Demystifying Academic Writing

The second edition of Demystifying Academic Writing describes major genres of academic writing, typical rhetorical moves associated with each genre, essential skills required to write the genres, and linguistic resources and strategies for performing these moves and skills. The book frames writing as a strategic process of making meaning through deliberate language choices. It demonstrates how language can be used to present information, develop argument, organize discourse, embed perspective, integrate sources, sharpen focus, improve clarity, engineer flow, and engage audience in ways that serve the author's purposes, follow genre expectations, and reflect disciplinary standards. Covering reading responses, book reviews, literature reviews, argumentative essays, empirical research articles, grant proposals, and more, this text is an all-in-one resource for academic writing and scholarly publishing. The revised edition features a new chapter on key grammatical resources for academic writing. It also offers guidance on how to navigate the impact of AI in academic writing. All chapters have been updated with new topics, expanded examples, and enriched discussions. Accessible to both native and non-native English speakers, this textbook equips students and scholars with the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to excel in academic writing, enabling them to craft powerful, compelling, and effective texts.

Zhihui Fang is Professor of Education at the University of Florida, USA. He has published widely in the areas of language and literacy education, English teacher education, and functional linguistics in education.

Section I: Unpacking Academic Writing 1. Introduction to Academic Writing 2. The Building Blocks of Meaning 3. Discursive Features of Academic Writing Section II: Skills and Strategies for Academic Writing 4. From Establishing Context to Evaluating Sources 5. From Defining Concept to Expressing Surprise 6. From Entertaining Opposition to Engineering Flow Section III: Writing Academic Genres 7. Writing a Reading Response 8. Writing a Book Review 9. Writing a Literature Review 10. Writing an Argumentative Essay 11. Writing an Empirical Research Article 12. Writing a Grant Proposal Section IV: Maximizing Success in Writing and Publishing 13. Building Capacity for Academic Writing 14. Writing for Scholarly Publication. Appendix A: Survey of Academic Writing Needs. Appendix B: Personal Review Checklist for Academic Writing