QAB 4032FINAL YEAR PROJECT I

Abdul Halim Abdul Latiff

Department of Geosciences

Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS

Academic Writing – Writing a Proposal

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

Identify the differences between personal and academic writing

Identify the characteristics of effective academic writing

Apply appropriate tone for related audience.

How to write a good project / research proposal.

Academic Writing

What is academic writing?

Personal writing versus academic writing

Effective academic writing

Organization

Audience and tone

What is Academic Writing?

A generic term for all writing done in high school and college / university classes.

In academic writing, words, grammar and way of organizing ideas are different from other types of writing.

Elements such as format, sentence structure and organization are essential in academic writing.

Differences: Personal & Academic WritingPersonal

(Informal/Colloquial)

Academic

(Formal/Technical)

Audience close friends and family professors, lecturers

Tone informal, friendly formal, objective, serious

Vocabulary slang, idioms, contracted forms academic, wide range, concise, accurate

Style simple or compound sentences simple, compound, complex sentences, sentence variety

Language fragments, run-on sentences, misspellings, punctuation errors

should have no errors

Content conversational, maybe repetitive

depth of thought, unified

Organization maybe less structured than formal writing

clear, coherent, well planned

Convincing Content

The content is informative and thought-provoking.

use specific and logical details, examples, facts, statistics and case studies to support generalizing.

The support is relevant.

the support relates directly to the proposal and should

not digress away from the main point.

The content of the proposal / dissertation should shows depth of thought:

elements of critical thinking

analysis of information

interpretation of facts

making judgments

drawing conclusions

summarizing

defending opinions

Convincing Content

Clear Organization

• Introduction

• Body

• Conclusion

Most writing in English is linear with one central point or theme with every part contributing to the main line of argument:

Clear Organization

Two approaches used in academic writing:

Deductive: Generalization is stated first followed by supporting details and facts.

Inductive: Supporting details stated first followed by generalization.

Effective Use of English Language

Sentences must be clearly written.

Include subject-verb agreement, spelling, punctuation.

Style

Use complex and compound-complex sentences.

Avoid too many simple sentences.

Frequent use of conjunctions such as for, and, nor, but, or, yet and so.

Use a wide vocabulary range.

Tone

Different audience and purpose require different set of tone:

1. Objective

2. Persuasive

3. Enthusiastic

4. Serious

Objective language: Language used in formal report.

Example:a. A hazard exists if contact is made with this part while it

is whirling.b. Warning. Turn off all power before you remove the

cover. The blade underneath could slice off your fingers!

Tone

Tone

Persuasive language: Language used in formal proposal for thesis or final year project.

Example: a. The purpose of this study is to discover a more efficient

way to produce hydrocarbons. The financial support for this study will benefit many users. The researchers will be able to investigate the problems comprehensively…

Enthusiastic language: Writing in favor of a particular subject for possible recommendation or acceptance.

Example:a. The discovery of medicinal properties in this bacteria will

eradicate Alzheimer’s disease. This is a very importantand exciting discovery in the world of medicine.

Tone

Serious language: Language used to convey the seriousness of an event/item or a discovery.

Example:

a. Our study has shown that if we do not recycle, naturalresources will be depleted in 2010 and planet Earthwill be barren. This will cause economic andenvironmental disasters.

Tone

A FYP proposals must include:

A rationale for your problem / research question.

An overview of the literature relating to your research question.

A proposed methodology.

A proposed timetable.

A proposed reading list.

Ethical approval planning.

What is a Proposal?

When writing a proposal, think of these rules:

Be realistic

No one expects you to undertake a huge research study – you don’t need to reinvent the wheel to get a good grade.

Research, research AND research Do research before you begin planning your proposal to

better identify a topic area.

Research will help you focus on a question / hypothesis

You may chose to focus on an area you already know – but you still need to research

Give Yourself Enough Time!

Please avoid last minute work.

What is a Proposal?

Writing a Proposal

Analyse / Evaluate your topic

Identify why you have chosen the

research / project area

Read the literatureClarify your ideas

Discuss / finalisewith your

supervisor/s

Developing Your Proposal

Stage One

Discuss your ideas with your current academic supervisor in order to:

Agree a topic.

Agree a preliminary plan.

If necessary, your supervisor may refer you to another lecturer who has specialist knowledge in the field you are interested in.

Developing Your Proposal

Stage Two

Organise your initial ideas for the whole FYP duration (FYP1 + FYP 2):

The topic area.

The proposed title.

The main research question / problem statement.

The objectives of the project.

The proposed focus / scope of study.

Developing Your Proposal

Stage Two

When deciding your research question / problem statement, the topic should be:

Interesting to you personally.

Relevant to your work after your graduate (especially if you wish to continue your studies at post-graduate level).

Precise – avoid superficial generalisations.

Not to small or too large, so that you avoid either padding or being overloaded.

Developing Your Proposal

Stage Three

Keep discussing the topic with your SV

It will evolve the more you think about it / research it. This is perfectly natural, but your SV should be able to keep you on track.

The FYP proposal you write will be a result of these conversations.

Developing Your Proposal

FYP Proposal Outline

Front Page

Introduction

Problem Statement

Objectives

Scope of Study

Literature Review

Methodology

Project Workflow

Project Gantt Chart (Both FYP 1 & FYP 2)

Conclusion

References (APA Referencing Format)

Points to Remember

Give yourself enough time!

It’s a marathon, not a sprint – make sure when writing your proposal you create a realistic time-table!

Always check with your SV.

Know your deadlines.

Remember – it’s a proposal.

It isn’t set in stone, it’s flexible. Your SV can help you iron out problems, or guide you when your research questions changes (which it invariable will, as you learn more about the subject area).

Datelines 7th October 2016 (Friday) – 11.59pm (no extension)

To submit the proposal: Word PDF format Upload into Shared Google Drive:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B185x2PtA48HbmQyMk9tSm5xdWc?usp=sharing

No hardcopy / print out required.

Each student proposal will be marked by: Supervisor (15%) Internal Examiner (15%)

Marks will be deducted for late submission