What Qualifies As A Short Academic Writing Sample? - Characteristics & Criteria
When you apply for academic programs, jobs and even internships, you may be asked to submit a short academic writing sample. Even if your field is not related to writing or academics, you may have to send a writing sample that can be used to determine your creative, writing and critical-thinking skills.
Hence, it is necessary to know what an academic writing sample is, its characteristics, what qualifies as a short academic writing sample and how to write or choose the right academic sample.
What Is A Short Academic Writing Sample?
A short academic writing sample is a small and brief piece of writing that is less than a 1000 words. The purpose of a short academic writing sample is to communicate your ideas, opinions and important information in an effective manner. Colleges and universities might ask students for these samples to check their writing skills at the time of admissions.
On the other hand, academic journals ask for short academic writing samples to evaluate your work, how you organise your facts and results and if academic standards are followed in your work.
Characteristics of A Academic Writing Sample
A good academic writing sample is written in a clear and concise manner. It follows the instructions and academic standards and has a strong argument to present the findings. Here are some additional characteristics of an academic writing sample:
Length: The length of an academic writing sample must be between 500 to 1000 words. It can be more than 1000 words if it is written in the instructions.
Strong Arguments: An academic writing sample must follow a proper structure and format. It should also have strong arguments to support the evidence and results.
Relevant To Topic: Your short academic writing sample must be relevant to the topic or research problem that you are highlighting. A literature program sample will not be written as a research or scientific writing sample.
Original Work: It is important to follow academic standards, which include proper citation and referencing. The sample should also be written by the authors themselves and be free from plagiarism.
What Qualifies As A Short Academic Writing Sample?
Here is what a short academic writing sample should include to meet the criteria:
How To Choose the Right Academic Writing Sample?
Here are some tips to follow so that you can send the right short academic writing sample to the admission officers or employers:
Do not send outdated samples. You should send work that is focused on current topics and methods so that the reader can get a good idea about your knowledge skills as well.
Avoid sending academic writing samples on religious and political topics. You should send essays and articles that are relevant to your field and industry.
Do not send blogs as academic writing samples unless they have a professional, objective and formal style and tone.
Choose a piece of writing that is grammatically correct, factually accurate and cited properly.
Conclusion
A well-written and structured short academic writing sample can help you get admission to your favourite college or university. It can also help you get your first job and impress employers with your writing and critical-thinking skills. By understanding what qualifies as a short academic writing sample, you can leave a good impression on the readers and admission officers. However, you should always follow the instructions that have been given to you and avoid copying online content. You can check academic writing samples by EssaysUK if you are looking for inspiration.