Writing is a skill that takes a lot of time and practice to master. Even so called master authors still learn and grow with each piece they read or write. An important, yet tricky, skill to master is writing with authority. Writing with authority means being involved in the conversation as opposed to being an outsider looking in. Writing with authority is very important in academic writing. Someone who writes with authority knows that claims are not set in stone and can be challenged. On the other hand, those who do not write with authority believe that all claims are facts that they should go along with. This difference can make or break your piece.
Janet v. Roger
Janet and Roger are very popular amongst academic writers. In the early 90s a study was conducted between two students, Janet and Roger. Janet is a freshman in college, whereas Roger is completing his doctorate. Both students are at two different stages in their academic careers. One is just starting off and the other is at the finish line. Janet and Roger were asked to write a paper on paternalism and were provided with the same articles. They were to complete the paper on their own time throughout the semester. To track their progress they were asked to record their thoughts on a tape recorder. After each work session they were to meet with a research member to discuss their goals, plans and problems.
By the end of the study, researchers found that Roger writes with authority, and Janet does not. This result was expected. When it comes to writing with authority, age and gender may have an effect. It is typically accepted that writing with authority becomes easier with age. However, according to Penrose and Geisler, “What it means to be an insider in the academic domain has largely been defined by the objective, competitive stance of mainstream academic argument at the expense of the personal knowledge and connective goals in which feminist epistemologies are grounded.” In other words, gender impacts the ability to write with authority. In an academic context, women are already viewed as the outsiders. This makes it difficult for women to insert themselves into the conversation.
Just by reading Janet and Rogers introduction, the reader is able to tell the difference between the two writers. Overall, Janet accepts all claims as facts. She does not challenge claims, she simply goes with the flow. Furthermore, while referencing articles she rarely ever mentions the authors name. Therefore, dehumanizing the literature. On the other hand, Roger challenges claims. He know that claims are not set in stone and knows that he can poke holes in arguments. Moreover, Roger always mentions the authors name. This is because he is apart of the conversation. All academic writers should strive to be apart of the conversation.
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