Writing in the university

So far in this book, we have considered what the university expects from its students in terms of critical thinking, independent learning and the roles of students and lecturers. We have looked at how lectures and reading contribute to your research, and discussed the use of group work and oral presentations in academic study. Most importantly, perhaps, we have considered how you express an academic identity and voice of your own, and how you relate to the voices of others. All this feeds in to the final section of this book, which deals with academic writing. Academic writing is a central concern for all students because academic knowledge is primarily written knowledge. While oral presentations in tutorials and seminars, and later at conferences, are very important, it is generally when it is written down that this knowledge becomes available for discussion and debate by academics everywhere. In other words, writing is central to the development of knowledge through debate and discussion that we have been talking about throughout this book.