Types Of Academic Documents 9.5

Question 1

Student essays

Answer 1

Summarize and discuss existing research on a topic in a way that demonstrates the author’s understanding of the subject.

Question 2

Editing student essays

Answer 2

• look and correct all mechanical errors (e.g., typos, non-standard grammar)

• assuring it’s clear and concise, with strong links between paragraphs

• ensuring formal and academic language without being unnecessarily complex

• minor edits to help with word limit

• checking citations match reference style

• check chart, table, figure and other visual elements for issues

*subjects influence style. (e.g., science requires neutral objectivity than literature)

Question 3

Descriptive essays

Answer 3

Focus on setting out facts and information on a particular topic.

Question 4

Critical/Analytical essays

Answer 4

Delve more deeply into a topic, looking how it works (e.g., close textual analysis), how it relates to other ideas (e.g., a compare and contrast essay), or that critique something (e.g., an essay looking at the strengths and weaknesses of a theory or experiment)

Question 5

Persuasive/Argumentative essays

Answer 5

Analyze an idea or topic, then argue for a particular position.

*uses more persuasive language

Question 6

Experimental research essays

Answer 6

• follow a ridged structure. Introduction, methodology, results and discussion sections. (IMRaD essay format)

• most parts read in the present tense but the methodology section reads in the past tense.

• recommendations are written in the future tense

• often include tables and charts to present data. Check easy to follow, placed relevantly, and well labeled

*major issues may fall outside proofreading guidelines but you should comment on potential problems to take action to avoid

Question 7

Reflective essays

Answer 7

Reflect on what they learned from an experience. (Common for vocational)

• they are subjective and use first-person

• they use a narrative form

Question 8

Annotated bibliography essay

Answer 8

Lists sources in a subject area, following each one with a short description and/or critical analysis.

*emphasis on reference style

Question 9

Dissertations and thesis

Answer 9

• Evaluative pieces prepared at the end of an under or post graduate degrees.

• strictly follow a specific style and format guide

• more technically dense or complex in vocabulary

*the terms dissertation and thesis are used interchangeably when talking about undergraduate and master’s works or PhD-level work. So check briefs!

Question 10

Dissertation and thesis parts

Answer 10

• main paper

• abstract

• acknowledgements

• table of contents

Question 11

Journal articles

Answer 11

• mid-length documents (5,00 to 10,000 words)

• written for expert audience with technically dense and complex language

• narrow scope, exploring a specific topic in detail.

• Is published research that makes an original contribution.

• follows publisher’s in-house style sheet

Question 12

Academic book chapters

Answer 12

Is a paper to be included in an anthology of essays.

Similar to journal articles with a few differences:

• need to be framed so they fit with their container volume

• May offer more scope for variation in terms of authorial voice, framing, and structure

• mostly aimed at an academic audience but can vary from first year to specialist.

*check publisher’s guidelines

Question 13

Monograph Academic book

Answer 13

• Written by a single author (or group) on a single topic.

• Typically written by established academics for researchers and scholars

• long and complex

• prominent authorial voice is common

*include dedication pages, translator’s note, glossaries, indexes that all need proofreading

Question 14

Edited collections academic book

Answer 14

• Comprising papers from different contributors.

• usually themed around a uniting topic or idea.

• Copy editing usually occurs before papers are accepted for inclusion but publishers sometimes proof for typeset copy before publishing.

*include dedication pages, translator’s note, glossaries, indexes that all need proofreading

Question 15

Reference works academic books

Answer 15

• Textbooks and other resources for teaching and research (e.g., specialist dictionaries and encyclopedias)

• applying house style of publisher

• check for intended audience suitability

*include dedication pages, translator’s note, glossaries, indexes that all need proofreading

Question 16

Abstract and/or synopses

Answer 16

A summery of key points set out in a paper or book.

• short (200-300 words)

• focus on key details

• self-contained for reader to understand what the paper is about from the abstract alone

• contain key results and conclusions

• paraphrase rather than quoting the main paper

• only introduce abbreviations if repeated in the abstract (will still need to introduced in main paper. Unnecessary to introduce additional terms in abstract)

• check style/guide for a strict rules for following abstracts