Advice on academic writing

In this video Dr Parvaneh Tavakoli talks about differences in the language used in academic writing from one discipline to another, and about the support that is available to help you improve your academic writing. She also emphasises the importance of understanding the tasks set in assessed written assignments, and the assessment criteria. Finally, she gives useful advice about managing your time, so that you have plenty of time to re-read, edit and proofread your draft before submitting work.

Dr Parvaneh Tavakoli’s top tips

1. Read your assignment task carefully – make sure you understand what you’ve been asked to do. If you’re not sure, ask your tutor for clarification or guidance. If there are several parts to the question, make sure you answer all of them.

2. Good planning is essential – make sure you know what you want to say and develop a detailed outline, before you start drafting your essay.

3. Don’t leave everything until the last minute. Make sure you complete your assignment several days before the deadline. Then you can come back, read and check through the text again with a fresh pair of eyes, and make any final changes ready for submission.

Now we’d like to hear from you.

• If you’re the kind of person who leaves everything until the last minute, what can you do to ensure that you leave enough time for reading, reflecting on, editing and proof-reading your writing?

• If you don’t have this problem, what advice would you give those who do?

Post your thoughts in the comment area below.