Month: February 2026

This week we covered how to express personal opinions in academic writing. Academic writing can include personal views, but they need to be presented in the right way.

Writing needs to provide enough background information so readers understand what you are talking about. Avoid absolute language such as “completely correct”. Instead, use hedging expressions like “initially” or “to some extent” to show you are not completely committed to a position.

Use other scholars’ views to support your argument. Cite examples or academic sources as evidence, which shows you have engaged with the academic discussion in this field. Use your subjectivity as a starting point for thinking, acknowledging that your views are shaped by personal experience and cultural background.

Finally, show how your views have developed, for example from “I initially thought” to “after further consideration”, allowing readers to see your thinking process.

In short, personal opinion is important in academic writing, but you need to provide background information, support your views with academic research, and show the development of your thinking.

This week we covered two research methods: quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative research explains phenomena using numbers and statistical data, seeking cause-effect relationships through deductive reasoning. Qualitative research does not rely on statistics; it focuses on process, context, and meaning, understanding problems through inductive reasoning.

The research process consists of four elements: epistemology determines what worldview guides the research, theoretical perspective decides what to study, methodology establishes the research strategy, and methods are the specific tools used.

Choosing which method depends on your research aims. Exploratory research is suitable for qualitative methods, using interviews to collect data. Confirmatory research is suitable for quantitative methods, using surveys and statistical analysis.

Methodology is the section of your paper that describes how you conducted the research and why. It should be written in the past tense. Research methods refer to the specific steps, while methodology is the entire chapter; they are different.

Critical thinking should be like a criminal investigation: thoroughly investigate the problem, support and challenge ideas, cross-examine the literature, and reach a conclusion based on evidence.

When writing a thesis, you must cite peer-reviewed academic sources such as books and journal articles. These can be accessed through UAL Library Services or Google Scholar. Do not cite personal blogs, film reviews, or YouTube videos unless they contain a specific animation that cannot be found elsewhere. The formatting should use 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font, with line spacing set to 1.5 or 2.0.

The language should be formal and objective. Avoid emotional language and sweeping generalisations. Instead, use qualifying adverbs such as some, several, a few, or many. Do not use first-person pronouns like I, my, or we. Instead, use passive voice or impersonal subjects. Avoid verbs that soften your argument, such as hope, believe, or feel. Do not use contractions, colloquial language, or slang. Avoid phrasal verbs and vague words like get, a lot, or nice. Your writing should be as concise and precise as possible.

When quoting or paraphrasing someone else’s ideas, you must clearly reference the source in your text. Use the Harvard referencing system, which requires the author’s surname, year, and page number in the text. Short quotations of up to three lines should be incorporated into your sentence with double quotation marks. Longer quotations should be indented with single spacing, with a blank line before and after, and no quotation marks.

The reference list should be arranged alphabetically by the author’s surname. Book titles and journal names should be italicised, while article titles should be in single quotation marks. For books, include the publisher and the publication date. For online sources, include the author, title, full URL, and the date you accessed the site. A filmography should follow the reference list, with film titles in italics and arranged alphabetically. The first time you mention a film, include the title, director, and year. The first time you mention a television character, include the actor’s name in brackets after the character’s name. For television programmes, include the original broadcast channel and date.