Academic Writing () - California State University, Fresno
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Transcript Academic Writing () - California State University, Fresno
Academic Writing: An
Overview
“Whether you knew it or not when you started,
conducting research is the defining feature of
your graduate career. If you plan to stay in
academe, it will be the defining feature of your
academic life.”
--Lesli Mitchell
The Ultimate Grad School Survival Guide
The genre of research
What it’s not:
What it’s not only:
A loose collection of anecdotal information
Reporting of others’ knowledge
What it is:
Creation of knowledge
Added security of academic support
Contribution to a larger academic discussion
Problems and solutions
Before you write:
Read sources critically
Read studies similar to what you want to write
Abstracts
Literature Reviews
Conclusions/Discussion
Professional journals, master’s theses, Google scholar
Recommendations for Future Study
Take notes (don’t highlight!)
Summarize/paraphrase passages
Quoting Sources (in brief)
Use quotations sparingly and strategically.
Use quotations only when the language is so
unique that you must use it; that is, the language
adds “color, power, or character,” to your
project.
Too many quotes are distracting; reader needs to
hear your voice.
Quote use
Identify quotes with frames that precede, follow,
or interrupt.
Use appropriate verb of attribution.
Punctuate correctly.
Quotes should be syntactically correct and
integrated into your own language.
The Art of the Paraphrase
You are writers, not re-typers.
Instances of plagiarism (from the Office of the Associate VP, CSU Fresno):
“Failure to use quotation marks when quoting
directly from another, whether it be a paragraph,
sentence or part thereof
Copying phrases or ideas from a book, magazine, or
other source without giving credit to the author
Turning in a paper or computer program that is the
work of another individual”
Drafting
Should be the least time-consuming of all steps
in the process
If it’s taking you forever to write 1,000 words,
two things could be happening:
1. You don’t have a clue what you should be
saying.
2. You're revising while you draft so that you end
up with one sentence an hour.
The Introduction: Your paper’s
“first impression”
Introductions should:
Introduce
subject and problem
Clearly state purpose
Strategies for Introductions
Begin with a narrative
Begin with a question or series of questions.
Bold, expert opinion captures readers’ attention.
Begin by citing key data
Shows reader that your subject is provocative and interesting.
Begin by quoting a key source.
Anecdotes that make the topic more “real” to reader.
Alarming stats emphasize importance
Writing Studio at Duke University:
http://uwp.duke.edu/writing-studio/resources
Review of Literature
Examine/analyze what has already been
published on your topic
Find the gaps (Recommendations for future research)
Provide framework for scope of the problem
Explain where your study “fits”
Review must be thorough
Currency, credibility
Snowball your sources
Review must be accurate
Follow rules for specific documentation style
Report your findings
What trends did you find in the research?
Did you discover something that hasn’t been
addressed? (Creation of knowledge)
Did you gather your own data? (surveys,
experiments)
Presentation of findings in tables, figures, etc.
Conclusions
Place the paper in a larger context
Convince readers that what they read was meaningful.
Go beyond mere summary and avoid repeating wordfor-word a statement you wrote earlier in the paper.
Answers the question, “Where could we go from
here?”
Makes suggestions or calls to action
You are the author
Paper should be predominately your ideas and
opinions.
Show your critical thinking skills.
A paper with patched together summaries and
paraphrases, even if they’re in your own words,
will not succeed.