Writing Style
While different courses, lecturers and assessment tasks may require specific style features, the following general advice applies to writing for academic purposes.
- Use impersonal language, avoiding the use of personal pronouns such as I, you, we.
- Keep the tense of your writing consistent. For example, if you start writing in the past tense (It was), then continue using past tense throughout the document. Do not change to present tense (It is).
- Avoid slang, clichés and swear words.
- Write phrases like it is and will not in full. Do not shorten them to it's and won't.
- Explain acronyms and abbreviations when you first use them in a document or major section. Then you can use the acronym in the rest of your writing. For example: The policy at the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) is ... . With this in mind, DEEWR ...
- Ensure that you have used full sentences with complete verbs, not sentence fragments.
- Ensure that you have used correct punctuation and connecting words and have not used run-on sentences.
- Use capital letters consistently.
- If headings are used, establish a clear size and style hierarchy or numbering system to distinquish between main headings and subordinate headings.
- Ensure that each paragraph relates to one main idea. In general, do not write paragraphs with only one sentence.
- Avoid jargon or explain it if it needs to be used.
- Do a spell check.
- Use inclusive, non-discriminatory language. In particular, avoid sexist language, for example, using he, him or man when referring to people of both sexes.
- Ensure ideas and words taken from other sources are properly acknowledged using an appropriate referencing system.
