Academic writing is a skill that can take you a good time before you master the art of writing the best academic papers. However, this doesn’t imply that as a student, you cannot produce the best academic work. You only need the right resources, dedication, and commitment, and you will realize using general academic vocabulary in your paper is a smooth process.

So, have you been struggling with phrases and words to use in your academic papers? Keep reading because we have included all the essentials of both general academic vocabulary and technical academic vocabulary that will make your paper stand out.

What is academic vocabulary? Academic vocabulary definition

Generally, vocabulary is a collection of words used either in written form or when conversing. Different environments require different vocabularies. For instance, the vocabulary friends can use while talking out isn’t the same a student can use when writing academic papers. Simply put, academic vocabulary is a collection of words or phrases used for academic purposes, such as in classrooms, when writing thesis or research papers, or doing homework and school assignments.

The two types of academic vocabulary

Academic vocabulary is divided into two types, and if you have been wondering what are academic words, read through the two categories to have a better understanding.

1. General academic vocabulary

This category of academic vocabulary involves using common academic words when handling schoolwork. Some words under this category are more general than others as they are meant to bring out the formal academic tone. Words like the purpose of this research are to do this, and that brings out an academic environment. Also, in academic words, students use transition words to link other words to show a continuous flow of content. Such words are also general.

2. Technical academic vocabulary

This is the second category of academic vocabulary, and they are quite significant in any piece of academic task. However, these words apply only to a given field, and a student specializing in such a field will understand such vocabulary better. For instance, externalities apply to economics, zoology applies to biology, while inertia applies only to physics.

Note: Technical academic vocabulary category has some words with more than one meaning, depending on the subject it is referring to.

Academic vocabulary by grade level

Once you define academic vocabulary, you will realize that different academic vocabulary applies to different grades depending on various elements. For instance, a research paper vocabulary used by students in higher learning institutes isn’t the same as a lower grade vocabulary. This section will explore the different academic vocabulary by grade level and the example of academic language used in each grade.

1^st graders

Here, the child is in the process of learning how to read, and at this stage, the kid cannot learn the tough vocabulary words. Sometimes, the kid might not read and spell the words correctly, but they can hear when someone talks, and this boosts their communication skills. Examples are listen, calm, instead, among others.

2^nd grade

Here, the child can now read and understand the words. Examples include classify, opinion, and amaze, among others.

3^rd grade

These words help the child improve overall writing and reading skills. They are words like typical, example, additional, etc.

4^th grade

The words used under this category help kids to keep learning, communicating, and reading. Examples of such words are obvious, confirm, avoid, etc.

5^th grade

The fifth-grade vocabulary will help the child start learning new concepts and general writing skills. These are quite hard words as the child keeps learning.

6^th grade

These are even harder words that a sixth-grader can apply in different subjects. Examples include expression and persuade.

7^th and 8^th grade

These vocabulary words are of high value as they help a child understand the context and the general meaning. Children in grades 7 and 8 can apply such vocabulary to different subjects.

9, 10, and 11 grade

Here, the student can now start learning academic vocabulary and how to apply the words in different subjects.

12^th grade

This is the highest vocabulary grade level, and the vocabulary under this category helps students tackle senior school with academic tasks.

Conclusion

Academic writing requires students to use appropriate language in every subject. For students whose English isn’t their first language, it is essential to study such vocabulary to have a better understanding.

Some students have adequate research skills but don’t know how to pick a topic. Choosing a simple topic can seem quite basic, and the professor will assume you didn’t put in enough effort during your research period, and this can attract low grades. On the other hand, settling on a complex topic means you must have adequate knowledge of the topic. Again, a complex topic can mean that you may run out of research ideas before you finish your paper, which means wasting time and attracting low grades. For a better understanding of what is a narrowed topic is, keep reading.

Narrow topic meaning: how to narrow down a research topic

Narrowing down a topic means having a broad topic with a lot of concepts, then breaking it down to a research question or a research topic. The reason for narrowing a research topic is to ease the research process. When you have a broad topic, it means you will get many sources to use as you research, and a lot of information might ruin the center of focus when writing your point. In the end, you will have diverse ideas that might be irrelevant to the requirements of your research specialization.

Note: A professor can give you a predefined topic, or you can get the freedom to pick your own question. No matter the criteria used to get a topic, always narrow down your research topic to ease the research.

So, a narrowed topic is a simplified question or research topic that focuses on a particular area or thing. This means when researching on a narrowed topic, you simply maintain the focus on the main point.

How to narrow a research topic: narrow topic examples

When you have a research topic, you will need to modify it further into a simplified statement or question. The reason for doing this is to save you time, as you will focus on a specific search area.

In this section, you will learn distinct ways how to narrow a topic by giving broad topics examples and a simplified version of the same.

Different ways of narrowing down a topic

1. Narrowing down a research topic by location

When your research topic is about a place or a location, ensure you be specific about the exact place to avoid mixed ideas while researching. In your question or statement, let the reader know if it is a rural place, an urban place, the name of the city, province, country, and such information.

For instance: What are the challenges college students from urban Pakistan encounter? This is a simplified version, instead of a statement like, what challenges do college students encounter?

2. Narrowing a topic by timeframe

In your statement or question, determine whether your study is related to past events or recent events. This is crucial as it will help you determine the information you will use.

For instance, how did graduate students overcome challenges when starting to work during the covid-19?

3. Narrowing a research topic by demographic characteristics

This one involves adjusting the topic by considering the gender, ethnic group, occupation, and age groups, among other considerations.

An example: What challenges do international college graduates encounter when starting to work?

4. Using causes to narrowing down a topic

In your topic, you can evaluate what causes an issue you want to research, then frame a simplified topic statement.

An example: Explain why employers prefer few college graduates during the employment process.

5. Using relevant issues to narrow down a topic

The key element here is to determine the key aspects of the topic. You can base the key elements on your opinion, then turn it into a research topic or question.

An example: What challenges do university graduates who can’t find a good job face? Instead of challenges students who cannot find a job face.

Conclusion

In any research work, especially for academic purposes, how you present your topic is significant to the whole research process. Ensure you focus on the key points as you narrow down your research topic.

What are the different types of thesis?

Before we can explore the types of thesis papers, maybe you are wondering what is research thesis writing? Well, like any academic project, a research thesis is a long essay about an interesting topic whereby a student has to conduct extensive research to come up with answers to the question or topic. As you study, you will have to take different thesis papers depending on your education levels. Be sure to handle the following types of thesis papers as you study.

1. Bachelor thesis

When writing a bachelor thesis, you handle theoretical work as you review previous research and literature. You have the freedom to pick the topic you want. The aim of this thesis paper is to give a student a chance to handle a complex academic assignment without relying on a tutor. In the end, a bachelor thesis helps to evaluate if a student can create a topic, come up with the literature, and conduct research.

Note: a student ready to write a bachelor thesis must have adequate research and critical thinking skills to enable the student to do the research adequately.

2. College thesis

Also known as a dissertation, a college thesis is the final essay paper a student writes within the final study year before graduating. The students select the topic related to what they studied during the period and do the research based on the topic they select.

Note: Once the student selects the topic for their college thesis, they then work and submit the work with the help of an advisor. However, the college professors will determine if the paper meets all the requirements and gives an okay if the student should graduate from the school.

3. Masters thesis

Once you are ready to begin your masters program, you must know at the end; that you will have to write a thesis. A masters thesis is a paper you write based on the knowledge you have acquired throughout the study program. The purpose of a masters thesis is to prove your understanding of the field you specialize in.

4. Senior thesis

Scholars, in their senior year of college or high school, write a senior thesis as part of their academic fulfillments before graduating. This is an independent project that summarizes the academic work students have undertaken in a given institute, and it shows the ability of students to conduct research.

5. Undergraduate thesis

Also known as a bachelor’s dissertation, an undergraduate thesis is an academic task that requires students to do extensive research on a given topic in their final year of a degree program. A student can choose any topic that interests them or is based on their specialized fields.

Top tips for writing a thesis

Now that you understand the different types of thesis papers, you can be sure to write any of the above theses as you progress through your study years. However, you will need the following general tips to help you write the best thesis paper.

1. Understand the format of thesis paper

All academic papers must have a predefined format each student should follow. Ensure you review the tutor’s recommendations in case of any slight changes on the thesis paper.

2. Know how long is a thesis paper should be

Academic papers have strict rules and guidelines. As you write the thesis, always understand the maximum and the minimum pages required since they vary depending on the education level of a student.

3. Review the structure of a thesis paper

You don’t want to miss any element when writing a thesis. Since the paper has different sections, it is essential you review the structure of the already written thesis for a better understanding.

4. Always have a thesis paper template

The thesis template is a significant document as it will help you throughout the writing process. Once you have it, you will never miss any significant section of the paper.

Conclusion

Different types of thesis papers require different approaches when writing. Ensure you have a better understanding of the thesis you are writing about.

Statistical writing: what is statistical report writing?

Before explaining the steps to follow when writing a statistical report, maybe you are wondering what the report is all about. Well, when talking about statistics, it means using quantitative data to perform an analysis of the trends, patterns, or relationships. This means that you must know the different methods used to perform such an analysis before coming up with a report.

Before you draw the results from the statistical analysis, there must be adequate planning before you begin the research, during the research, and when finalizing the research. Your hypotheses will help you decide on the sample size, research design, and sampling procedure. Once you have collected data from your sample, you then organize it and summarize it using descriptive statistics.

Now that you understand what is a statistical report let us simplify the steps below for a better understanding. However, for further understanding, you can check statistics reports example to analyze the different steps.

Statistical writing: steps to follow

1. Writing the hypotheses and planning the research design

When tasked to write an APA statistical report paper format, start by defining your hypotheses and planning your research design. The hypothesis is a way of predicting your end results in written form. However, the initial prediction is always null, and you can form other hypotheses based on sample data that is tested.

On the other hand, planning the research design involves the approach you will use when collecting and analyzing data. The research design you pick will determine the statistical tests you will use when testing your hypothesis later. The research design can be experimental (cause and effect), correlation (relationship between variables), or descriptive.

2. Collecting sample data

In statistical report writing, collecting data can be expensive and a bit hard. That is why when conducting a given analysis, you simply collect data from a sample. Through your findings, you can now apply statistical analysis to get the results as long as you follow the right procedure. You can create a reliable sampling procedure by considering the following aspects:

• Define how you will get the participants based on the available resources
• Determine how far you can go based on the available resources
• Determine the means you will use to recruit the sample representation
• Plan on your time effectively, i.e., when to follow up on your sample.

3. Use descriptive statistics to summarize the data

After collecting sample data, you need to analyze and summarize it using descriptive statistics. Here, you can use the following approaches when inspecting the data.

• Using the graphs and tables to visualize the data
• Using a scatter plot to visualize two variables
• Using frequency distribution tables to organize data
• Using a bar chart to display data to view distribution responses

4. Hypotheses testing

A statistic is a number describing a sample, while a parameter describes a population. You can use inferential statistics to determine conclusions about the research based on the sample statistics. Here, most researchers use estimation and hypothesis testing methods simultaneously to make inferences in statistics. Estimation involves calculating the parameters of the population based on sample statistics, while hypothesis testing involves testing research predictions using the samples.

5. Results interpretation

This is the final step when writing a statistical analysis report. When writing the hypothesis testing, the goal is to get the criteria for getting to conclusions whereby you compare your value against a significant level to determine if the statistics are significant or not. When the results are statistically significant, then it could have happened by chance. The chances of such results are low, especially if the null hypothesis is correct.

Conclusion

Writing a statistical report can be a tricky task. However, when you follow the required steps in the appropriate order, you will realize everything falls in place automatically. But if you still struggle, be sure to check a statistical report example for clarification.