Improving Academic Writing Style: Guide for Students

Written By

Edward Fletcher

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Your dissertation's being assessed partly on content. What you discovered. How you analysed it. Whether your conclusions are justified. But it's also being assessed on how you communicate that content. Examiners read your writing. Is it clear? Is it compelling? Can they follow your thinking?

Poor writing obscures good ideas. Clear writing reveals them. You can't fix weak thinking with good writing, but you can undermine strong thinking with poor writing. Improving your academic writing style strengthens your entire dissertation.

Writing for Clarity

Clarity's most important. Your reader should understand what you're saying on first reading. If they're confused, they can't assess your ideas.

Use short sentences. Long sentences with multiple clauses are hard to follow. Short sentences are direct. Compare: "The study, which examined factors affecting student retention in higher education institutions across three universities during a five-year period from 2015 to 2020, found that socioeconomic status, prior academic achievement, and engagement with support services emerged as considerable predictors of retention outcomes." Versus: "The study examined factors affecting student retention from 2015 to 2020 across three universities. Socioeconomic status, prior academic achievement, and support service engagement predicted retention."

In our experience, proofreading habits requires more patience than a surface-level reading would indicate. You'll notice the impact when you read back your draft, which is why regular writing sessions matter so much. Putting this into practice makes the whole process feel more manageable.

A common source of anxiety among dissertation students is the feeling that their topic has already been covered by others, but in practice every student brings a unique perspective that adds something to the conversation.

The second version is clearer. Shorter sentences. One idea per sentence.

Use active voice. Active voice is clearer than passive voice. Compare: "The study was conducted by the researcher across three universities" versus "The researcher conducted the study across three universities." Active voice is direct. You know who did the action.

Use concrete language. Avoid vague words. Compare: "This approach has certain advantages" versus "This approach saves costs and improves speed." The second is concrete. You know what advantages.

Avoid jargon unless necessary. Some jargon's necessary, your field has specific terminology. But don't use jargon for impression. Simpler language is often clearer.

Define unfamiliar terms. If you're using a term your reader might not know, define it. "Social capital, the networks and relationships people can draw on for resources and information, varies across communities." You've defined social capital clearly.

The transition from coursework essays to a full dissertation can feel daunting for many students, largely because the dissertation requires a much higher level of independent research, sustained argument, and self-directed project management than most previous assignments. Unlike a coursework essay, which typically has a defined topic and a relatively short word count, a dissertation gives you the freedom to choose your own research question and to pursue it in considerable depth over a period of several months. That freedom can be both exhilarating and overwhelming, which is why it is so important to develop a clear plan early in the process and to work consistently towards your goals rather than waiting for inspiration to strike. Students who approach the dissertation as a long-term project requiring regular, disciplined effort consistently produce better work than those who attempt to write the entire dissertation in the final weeks before the submission deadline.

Developing Your Academic Tone

The evidence you present in your analysis should be selected carefully to support the specific points you are making, and every piece of data you include should earn its place by contributing directly to your argument.

The formatting of your dissertation is not a trivial matter but a reflection of your professionalism and attention to detail, both of which your examiner will notice before they have even begun to read your argument.

Academic writing has a particular tone. It's formal but not stuffy. It's analytical but not cold. It's confident but not arrogant.

Use third person primarily. "The researcher conducted interviews" rather than "I conducted interviews." This creates distance and objectivity. However, "I argue that..." or "I found that..." is acceptable in many disciplines and creates clarity about your position. Check your discipline's conventions.

Avoid contractions. Don't write "don't" or "it's." Write "do not" and "it is." Contractions feel conversational. Academic writing is more formal.

But avoid being overly formal. You don't need to write "The examination of the aforementioned phenomenon reveals..." Just write "Examining this phenomenon reveals..."

Support claims with evidence. Don't assert things without backing them up. "Student motivation affects learning outcomes (Smith et al., 2020)" is supported. "Student motivation affects learning outcomes" without citation is unsupported.

Acknowledge limitations and alternatives. You don't need to be defensive. But acknowledge that your perspective isn't the only one. "while some researchers argue that..., others contend that..." You're showing you understand the conversation.

Structuring Ideas Clearly

Clear writing reflects clear thinking. If you're organised in your thinking, you're organised in your writing.

Use topic sentences. Each paragraph should start with a sentence indicating what the paragraph's about. "Student engagement correlates with academic success." Then the rest of the paragraph explains and supports this claim.

Use transitions. Sentences and paragraphs should flow into each other logically. "Previous research established X. However, recent studies suggest Y." These transitions show how ideas relate.

Use headings and subheadings. These help readers follow your structure. They break up dense text. They show your organisation clearly.

Avoid repetition. Don't make the same point multiple times. You're wasting words. Say it once, clearly.

But do make connections between ideas. How does point A relate to point B? How do your findings support your argument? You're not just listing ideas; you're showing how they relate.

Common Academic Writing Mistakes

Overusing passive voice: "It is found that..." sounds formal but is unclear. "Research shows..." is clearer and more direct.

Running-on sentences: "The study examined student engagement and found that engagement correlated with academic success which suggests that universities should invest in engagement initiatives and student support services." This sentence is overloaded. Break it into smaller sentences.

Inconsistent terminology: Don't call something "student engagement" one moment and "student involvement" the next. Use consistent terms.

Unclear pronoun references: "The organisation implemented new policies to improve retention. They improved outcomes." What does "they" refer to? The policies or the organisation? Be clear: "The new policies improved retention outcomes."

Hedging excessively: "It might be suggested that possibly, perhaps, the findings could indicate..." This language is weak. You've conducted research. You can state conclusions more confidently: "The findings suggest that..."

Revising for Style

First drafts are often rough. Revision improves them.

When you are writing about complex ideas, clarity should always be your primary goal, because even the most sophisticated argument loses its impact if your reader cannot follow the logic of your reasoning from start to finish.

Read your work aloud. You'll notice awkward phrasing you'd miss reading silently. Sentences that are hard to read aloud are usually hard to read silently.

Cut unnecessary words. First drafts often include filler. "In my opinion, I believe that..." Just say "I believe that..." Or better: "The evidence suggests..." Cut words that don't add meaning.

Check word variety. Are you using the same words repeatedly? Find synonyms. Your writing becomes less repetitive.

Get feedback. Ask your supervisor, writing centre, or peers to review your writing. Feedback reveals unclear passages. You revise. Your writing improves.

Read published work in your field. Good academic writing in your discipline shows you the style you're aiming for. Reading good writing improves your own.

Frequently Asked Questions

Students who treat their supervisor as a partner in the research process rather than an authority figure tend to have more productive meetings and receive more useful feedback on their developing work.

Your appendices should contain supplementary material that supports your main text without interrupting its flow, such as interview transcripts, questionnaires, or additional data tables that are too detailed for the body.

Q: Should I use "I" in my dissertation? A: This varies by discipline. Some disciplines expect third person throughout ("The researcher..."). Others accept first person ("I argue that..."). Some expect a mix. Check your department's guidelines and existing dissertations in your field. Once you know conventions, be consistent.

Q: How do I know if my writing's clear? A: Ask someone unfamiliar with your topic to read it. Can they understand what you're saying? Do they have questions? Their confusion reveals where your writing's unclear. Revise those sections for clarity.

Q: Is it okay to have some awkward sentences if the ideas are strong? A: Ideas matter most. But awkward writing undermines strong ideas. Examiners have to work harder to understand you. They might miss nuance. Revise for clarity. It strengthens your work overall.

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Understanding the marking criteria for your dissertation is a necessary step in preparing to write it, as the criteria specify exactly what your assessors are looking for and how they will distribute marks across different elements of your work. Many students are surprised to discover how much weight is given to aspects of their dissertation such as the coherence of the argument, the quality of the literature review, and the rigour of the methodology, relative to the novelty of the findings. Reading the marking criteria carefully before you begin writing allows you to make informed decisions about where to invest your time and effort, ensuring that you address the most heavily weighted components of the assessment as thoroughly as possible. If your module handbook does not include a detailed breakdown of the marking criteria, your supervisor or module leader will generally be willing to explain how the dissertation is marked and what distinguishes a first-class piece of work from a lower grade.