Academic Research & Writing Guide

LTC COURS ANGLAIS
"Whether you knew it or not when you started, conducng research is the
dening feature of your graduate career. If you plan to stay in academia, it will
be the dening feature of your academic life." --Lesli Mitchell
The genre of research
what it's not:
- A loose collecon of anecdotal informaon.
what it's not only:
- Reporng of other's knowledge.
what is it:
- Creaon of knowledge
- Added security of academic support.
- Contribuon to a large academic discussion.
-Problems and soluons period.
Before you're write:
Read sources crically
*Read studies similar to what you want to write:
professional journals Master's tbeses Google Scholar
*Abstracts
*Literature Reviews
*Conclusions and discussions
Recommendaons for future study.
*Take notes (don't highlight)
Summarize/paraphrase passages.
Quote use:
-Idenfy quotes with frames that precede, follow or interrupt.
-Use appropriate verb of aribuon.
-Punctuate correctly.
The art of paraphrase:

*You are a writer not re-typer.
*Instance of plagiarism.
Draing:
*Should be least me-consuming of all steps in the process.
*If it's taking you forever to write 1,000 words to things could be happening.
*You don't have a clue what you should be saying.
*You revising while you dra so that you end up with one sentence an hour.
Academic wring is:
-clear (in meaning)
-concise (brief but comprehensive)
-focused (on topic)
-structured (logical order of informaon, relevant to kind of wring being done)
-backed up by evidence (support from research)
THE INTRODUCTION: Your paper’s “first impression”
Introducons should:
-Introduce subject and problem.
-Clearly state purpose.
Strategies for Introducons
-Begin with a narrave
*Anecdotes that make the topic more real to reader.
-Begin with a queson or series of quesons.
*Shows reader that your subject is provocave and interesng.
-Begin by quong a key source.
*Bold, expert opinion captures reader’s aenon.
-Begin by cing key data.
*Alarming stats emphasize importance.
-Wring Studio at Duke University.
Review of Literature
-Examine/analyze what has already been published on your topic.
*Find the gaps (Recommendaons for future research).

*Provide frameworks for scope of the problem.
*Explain where your study “ts”.
Part 2: Academic Writing: Types, Features and How to Use Them
Overview: Where You See These Types
- Academic texts oen combine several types.
- Example: Empirical thesis:
Literature Review - crical
Methods - descripve
Results - descripve + analycal
Discussion - analycal + argumentave
Descripve wring
Purpose: Provide facts or informaon.
When to use: summaries, results, denions.
Instrucon words: idenfy, report, record, summarize, dene.
Language: factual, neutral tone, past/simple tense
Analycal Wring
Purpose: Re-organize facts into categories or relaonships.
When to use: comparisons, interpretaons.
Persuasive wring
Purpose: Present and defend your viewpoint.
When to use: essays, discussions, conclusions.
Instrucon words: argue, evaluate, discuss, take a posion.
Tips: support claims with evidence, ensure coherence and clarity.
Part 3: Reading for writing:
Your tutor's expectaons
When you read for your assignments, you:
• explore current debates in your eld;
•idenfy the issues;
•consider the dierent perspecves of researchers;
•disnguish evidence that would support your arguments;

•interpret and evaluate the informaon;
•pracce crical reading;
Pracce ecient reading Pre-
Pre→ Purpose→ Scan + Skim → Title/abstract/intro/ Conclusion/visuals
→Background knowledge
Pracce ecient reading: While
While→ Scan skim Detailed reading
→ Interact/ Engage/Queson/ highlight→ summarize /take notes/ mnemonics /mind map
Pracce ecient reading: Post
Post→Review
→Reect
Crical reading for wring
What do you have to do when you read crically?
-Think more deeply about your learning
-Understand, interpret, and evaluate
-Apply the theories and concepts that you have learned
-Compare and contrast dierent debates and discussions
-Assess what you read by idenfying the author's purpose, credibility of informaon,
relevance, currency, strengths, weaknesses, etc.
Quesons to ask when reading crically
-What posion is the writer presenng?
-Have I encountered this argument before?
-What is the writer's argument?
-Have I encountered a dierent argument somewhere else?
-What is the writer's perspecve?
-Is the writer basing their arguments on a parcular theory/approach?
-What evidence has the writer given to support their posion?
-Are the writer's claims reasonable?

-Is the evidence presented accurately?
-How does the writer's claims compare with others in the eld?
-Is the evidence valid?
-What is the writer's nal point?
-Has the evidence been collected using appropriate methods?
-Do i agree with the posion the writer is presenng? Why?
Transforming crical reading into wring
Begin with the tle to idenfy key debates or conicts
Be clear about your own. Perspecve/stand on the issue/topic
Consider how you will convince other people of your point of view (a line of reasoning, a set
of reasons presented in a logical manner to support the conclusion)
Idenfy and evaluate evidence to see if it supports your argument
Engage acvely in the debate with dierent points of views (read, reect, queson, evaluate,
weigh up arguments and idenfy the strengths and weaknesses)
Structure your argument in a clear and logical manner
Part4: How to pick a strong research Topic
The parcipants: Class? OR Fields?
Some basic quesons…
What does mean the word ‘topic”?
“A topic is a parcular subject that you discuss or write about”.
“A topic is the general theme, message or idea expressed in a speech or wrien work.
Eecve wring requires people to remain on topic, without adding in a lot of extraneous
informaon.
A queson to you….
Choosing topic….... for what?
BSc/M.A/PhD/Post Doc/Research Project/Fellowship, etc.
Choosing a Topic: Basic Procedure
§Dening a problem
§Collecng and briey evaluang material
§Previous works/thesis
§Formulang a hypothesis