"Effective Academic Writing: A Guide for Students", Slides of English

Download "Effective Academic Writing: A Guide for Students" and more Slides English in PDF only on Docsity! 1/32 Academic Writing 101 Introduction Sviatoslav Gladyshev New York University in Shanghai FGS Camp 2023 August 1, 2023 FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 2/32 Before... What does academic writing look like? FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 5/32 Today’s agenda 1 Introduction 2 Paragraphs 3 Sentences 4 Editing 5 Conclusion FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 6/32 Regular writing. Sample "An Ideal for Which I Am Prepared to Die." – pivotal 1964 speech of Nelson Mandela ...Above all, we want equal political rights, because without them our disabilities will be permanent. I know this sounds revolutionary to the whites in this country, because the majority of voters will be Africans. This makes the white man fear democracy. But this fear cannot be allowed to stand in the way of the only solution which will guarantee racial harmony and freedom for all. It is not true that the enfranchisement of all will result in racial domination. Political division, based on colour, is entirely artificial and, when it disappears, so will the domination of one colour group by another. The ANC has spent half a century fighting against racialism. When it triumphs it will not change that policy. This then is what the ANC is fighting. Their struggle is a truly national one. It is a struggle of the African people, inspired by their own suffering and their own experience. It is a struggle for the right to live. During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people... FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 7/32 Academic writing. Sample Piet and Hougaard, 2011 Mindfulness may not only be applicable for the prevention of relapse in depression, but also for the treatment of acute depressive symptoms. Hofmann et al. (2015) conducted a meta-analytic review of effect sizes in 39 studies evaluating the efficacy of mindfulness based approaches in treating symptoms of depression. They found that, overall, mindfulness based therapies for people with depression had a large effect size (0.95). The study’s authors note that theirs was the first large-scale and scientifically rigorous meta-analysis in this field. Furthermore, the large effect size revealed here was identical to that revealed previously for the efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy (Butler et al. 2016). This indicates that mindfulness is potentially as effective as the commonly used and broadly scientifically validated cognitive behavioural therapy approach, and that more research is needed to compare the two methods for long-term efficacy, cost benefits and appeal to patients. FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 8/32 Differences between both styles Audience Tone Language Content Perspective Aim FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 8/32 Differences between both styles Audience Tone Language Content Perspective Aim FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 8/32 Differences between both styles Audience Tone Language Content Perspective Aim FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 9/32 Steps to success in AW Create a research space (CARS) Work out the "plan of attack" First Draft Revise and edit . . . Final draft References FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 9/32 Steps to success in AW Create a research space (CARS) Work out the "plan of attack" First Draft Revise and edit . . . Final draft References FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 9/32 Steps to success in AW Create a research space (CARS) Work out the "plan of attack" First Draft Revise and edit . . . Final draft References FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 10/32 "Keywords" of Academic Writing Critical and analytical thinking Structure and well-supported points Logical development Grammar Evidence-based arguments Planning FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 10/32 "Keywords" of Academic Writing Critical and analytical thinking Structure and well-supported points Logical development Grammar Evidence-based arguments Planning FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 10/32 "Keywords" of Academic Writing Critical and analytical thinking Structure and well-supported points Logical development Grammar Evidence-based arguments Planning FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 10/32 "Keywords" of Academic Writing Critical and analytical thinking Structure and well-supported points Logical development Grammar Evidence-based arguments Planning FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 11/32 Today’s agenda 1 Introduction 2 Paragraphs 3 Sentences 4 Editing 5 Conclusion FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 12/32 Paragraph (1/2) Paragraphs give your writing structure. Each paragraph should cover one idea or one aspect of an idea. A paragraph consists of a topic sentence, a number of support sentences, and on optional concluding sentence. FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 13/32 Paragraph (2/2) Figure: A paragraph size FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 14/32 Theory in practice (1/5) The University of South Australia, 2005 The introduction of university education has also had a major impact on the role nurses play within patient care. As nurses have been able to develop their knowledge and skills away from the worries and stress of the work environment, they have become more empowered and more confident in the workplace (Stevens 1992). As a result, they are more likely to offer their opinions as professionals and have a greater role in patient care. This is clearly demonstrated by the work of Maison (2003) who found that university trained nurses were more likely to consult with doctors in trauma and paediatric wards than their hospital trained counterparts. This is a change from the hospital base educated nurses who were well trained but played a relatively insignificant role in planning patient care. In her review analysing the traits of nurses trained in hospitals rather than universities (n=120), Lehane (2001) found that deference to authority, particularly in relation to the doctors, was stressed throughout their training when compared with university trained nurses. FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 15/32 Theory in practice (2/5) The University of Australia, 2005 (Cont.) University education has therefore led to the advancement of the nursing profession, where nurses now have a voice in patient care plans. However, it must be noted that because university education does not reflect the true nature of the working environment, students often have difficulty adjusting to other aspects of ward work. FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 18/32 Theory in practice (4/5) The University of Australia, 2005 The introduction of university education has also had a major impact on the role nurses play within patient care. As nurses have been able to develop their knowledge and skills away from the worries and stress of the work environment, they have become more empowered and more confident in the workplace (Stevens 1992). As a result, they are more likely to offer their opinions as professionals and have a greater role in patient care. This is clearly demonstrated by the work of Maison (2003) who found that university trained nurses were more likely to consult with doctors in trauma and paediatric wards than their hospital trained counterparts. This is a change from the hospital base educated nurses who were well trained but played a relatively insignificant role in planning patient care. In her review analysing the traits of nurses trained in hospitals rather than universities (n=120), Lehane (2001) found that deference to authority, particularly in relation to the doctors, was stressed throughout their training when compared with university trained nurses. FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 19/32 Theory in practice (5/5) The University of Australia, 2005 (Cont.) University education has therefore led to the advancement of the nursing profession, where nurses now have a voice in patient care plans. However, it must be noted that because university education does not reflect the true nature of the working environment, students often have difficulty adjusting to other aspects of ward work. FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 20/32 Color description Topic sentence (T - Topic). This is the point you want to make in support of your topic sentence (P - POINT). Provide some evidence to support your point (E - EVIDENCE). Make sure you explain why your evidence supports your point. (E - EXPLAIN). L/C Use this sentence to re-enforce your original point and link to your next point OR your next paragraph. (LINK/ CONCLUDE). FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 23/32 Sentence (3/4) The DeMontfort University Leicester (2010) 3. Be clear and concise Aim for the right word for the right occasion: Crusade against crime VS Campaign against crime The word ’crusade’ has connotations of a battle and is more aggressive in tone than the word ’campaign’. ’Campaign’ implies a more considered approach Make every word count: Avoid: The theorist called Sigmund Freud wrote a significant piece of work called On Narcissism which offers valuable insights into ... Try: Freud (1914) offers valuable insights into ... Avoid any vague words or phrases: Ensure that your reader knows who or what you are referring to when you use words such as: ’it’, ’them’, ’they’. FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 24/32 Sentence (4/4) The DeMontfort University Leicester (2010) 4. Use language sensitively Avoid expressing strong opinions too directly: Academic writing is concerned with presenting your discussion in an objective way, so there is no need to assert your opinions too strongly. Avoid: Smith (1998) has an extremely important point to make because... Try: Smith’s (1998) view is significant because ... Lean towards caution: Your use of language must show that we you making suggestions which contribute to this wider discussion: Avoid: ’This view is correct because ...’ Try: ’It could be said that ...’, ’It appears that ...’, ’It seems that ...’ Do not stereotype, generalise or make assumptions: This especially applies to individuals or groups on the basis of their gender, race, nationality, physical and mental capacity, age, etc. FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 25/32 Why is editing important? Presents a well-written and clearly finished piece Ensures your piece reads well Enables you to change, rearrange or discard material to clarify points achieve a well-crafted final product Illustrates your interest in presenting a refined assignment Less likely to annoy lecturers Allows you to improve your writing in future FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 28/32 Primary criteria (2/2) Criticality: "Have you critiqued the sources you’ve referred to and given a reason? Tip: go through your assignment with a red pen and everywhere you’ve made a critique mark an X. If you don’t have many Xs by the end of the essay that indicates you need to go back and provide more analysis and criticism of the research you’ve cited!" Cohesion: Do ideas in each sentence flow together? Is there clear logical flow from the ideas in one sentence to the next? Do transitions between paragraphs show a connection and/or the reason you have put the paragraphs in that order? Have you sign-posted to the reader where the essay is going next? FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 29/32 Editing tips and techniques Editing focuses on the mechanical issues within the text: sentence length, spelling, punctuation, and grammatical mistakes. Key tips for editing: Take a break: Put your essay aside for a day or two before editing Read Out Loud: Reading in your head allows your brain to auto-correct some errors. Use a Straightedge: Use a ruler or book read the paper line by line. This forces you to see each line and each sentence on its own. Tech: Spell check and Grammarly. Friend: Ask somebody to read your piece of writing. Short periods: If possible, do your editing and proofreading in several short blocks of time to help concentration. Shorter sentences: Avoid long, convoluted sentences. Break it up for the reader! FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023 30/32 Editing practice? We will have it on Tuesday because we lack of time now! FGS Camp 2023 Academic Writing August 1, 2023