BPP BUSINESS SCHOOL

BPP BUSINESS SCHOOL

Academic
Writing
MSc Marketing
BPP SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
BPP BUSINESS SCHOOL
1. Understand what is expected at Masters level at
University.

2. Know how to use an appropriate academic writing
style.

3. Understand the concept of argument

Objectives
2 September 2012
BPP BUSINESS SCHOOL
What do you understand is expected of you at
Masters Level?

Take a few minutes to discuss this with the
person sitting next to you.
Activity
3 September 2012
BPP BUSINESS SCHOOL
Masters level work
At Masters level you are expected to be able to :

Demonstrate knowledge of practice
Apply theory to practice
Analyse relevant material
Evaluate theory and evidence within the context of study
Synthesise new information and knowledge.
Reflect critiquing and critically reflecting on your learning and
using this to improve practice.

4 September 2012
BPP BUSINESS SCHOOL
Deep and Surface Learning
Concentration on assessment exercises
Passive acceptance of all ideas
Routine memorisation of facts
Sees small chunks
Lack of reflection about underlying patterns and theories
Little attempt to understand
May not see patterns or connections
Minimal preparation for classes

5 September 2012
Surface
Approach
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Deep Approach
Effort to understand material for themselves

Critical and thoughtful about idea and information

Relates ideas to own previous experience and knowledge

Sees the big picture

Relates evidence to conclusions

Examines logic of arguments

Interested in wider reading and thinking

Ongoing preparation for classes
6 September 2012
BPP BUSINESS SCHOOL
Academic writing at Masters Level
The language has to be clear, concise and neutral.

Material is to be well researched.

Appropriate theories should be used.

It should be supported by relevant literature.

All literature should be correctly acknowledged.

7 September 2012
BPP BUSINESS SCHOOL
Academic Writing
Academic writing is formal and follows some standard conventions
The substance of academic writing must be based on solid evidence and
logical analysis, and presented as a concise, accurate argument.
Academic writing can allow you to present your argument and analysis
accurately and concisely.
Aim for precision. Dont use unnecessary words or waffle. Get straight to
the point. Make every word count.
If there is any uncertainty about a particular point, use cautious language
(such as may, might, could, potentially).
Unless you are a confident writer, it is best to avoid over-long sentences
and to aim for a mixture of long and short sentences for variation and
rhythm.
Avoid repeating the same words


8 September 2012
BPP BUSINESS SCHOOL
Why is this not a good example of academic
style?

Today being fat is totally bad for your health. About 30,000 fat
people die every year in the UK and loads more fat people die in
the USA. By 2005 more people will die of being fat than smoking
and it doesnt have to be this way, this could easily be prevented,
couldn't it?



How would you amend this to make it more appropriate for an
academic piece of work?
9 September 2012
BPP BUSINESS SCHOOL
Alternative

The number of deaths per year attributable to obesity is
roughly 30,000 in the UK and ten times that in the USA,
where obesity is set to overtake smoking in 2005 as the
main preventable cause of illness and premature death.

10 September 2012
BPP BUSINESS SCHOOL
Avoid slang words and phrases
The individual was sentenced for nicking a bike.

The doctor looked kind of worried when he reviewed the
case notes.


The individual was sentenced for stealing a bike

The doctor looked slightly worried when he reviewed
the case notes.

11 September 2012
BPP BUSINESS SCHOOL

This totally changed peoples lives


Why is totally there?
If its a filler it can be omitted.
If its used for emphasis, a more appropriate word could be used
for example significantly or fundamentally
Avoid conversational terms
12 September 2012
BPP BUSINESS SCHOOL

TV Violence adversely affects society


What is meant by TV Violence?


The quality of education at this university is not declining. In my
interviews, I found that an overwhelming majority of the students
and instructors responded that they saw no decline in the quality of
education here

Using a dictionary to decide what quality means, may provide other
words eg excellence that may be equally abstract.
What else can you do to clarify the meaning of vague terms?

Avoid vague terms
13 September 2012
BPP BUSINESS SCHOOL
Drafting reports
14 September 2012
What to include and leave out
Make findings clear: subject areas, types and
categories, diagrams, headings, paragraphs
Introduction: background context
Methods: questionnaires, samples etc
Findings
Conclusions
Recommendations/implications
References/appendices
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Drafting essays
15 September 2012
Always refer to assignment title
Do what you are asked to do: not what you
want to write about!
Introduction: outline aim of investigation/list
objectives; provide background information,
purpose of essay, clarifies approach
Main body: present an argument/sense of
direction: logical, clear, explained, evidence
Conclusion: closure, summarise emphasise
key elements

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Polishing reports & essays
16 September 2012
Enhance presentation
Impress others, i.e. tutors, markers
Word processed, double-spaced, wide
margins
Title at top of page
Spell checked
Appropriate paragraphs
References and quotations acknowledged
Bibliography

BPP BUSINESS SCHOOL
The importance of argument
What is an argument?
An argument involves the process of establishing a claim and then
proving it with the use of logical reasoning, examples, and research.

According to Toulmin, arguments are composed of three main
elements:


Claims Data/Evidence Warrants
September 2012 17
BPP BUSINESS SCHOOL
Claims
A claim states your position on the issue you have chosen to write
about. It answers the questions: What point will your paper try to
make and What belief or opinion will you be defending?

A good claim is
not obvious
engaging
not overly vague
logical
debatable

18 September 2012
BPP BUSINESS SCHOOL
Data/Evidence
Definition: the evidence which you cite to support your
claim. Like a lawyer presenting evidence to a jury, you must
support your claim with facts; an unsupported claim is merely
an assertion.

Data can include the following:

Facts or statistics
Expert opinion
19 September 2012
BPP BUSINESS SCHOOL
Warrants
Definition: the warrant interprets the data and shows how it supports your
claim.

The warrant, in other words, explains why the data proves the claim. In trials,
lawyers for opposing sides often agree on the data but hotly dispute the
warrants

A good warrant
will be a reasonable interpretation of facts.

will not make illogical interpretive leaps.

will not assume more than the evidence supports.

may consider and respond to possible counter-arguments.
20 September 2012
BPP BUSINESS SCHOOL
Offering a counterargument
Addressing the claims of the opposition is an important component
in building a convincing argument.

It demonstrates your credibility as a writer you have researched
multiple sides of the argument and have come to an informed
decision.


21 September 2012
BPP BUSINESS SCHOOL

Fallacies in reasoning
Common tricks include reasoning based on erroneous or incorrect
assumptions, distracting with information that is irrelevant to the
argument and providing support that depends on the conclusion
being true.

Sandra I dont see why you are so against permitting beer to be
sold at the new University Student Union. After all, a survey of our
students shows that 80% are in favour of the proposal

Joe Of course, you will be in favour of serving alcohol at any time,
anywhere. You are one of the biggest alcoholics on our campus
September 2012 22
BPP BUSINESS SCHOOL
Omission of evidence
Recent research has shown that eating and sleeping less
can lead to a longer life. In laboratory experiments, rats fed a
bare minimum and allowed to sleep much less than normal
were found to be better able to recover from injuries and to
live longer lives than rats fed plenty of food and slept a
substantial amount
Can research be generalised in this way? Do rats and humans differ?
How much longer did they live?
How much less did they eat & sleep?
Is the variance significant?
Do we need to know the research set-up?
Did the other rats overeat and become obese?
September 2012 23
BPP BUSINESS SCHOOL
Quality of evidence
Practicing yoga reduces the risk of cancer
Why do you believe that? Why should I believe it? What is
the proof? Wheres the evidence?
Frequent use of headphones may cause hearing loss.
Researchers studied the frequency and duration of head
phone use among 251 college students and found that 49%
of the students showed evidence of hearing impairment
Could other factors be a cause? The 49% is not linked to
hours of use. Is sample size adequate?
Appeals to authority can be used to shore up shaky evidence
according to my doctor .... Authorities often disagree. Think
about the importance of expertise, training and potential
biases.
September 2012 24
BPP BUSINESS SCHOOL
Objectives
Understand what is expected at Masters level at University.

Know how to use an appropriate academic writing style.

Understand the concept of argument


http://www.palgrave.com/skills4study/studyskills/index.asp


25 September 2012