NE4016 Academic Writing 2

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NE4016Academic Writing 2

• Íde OSullivan, Lawrence Cleary
• Regional Writing Centre
• www.ul.ie/rwc

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Literature review Key skills

• Choose a research topic
• Design and develop a research question/problem
  (scope)
• Undertake literature searching and retrieval
• Analyse, synthesis and evaluate data
• Present a literature critique
• Develop good writing and reporting skills

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Literature searchingand retrieval

• Select the review topic
• Decide on selection and exclusion criteria
• Search suitable electronic databases using
  keyword searches
• Identify appropriate literature to be included in
  the review
• Analyse and synthesise the literature
• Engage in a critical review of the literature

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Reviewing and evaluating the literature

• Key information in the review
• Title
• Author/Year
• Purpose
• Methodology
• Findings
• Outcomes
• Recommendations
• Key thoughts and comments
• Strengths, weaknesses

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Writing the Review
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Writing a page 98 paper

• My research question is
• Researchers who have looked at this subject are
  
• They argue that
• Debate centres on the issue of
• There is work to be done on
• My research is closest to that of X in that
• My contribution will be
• (Murray 2006104)

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Writing the review

• Introduction
• Main body of text
• Conclusion
• References

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The introduction

• In academic writing, an introduction, or opening,
  has four purposes
• To introduce the topic of the essay/report
• To indicate the context of the conversation
  through background information
• To give some indication of the overall plan of
  the essay/report
• To catch the readers attention, usually by
  convincing the reader of its relevance.

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What should I put into the introduction?

• Identify the domain and the topic
• State the problem - claim, hypothesis, or
  question - to be investigated
• Gives the problem context and significance within
  the research community
• State the objectives of the review and outline
  the plan
• Give an overview of the literature sources and
  key search terms used in the review
• May delineate the scope of the research

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The main text

• Examining the theoretical literature and the
  methodological literature underpinning the
  selected study
• Examining the theoretical literature and then the
  empirical literature in discrete sections
• Dividing the literature into content themes
• Examining the literature chronologically
• (Carnwell and Daly 200160-62)

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The conclusion

• Concise summary of the findings
• Identify the gaps in the literature
• Outline and justify the purpose of your proposed
  study

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The literature review

• Reveal the current state of knowledge/state of
  the art on a selected topic
• Make sure that the literature reviewed is
  relevant (do not write down all you know
  about)
• A description of a series of studies is
  insufficient you must engage in a critical
  review of the literature.
• Include not only a review of the literature the
  methodologies employed should also be critically
  reviewed.

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Writing in layers (Murray 2006 125-27)

• Outline the structure write your chapter or
  section heading for the Literature Review.
• Write a sentence or two on the contents of the
  chapter and each section.
• List out sub-headings for each section.
• Write an introductory paragraph for each section.
• At the top of each section, write the word count
  requirement, draft number and date.

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Flow

• Logical method of development
• Effective transition signals
• Good signposting
• Consistent point of view
• Conciseness (careful word choice)
• Clarity of expression
• Paragraph structure
• Unity
• Coherence

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Paragraph structure

• What is a paragraph?
• Series of sentences
• Coherent (introduction, middle, end)
• Common theme
• Every sentence in a paragraph develops one topic
  or idea.
• Paragraphs signal the logically organised
  progression of ideas.
• The flow of information should be organised
  around themes and comments. The main idea in one
  paragraph should flow logically into the next.
• Shifts in the argument or changes in direction
  should be accurately signalled using appropriate
  adverbials, conjunctions, and prepositions.

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Paragraph structure

• Just as an essay is guided by a thesis statement,
  a paragraph is organised around its topic
  sentence.
• A topic sentence informs the reader of the topic
  to be discussed.
• A topic sentence contains controlling ideas which
  limit the scope of the discussion to ideas that
  are manageable in a paragraph.

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Paragraph structure Supporting sentences

• The sentences that follow expand upon the topic,
  using controlling ideas to limit the discussion.
  The main idea is supported by
• Evidence in the form of facts, statistics,
  theoretical probabilities, reputable, educated
  opinions,
• Illustrations in the form of examples and
  extended examples, and
• Argumentation based on the evidence presented.
• Qualifying statements indicate the limitations of
  the support or argument.

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Paragraph structure Concluding sentences

• Not every paragraph needs a concluding sentence.
• Concluding sentences can either comment on the
  information in the text, or
• They can paraphrase the topic sentence.

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Paragraph structure Unity

• Paragraphs should be unified.
• Unity means that only one main idea is discussed
  in a paragraph. The main idea is stated in the
  topic sentence, and then each and every
  supporting sentence develops that idea (Oshima
  and Hogue 199918).

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Paragraph structure Coherence

• Coherence means that your paragraph is easy to
  read and understand because
• your supporting sentences are in some kind of
  logical order
• your ideas are connected by the use of
  appropriate transition signals
• your pronoun references clearly point to the
  intended antecedent and is consistent
• you have repeated or substituted key nouns.
  
• (Oshima and Hogue 2006.22)

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Example (Meei-Fang et al. 2007471)

• People with dementia are particularly vulnerable
  to malnutrition they have a decreased ability to
  understand directions and to express their needs
  verbally, are easily distracted from eating,
  prone to become agitated, and may use utensils
  incorrectly. Inability to feed oneself (eating
  dependency) is a major risk factor for
  malnutrition among older people living in
  long-term care settings (Abbasi Rudman 1994,
  Durnbaugh et al. 1996). When people with dementia
  can no longer take food voluntarily, assistance
  is required although, as the disease progresses,
  even taking food with assistance can become
  difficult and, in some instances, tube-feeding
  may be required to supply nutrition. This form of
  feeding can, however, cause distress and anxiety,
  not only for the person being fed, but also for
  caregivers (Akerlund Norberg 1985, Burgener
  Shimer 1993).

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Paragraph structure Transition signals

• Transition signals do exactly what it says on the
  tin they signal. They can signal relationships
  between sentences, just as they can signal
  relationships between paragraphs.
• Example Finally, there have been numerous women
  altogether outside the profession, who were
  reformers dedicated to creating alternatives
  (Gillet 2005).
• The signal indicates the final point in a series
  of points.

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Paragraph structure Transition signals

• To introduce an additional idea
• To introduce an opposite idea or contrast
• To introduce a choice or alternative
• To introduce an example
• To introduce an explanation
• To list
• To introduce a conclusion/summary
• To introduce a result

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Paragraph structure

• Dos and Donts
• Do not use pronouns to refer to an antecedent in
  the previous paragraph.
• Lengthy paragraphs indicate a lack of structure.
• Short paragraphs indicate a lack of detail or
  evidence to support the argument.
• Do not end a paragraph with a quotation.
• Use a variety of sentence patterns and lengths to
  give your paragraph a lively rhythm.
• Signpost your paragraph organisation.

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Sentence structure

• Vary your rhythm by using a variety of sentence
  types and patterns. Use a combination of
• Simple sentences
• Compound sentences
• Complex sentences
• Compound-Complex sentences
• Do not limit yourself to simple sentences or
  linking sentences using and/but.

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Strategies to Boost Writing Skills
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Writing to prompts

• Strategies that might help boost my academic
  writing skills
• Keep writing non-stop for 5 minutes.
• Write in sentences.
• Do not edit or censor your writing.
• Discuss what you have written in pairs.

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Getting started

• Create time and space for writing
• Freewriting
• Writing to prompts
• What writing have you done for this assignment,
  what writing would you like to do
• The aim of this assignment
• Experiment with different types of writing

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Keep writing

• Where and when do you write?
• Why are you not writing?
• I dont feel ready to write.
• Writers block
• Getting unstuck
• Writing to prompts/freewriting (write anything)
• Set writing goals
• Write regularly
• Integrate writing into your thinking
• Break it down into a manageable process

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Keep writing

• Be patient
• Be creative
• Taking pleasure in writing
• Be proud of your writing
• Get stuck in

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Cracking the codes

• Analysing the genre/text and modelling
• Generate a list of
• The most important features of academic writing
• Criteria to make your writing-strategies more
  effective
• The important conventions in your discipline
• What is/is not acceptable in your discipline
• Student handbooks and guides for written
  submissions

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Writing time

• Dealing with issues of time
• Setting goals
• Binge and snack writing (Murray 2005)
• Do I need a big block of time to write
  productively?
• Short bursts of productive writing (Murray and
  Moore 200617)
• Outlining (Murray 2005)

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Dialogue as a social strategy

• Peer-review
• Generative writing
• The writing sandwich (Murray 200585) writing,
  talking, writing
• Writing buddies (Murray and Moore 2006102)
• Engaging in critiques of one anothers work
  allows you to become effective critics of your
  own work.

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Motivation It is not too late

• Take stock of where you are now
• Outline your research
• Make plans based on the time that is left
• Organise your time accordingly
• Get writing
• Keep writing
• Allow time for revision and to put it all
  together
• Let family and friends know
• Be selfish with your time

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Revision, Editing and Proofreading
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Revising (Global)

• Global issues (organisation and structure)
• Does the text achieve your writing goals as
  established in your evaluation of the rhetorical
  situation (writing context) and by your thesis?
• Is there deviation, wander and digression?
• Does each paragraph treat in a controlled manner
  an identifiable idea, and does that idea follow
  logically the ideas expressed in previous
  paragraphs and do they allow readers to predict
  the ideas expressed in the paragraphs that follow?

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Revising (Global)

• If the process of writing has changed your
  views, consider rethinking the thesis and
  reworking the paper (Ebest et al. 200414).
• How does the introduction fit in with the body of
  the paper? Did you address what you said you
  would address? Did you fulfil your promises?
• Does your conclusion take into account the
  discoveries made during your research and writing
  processes.
• Strategy Outline your paper, now that you have
  finished it.

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Revising (Local)

• Local issues (editing and proofreading)
• Look at logical and grammatical relations as
  expressed within paragraph boundaries.
• Is the relationship between pronouns and noun
  substitutes and the things they represent clear?
• Verbs express relationships of time and indicate
  person, number and mood. Are those relationships
  consistent and appropriate?

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Revising (Local)

• Is information logically arranged, and is the
  organisation of your text clear?
• Does each paragraph have a topic sentence and is
  the paragraph cogent, coherent and unified?
• Do your sentences express complete ideas, and do
  you vary your structures? Are they grammatical?
  What about the mechanics?

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Checklists and Feedback

• Before flying, pilots go through a methodical
  check of their plane. Do you have a checklist for
  your assignments before you hand them in?
• How can you anticipate problems that you are
  unable to see? Get a peer to help.
• Ask for the feedback that you need and that is
  appropriate to the context.

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Revising (Peer review)

• For example, this is an argumentative paper
  Were you convinced by my argument? Why? Or why
  not?
• I know I write poor introductions Could you
  identify my thesis? Or ...could you tell me how
  the introduction attempts to grab the readers
  interest?
• I know that my sentences tend to be long and
  difficult to understand Could you read my paper
  aloud so that I can listen to it and mark where
  you are having difficulties in reading?

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Spelling

• Make sure to set the language to BrE or AmE but
  stick to one (-ise/-ize)
• Standard forms
• Double letters
• Dont rely on spell check it doesnt catch
  everything
• - for foe
• - form from
• - quiet quite
• - practice practise
• - affect effect

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Grammar

• Sentence structure
• Complete sentences
• Agreement
• Tense
• Grammar check is not always correct
• - passive sentences
• - defining and non-defining clauses
• The woman who lives in apartment No. 34 has
  been arrested. Mrs. Jackson, who is very
  intelligent, lives on the corner.

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Punctuation

• Commas, semi-colons, full stops
• Apostrophe
• its Vs its
• 1920s
• Possessives
• The dogs bone
• The dogs bone
• The horses mouths
• Seamus car
• Capitalisation

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Tips for editing

• Set it aside for a few days and come back with a
  fresh eye
• Get someone else to proofread it as well as you
• Use the print preview button to check layout
  before you print
• Always proofread on hardcopy
• Hold paper below the line you are proofreading
• Use the find button to make changes
• Be consistent!!
• Editing a reference list is separate

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Editing a reference list

• Check that in-text dates and page numbers match
  reference list
• Only enter names in reference list that you have
  mentioned in your text its not a bibliography
• Make sure that if a name is mentioned in the
  document that is in included in the reference
  list
• Do a separate edit of your reference list,
  checking everything matches, everything is
  included and it is consistent

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Common errors

• Consistency of layout
• Spelling, punctuation and grammar
• Syntax
• Correct font and spacing
• Word or letter substitution
• Transposition of letters
• Omission of a line or lines, which does not
  outwardly affect the meaning
• Check finished work with original
• Dates, proper names and place names, and figures
• Complete labelling of diagrams, tables, graphs,
  etc

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Resources

• Shannon Consortium Regional Writing Centre, UL
  http//www.ul.ie/rwc/
• Using English for Academic Purposes
  http//www.uefap.com/index.htm
• The Writers Garden http//www.
  cyberlyber.com/writermain.htm
• The OWL at Purdue http//owl.english.purdue.edu/
• The Writing Center at the University of North
  Carolina at Chapel Hill http//www.unc.edu/depts
  /wcweb/handouts/index.html

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Reference list

• Carnwell, R and Daly, W. (2001) Strategies for
  the construction of a critical review of the
  literature, Nurse Education in Practice, 1
  57-63.
• Moore, S. and Murphy, M. (2005) How to be a
  Student 100 Great Ideas and Practical Hints for
  Students Everywhere. Berkshire, UK Open
  University Press.
• Murray, R. (2005) Writing for Academic Journals.
  UK Open University Press.
• Murray, R. (2006) How to Write a Thesis. UK Open
  University Press.
• Murray, R. and Moore, S. (2006) The Handbook of
  Academic Writing A Fresh Approach. Berkshire,
  UK Open University Press.
• Oshima, A. and Hogue, A. (2006) Writing Academic
  English, 4th edition. New York Pearson
  Education.