CM4203 Academic Writing Tutorial

CM4203 Communications Tutorial 05

• The tutorial is for CM4203 Communications.
• The tutor is Paulene Yaranon & Gail Flanagan.
• Student email address: [email protected]
• Module code CM4203 should be included in email subject lines.
• Date of tutorial: 06.11.19

Week 07: Academic Writing

• Subtopics include: academic writing, conducting research, reviewing sources, referencing, and academic writing tips.

What is Academic Writing?

• Academic writing is distinct from other writing styles as it demands objectivity, precision, and structure.
• Formal tone is crucial, avoiding slang and colloquialisms.
• Clarity and precision are essential to convey ideas accurately and avoid ambiguity.
• Academic writing follows a structured organisation, typically with introduction, body, and conclusion sections with specific purposes within the overall argument.
• Academic writing is evidence-based. Supporting arguments with scholarly sources, citing properly, is essential.
• Critical thinking is vital for analysis of the topic; writers are expected to provide insightful analysis.

Conducting Research

• Research topics should start broad, then narrow to focused and researchable questions.
• Research plans outline steps like literature reviews and data collection with timelines and deadlines.
• Methods should include qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods based on your research questions.
• Data collection tools like surveys, interviews, and experiments are used.

Addressing Disagreement in Literature

• Analyze areas of disagreement and reasons for differing viewpoints.
• Consider factors like methodology, differing interpretations of key terms and philosophical perspectives.
• Use strategies to engage in debate; compare/contrast different viewpoints, discuss implications of differences.
• Combine information effectively; integrate insights from various sources for a holistic understanding, presenting a fair viewpoint.

Reviewing Relevant Sources

• Literature review is important to establish context and identify knowledge gaps.
• Ensure your sources are peer-reviewed for credibility and reliability.
• Evidence from established research is valuable.
• Primary research involves collecting original data. Secondary research reviews various existing research.

Evaluating Sources

• Assessing source quality involves considering Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose (CRAAP).

Know Your Sources for Research

• Utilize library resources including books, academic journals, databases and data.

Referencing

• Referencing is crucial to acknowledge sources (books, articles, websites) used in your writing.
• Referencing gives credit to the original authors and distinguishes your ideas, allowing for argument reinforcement, fact-checking, and avoiding plagiarism

Academic Conventions

• Academic writing follows specific formatting and citation styles (e.g., APA, Harvard, MLA).
• At UL, Harvard is the primary style used for assignments.
• Appropriate referencing includes in-text citations, summarization, and a bibliography.

Example of Harvard Format

• Example of in-text citation and referencing in Harvard format is provided.

What is Plagiarism

• Plagiarism is stealing and presenting others’ work as your own.
• Forms of plagiarism include copying, improper quoting, and reusing previous work without proper acknowledgement.

Academic Writing Tips

• Understand the question, structure your essay effectively, and plan your writing process.
• Use clear writing; clarify sources, focus on argumentation, and consider your audience.

Cite It Right

• An introduction to citing and referencing using Harvard UL style.

Dive into the essentials of academic writing with CM4203's Tutorial 05. Explore key topics such as conducting research, reviewing sources, referencing, and academic writing strategies. This quiz will help reinforce your understanding of the structure and objectivity required in academic writing.