Basic Academic Writing Skills

Dana Collins

Why do mentors ask students to write papers?

• To teach students self-discipline through having to suffer for several weeks

• To avoid having to grade a lot of quizzes• To give students a lot of stress in order to

teach them how to handle it• To get back at students for all the papers

they were forced to write

• To give you the opportunity to explore a topic that really interests you from the course

• To give you a space where you can share your thoughts and discoveries in a logical and stylish manner

• To give you the freedom to explore your ideas upon blank pages shimmering with possibility

• To give you the chance to have your work read by an interested, enthusiastic expert in the field that interests you

Why do mentors REALLY ask students to write papers?

“TRY NOT TO THINK ABOUT THE END RESULT TOO MUCH AND JUST HAVE FUN

WITH THE PROCESS OF CREATING.”

Understanding the Writing Assignment

• Refer to the learning contract!• Follow the assignment guidelines carefully

Podcast

Answer questions 1 & 2 as you listen to the short segment from

The Writing Irregulars.

Interpreting The Assignment• The goal of your paper is to answer the

question you presented as your topic (the thesis)

• Your question should give you purpose and direction

• Common purposes: persuade, analyze, synthesize, inform

What are some examples of assignments you are working on or have previously

worked on?

Interpreting The Assignment: Research Paper• Sample research paper guidelines:– In 1919, historian and sociologist Max Weber delivered

two influential speeches to German university students who were trying to make sense of the German defeat in World War I. The lectures, “Politics as a Vocation” and “Science as a Vocation,” address the nature of learning, scholarship and political action. Read these lectures and write an essay that focuses on an aspect of Weber’s argument with which you either agree or disagree. You may want to consider one lecture or to compare the two. In what ways are Weber’s view relevant today, nearly a century after they were delivered? What key words tell you this is a persuasive paper?

agree/disagree

• Title page• Abstract• Introduction• Materials And Methods• Results• Discussion• Conclusion

Interpreting The Assignment: Research Paper

NOTE: Research papers are flexible with their sections. Depending on your paper you may omit sections, combine sections (ex. Discussion/Conclusion) or add more sections (ex. Literature Review, Limitations)

• Common questions for reaction papers:– What were my expectations for this work?– Were my expectations met, disappointed, or

exceeded? How? Why?– What parts of the reading were most interesting to

me?– What parts of the reading reminded me of other

things I’ve read/seen/heard about?– Was there anything remarkable about the style

or presentation?– Would I recommend this to other readers?

Who? Why?– Did this work change my mind about

anything?

Interpreting The Assignment: Reaction Paper

• Sample assignment:– Read two editorials reflecting opposing or multiple

views. Compare and contrast the articles, and discuss the authors’ backgrounds and/or areas of expertise.

Interpreting The Assignment: Expository Paper

• Include evidential support (facts, anecdotes, statistics)

• Write in a journalistic tone…read unbiased news articles for examples of expository writing (think: JUST THE FACTS)

• Don’t let your opinions dominate• Don’t making your writing impassioned• Do include a thesis statement– The expository paper can be argumentative, but in

this type of paper, argument is secondary to explanation

Interpreting The Assignment: Expository Paper

Your goal is to explain & convey information!

Time Management

• Anticipate mentor expectations• Set deadlines and write them in your calendar• Independent study assignments

Good communication with your mentor is key. Don’t let lingering questions go

unresolved! Establish clear guidelines & deadlines!

Outlining• In the beginning of the writing process,

outlines are quick to produce• As the writing process continues, outlines are

easy to revise• Before writing: sketch a quick, informal outline• After writing the first draft or after

knowledge of the topic has deepened: make a more formal outline

Outlining

The First Draft• Now, it’s time to write the first draft!• Keep all planning materials nearby (outlines,

freewrites, annotated notes, assignment guidelines, etc.)

Necessary Elements• Introduction: – usually a paragraph of 50-150 words– use sentences that engage the reader– the last sentence of this paragraph will relate the

essay’s main point or the THESIS

The introduction should “hook” the reader. You can do this through:

-an unusual fact-a vivid example-a startling statistic-a quotation-a question-a joke or anecdote

Necessary Elements• Body: – several paragraphs that fulfill the promise of the

thesisMost paragraphs should have a main point stated in a topic sentence. All the other sentences in the paragraph should relate to this point.

A paragraph does not need a topic sentence if it is continuing to explain a topic stated in the paragraph that comes before it.

Example of Paragraph with Topic Sentence

• Nearly all living creatures manage some form of communication. The dance patterns of bees in their hive help to point the way to distant flower fields or announce successful foraging. Male stickleback fish regularly swim upsdie-down to indicate outrage in a courtship contest. We, too, use gestures, expressions, postures, and movement to give our words point.

-Olivia Vlahos, Human Beginnings

Conclusion

• The conclusion echoes the main idea• The concluding paragraph is relatively short• It may summarize the main point, pose

questions for further study, offer advice• Try to make it memorable• Avoid introducing new ideas• Avoid apologies• Try to end on a positive note

Resources Used for This Presentation

• http://www.esc.edu/policies/?search=cid%3D35754• http://www.vsm.sk/Curriculum/academicsupport/

academicwritingguide.pdf• http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/nyregion/sample-topics-for-

applicants-research-papers.html?_r=0• http://ece.k-state.edu/~starret/684/paper.html• http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/rickard/280reaction.html• http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/teaching/e238/rpex.cfm• http://www.unc.edu/~nepley/comm24/G&C%20Response%203.2.

pdf• http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/reaction.html• https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/02/• http://www.esc.edu/distance-learning/cdlstudents/degree-plannin

g/independent-study/• Hacker, Diana. A Writer’s Reference.

Thank You!

• Please come back next Tuesday for “Developing a Research Topic” where we will go more in depth on how to experiment with brainstorming techniques & narrowing down topics

• Also note, I am available every Thursday evening from 5:30-7:30 for one-on-one tutoring sessions. Sign up today!