Advanced Academic Writing (ENGL375) PDF

ADVANCED ACADEMIC WRITING (ENGL375) Lecturer’s Handout:1 Salah Elhassan Part (1) The Writing Process Basics of Writing 1  Basics of Writing Mapping Course Learning Outcome...

ADVANCED ACADEMIC WRITING (ENGL375) Lecturer’s Handout:1 Salah Elhassan Part (1) The Writing Process Basics of Writing 1  Basics of Writing Mapping Course Learning Outcomes (LOs) with Graduate Attributes (GAs) LOs GAs LO1: (1) Oral and written communication: Ability to communicate arguments and ideas clearly in oral, visual Identify the and written forms and to various audiences. (2) Critical thinking: Ability to critically evaluate, analyze and interpret information from various sources stages of the to formulate their own understanding. writing (3) Problem solving: Ability to apply logical and methodical approach to define and investigate problems process, and formulate creative solutions. including (4) Ethical decision making: Autonomous individuals able of personal and project management skills academic including organization, working to deadline, time and resources management and an awareness of relevant essays and ethical and legal frameworks. critical (5) Technology skills: Advanced IT competences and proficiency in the use of internet sources. reviews (6) Team-work spirit: Ability to work as part of a diverse team with multiple perspectives showing interpersonal skills and an appreciation for sharing, cooperating and working towards common goals. (6) Value citizenship, locally and globally: Loyalty and a strong commitment to the social, economic and cultural development of the nation and an understanding of diversity issues and international contemporary issues. (8) Value diversity: Respect for the diversity of different perspectives and inter-cultural awareness that fosters multi-cultural competence and open-mindedness.  The Writing Process Explaining all the stages of producing a piece of academic writing, from analysing the title, reading the sources, note-making and referencing, through to rewriting and proofreading the final draft. 3  1.1 Basics of Writing (p.3) WHY DO WE WHAT IS THE PURPOSE CAN YOU THINK OF WRITE? OF ACADEMIC FOUR REASONS? WRITING? 4  To report research done by the writer Common To answer a question reasons the writer was given for To give the writer’s writing views on a topic (p.3) To synthesise research done by others 5  To present a QA hypothesis for Other consideration by others reasons for To make notes on writing something read or heard or seen 6  Semi-formal vocabulary, lack of idioms QA Use of citation/references Features of academic Use of both passive and active voices writing Precision Caution 7 (3) Common Types of academic writing (p.4) What are the differences between these common types of academic writing? – Essay – Dissertation/ Thesis – Project – Article – Notes – Report 8  (QA)Common Types of Academic Notes – A written record of the main points of a text or lecture for a student’s personal use Report – A description of something a student has done (e.g. conducting a survey or experiment) Project – A piece of research, either individual or group work, with the topic chosen by the student(s) Essay – the most common type of written work, with the title given by the teaeher, normally 1,000–5,000 words Dissertation/thesis – the longest piece of writing normally done by a student (20,000+ words) often for a higher degree on a topic chosen by the student Paper – A general term for any academic essay, report, presentation or 9 article  The format of writing tasks (p.4) Longer essays and reports usually include: Introduction Main body –Literature review –Case study –Discussion Conclusion References Appendices 10  4 The format of short and long writing tasks Short essays (including exam answers) generally have this pa ern: Introduction Main body Conclusion Longer essays and reports may include: Introduction Main body Literature review Case study Discussion Conclusion References Appendices 11  4 The format of short and long writing tasks Dissertations and journal articles may have: Abstract List of contents List of tables Introduction Main body Literature review Case study Findings Discussion Conclusion Acknowledgements Notes References Appendices In addition to these sections, books may also include: Foreword, Preface, Bibliography/Further reading 12  Match the following definitions to terms in the preceding terms. a) A short summary which explains the paper’s purpose and main findings. b) A list of all the sources the writer has mentioned in the text. c) A section, after the conclusion, where additional information is included. d) A short section where people who have helped the writer are thanked. e) Part of the main body in which the views of other writers on the topic are discussed. f) A section where one particular example is described in detail. g) A preliminary part of a book usually written by someone other than the author. 13  Match the following definitions to terms in the preceding terms (Answer) a) A short summary which explains the paper’s purpose and main findings.(abstract) b) A list of all the sources the writer has mentioned in the text.(references) c) A section, after the conclusion, where additional information is included.(appendix) d) A short section where people who have helped the writer are thanked.(acknowledgements) e) Part of the main body in which the views of other writers on the topic are discussed.(literature review) f) A section where one particular example is described in detail.(case study) g) A preliminary part of a book usually written by someone other than the author.(foreword) 14  ACADEMIC JOURNALS (QA) There are thousands of academic journals published in English and other languages around the world. The purpose of these journals is to provide a forum for academics within a specific discipline (e.g. education or civil engineering) to share cutting-edge research. Most journals publish several issues a year and are often available either online or in a hard copy. One important feature of journals is that the articles they publish are generally peer-reviewed. This means that when an article is submi ed the editors ask other specialists in that field to read the article and decide if it is worth publishing. Reviewers may make comments that lead to the article being modified. Students need to get to know the leading journals in their subject, which are generally available via the university library. 15  Read the short text and identify a), b), c), d) and e) a) A Fishy Story b) Misleading health claims regarding omega-3 fatty acids (QA) c) Introduction The components of academic d) There has been considerable discussion recently about the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids in the diet. writing (p.7) e) It is claimed that these reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and may even combat obesity. f) 16  he components T (QA) he academic writing (p.7) (f) However, consumers may be unaware that there are two types of omega-3, The best (long-chain fatty acids) are derived from fish, but others (short-chain fatty acids) come from cheaper sources such as soya. This later group have not been shown to produce the health benefits linked to the long-chain variety. According to Tamura et al. (2009), positive results may only be obtained either by eating oily fish three times a week, or by taking daily supplements containing 500mg of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). 17  Text components (p.7) a) title b) sub-title c) heading d) sentence e) Phrase f) paragraph What’s the function of these other components? paragraph citation abbreviation italics brackets 18  Discuss these questions with another student: What is a paragraph? Writing in paragraphs Why are texts divided into paragraphs? (p.8) How long are paragraphs? Do paragraphs have a standard structure? 19  he components T academic 7 Simple and longer writing sentences (QA) (p.7) (Example sentences) a) In 2016 the Education Faculty had predominantly female students. b) There was a small majority of female students in the Law Faculty. c) The Engineering Faculty had the greatest imbalance: over 80% of the students were male. d) There was a significant majority of female students studying Business, but the situation in Computer Sciences was the opposite, with a substantial majority of males. 20  he components T 9 Practice (QA) he academic writing (p.7) (Example sentences) a) Biochar is the new name for charcoal. b) Recent research shows that making biochar may benefit agriculture. c) Mixing burnt plants into the soil improves fertility and also slows the release of carbon dioxide. d) The process has been criticised by scientists, since it may reduce the quantity of food being grown. 21  Background Reading Baily, S. (2018) Academic Writing: a Handbook for International, 5th.Edition. Routledge, UK. ISBN:9781138048744. Part 1 The Writing Process 1.1: Basics of Writing. Pages: 3-9 22