How do I improve my essay writing skills? Where can I learn quickly how to improve my speech writing? How does writing for the web differ from conventional writing? Are there some categories of mistakes that people commonly make in attempting to write good prose? How can I be persuasive in my writing style? How did language evolve? What is ‘genre theory’? How do I become creative in my prose writing? These and other curious and relevant questions are answered in Academic Writing. Writing is about communication with words, and academic writing is about choosing words carefully to communicate complex ideas. The purpose of the fourteen chapters of this monograph is to provide an introduction to the practice of academic writing with an emphasis on prose writing in particular, for both print-based and online media. Each of the fourteen chapters explores different aspects of academic writing from practical, professional and theoretical perspectives. The book is written for students, teachers and educators at tertiary organisations. Word connoisseurs, debaters, writers and readers may also enjoy its argumentations and analyses.
Luke Strongman teaches Communication and Humanities at the Open Polytechnic in New Zealand. He holds a PhD from Canterbury University and has published several books.