Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Session Overview
What is meant by academic writing?
Conventions Style Voice/Tone
Authority
The truth is
The best style is the style you don't notice. - Somerset Maugham
Balanced, using rhetoric for argument rather than emotive language Meticulously referenced
Part of a larger conversation
DESCRIPTIVE
Though Schenkman (2003) emphasises that Parkinsons Disease treatments should undergo constant evaluation, he does not refer back to the earlier work of Butler (1998) and Peabody (1987), both of whom can provide a useful perspective about how such processes have evolved over time.
CRITICAL
It is the
that drives us.
But it is the
we must use to communicate.
Remember
In this day and age, recent graduates must leave no stone unturned in the search for work, and theyre all in the same boat.
Avoid clichs! Overused expressions make your writing dull and make it sound like you dont have your own ideas. How might you express the same idea of the above sentence in interesting, sophisticated prose?
What is overwriting?
Overwriting
Too many big words, too much jargon Antiquated words and constructions It obfuscates meaning by burying the subject of sentences instead of starting with them An attachment to the belief that big, complicated ideas require complicated, confusing language and structure.
Avoiding Overwriting
An example:
A sentence, overly and perhaps overtly complexified, turgid with rarified language, gains the semblance of scholarship though it may indeed lack the capacity to communicate its import to any but a reader utterly dedicated in his attentions. Which means:
A complex sentence may seem scholarly but will confuse casual readers.
Avoiding Overwriting
Another example:
In so far as manifestations of infestation by a small faunal species were evident in the residential facilities provided for the agricultural labourers, an unwillingness to occupy, utilize, or in any manner inhabit the facilities was therefore demonstrated by the aforementioned labourers. Which means: Because rats infested the house, the workers refused to enter.
Avoiding Overwriting
In so far as manifestations of infestation by a small faunal species were evident in the residential facilities provided for the agricultural labourers, an unwillingness to occupy, utilize, or in any manner inhabit the facilities was therefore demonstrated by the aforementioned labourers.
Nominalisation: Trapping active, interesting verbs within dull, confusing nouns. Eg. Most words ending in tion, but also words like transmittal, which could be transmit
Avoiding Overwriting
Nominalisation causes you to need more helping words, which makes your sentences longer and more difficult to understand.
I made my presentation of my idea to the president, whose reception of it was characterized by enthusiasm, resulting in its transmittal to the Action Committee.
Why not just I presented my idea to the president, who received it enthusiastically and transmitted it to the Action Committee.
Avoiding Overwriting
A caveat
Nominalisation is sometimes essential, especially if you work in the sciences. If you are expected to distance yourself from your writing, you will nominalise and write passively quite a lot. Dont let this make your sentences over-long and confusing, though.
Avoiding Overwriting
In summary, how do I avoid overwriting?
Cut most adverbs, they are truly just fluff (see what I did there?) Avoid passive constructions unless they are absolutely necessary Use nominalisations sparingly (if you can) Think carefully about your meaning for each and every sentence, and select accurate verbs In later stages: force yourself to cut 10 words per page youll be astonished to find that you can.
How you reference How you integrate quotations and data How you synthesise the material with your own arguments
TOPIC SENTENCES
S E E
S E
In the tea industry, which relies heavily on reputation and taste over trend, the benefits of direct and organic marketing far outweigh the more traditional elements of the marketing mix. Direct marketing can provide a more personal service (Fill, 2005), whilst organic marketing can provide a sense of community and allows contact and the transferring of knowledge with customers (Ghambari, 2008). In considering community in marketing strategy, Booms and Bitner (1981) suggest an extended marketing mix including people as a key element. This emphasises the impact of culture on the success of the tea industry, and in turn allows for the inclusion of cultural practices in marketing strategy development.
Sophisticated Writing interrogates sources synthesises sources puts itself in conversation with those sources references consistently and correctly Never let a quotation speak for itself.
It can undermine your authority Examiners can infer that you dont have any of your own ideas
Remember
Referencing is not just something you do to show you havent plagiarised. It is an integral part of the process through which you build academic authority.
In Summary
Writing academically
Can mean resisting the urge to sound academic Involves a fervent focus on structure and clarity Does not mean you have to write yourself out of the equation Means a dogged dedication to referencing Is writing to persuade, so never forget your audience
Any questions?
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