Academic Writing Style and Finding Main Ideas
Academic writers follow six golden rules that make their work credible. They ask critical questions, provide evidence from reliable sources, use precise language (no slang!), stay objective rather than personal, include references, and use hedging language like "suggests" or "appears to" instead of making absolute claims.
The thesis statement is your roadmap to understanding any academic text. It's usually hiding in the abstract, summary, or end of the introduction as a clear, declarative sentence. Sometimes you'll see a purpose statement instead, starting with phrases like "This study examined..." or "The aim of this essay is to..."
Finding thesis statements becomes easy with practice. Read the title first to predict the purpose, scan the first few paragraphs if there's no abstract, and check the conclusion where authors summarize main points. A strong thesis statement is specific, debatable, and supported by evidence - unlike weak ones that are too broad or vague.
Remember: Academic texts are formal, written by professionals, include author names and references, while non-academic texts are informal, quick to publish, and may lack proper citations.