Credibility and Accountability in Academic Discourse: Increasing the Awareness of Ghanaian Graduate Students

Drawing on a social constructionist perspective to written scholarly communication, this chapter argues that training in academic writing for students in higher education especially in second language contexts should go beyond emphasis on grammatical correctness and paragraphing strategies, and also focus on the rhetorical character of academic discourse together with the mastery of its communicative protocols. Using the University of Ghana as a reference point, the essay reviews a selection of accounts showing Ghanaian graduate students’ awareness of the protocols that govern academic discourses in scholarly writing. In consideration of their unique educational and socio-cultural circumstances, the chapter proposes strategies, from the pedagogical and institutional standpoints, aimed at increasing students’ awareness of the relevant communicative practices that engender credibility and promote accountability.