ACADEMIC TEXT STRUCTURES

Learning Outcomes:

 Define academic text

 Determine text structure of an academic text
 Explain the components of three-part essay structures.

he components of the three-part essay structure

What is an academic text?

-A critical, objective, specialized texts written by experts or professionals in a given field.

-Written based on facts with solid evidences or bases
-Considered formal, objective or impersonal and technical

Examples of Academic Texts

Literary Analysis

-examines, evaluates, and makes an argument about a literary work

-requires careful and close readings on one or more interrelated texts

Research Paper

-Presents arguments using empirical data and proven scientific research methods.
-Written in all disciplines and maybe critical, evaluative and analytical in nature.

Dissertation/Thesis

-A document submitted towards Usually starts with a problem, explanation/solution of the

problem through series of evidences from existing or published sources.
-finishing a course or a degree

Other Examples of Academic Texts

 Abstracts
 Book reports
 Journal articles
 Textbooks

ACADEMIC TEXT STRUCTURES

 The Three-Part Essay Structure

-Most common and basic text structure used in most academic texts
-Has three main parts: introduction, body and conclusion
 - Science/ research report, academic essay, editorial, thesis and other scholarly works

1. Introduction
-introduces the topic, purpose and structure of the paper
Has four main parts:
a. hook or attention grabber (single sentence)
b. overview or background of the topic (1-2 sentences)
b. preview of the main points of the essay
c. a thesis statement to affirm the main idea of the essay

2. Body
-elaborates the topic through definitions, classifications, explanations, contrasts, examples, and
evidences for better understanding.

-Considered as the heart of the essay

3. conclusion

-a summary of the main point

-Restatement of the thesis statement (reworded)
-tie to opening

 The IMRaD Structure

I-ntroduction
M-ethod
R-esults
(A-nd)
D-iscussion

The IMRaD Structure

Introduction- background of the topic or central focus of the study

Methodology- discusses data collection methods, research instruments, sample size and so on

Results and Discussions- brief summary of the key findings or results of the study

LANGUAGE USE IN ACADEMIC WRITING

Common Features of Academic Language

1. Formal 4. Analytical
2. Objective 5. Explicit
3. Technical
 1. Formal -Avoid casual or conversational language such as contractions and informal vocabularies.

-Academic text should be factual, concise and accurate

Ex: Informal- Josh can’t attend the meeting.

Formal- Josh can not attend the meeting.

Verbs

Informal Formal
Say sorry Apologize
Go up Increase
Set up Establish

Transitions

Informal Formal
Anyways Nevertheless
Also Furthermore
I think In my opinion

2. Objective- Avoids personal or direct reference to people or feelings

-Avoids subjective language such as personal, judgemental and emotive language.

Ex; Objective: A total of 22 parents were interviewed…

Subjective: I interviewed a total of 22 parents…

Ex; Objective: Smith’s paper made a major contribution to the field.

Subjective: Smith’s paper made such a remarkable contribution…

3. Technical- Uses vocabularies/ terms specific to the discipline.

- For example, words like cost, demand, price, and supply are common technical terms in
economics. Words like circuit, field, energy, and plate are common technical word in electronics.

4. Analytical - Academic writing does critical analysis to add new perspective to a subject instead of a
just rewriting what has already been written.

- Draws conclusion based on solid evidences

5. Explicit- Has clear presentation of ideas

- Has well organized text structure

- uses signposting

- Signposts are words and phrases that you can use in your text in order to guide the reader along.

Ex. of signposting

 Continuing an argument with a related point

-Furthermore…
-To further understand the role of…
- In addition…
- Similarly…etc…

 Going into more detail on a point/ rephrasing

-In particular…
-Specifically…
- Concentrating on…
- To be more precise…

ACADEMIC READING STRATEGIES

What are the purposes of reading?

 To scan for specific information

 To skim to get an overview of the text
 To relate new content to existing knowledge
 To write something (often depends on a prompt)
 To critique an argument
 To learn something
 For general comprehension

Different academic reading strategies

 Before Reading
-establish your purpose for reading
- Speculate about the author’s purpose for writing
- Review what you already know and want to learn about the topic
- Preview the text to get an overview of its structure, looking at headings, figures, tables,
glossary, etc.
- Predict the contents of the text and pose questions about it. If the authors have provided
discussion questions, read them and write them on a note-taking sheet.
-Note any discussion questions that have been provided (sometimes at the end of the text)
- Preview vocabularies
When readers preview a text, they: 1.) Activate prior knowledge, 2.) Set reading goals, 3.) Study
important vocabulary, 4.) Predict information

 During Reading
-Annotate and mark sections of the text to easily recall important or interesting ideas.
-Check your predictions and find answers to posed questions
- Use headings and transition words to identify relationships in the text
- Create a vocabulary list of other unfamiliar words to define later
- Try to infer unfamiliar word’s meanings by identifying their relationship to main idea
- Connect the text to what you already know about the topic
- Take breaks (split the text into segment if necessary)

 After Reading
-Summarize the text in your own words
-Talk to someone about the author’s ideas to check your comprehension
-Identify and reread difficult parts of the text
-Define words on your vocabulary list and practice using them

The 3 stages of academic reading strategies can also be summarize through “The K-W-L Chart” stands
for What I Know, What I Want to Learn, What to Learned.

OUTLINING
What is outlining?

-A tool used in the writing process

-help organize our ideas, visualize our paper's potential structure, and to further flesh out and develop
points

-allows the writer to understand how he or she will connect information to support the thesis statement
and the claims of the paper

Organizing your idea in an outline

-Begin by answering the question that leads to your thesis statement.

-Use the two or three main ideas from this technique as your main heading.

-Write subtopics for each main idea.

-Write the supporting details for each of the subtopics.

Use various outlines based on the structure you prefer

 Sentence outline – Using complete sentences as entries.

 Topic outline – Using words and phrases as entries.
 Paragraph outline – Using paragraphs as entries.

Guidelines in Writing an Outline:

 Place the title at the center above the outline.

 Every level of the outline must have at least two items (I and II, A and B, 1 and 2).
 Put a period after each numeral and letter.
 Indent each new level of the outline.
 All items of one kind (roman numerals, capital letters, Arabic numerals) should line up with each
other.
 Capitalize the first letter of each item.
 The terms Introduction, Body, and Conclusion do not have to be included in the outline. They
are not topics; they are merely organizational units in the writer’s mind.

BASIC OUTLINE FORM

I. MAIN IDEA

 A. Subsidiary idea or supporting idea to I

 B. Subsidiary idea or supporting idea to I

-1. Subsidiary idea to B

-2. Subsidiary idea to B

 Subsidiary idea to 2
 b. Subsidiary idea to 2

II. MAIN IDEA

 Subsidiary or supporting idea to II

 B. Subsidiary idea to II
 C. Subsidiary idea to II

III. MAIN IDEA

 It is up to the writer to decide on how many main ideas and supporting ideas adequately
describe the subject. However, traditional form dictates that if there is a I in the outline, there
has to be a II; if there is an A, there has to be a B; and so forth.
Example of Sentence Outline

The following outline is for a 5-7-page paper discussing the link between educational attainment and
health. Review the other sections of this page for more detailed information about each component of
this outline!

I. Introduction

A. Current Problem: Educational attainment rates are decreasing in the United States
while healthcare costs are increasing.

B. Population/Area of Focus: Unskilled or low-skilled adult workers

C. Key Terms: healthy, well-educated

Thesis Statement: Because of their income deficit (cite sources) and general susceptibility to depression
(cite sources), students who drop out of high school before graduation maintain a higher risk for
physical and mental health problems later in life.

II. Background

A. Historical Employment Overview: Unskilled laborers in the past were frequently unionized
and adequately compensated for their work (cite sources).

B. Historical Healthcare Overview: Unskilled laborers in the past were often provided adequate
healthcare and benefits (cite sources).

C. Current Link between Education and Employment Type: Increasingly, uneducated workers
work in unskilled or low-skilled jobs (cite sources).

D. Gaps in the Research: Little information exists exploring the health implications of the current
conditions in low-skilled jobs.

III. Major Point 1: Conditions of employment affect workers' physical health.

A. Minor Point 1: Unskilled work environments are correlated highly with worker injury (cite
sources).

B. Minor Point 2: Unskilled work environments rarely provide healthcare or adequate injury
recovery time (cite sources).

IV. Major Point 2: Conditions of employment affect workers' mental health

A. Minor Point 1: Employment in a low-skilled position is highly correlated with dangerous levels
of stress (cite sources).

B. Minor Point 2: Stress is highly correlated with mental health issues (cite sources).
V. Major Point 3: Physical health and mental health correlate directly with one another.

A. Minor Point 1: Mental health problems and physical health problems are highly correlated
(cite sources).

B. Minor Point 2: Stress manifests itself in physical form (cite sources)

VI. Major Point 4: People with more financial worries have more stress and worse physical health.

A. Minor Point 1: Many high-school dropouts face financial problems (cite sources).

B. Minor Point 2: Financial problems are often correlated with unhealthy lifestyle choices such
unhealthy food choices, overconsumption/abuse of alcohol, chain smoking, abusive relationships, etc.
(cite sources).

VII. Conclusion

A. Restatement of Thesis: Students who drop out of high school are at a higher risk for both
mental and physical health problems throughout their lives.

B. Next Steps: Society needs educational advocates; educators need to be aware of this situation
and strive for student retention in order to promote healthy lifestyles and warn students of the risks
associated with dropping out of school.