Defining ‘good’ academic writing

Baratta, Alex (2008) Defining ‘good’ academic writing. Working Paper. Manchester Metropolitan University.

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Abstract

It is suggested that in many writing classes, the pedagogy can be somewhat generic, focusing mostly on the basics of essay writing, while simultaneously being somewhat narrow, in that composition textbooks often default to a style of writing more common within the discipline of literature. This article therefore discusses the results of several studies which analyze differences in writing conventions across several disciplines. Ultimately, the argument is made that, as the writing class serves to prepare students for their future academic writing needs, it is subsequently imperative to teach students discipline-specific writing conventions, in order to make them aware of what ‘good’ writing means beyond the writing class.