Conference Abstracts

APLNG RoundtableSeptember 28, 2012

Bob Schrauf

Conference Timelines

The “Idea”

9-10 months

Abstract Deadline

8 months

Conference

Presentation

Write the Talk

2 months

Practice the Talk with A Group

1 month

Follow-up with

Interested People

1-2 weeks

Before…. ….After

The Abstract: For Whom Are You Writing?

1. Yourself2. The Selection Committee3. The Conference Goer4. Publication (?)

Typical Guidelines

• American Association of Applied Linguisticshttp://www.aaal.org/

• TESOLhttp://www.tesol.org/convention2013/education-schedule/graduate-forum

Submission Components

1. Paper title2. Abstract – 250-300 words3. Summary (program abstract) -

50 words4. Keywords

Abstract Components

1. Title2. Background3. Problem4. Aims5. Methods/Analysis6. Significance

Examples

• Buckholtz, M. Standard English as Subversion (AAA 1998)

• Keating, E. Embodied Practices of Honorification (AAA 1998)

• Anon. “Okay, when did it start?” (AAAL, maybe)

• Schrauf, R.W. Ethnicity, Alzheimer’s, and Indexicality. (AAAL, maybe)

Course Papers

APLNG RoundtableSeptember 28, 2012

Bob Schrauf

Course Papers / Lit Reviews:

Amount, sources, recency• How much reading should you do? i.e., how

many papers are enough for a good quality lit review?

• What kinds of sources can I use for my lit review?

• What kinds of research should I be focusing on? i.e., should I focus only on foundational studies, or should I focus on more recent work, or both?

SOURCES– Seminal sources: these are fundamental

publications (books or articles) usually mentioned by your professor or in your texts.

– Recent sources: these are books or articles published within the last 10 years.

Search Engines:• LLBA – Linguistics and

Language Behavior Abstracts• Web of Science• ERIC

LIBRARY > DATABASES

http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/databases.html#e-content

Literature Review Papers“A lit review is a tutorial in that the author

• Defines and clarifies a problem

• Summarizes previous investigations in order to inform the reader of the state of current research

• Identifies relations, contradictions, gaps, inconsistencies in the literature; and

• Suggests the next step or steps in solving the problem” (Eisenberg, 2000, p. 18)

Summarizing, Quoting, Paraphrasing

• How much information can/should I take from these primary sources and how I can I use it in my paper? i.e. issues of citation/paraphrasing and plagiarism

• How much should I synthesize the information? for example, is it okay to have a separate page on each of the sources?

Q: How much information can/should I take from these primary sources and how I can I use it in my paper?

A: As much as is necessary (groan)

Think about these questions:• For whom am I writing?• What in my sentences is my own

and what belongs to the authors to whom I’m referring?

Storytellers almost inevitably describe their characters’ actions in terms of preferred or dispreferred values. However, as Ochs (2001) notes, “…. moral stance becomes destabilized when it is directly or indirectly challenged by another co-teller” (Ochs, 2001, p. 51).

“In addition to self-doubt, moral stance becomes destabilized when it is directly or indirectly challenged by another co-teller” (Ochs, 2001, p. 51).

Storytellers almost inevitably describe their characters’ actions in terms of preferred or dispreferred values. Nevertheless, narrators may find that interlocutors challenge or contest their ‘moral stance’ (Ochs, 2001, p. 51)

The Original Source

My Citation of That Source

My Paraphrase of That Source, with

Cited Phrase

Storytellers almost inevitably describe their characters’ actions in terms of preferred or dispreferred values. Nevertheless, narrators may find that interlocutors challenge or contest their views (see Ochs, 2001).

My Incorporation of the General Idea

Q: is it okay to have a separate page on each of the sources?A: Well, no.

• Am I summarizing one person’s thoughts?• Am I integrating thoughts from several persons?• How much information from each source do I need

to make my summary meaningful to my audience?• Or how much information do I need to support the

argument that I am developing?• If you read the paper to your roomate, will he or she

have enough information to understand your point• Or have you given so much unnecessary information

that your roomate is confused?

Q: How much criticism should there be in a lit review? i.e. do I simply retell what's been done or should I evaluate it and relate it to other important issues in my field?

A: Evaluate it, comment on it, relate it to your other reading, relate it to your experience.

Hint: Your professor probably already knows this material. You want to show that you have read it, and you want to show that the material relates in interesting ways to other things that you’ve read.

The MA/TESL (‘Thesis’) Paper

APLNG RoundtableSeptember 28, 2012

Bob Schrauf

The MA/TESL (Thesis) Paper

• What makes a good MA paper? • How long should it be?• What is the typical genre -- literature review,

original empirical study, etc.?• About how much literature should be read or

cited in order to develop a quality paper (or does that "just depend")?

• Any tips on choosing topics?

The MA/TESL (Thesis) Paper

Q: What makes a good MA paper?

A: Thoughtful writing, clear organization, reader-friendly language, interesting project.

The MA/TESL (Thesis) Paper

Q: What is the typical genre -- literature review, original empirical study, etc.?A: Some examples include:– empirical research involving data collection and

analysis; – empirical research involving analysis of secondary

data; – development of curriculum; – literature reviews of particular topics, and – development of assessment instruments.

The MA/TESL (Thesis) Paper

Q: How long should it be?A: 25-30 pages

The MA/TESL (Thesis) Paper

Q: About how much literature should be read or cited in order to develop a quality paper (or does that "just depend")?

A: You should include seminal works and recent works. For example, if you were doing linguistic relativity, you would certainly cite Whorf’s work from the 1950’s, but you would also cite work as recent as 2011.

The MA/TESL (Thesis) Paper

Q: Any tips on choosing topics?

A: Talk to your advisor.

MA Paper Timeline

End of 2 nd semester, choose topic

and advisor

6 weeks before graduation: complete

draft to advisor

Graduation

4 weeks before end of semester:

complete draft to com

mittee

1 week beofore end of semester: Final

copy and signature page to comm

ittee

Third semester, start project

and writing