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:
 A loose collection of anecdotal
information
 What it’s not only:
 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
 Professional journals, master’s theses, Google
scholar
 Abstracts
 Literature Reviews
 Conclusions/Discussion
 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
 Identifyquotes 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
 Anecdotes that make the topic more “real” to
reader.
 Begin with a question or series of questions.
 Shows reader that your subject is provocative and
interesting.
 Begin by quoting a key source.
 Bold, expert opinion captures readers’ attention.
 Begin by citing key data
 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 word-for-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.