper relies on sub-sections with the use of sub-titles that entail literature review, findings and discussions, conclusions and methodology to extensively elaborate and explain its varied groups of information. On the other hand, some forms of writing that include the essays rely on are continuously-flowing documents that are written in prose to ensure that their paragraphs are interrelated. Hence, order and structure are crucial in every type of academic writing at the postgraduate level.

Additionally, each type of academic writing exhibit in-text citations and the use of a reference list to reinforce their points and provide links to areas of further reading. Citations and references are crucial in all academic writings since they attract more value and qualify the documents (Fox, Paine and Sauterey 2016). A piece of writing could be isolated from the wealth of academic writings if it does not recognize and appreciate work of other writers. References play crucial roles in supporting ideas that an individual develops through their critical thinking capabilities. Moreover, appreciate previous academic projects through the use of references and citations. Information that other academicians and scholars established contribute significantly in validating and reinforcing claims of a writer. For instance, the diverse categories of academic writings use in-text citations and reference lists to support their information. Therefore, references are vital sources of evidence as well as validators and qualifiers of academic documents.

Further, academic writing at the postgraduate level relies significantly on critical thinking capabilities, evaluations and analysis. Advanced levels of academic writing extend beyond mere descriptions of an idea or subject to include personal interpretations, responses and conclusions (Andrews 2007). Since virtually every form of academic writing at advanced levels of studies strive to expand existing knowledge, personal inferences and conclusions are essential in contributing to such desired growth. For instance, an individual could rely on recommendations and suggestions from previous research papers to conduct new studies, thus uncovering more vital information and growing the wealth of information. Academic documents could be of no or less value if they replicate what other persons accomplished without providing additional information. Nonetheless, findings from previous work by other scholars and academicians are referred to provide foundations for new writings. Moreover, academic documents require writers to use reliable findings and facts to develop new information through critical thinking.

Furthermore, each form of academic writing has a specific thesis that acts as their baselines. Theses are vital aspects of academic writing since they act as a guide and controller to ensure that the writer remains within the essential areas of coverage (Toprak 2014). For example, theses dictate the extent of what the writer would cover, the type of objectives and research questions that a writer would use. A well-directed document is relatively easier to understand and read since the audience would have specific expectations. Moreover, a reader who gains a clear understanding of what the writer intends to present would be eager to learn applicable procedures and eventual findings. Still, theses are important during evaluation of a document. Therefore, academic documents strive to explore, explain and support particular theses.

Difference

A key difference amongst the varied writing genres is based on the degree of research studies that a writer has to conduct. Amount of research studies that an individual conducts depend on the quantity of information that is needed (Shim 2005). For example, research reports and research proposals require extensive research studies to attain adequate documents that would be used in the literature review and other sections of the paper. On the contrary, essays and reflection tend to rely on limited but enough sources to support their claims and ideas. Since reflections strive to present personal emotions, interpretations, opinions and believes about a given subject, they depend primarily on a writer’s critical thinking, evaluation and analysis skills rather than exhaustive research studies. Hence, the extent of research studies differs from one category of writing to the next.

Required Skills

Also, all forms of academic writing at postgraduate level demand advanced research and reading skills. Research skills are essential in ensuring that a writer provides the right and valid information that enriches their wealth of knowledge. Similarly, critical reading enables readers to collect crucial information from a given document. Accordingly, research skills involve intensive and extensive critical analyses and evaluation of available materials to establish the most suitable ones that would be employed in a given piece of writing. For instance, an individual would have to find, read, analyze and evaluate various documents to determine and select the most appropriate sources that would be used to enrich their literature review section (Fox, Paine and Sauterey 2016). Such a practice is highly-involving since the practice of establishing verified, and credible sources consume lots of time and energy. An individual could end up replicating work of another person, thus generating similar information rather than expanding the existing ones by failing to conduct adequate research studies. Still, a writer should conduct exhaustive research studies to avoid plagiarism while increasing their knowledge for better information development (Bakhtiyari et al. 2014). Thus, research skills are critical in all academic writing.

Still, advanced writing skills are crucial in postgraduate level writing activities. At postgraduate levels, academic writing tends to be more sophisticated since it entails expression and explanations of particularly complex subjects in in-depth and lengthy approaches (Langan 2013). For example, an individual could be required to provide basic descriptions of a chosen topic then offer their inferences and conclusions. Accordingly, a writer should be able to establish a suitable writing structure and style to develop an interesting document that is relatively easy to read and understand. Moreover, writers should use appropriate terms and sentence structures that are relatively easier to understand by avoiding ambiguity while ensuring clarity and simplicity. Also, meticulous referencing, appropriate structuring, proper grammar, apt planning and drafting of academic documents are critical in promoting quality work. Thus, suitable writing skills are essential in every type of academic writing at postgraduate levels because they enable writers to adequately communicate their messages to the target audience.

Similarly, proper time management and planning is another essential skill in the development of all the varied academic documents. Appropriate time management enables writers to adequately study, analyze, evaluate, and interpret collected data while ensuring that sufficient time is available for writing quality documents (Rani and Mangala 2010). An individual would probably conduct quality analysis, evaluations and interpretations when they have ample time. Research and critical thinking activities consume relatively lots of time and energy. On the other hand, students at postgraduate levels tend to operate under tight time schedules following the complexity of their studies. Accordingly, an individual should establish and stick to a suitable timeframe that puts into consideration every aspect of the writing processes.

Additionally, all the varied categories of academic writing rely primarily on proofreading and editing to gain adequate quality. Proofreading and editing a document contribute significantly on ensuring that it exhibits all the desired qualities while presenting extremely minimized or not errors (Harwood, Austin and Macaulay 2012). For instance, writers could proofread and edit their work to ensure the inclusion of all the required sections and proper titles/ subtitles while embracing the correct tenses and vocabulary. Well-edited and proofread documents are free of punctuation and spelling mistakes. Consequently, such documents would exhibit high-quality because they communicate effectively while ensuring smooth flow of information from one point to the next. Moreover, the writers would present full details by ensuring that they provide all the necessary details. Therefore, proofreading and editing are vital tools that are used to refine academic documents to ensure they are of high-quality.

Overall, academic writing at postgraduate level comprises four main genres that entail research proposal, research reports, essays and reflections. The varied groups of documents tend to be more sophisticated since they demand lots of critical thinking skills to provide valuable information for expanding existing knowledge. The main similarities in the varied groups of writing entail the use of critical thinking and evaluation skills, time management and planning skills, editing and proofreading skills, writing skills, the use of a thesis and essential reading and research skills. On the other hand, the differences exist in the structures and extent of research studies that are employed to develop the different types of documents. Research papers demand extensive research studies since they focus on literature reviews. On the other hand, reflections and essays tend to rely on limited amounts of research because they depend mainly on critical thinking, analyses and evaluation skills of an individual. Therefore, academic writing at postgraduate levels is more demanding and require sufficient understanding of the varied writing genres to ensure quality work.

References

Andrews, R., 2007. Argumentation, critical thinking and the postgraduate dissertation. Educational Review, 59(1), pp.1-18.

Bakhtiyari, K., Salehi, H., Embi, M.A., Shakiba, M., Zavvari, A., Shahbazi-Moghadam, M., Ale Ebrahim, N. and Mohammadjafari, M., 2014. Ethical and unethical methods of plagiarism prevention in academic writing. International Education Studies, 7(7), pp.52-62.

Cumming, A., Lai, C. and Cho, H., 2016. Students’ writing from sources for academic purposes: A synthesis of recent research. Journal of English for Academic purposes, 23, pp.47-58.

Fox, C.W., Paine, C.T. and Sauterey, B., 2016. Citations increase with manuscript length, author number, and references cited in ecology journals. Ecology and Evolution, 6(21), pp.7717-7726.

Harwood, N., Austin, L. and Macaulay, R., 2012. Cleaner, helper, teacher? The role of proofreaders of student writing. Studies in higher education, 37(5), pp.569-584.

Langan, J., 2013. College writing skills with readings. Tata McGraw-Hill Education.

Petrova, O., 2017. Writing as a part of postgraduate training English (Doctoral dissertation).

Rai, L., 2006. Owning (up to) reflective writing in social work education. Social work education, 25(8), pp.785-797.

Rani, E. and Mangala, S., 2010. Need and importance of soft skills in students. Journal of Literature, Culture and Media Studies, 2(3).

Shim, E., 2005. Introductions in research papers: Genre analysis of academic writing. ENGLISH TEACHING (영어교육), 60(4), pp.399-422.

Street, B., 2009. ” Hidden” features of academic paper writing. Working Papers in Educational Linguistics (WPEL), 24(1), p.1.

Toprak, F., 2014. The graduate students’ autonomy development in a thesis writing course for postgraduate students at EMU (Master’s thesis, Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU)-Doğu Akdeniz Üniversitesi (DAÜ)).