Academic Writing Conventions: Analysis of Thonney's Six Rules for Effective Discourse
Overview
This paper summarizes Theresa Thonney's framework of six essential conventions for academic writing presented in 'Teaching the Conventions of Academic Discourse.' The essay explains how academic writers should engage with existing scholarship, establish the value and purpose of their work, acknowledge counterarguments, adopt authoritative voice, employ discipline-specific vocabulary, and support claims with evidence.
What this essay covers
- Introduction to Thonney's six rules for academic writing conventions
- Detailed explanation of each rule with examples: citation of sources, statement of value and purpose, acknowledgment of disagreement, establishment of authorial voice, use of academic vocabulary, and evidence-based support
- Reference to Thonney's original publication
Preview
Summary
Student’s Name
Institution affiliation
Professor
Date
Summary
According to Theresa Thonney, academic writers should be guided by specific rules to enhance their writing standards. Theresa Thonney has provided six crucial rules that academic writers should apply in the “Teaching the Conventions of Academic Discourse” article. Discusses rules include “writers respond to what others have said about their topic, writers state the value of their work and announce the plan for their papers, writers acknowledge that others might disagree with the positions they have taken, writers adopt a voice of authority, writers use academic and discipline-specific vocabulary, and writers emphasize evidence, often in tables, graphs, and images (Thonney, p347-362)
Firstly, writers should always acknowledge work for other writers through quoting them; for example, …technology is life (Smith, 2006). Under this rule, academic writers should enter into a conversation with the article by addressing important matters. Secondly, academic writers should show that whatever they are addressing does matter. Notably, writers should choose unique topics and establish value in their articles. Under the second rule, writers should always put a statement of purpose in every article. In this case, the article will be assertive and engaging to the readers. Thirdly, “academic writers acknowledge that others might disagree with the position they have taken.” Not everyone will agree with your conclusion; thus, you should always accept disapproval in your work as an academic writer. It is recommendable to use the hedging technique to make your article more persuasive and accurate.