College of Business Essay Writing Guide and Report Writing Guide

The ability to write a good essay is one of the most important skills that all students will need at the University of Western Sydney. Academic writing is a specialist form of English which often accounts for a substantial proportion of your total marks depending on the level of the unit you are taking. It is not conversational, nor is it your unsubstantiated opinion. It is intended to be a detached review and critique of contrasting ideas most commonly in response to a question relevant to your field of study. This response then should be in support of or against a viewpoint you are arguing about within a set topic or issue. Academic writing has its own style, and its own traditions. By learning the style and adopting the traditions you are indicating your willingness to join the academic community. In a very literal sense, the awarding of a qualification by the University denotes that you have reached a standard of academic achievement "” which includes, but is more than, the ability to write high quality, acceptable English to an agreed standard and format. Once you leave university, the academic writing skills that you have acquired can be easily transported to other written mediums. For example, you will be able to write professional reports, business memos and company emails with confidence.