Final Year Projects

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Final Year Projects

• 8 Developing your Academic Writing Style

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Final Year Projects

• A writing style is a very individual thing and
  there are a variety of styles that can be
  adopted. However, it is important to note that
  an academic style is
• formal (and therefore avoids slang or
  colloquial expressions)
• avoids the use of the first person (I think)
  but substitutes the 3rd person (It can be
  argued that..)
• Will NOT use abbreviations such as isnt for
  is not

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Final Year Projects

• The building blocks are good grammar and
  avoidance of elementary spelling mistakes!
• You can turn on the grammar check in Word to
  check this. Type the following and turn on the
  options to grammar as well as spell-check
• This goes to show that its all right to
  correct mistakes.
• The cat cleans its whiskers

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Final Year Projects

• Paragraph construction
• One paragraph per idea or theme
• There should be a key sentence (typically at
  the beginning or the end)
• Separate with a blank line (white space from
  the next)

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Final Year Projects

• Sentence construction
• make sure that a sentence has a verb in it!
• Avoid constructions such as Firstly, the
  evidence from the USA
• Sentences should not be too long. Take care
  over the use of the comma! However, we
  should note that however normally starts a
  sentence

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Final Year Projects

• Words, words, words
• Common errors are(2nd is correct!)
• moral (morale) compliment (complement)
• effect (for affect) alright (all right)
• principle (principal)
• different from (not different than)

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Final Year Projects

• Lists are dangerous!
• Use bullet points very sparingly and only when
  you feel you have to absolutely have to do so!
• WHY?
• It gives the impression of padding
• It takes time/space away from your own
  analysis

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Final Year Projects

• How to make assessments
• The weight of the evidence suggests that or
  On balance the evidence suggests that
• A contrary view is advanced by Bloggs(2006)
  who argues that
• Although it suggested by some authorities that
  x is the case, an alternative viewpoint
  is advanced by..

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Final Year Projects

• Practical exercise (real world example)
• Do NOT link sentences with a comma!
• Management consultants can be used, they
  are hired to give impartial advice
• Think of at least 3 ways of improving the way
  that this is expressed.

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Final Year Projects

• Really practical advice! 1 BUY A BOOK! eg.
• Bill Bryson (2001), Troublesome Words
• Cutts, Martin (1999) Plain English Guide
• Austin, T. and Thompson,R (2003) The Times Style
  and Usage Guide
• (Browse in your local bookshop)

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Final Year Projects

• Really practical advice! 2
• Buy a little notebook and note down examples
  of interesting linking phrases
• Take particular note of good examples (and
  occasional things to avoid) from your file of
  Day- Glo-ed articles
• Always proof-read on paper, not on the screen

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And finally.
Any questions?