Welcome to the Wonderful World of Academic Blogging!

If you’re curious about learning how to write an effective blog post, how academic blogging is different from other forms of writing, or what this particular academic blog is all about, then keep reading.

If not, please go here.

What’s a Blog Post?

The word blog is a shortened form of weblog: it’s a website that features written entries or logs… you’re reading a blog at this very moment. A blog post is typically a short piece of informal writing about a specific topic. As you may have guessed by now, the topic of this blog post is… blog posts.

Care to Expand on That?

Because blog posts appear online, they almost always include links to relevant information available elsewhere online. Blogs also typically include images. Most posts have a featured image that relates to the topic of that particular blog post. But images can also be inserted into the body of the blog post to illustrate complex ideas, direct the reader’s attention to a particular example, or to add humour when appropriate.

Blogs can also include embedded videos so the reader is able to see examples relevant to the topic or focus of the post. If I had a relevant video I might have embedded it. Instead, I embedded this video of a kitten.

Another thing that makes blog posts different from other forms of writing is that they are often written in an informal tone. Whereas one might very well argue that formal writing is an acceptable and indeed a laudable venture, in blogs it’s okay to use contractions and to include your own voice and perspective. Or at least that’s what I think.

Finally, blogs are typically interactive. Many blogs allow comments on posts so interested readers can share their own views. Authors are then able to respond to these comments.

Alright, I Get Blogging… What About the Academic Bit?

There are plenty of academics with their own personal blogs. These blogs are often venues for professors and researchers to share their thinking outside of academic publications such as academic manuscripts or peer reviewed journal articles.

Departmental blogs, like this one, solicit posts from students and faculty that relate to that department’s discipline or field. This blog is interested in applying theories and approaches typically used in the humanities and in examining human culture and values.

Like other forms of academic writing, academic blog posts put forward arguments. These arguments should be backed up with logical reasoning and/or solid evidence. While the format, tone, and length of academic blog posts differ from other forms of academic writing, the arguments put forward should always be supported by careful thought, analysis, and references to relevant sources.

Interested in submitting a blog post of your own? Visit the submission page.