Academic writing for clarity and meaning

It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you need to write in a complex style to express complex ideas. In fact, complex writing styles can obscure meaning and tire your readers.

This short course is aimed at students at tertiary institutions, and contributors to academic publications. It will help you to articulate complex ideas with clarity and meaning.

The first week of the course focuses on developing a structured writing process, appropriate for your intended readership. We discuss when to write, the importance of a golden thread, the main principles of drafting a research report, and different abstract patterns.

The second week zooms in on the principles of paragraph and sentence construction. You will learn ways of writing that enhance clarity and engage your readers.