Writing Style

Academic Style

Academic style makes a focused claim, uses evidence responsibly, defines terms, and helps readers follow the reasoning from question to conclusion.

What to Watch

  • Make a claim that can be developed and tested.
  • Use sources as evidence, not decoration.
  • Distinguish your interpretation from what a source directly says.
  • Define key terms for the reader.
  • Choose MLA, APA, Chicago, or another required system before formatting.

Practice

Turn a broad topic into one arguable sentence, then list the two kinds of evidence a reader would need to believe it.

Use It Today

  1. Ask a real question.
  2. Write a provisional claim.
  3. Collect reliable evidence.
  4. Organize by reasons, not by source.
  5. Revise for logic before polishing sentences.

On the Page

A research paper should not become a parade of summaries; each source should help answer the writer’s own question.