ACADEMIC

WRITING &
REFERENCING:
Psych114 Tutorial 2 – Assignment Preparation
ADMIN:

◦ TUTS and TUT PREP = NB aspect of your

learning process
◦ REMINDER THAT 2 ABSENCES W/O VALID
EXCUSE = EXCLUSION FROM THE EXAM
◦ Thank you to those of you who have submitted
your tut prep!
 Academic Essays?

◦ What is the purpose of writing an academic essay?

◦ How do you think an academic essay differs from a magazine/newspaper article?
◦ Before one can engage with any content, one must first understand BASIC
TECHNIQUE.
 Basic Structure of Academic Essay:
Serves to introduce the topic, Summarises the main points of
provide background the essay, restates the thesis
information, and present thesis statement, and provides a final
statement or main argument. thought or implication.

INTRODUCTION BODY PARAGRAPHS CONCLUSION REFERENCING:

Presents and develops main Reference List / Intext

points supporting the thesis [APA 7th Edition]
statement. It is where
evidence, analysis, and
examples are provided to
support the central argument.
 ACADEMIC WRITING: INTRODUCTION

Introduce TOPIC: Overall Structure:

• Tell reader what essay is about
• Funnel / downward facing
• & what you as the author will do in
the essay [Discuss? Evaluate? triangle – broad to specific,
Compare? Critically Analyse?] easing in, catch interest]
◦ Sigmund Freud, the father of Intro Structure:
Psychoanalysis, theorised Psychoanalysis Openin • Any well-known information/fact/ general
from his own life experience. g
Stateme
knowledge on topic

Psychoanalysis is the branch of psychology nt/

Backgr
ound:
based on the premise that childhood
experiences shape the personality of an
individual. Sigmund Freud theorised that
personality is formed in childhood based Hook:
• Part of introduction that narrows focus from general
to specific
• Guides reader to where main focus is
• Links background info with thesis statement
• [Keep it short and sweet]

on how the child experiences the people

and the world around them. This essay
aims to evaluate / discuss the • Tells what the author will be doing about the topic
[Discuss; Evaluate; Compare etc.]
Thesis
psychoanalytic perspective of personality Stateme
nt:
and further provide real-life examples of
psychoanalytic concepts of personality.
 BODY PARAGRAPHS:
WHY?:
• Helps to organise ideas
• SEPARATES ideas – each paragraph
has a specific purpose
• LINKS ideas
• Moment you think of / transition to
new topic / fact / concept from
current paragraph -> start new
paragraph
• Easier to read – makes ideas flow.
Each idea leads fluidly into the next.
HOW?[“PEEL”]:
• Paragraphs have 4 parts:
• POINT-> What is this paragraph
about?
• EVIDENCE-> Scholar / article /
textbook / theory can be used as
evidence [Basically, reference]
• EXPLANATION-> Elaborate on
how point & evidence relate / link
• LINK -> Conclude paragraph & link
to next
 CONCLUSION:
Restate thesis statement:
• How and what did you discuss /
evaluate?
Leading out:
• Usually, you can put your opinion
here
• E.g. “One could think / assume that
personality is something of a later
stage or lifelong process rather than
just childhood years.”
Concluding Statement:
• Closing statement ends / concludes
discussion of the CENTRAL
TOPIC(S)
• E.g. “However, based on the evaluation
it can be concluded that the
psychoanalytic perspective is grounded
on childhood experiences and sexual
urges in explaining personality.”
 COMMON MISTAKES in ACADEMIC
WRITING:
Discussing content in the introduction

Comparing when asked to evaluate/discuss/analyse

Adding new concepts/ideas/theories in the conclusion

BAD grammar and punctuation – removes credibility

Paragraphs / sentences that go on too long

APA 7th edition – pdf available on library website. I
will also email a copy to your tut email groups. (What even is)
Intext Reference Example:
(Duncan et al., 2004) REFERENCING?
Reference List Example:
◦ Essential task in academic essay writing.
De la Rey, C., & Ipser, J. (2004). The call for relevance: South African ◦ Practice of acknowledging ideas,
psychology ten years into democracy. South African journal of
psychology, 34(4), 1.
knowledge, or any kind of information
that is written by somebody else.
De la Rey, C., & Kottler, A. (1999). Societal transformation: gender, feminism
and psychology in South Africa. Feminism & Psychology, 9(2), 119- ◦ In other words, acknowledging the
126.
intellectual property of others.
Duncan, N., Stevens, G., & Bowman, B. (2004). South African psychology and ◦ ALL IDEAS & ASSERTIONS must be
racism: Historical determinants and future prospects. Critical
psychology, 360-388. supported by RESEARCH that has been
CITED INTEXT & REFERENCED.
GOOD LUCK!