Key features of academic writing?

What are the key features of academic writing:  

• Planned and focused: you tend to write in response to the assignment task, so make sure your essay does answer the question being asked/responds to your assignment brief/addresses your learning outcomes.   
• Structured: a key skill in writing essays is the ability to create a sound structure or framework through which you will develop your argument. This makes your essay coherent and develops in a logical order.  
• Evidenced: the points you put forward in your essay are supported by academic literature and evidence. Instead of making generic claims, you demonstrate knowledge of the subject area and support your arguments with reputable academic evidence.  
• Tone and style: it is important to write in a style that is appropriate for your readers and to use appropriate language for your assignment. For instance, in a reflective assignment you need to examine your experience which will affect your choice of language. In all cases, your language needs to be clear, concise and balanced. Here, you need to be familiar with the different types of academic writing which can be dived into three main groups:  

In the first style, you tend to describe to the reader main concepts, theories or the context of your study so that they could understand your perspective. This needs to be brief and provide only enough details to allow your reader to understand. Ask yourself here, does the reader need to know that? 

In the analytical style, you do not just tell that reader what others have said or written about a topic, but you aim to examine, apply and critique this knowledge. For example, you could apply a theory to your work outlining aspects that are applicable or requiring changes/improvement.  

In the third type, you look back at an experience with the purpose of moving forward with your learning and profession. It is not just about describing what happened to you or an experience you had but rather what can be learned from that experience.  

It is always about the ‘implications’ of what you are including in your essay, the ‘so what’. What can be learnt from your essay and what new meaning can be constructed from it. Think of yourself as an ‘analyst’ and not just a ‘reporter’ who describes events without going into their implications, consequences, conclusions that can be drawn etc.