Have a language expert improve your writing
Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.
- Knowledge Base
- Academic writing
Checklist: Academic writing
Published on October 16, 2020 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 23, 2023.
Academic writing is a formal style of writing used in universities and scholarly publications. When writing an essay , research paper , research proposal , thesis , or dissertation , you have to use academic style.
Use this checklist to make sure you’ve followed academic conventions in style, tone, and structure.
Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text
Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes
Table of contents
Other interesting articles.
I avoid informal terms and contractions .
I avoid second-person pronouns (“you”).
I avoid emotive or exaggerated language.
I avoid redundant words and phrases.
I avoid unnecessary jargon and define terms where needed.
I present information as precisely and accurately as possible.
I use appropriate transitions to show the connections between my ideas.
My text is logically organized using paragraphs .
Each paragraph is focused on a single idea, expressed in a clear topic sentence .
Every part of the text relates to my central thesis or research question .
I support my claims with evidence.
I use the appropriate verb tenses in each section.
I consistently use either UK or US English .
I format numbers consistently.
I cite my sources using a consistent citation style .
Your text follows the most important rules of academic style. Make sure it's perfect with the help of a Scribbr editor!
Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.
If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!
- Ad hominem fallacy
- Post hoc fallacy
- Appeal to authority fallacy
- False cause fallacy
- Sunk cost fallacy
- Deep learning
- Generative AI
- Machine learning
- Reinforcement learning
- Supervised vs. unsupervised learning
(AI) Tools
- Grammar Checker
- Paraphrasing Tool
- Text Summarizer
- AI Detector
- Plagiarism Checker
- Citation Generator
Cite this Scribbr article
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
McCombes, S. (2023, July 23). Checklist: Academic writing. Scribbr. Retrieved February 22, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-writing/academic-writing-checklist/
Is this article helpful?
Shona McCombes
Other students also liked, a step-by-step guide to the writing process, taboo words in academic writing, transition words & phrases | list & examples, what is your plagiarism score.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Essay Writing: Writer's Checklist Introduction: Is the main idea (i.e., the writer's opinion of the story title) stated clearly? Is the introductory paragraph interesting? Does it make the reader want to keep on reading? Body Paragraphs: Does each body paragraph have a clear topic sentence that is related to the main idea of the essay?
understand why it's worth writing that essay. A strong thesis will be arguable rather than descriptive, and it will be the right scope for the essay you are writing. If your thesis is descriptive, then you will not need to convince your readers of anything—you will be naming or summarizing something your readers can already see for themselves.
Strategies for Essay Writing--Complete. description. Tips for Reading an Assignment Prompt. description. Asking Analytical Questions. description. Thesis. description. Introductions. description. What Do Introductions Across the Disciplines Have in Common? description. Anatomy Of a Body Paragraph. description. Transitions.
Academic writing is built upon three truths that aren't self-evident: - Writing is Thinking: While "writing" is traditionally understood as the expression of thought, we'll redefine "writing" as the thought process itself. Writing is not what you do with thought. Writing is thinking.
Essay Writing: Editing Checklist (Put a or X in each box depending on whether the work does or does not meet the criteria and note comments in margins). Introduction Introductory sentence clearly tells you what the paper is about. Background information relates DIRECTLY to the specific topic.
THE ESSAY WRITING PROCESS - A CHECKLIST 1. PLANNING: Read and understand the assignment instructions, ask for clarification if needed Check the requirements: Number of words, essay subject, research needed Estimate how long will take to complete 2. GENERATING IDEAS:
Checklist: Essay 0 / 14 My essay follows the requirements of the assignment (topic and length ). My introduction sparks the reader's interest and provides any necessary background information on the topic. My introduction contains a thesis statement that states the focus and position of the essay. I use paragraphs to structure the essay.
6th time Academic Writing Style Is the argument clear? Is the argument clearly developed throughout the essay? Does the argument clearly address the assessment topic Has the essay topic been answered explicitly and fully? Is the essay analytical (i.e. Has it focused on `why', `how', `to what extent' and minimised
Checklist: Essay 0 / 14. My essay follows the requirements of the assignment (topic and length).. My introduction sparks the reader's interest and provides any necessary background information on the topic.. My introduction contains a thesis statement that states the focus and position of the essay.. I use paragraphs to structure the essay.. I use topic sentences to introduce each paragraph.
Essay writing process. The writing process of preparation, writing, and revisions applies to every essay or paper, but the time and effort spent on each stage depends on the type of essay.. For example, if you've been assigned a five-paragraph expository essay for a high school class, you'll probably spend the most time on the writing stage; for a college-level argumentative essay, on the ...
1. Is the main idea of the essay clear to the reader? 2. Does the essay stay focused on the main idea? 3. Does the writer maintain an awareness of the intended audience? Organization 4. Does the introductory paragraph include a thesis statement and a plan? 5.
I used paragraphs correctly. BODY PARAGRAPHS CHECKLIST. Body Paragraph 1. Contains a quality opening sentence that tells why I admire the person I chose. Gives details and examples of my topic sentence in this paragraph. Contains a closing sentence that successfully brings the paragraph to a close or transitions to the next. Body Paragraph 2.
Narrative writing Essay checklist q Introduction to begin the story q Details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings q Temporal words q Organized to flow smoothly q Conclusion to end the story q Complete sentences q Correct capitalization, verb usage, punctuation, spelling Narrative writing Essay checklist q Introduction to begin the story
Harvard College Writing Center 1 Introductions The introduction to an academic essay will generally present an analytical question or problem and then offer an answer to that question (the thesis). Your introduction is also your opportunity to explain to your readers what your essay is about and why they should be interested in reading it.
the body of the essay; and the fi fth paragraph is a conclusion (see diagram on page 4). This book will focus exclusively on the fi ve-paragraph essay. Although essays may vary in length, the fi ve-paragraph essay structure can be adapted for longer or shorter essays. 1. Introductory paragraph
Checklist to improve your writing: B2 First and B2 First for Schools. Remember how the Writing paper is assessed. Cambridge English examiners consider four things when marking the Writing paper: Content. You have done what the task asked you to do. You have included all the important information. You did not include everything you were asked for.
Use the following guidelines and checklists as a guide to self-editing your writing. GENERAL GUIDELINES Take a break. Giving yourself a bit of distance from the writing will help you see your work from a fresh perspective. Read aloud. You'll be surprised how different your writing sounds than it looks.
CCDMD
Knowledge Base Academic writing Checklist: Academic writing Checklist: Academic writing Published on October 16, 2020 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 23, 2023. Academic writing is a formal style of writing used in universities and scholarly publications.
Argumentative Essay: Revision Checklist REVISION CHECKLIST: Directions: Find, highlight, and revise these elements in your informational article. **If you don't have one of these things, ADD it!** _____ The essay includes an attention-grabbing hook.
Final Draft Checklist ... (your roommate, a classmate, or a tutor in the Writing Center) review your paper is another good way to make sure your argument is clear, your evidence is convincing, and your paper is polished. Title: Questions to Consider Author: Political Science
Keep in mind that each checklist is meant to be a broad overview of student expectations and not a comprehensive list—but they do include guidance for scoring based on the rubrics. Checklists may be consulted by the student in advance of writing (as a reminder of things to keep in mind while responding to the prompt) and after writing (to ...
Thesis and Essay: Third draft due (e.g., graduation on or about April 30, third draft due March 21) - goes to all readers For those writing a thesis: The draft you are defending must be submitted to your committee members two (2) weeks before the defense date. For those writing an essay: The final draft must be submitted to your essay
Grade 6 Writing Checklist Argument Conventions Meets Expectations: Introduces claim(s) Organizes the reasons and evidence a. Uses structure to support the writer's purpose (letter format, essay, speech) Supports claim(s) a. Uses clear reasons b. Uses relevant evidence c. Uses credible sources Uses appropriate transitions a.
Harvard College Writing Center 5 Asking Analytical Questions When you write an essay for a course you are taking, you are being asked not only to create a product (the essay) but, more importantly, to go through a process of thinking more deeply about a question or problem related to the course. By writing about a