Sword H. "Writing higher education differently: a manifesto on style" Studies in Higher Education 34(3) : 319-336, 2009

[Eugene Garfield]

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 E-Mail: h.sword at auckland.ac.nz 

FULL TEXT ARTICLE IS AVAILABLE AT :
http://www.informaworld.com/index/910803998.pdf


TITLE:          Writing higher education differently: a manifesto on
                style (Article, English)

AUTHOR:         Sword, H  

SOURCE:         STUDIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION 34 (3). 2009. p.319-336
                ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD, ABINGDON  

ABSTRACT:       According to a recent survey of colleagues across the
disciplines, the most effective and engaging academic writers are those
who express complex ideas clearly and succinctly; write with originality,
imagination and creative flair; convey enthusiasm, commitment and a
strong sense of self; tap into a wide range of intellectual interests;
avoid excessive jargon; employ plenty of concrete examples and
illustrations; demonstrate care for their readers; and know how to tell a
good story. Yet an analysis of 100 peer-reviewed articles in six top-
ranked higher education journals (including 50 articles from Studies in
Higher Education) reveals no more than a handful of academic authors who
exhibit any, much less all, of those characteristics. This article offers
a spirited manifesto on academic writing, arguing that educationalists
have both a practical incentive and an ethical imperative to write higher
education differently.   

AUTHOR ADDRESS: H Sword, Univ Auckland, Auckland 1, New Zealand