Transcript Chapter 15 The Challenge of Writing Up

Chapter 15
The Challenge of Writing Up
Zina O’Leary
The Challenge
Because your write-up will be
a considerable piece of
academic work with major
consequences attached to its
quality, the writing process can
be intimidating.
There are, however, practical
strategies that can improve
the quality of your work and
make the task less daunting.
Zina O’Leary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage
Writing as ‘Conversation’
The goal of your write-up is
to share your research with
others.
Think of your write-up as a
communication process or
a ‘conversation’ that
demands the consideration
of your readers.
Zina O’Leary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage
Knowing Your Audience
To write effectively you
need to know your
audience, including:
• who they are
• what they know
• what they are likely to find
useful
• what their expectations are
• and what reactions they
may have to your work.
Zina O’Leary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage
The ‘Standard’ Structure
Your write-up can follow
a standard structure that
generally includes:
1. introduction
2. literature review
3. methods
4. findings
5. conclusion
Zina O’Leary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage
Alternate Structures
Your write-up can also
follow an alternate
structure that may better
suit a particular projects’
aims and objectives.
While alternate structures
can allow for more
creative expression, the
standard format gives
readers what they tend to
expect.
Zina O’Leary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage
Write As You Go
Preparing research accounts
and deliverables often
involves a relatively
unpractised from of writing.
So it’s well worth ‘writing as
you go’. In fact writing is now
commonly recommended as
a practice that should be
incorporated throughout the
research process.
Zina O’Leary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage
Writing as Analysis
Writing itself can be a form
of analysis and can be
central to the construction
and interpretation of
meaning.
It can also be instrumental
in the development of
significant, relevant, logical,
and coherent storylines.
Zina O’Leary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage
Your ‘Story’
Your research write-up should
unfold as an interesting story.
As the author of that story you
need to:
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think of writing as a conversation
become familiar with the craft
find a voice
develop a structure
create a story line
make convincing arguments
get down to the business of
writing and rewriting.
Zina O’Leary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage
Writing Purposively
Because each section of
your write-up serves a
different purpose, the
writing required within
each section varies.
Overall, however, you will
need to write purposively
and convincingly.
Zina O’Leary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage
Seeking Feedback
Incorporation of relevant
feedback requires both
specific and appropriate
requests and a willingness
to accept, if not welcome,
criticality.
Zina O’Leary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage
Drafting and Redrafting
Moving from first to final draft
is a multistage process that
sees you working
systematically through the
development of:
• logic and argument
• coherence and
consistency
• fluency and readability
• and finally copy editing.
Zina O’Leary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage
Dissemination
The ultimate goal of any
research project is to add to
a body of knowledge.
Once your project is
complete, it’s worth thinking
about broader dissemination,
including:
• attending conferences
• giving presentations
• and writing/submitting papers.
Zina O’Leary (2009) The Essential Guide to Doing Your Research Project. London: Sage