Scholarly Writing and Academic Discourse
Develop college-level scholarly writing skills — argument construction, evidence integration, and academic discourse conventions.
Academic writing is not just formal writing — it is a disciplined practice with specific conventions for constructing arguments, integrating evidence, and engaging with scholarly discourse.
The Structure of Scholarly Argument
A scholarly argument makes a specific, defensible claim (thesis), supports it with evidence from credible sources, acknowledges and responds to counterarguments, and situates the argument within the existing scholarly conversation.
Integrating Evidence
- Quote sparingly: Use direct quotes only when the exact wording matters
- Paraphrase accurately: Restate the idea in your own words without distorting it
- Summarize efficiently: Condense a source's argument for context
- Synthesize: Show how multiple sources relate to each other and to your argument
- Analyze: Explain what the evidence means and why it supports your claim
Good scholarly writing does not just present evidence — it enters a conversation. It acknowledges what others have argued, explains where it agrees and disagrees, and explains what new contribution it makes. "While Smith (2020) argues X, this paper argues Y because Z."
Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein's "They Say / I Say" framework is useful for scholarly writing: always begin by presenting what others have said (they say), then present your own position in response (I say). This situates your argument in the scholarly conversation.
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3 questions · Grade 11 level