5 Steps of the Academic Writing Process | Scribbr 🎓

Summary

In this video, Jessica from Scribbr outlines a five-step process for effective academic writing. Starting with prewriting to identify a compelling topic, she advises narrowing it down to a specific argument. The next steps include planning with an outline for logical structure, drafting with a focus on topic sentences and evidence, and revising to refine arguments and presentation. The final stage involves editing for clarity and proofreading for errors, ensuring a polished academic paper.

Takeaways

• 📝 Good academic writing involves planning, drafting, and revising, with a structured approach to time management.
• 🎯 Step 1: Prewriting involves selecting a topic that interests you and narrowing it down to a specific argument or question.
• 🔍 Step 1 also includes searching for relevant sources and gathering necessary information for your topic.
• 📋 Step 2: Planning and outlining are crucial for a logical structure in your writing, with an outline helping to organize main ideas.
• 📝 Step 3: Writing a first draft can be non-linear; start with the body and return to the introduction once you have a clearer idea.
• 📈 In the first draft, structure each paragraph with a topic sentence, evidence, interpretation, and a concluding point.
• ⏱ Step 4: Redrafting and revising involve critically reviewing your draft for clarity, logic, and organization, ideally after a break.
• 🔎 Look for larger issues in your draft such as unclear arguments, information order, and irrelevant passages during revision.
• ✏️ Step 5: Editing and proofreading focus on grammar, clarity, conciseness, and stylistic consistency, ensuring your text is error-free.
• 🔗 Don't forget to cite your sources correctly, which can be facilitated with tools like Scribbr's free citation generator.
• 💬 Engage with the community by sharing your topic in the comments and interacting with others for support and feedback.

Q & A

What are the five basic steps of the academic writing process mentioned in the script?

The five basic steps of the academic writing process are: 1) Prewriting, 2) Planning and Outlining, 3) Writing a First Draft, 4) Redrafting and Revising, and 5) Editing and Proofreading.

How can one identify a suitable topic for academic writing according to the script?

A suitable topic for academic writing is one that intrigues, interests, or confuses the writer, and leaves them with additional questions to explore.

What is the significance of narrowing down a broad topic to a specific argument or question?

Narrowing down a broad topic to a specific argument or question helps in focusing the research and writing, making the essay more coherent and manageable.

What activities are involved in the prewriting stage of academic writing?

In the prewriting stage, activities include coming up with a topic, narrowing it down, and searching for relevant sources to gather information.

Why is creating an outline considered useful in the planning stage of academic writing?

Creating an outline is useful because it helps in organizing the main ideas and structuring the information logically before starting to write.

How should one approach writing the main body of the text in the first draft?

One should start by writing each paragraph systematically, beginning with a topic sentence, followed by evidence, interpretation of the evidence, and concluding the paragraph with the interpretation's implications.

What is the purpose of leaving the first draft for a day or two before revising?

Leaving the first draft for a day or two allows for a fresh perspective, which is crucial for critically reviewing the work and identifying areas for improvement.

What are the key aspects to look for when revising the first draft of an academic paper?

When revising the first draft, one should look for unclear or illogical arguments, information that could be better ordered, passages needing additional information or explanation, and irrelevant passages.

What are the primary goals of editing and proofreading in the academic writing process?

The primary goals of editing and proofreading are to ensure the text is clear, structurally sound, free of grammatical errors, and stylistically consistent.

How can one ensure proper citation of sources in academic writing?

One can ensure proper citation of sources by using tools like Scribbr's free citation generator to generate accurate references and in-text citations.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Academic Writing Process Overview

Jessica from Scribbr introduces the video by outlining the essential steps for effective academic writing. She emphasizes the importance of planning, drafting, and revising, and presents a five-step process tailored to individual writing styles. The steps include prewriting, planning and outlining, writing a first draft, redrafting and revising, and finally, editing and proofreading. Each step is briefly explained, providing a roadmap for structuring academic writing.

Keywords

💡Academic writing

Academic writing refers to the formal and structured way of writing that is used in scholarly and educational contexts. It is characterized by its clarity, objectivity, and the use of evidence to support arguments. In the video, academic writing is the central theme, with the focus on how to effectively plan, draft, and revise such texts. The script provides a step-by-step guide to enhance the quality of academic writing, emphasizing the importance of logical structure and critical revision.

💡Prewriting

Prewriting is the initial stage of the writing process where a writer generates and organizes ideas before beginning to draft the actual text. It includes brainstorming, researching, and narrowing down a topic. In the video, prewriting is the first step discussed, highlighting the importance of selecting an intriguing topic and gathering relevant information to lay the groundwork for a well-structured academic paper.

💡Topic

A topic in academic writing is the subject or theme that the paper will explore. It should be specific enough to be manageable yet broad enough to allow for in-depth analysis. The script advises narrowing down a topic to a specific argument or question, using the example of narrowing down from '19th-century literature' to 'The theme of theater in Mansfield Park' to demonstrate the process.

💡Sources

Sources are the materials, such as books, articles, or data, that provide information and support for the arguments in an academic paper. The script emphasizes the importance of searching for and gathering relevant sources during the prewriting stage to ensure a well-informed and credible piece of writing.

💡Outlining

Outlining is the process of organizing the main points and subpoints of a text in a hierarchical structure. It helps in planning the flow and structure of the writing before the actual drafting. The video script describes how creating an outline can aid in logically structuring the information and arguments in an academic paper.

💡First draft

A first draft is the initial, unpolished version of a written work. It is meant to capture the writer's ideas and arguments in a rough form. The script encourages writers to complete a first draft without focusing too much on perfection, as the main goal at this stage is to get the ideas down and then refine them later.

💡Redrafting

Redrafting, also known as revising, is the process of reviewing and improving a written work after the first draft has been completed. It involves critically assessing the content for clarity, coherence, and logical flow. The video script advises leaving the first draft for a day or two before redrafting to gain a fresh perspective and identify areas for improvement.

💡Editing

Editing is the process of refining a text to improve its grammar, style, and overall readability. It is a detailed review that focuses on correcting grammatical errors, ambiguous phrasings, and redundancy. The script highlights editing as a crucial step in the writing process to ensure the text is clear, concise, and grammatically correct.

💡Proofreading

Proofreading is the final stage of reviewing a text where the focus is on catching and correcting typos, inconsistencies in style, and ensuring that the text adheres to specific formatting and citation standards. The script emphasizes the importance of proofreading to maintain a professional and polished appearance in academic writing.

💡Citation

Citation is the act of acknowledging the sources of information used in a written work to give credit to the original authors and to maintain academic integrity. The script reminds viewers of the importance of citing sources and provides a resource for generating accurate references and in-text citations.

Highlights

Effective academic writing involves planning, drafting, and revision.

The writing process is personalized but follows five basic steps.

Jessica from Scribbr introduces a structured approach to academic writing.

Step 1: Prewriting involves selecting a topic that sparks interest or curiosity.

Narrow down the topic to a specific argument or question for focused exploration.

Example of narrowing a topic: from 19th-century literature to the theme of theater in Mansfield Park.

Gather relevant sources and information necessary for the topic.

Step 2: Planning and outlining helps in structuring the writing logically.

Creating an outline is essential for organizing main ideas and their sequence.

Outline the introduction, including descriptions and research questions.

Use bullet points or numbering for a clear and quick structure overview.

Step 3: Writing a first draft can be non-linear, starting with the main body.

Structure each paragraph with a topic sentence, evidence, interpretation, and conclusion.

The goal of the first draft is completion, to be improved later.

Step 4: Redrafting and revising involves critically assessing the first draft.

Take a break before revising to gain a fresh perspective.

Look for larger issues like clarity, logical flow, and relevance during revision.

Step 5: Editing and proofreading ensures the text is error-free and consistent.

Check for grammatical errors, ambiguous phrasings, and redundancy during editing.

Proofread for typos, stylistic consistency, and correct citation practices.

Use Scribbr's free citation generator for accurate references and citations.

Engage with the community by sharing your topic and video feedback.

Transcripts

Good academic writing requires effective planning, drafting, and revision.

The writing process looks different for everyone, but there are five basic steps that will help

you structure your time when writing any kind of text.

Hi, I’m Jessica from Scribbr, here to help you achieve your academic goals.

Step 1, prewriting.

First, you have to come up with a topic.

Is there a particular area that intrigued, interested, or even confused you?

Topics that left you with additional questions are perfect, as these are questions you can

explore in your writing.

Narrow down your idea to a specific argument or question.

For example, an appropriate topic for an essay might be narrowed down like this:

19th-century literature → Novels in the romantic period → The novels of Jane Austen

→ The theme of theater in Mansfield Park

Once you know your topic, it’s time to search for relevant sources and gather the information

you need.

This might involve:

Searching for sources Reading relevant texts if you're doing a literary

analysis Collecting data for experiments or surveys

Step 2, planning and outlining

It’s important to use a logical structure to convey information effectively.

Creating an outline is a useful way to plan out your structure before you start writing.

This should help you work out the main ideas you want to focus on and how you’ll organize

them.

For example, in the introduction of a literary analysis essay, you plan on first describing

the theatricality of Austen’s work, then outlining the role theatre plays in Mansfield

Park, and introducing the research question.

Use bullet points or numbering to make your structure clear at a glance.

Step 3, writing a first draft Your writing process doesn’t have to be

linear.

For example, it’s reasonable to begin writing with the main body of the text, saving the

introduction for later once you have a clearer idea of the text you’re introducing.

To give structure to your writing, use your outline as a framework.

You can start by writing each paragraph in a systematic way.

First, introduce the point of the paragraph with a topic sentence.

If you need help with formulating topic sentences, watch this video!

Second, provide evidence relating to your argument.

Third, explain or interpret the evidence.

Finally, express the conclusion this interpretation leads you to.

The goal at this stage is to get a draft completed, then you can move onto improving it.

Step 4, redrafting and revising Now it’s time to look critically at your

first draft and find potential areas for improvement.

It’s best to leave your work alone for at least a day or two after completing the first

draft to freshen up your perspective.

At this stage, you're looking for larger issues like:

Arguments that are unclear or illogical.

Areas where information would be better presented in a different order.

Passages where additional information or explanation is needed.

Passages that are irrelevant to your overall argument.

Last step, editing and proofreading Edit and proofread to make sure your text

is clear, structurally sound and free of mistakes.

When editing, to ensure your text is clear, concise, and grammatically correct, you’re

looking out for: Grammatical errors.

Ambiguous phrasings.

Redundancy and repetition.

When proofreading, first look out for typos in your text, then check for stylistic consistency.

For example: Whether you use American or British spellings

and punctuation How you capitalize your titles and headings

Don't forget to cite your sources!

You can easily generate accurate references and in-text citations with Scribbr's free

citation generator.

Do you already have a topic?

Let us know in the comment below what are you working on!

If you find this video helpful, drop a like and share it with your friend!

Alright, I'll see you in the next video.