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Understanding the Writing Process

On the campus of Southwestern Seminary the previous Dean of the School of Theology and Professor of New Testament, Dr. Paul Wolfe, who is considered a Biblical scholar, is notorious for requiring students to write material that is of scholarly substance. In fact in the beginning of ever course semester he would herald this statements saying, “My dear students, Southwestern Seminary is a theological institution that prides itself in preparing students to possess the ability to think analytically and produce scholarly writing and material, with this in mind, in this course you will read and research both theoretical and practical materials and produce academic writing that is considered scholarly in nature. This means that informal or conversational language, although has its place, will not be accepted within this course.” Paraphrasing this announcement given by Dr. Wolfe, this writer concluded that ultimately the environment dictated the level of writing and as this writer read the three assigned articles discussing the notion of what is considered acceptable and unacceptable academic writing, the statement made by Dr. Wolfe concerning academic writing burned in the recesses of this writers mind.

In this assignment this writer will, utilizing the three assigned journal articles, answer four given assignment questions. First, where do academic professionals get their picture of what constitutes good academic writing? Second, what are some of the common mistakes academic writers make? Third, what are some of the criticisms leveled against the writers whose work is labeled “poor academic writing?” Finally, what solutions are offered for avoiding “poor academic writing?” A better sentence w...

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...gst the articles of both Dinitia Smith and Richard Kelley in which suggests that the context in which the material is submitted constitutes whether the writing is good or bad. This implied suggestion means that if a writer is submitting work within the context of academia then the material should be written in an acceptable manner within that academic context. Therefore, writing submitted outside of the academic context should be written within a linguistic style that can be comprehended by the specific group.

Conclusion

This writer believes that the first phase towards possessing good writing is for individuals to understand their contextual environment. When a writer understands the context of where they are submitting their work towards, it will dictate the level of writing and therefore determine exactly what type of writing style is appropriate and needed.