<\/p>\n
The first of a new series in which we use popular song to help you consider the oft-posed question: \u201cIs my writing academic enough?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Academic writing is precise rather than vague. To achieve such an effect, you could do worse than take a leaf out of Sinead O\u2019 Connor\u2019s book. We refer you here to Sinead\u2019s emotive 90s ballad, Nothing Compares 2 U<\/em><\/a>, which was actually written by Prince \u2013 just in case that ever comes up in a pub quiz. Of course, we wouldn\u2019t advise you to follow Sinead\u2019s lead when it comes to spelling. However, she\u2019s definitely on to something when it comes to being specific.<\/p>\n The song addresses a recent ex. How recent? Well, it\u2019s interesting you should ask. Thanks to Sinead (and Prince), we are able to provide a definite answer. For Sinead doesn\u2019t declare that it has been a \u201csignificant amount of time\u201d since her beloved \u201ctook [their] love away.\u201d No. She informs us that it has been \u201cseven hours and fifteen days.\u201d<\/p>\n Precise. Specific. No room for misunderstandings there. Which there may well have been if we were only told it had been a \u201csignificant amount of time.\u201d My idea of \u201csignificant\u201d may well be very different to Sinead\u2019s, for instance. I would have been unsure quite how she was defining that term and that might have impacted on my understanding of the whole song. At least this way, I know exactly what she\u2019s referring to and I can make up my own mind. IS seven hours and fifteen days a significant amount of time? Well, the lyrics go on to reveal that she\u2019s killed all the plants in the backyard and is \u201c[putting] [her] arms around every boy [she] see[s].\u201d Personally, we think that\u2019s a bit much after just over a fortnight.<\/p>\n The fact that Sinead can be so exact also says something about her persona in this song. She may be lonely and heartbroken, but tell you what, she\u2019s on the ball when it comes to the passing of time. When it comes to writing academic assignments (which we presume you\u2019re more inclined to be writing than power ballads, though do feel free), this level of precision is something to aim for. After all, a key feature of academic writing is convincing your readers that you Know Your Stuff. Any instances of vagueness could undermine your scholarly identity.<\/p>\n So when it comes to editing, are there any instances in your draft where you are leaving something open to interpretation and risking a situation where you and your reader might not be \u201con the same page\u201d, as it were? Are there places where you don\u2019t sound quite as definite, knowledgeable and assertive as you could? Apply the \u201cSinead O\u2019Connor Rule\u201d to ensure your prose is as precise and as direct as it can be.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The first of a new series in which we use popular song to help you consider the oft-posed question: \u201cIs my writing academic enough?\u201d Academic writing is precise rather than vague. To achieve such an effect, you could do … Continue reading