Academic writing: questionnaire

Name:

1. What is academic writing (check as many as you find appropriate):

a mechanical exercise

sets of grammatically correct sentences

the clear expression of ideas, knowledge and information

a form of self-expression (showing your own opinion)

a way of showing a professor you have worked on an academic subject

a way of showing a professor you can express ideas in sophisticated style that not everyone can understand

a way of thinking about academic problems

other

2. In order to write well academically, how important are the following? (Check column H for high, importance, M for medium importance. L for low importance)

3. How important do you think the following are? Check as above.

4. What do you do or what do you concentrate on when you have to write something for someone else to read?

a) before you start writing?

b) while you are writing your first draft? (assuming you write more than one draft)

c) when you have finished your first draft

d) before you publish your final draft by giving or sending it to the intended reader

5. What difficulties do you have with writing? What kinds of writing do you have difficulties with?

6. Check the statements you agree with: If the subject of a text is extremely hard to understand,

it's the writer's fault when people don't understand it.

it's the readers' fault because they are not educated enough to understand.

it's the writer's responsibility to explain things in simple language so everyone can understand.

it's the readers' responsibility to learn more about the subject to understand the academic complexities involved.

7. Do you write more than one version or re-write your original text before you send off your writing?

yes

no

mixed

8. What do you find hard about writing?

9. What do you like about writing?

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