Guidebook to Academic Writing: Communicating in the Disciplines

This innovative guidebook is an accessible and concise introduction to discipline-specific academic language. Using authentic texts written by both novice and expert writers and ‘translating’ current, corpus-based research of academic language into a practical guide, the book gives students the tools to navigate the linguistic features of various disciplines, emphasizing the humanities and sciences, but also discussing example texts from the social sciences.

Organised as 11 self-contained questions that are critical to any discussion of academic language, this guide:

• provides specific information and detail regarding the language ‘demands’ of each discipline
• explains the principles underlying punctuation, the range of choices writers have and the effects of these choices on readers
• includes detailed linguistic guidance on how to construct effective paragraphs
• discusses the multiple ways attitude is expressed in academic texts
• includes information on citation practices

With exercises and additional online resources, this guidebook provides students with a range of tools they can choose from in order to create effective texts that meet discipline and reader expectations. Accessibly written, it is an essential guide for all students in humanities and sciences writing academic texts in English.

Cornelia C. Paraskevas is Professor Emerita of Linguistics and Writing. She taught at Western Oregon University for 32 years. She is the author of Exploring Grammar Through Texts: Reading and Writing the Structure of English (2020) and co-author (with M. E. Sargent) of Conversations about Writing: Eavesdropping, Inkshedding, and Joining In (2004).

Deborah F. Rossen-Knill is a professor in the University of Rochester’s Writing, Speaking, and Argument Program and the program’s founding and executive director. She co-authored with Tatyana Bakhmetyeva Including Students in Academic Conversations: Principles and Strategies for Teaching Theme-Based Writing Courses Across the Disciplines (2011) and co-edited with Craig Hancock the Journal of Teaching Writing William Vande Kopple Memorial Issue (2021)