27/06/2020

HOW TO STRUCTURE YOUR WRITINGS?

(LITERATURE REVIEW)
Dr. Ahsan Sethi

Acknowledgements: Charles Darwin University

What Do We Expect?

Content
Text organisation
Quality of evidence
Grammar
Formatting

Describe This:
Now Think Critically:
So What?

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Unpacking Essays

Describe: Write about the facts, process or event. Emphasise the

most important points.
Explain: You will need to analyse. You need to focus on the ‘why’ or
‘how’ of a particular issue, to clarify reasons, causes and effects. Your
opinion should be supported by evidence from other writings.
Argue: Systematically support or reject a point of view by presenting
evidence. You also need to show that you are aware of the opposing
point of view.
Critique: A critique is where you identify and discuss both the
positive and negative aspects of a topic.
Compare and contrast: Find the similarities and differences between
two or more ideas, events or interpretations.

Rules of the Game

You must use formal academic English – not slang or

txt language.

You cannot just write your opinion. You must back

everything you write with evidence (what other
people have written).

You must not copy other people’s work (plagiarism). You

must reference where you got your information from.

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Establishing Your Focus

Who is the audience?
How much detail will be appropriate?
What do I already know about this topic?

What aspects of the topic should I deal

with?
In what breadth or depth should I treat the topic?
What books or articles could be useful to read?
How will the work be assessed?

How rising fruit prices are impacting on people’s diets?

(200 words)

How To Write Your Chapters?

Brainstorming - Concept Map

Develop an Outline – Taxonomy

Plan Your Structure

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Brainstorming - Concept Map 1

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Brainstorming - Concept Map 2

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Develop an Outline
- Taxonomy

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Task – Make An Outline

Make an outline to discuss the statement below:
‘Rote learning: Does it have a place in 2020’
Organise the ideas listed below to make an outline:
a. Define rote learning
b. Describe present thinking about how learners learn best
c. Define learning generally
d. Discuss why rote learning is unpopular among
educationalists today
e. Describe past thinking about how learners learn best
f. Describe how rote learning could have a place in education
today
g. Develop the view that the purpose of education is to meet the
demands of society

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Task – Write Notes

Outline Notes to Include

While writing notes you may feel the need to alter your outline

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Plan Your Structure

Introduction
Background
Thesis statement
Outline of main
ideas you will
discuss
Body of essay
Paragraph A
Topic sentence
Supporting
evidence
Supporting evidence
Supporting evidence
Concluding sentence
Paragraph B
Topic Sentence
Supporting evidence
Supporting evidence
Supporting evidence
Concluding sentence

Conclusion
Summary of main points; final comment. (paraphrase what is in
the introduction).

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Writing an Introduction?

Background information: This is usually made up of one

or two sentences to introduce the topic and give
background information.
Thesis statement: This introduces the main topic or
argument on which the essay is based.
Outline: The outline lets the reader know what the essay
covers, and how it is organised.
Scope: This section is only needed if the focus of the essay
is narrowed. It lets the reader know the focus of the essay.

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Writing an Introduction?

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Making Paragraphs

T: Start with a ‘Topic Sentence’: This is a sentence

which indicates the scope of the paragraph.

E: Discuss Evidence – Existing

literature A: Present your analysis

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Writing a Paragraph?

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Task – Making Paragraphs

Look at the topic sentences below and choose which you would
expect to be included in the paragraph:

Shakespeare’s plays can be divided into three main categories.

a. Shakespeare’s tragedies d. Shakespeare’s poetry
b. Shakespeare’s life e. Shakespeare’s wife
c. Shakespeare’s comedies f. Shakespeare’s history plays

For nearly three centuries newspapers have served a useful

function, but that function is nearly at an end.
d. Deforestation d. Mobile phones
e. Advertising in newspapers e. Type writer
f. The internet f. Press freedom

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Rules for Structure

General to Specific

Chronological Order

From Problem to Solution (Talk about the need for

something before explaining that something)

From Received Wisdom (what most people think) to

Innovation (something that goes against received wisdom)

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Grammar

Introduction: Present Tense for findings still true and relevant

Past Tense for findings invalid

Methods: Past Tense

Results: Past Tense

Discussion: Past Tense to sumarise findings

Present tense to interpret results

Conclusion: Combination of Tenses to highlight

Past, Present and Future directions

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Dignified, Well-judged
Hyperbole!
Blow your own trumpet

...the first study to show...

...the only known example of...

...revolutionises our understanding of...

...settles a long-standing debate...

...removes a significant obstacle to the development of...

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Be Cautious – Be Humble
Qualifying Adverbs:
Possibly, Probably, Usually, Generally, Virtually, Predictably,
Largely, Mainly, Mostly, Greatly, Extensively, Widely, May Might,
Should, Be likely to, Tend

Expression of Quantity:
Most of , Nearly all, A large number, A majority, A great
quantity, A great deal

Conditional Expressions:
If present trends continue, If circumstances remain unaltered,
If nothing is done to prevent this, Unless something is done

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Tips on Drafting and Editing

The Word count – cut out the dead wood

Unfamiliar followed by familiar

Overly long and complicated sentences

Build a story that unfolds because each
section flows from the last
Use your own words and support them
with a reference
Read your drafts aloud and you will be
more likely to notice small errors which
can reduce the readability of your writing
htt
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Task – Be Concise ed
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Don’t Say Say

The question as to whether Whether
There is no doubt but that Doubtless/no doubt
Used for education purposes Used for education
In a hasty manner Hastily
This is a subject that This subject
His story is a strange one His story is strange
The reason why is that Because
In spite of the fact that Although
Call your attention to the fact that Remind/Notify you
I was unaware of the fact that I did not know
The fact that had had not succeeded His failure
The fact that I had arrived My arrival

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Task – Punctuation
What they Say Name Mark
Somebody else said this, not me. Quotation Marks “…”
Pause for a moment, but this isn’t finished. Comma ,
This is the end of the sentence. Full Stop/Period .
This would be the end of the sentence if the Semi-colon ;
next bit wasn’t so closely connected.
I’m leaving out something the other person said. Three dots …
This is just to prepare you for the next bit. Colon :
This isn’t exactly part of what I’m saying, but I Brackets (…)
think you’ll be interested anyways.
Listen to ME. Exclamation Mark !
Either a letter is missing, or something belongs Apostrophe '
to this.
I am asking you a question. Question Mark ?
I am joining up two words to make a third one Hyphen -

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Recap

Top: Represent general information

Bottom: Focus on the specific problems, purpose and rationale

Start by identifying the subject area of interest

Develop by balanced and relevant literature

Summarize the existing understanding of the problems and

briefly explain the rationale and gaps in the literature

Cite from the good research journals and reference books

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References

Levin, P. (2004). Write great essays! : reading and essay writing

for undergraduates. London, New York, Open University Press.

Rolls, N., Wignell, P. (2013). Communicating at University: Skills

for success. Darwin Australia, Charles Darwin University Press.

Swales, J. M. & Feak, C. B. (2004). Academic Writing for Graduate

Students. (2nd ed.). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
(Pages 254-256).

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Thank You for Listening

Any Questions?
Dr. Ahsan Sethi
PhD Medical Education (Dundee, UK)
MMEd (Dundee, UK) FHEA (UK) MAcadMEd (UK)
BDS MPH (Pakistan)

Assistant Professor & PhD

Supervisor
Institute of Health Professions Education &
Research Khyber Medical University, Pakistan
ahsan.sethi@kmu.edu.pk

MMEd Tutor and

Researcher Centre for
Medical Education,
University of Dundee,
United Kingdom
a.y.sethi@dundee.ac.uk

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