Academic Writing WorkshopPrepared by: Zeenath Reza Khan

Academic Writing

What is Academic Writing?

Get into groups of 5.

Exercice 1

You will be given 12 text samples. You should tryto recognise what formats each is to the best

of your ability

You have 10 minutes

Text 1

No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy would have supposed her born to be an heroine. Her situation in life, the character of her father and mother, her own person and disposition, were all equally against her. Her father was a clergyman, without being neglected, or poor, and a very respectable man, though his name was Richard -- and he had never been handsome. He had a considerable independence besides two good livings -- and he was not in the least addicted to locking up his daughters. Her mother was a woman of useful plain sense, with a good temper, and, what is more remarkable, with a good constitution. She had three sons before Catherine was born; and instead of dying in bringing the latter into the world, as anybody might expect, she still lived on -- lived to have six children more -- to see them growing up around her, and to enjoy excellent health herself. A family of ten children will be always called a fine family, where there are heads and arms and legs enough for the number; but the Morlands had little other right to the word, for they were in general very plain, and Catherine, for many years of her life, as plain as any. She had a thin awkward figure, a sallow skin without colour, dark lank hair, and strong features -- so much for her person; and not less unpropitious for heroism seemed her mind. She was fond of all boy's plays, and greatly preferred cricket not merely to dolls, but to the more heroic enjoyments of infancy, nursing a dormouse, feeding a canary-bird, or watering a rose-bush. Indeed she had no taste for a garden; and if she gathered flowers at all, it was chiefly for the pleasure of mischief -- at least so it was conjectured from her always preferring those which she was forbidden to take. Such were her propensities -- her abilities were quite as extraordinary.

Text 2COSTATA alla PIZZAIOLASERVES 41.5 lb (750 g) thinly sliced sirloin or rump steak or veal or chicken breasts, skinned6 tablespoons olive oil3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed1.5 lb (750 g) canned tomatoes, sieved2 tablespoons chopped parsley3 tablespoons chopped basil salt and pepperTrim any gristle and fat off the meat, flatten it as much as possible with a meat mallet and set it to one side. Heat the oil in a frying-pan wide enough to take all the meat in a single layer, add the garlic and fry gently for about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley and basil, stir and bring to the boil. Slip the meat into the tomato sauce, cook very quickly for about 5 minutes, sprinkle with salt and plenty of pepper and serve at once.

Text 3

DESCALING INSTRUCTIONS

•IN HARD WATER AREAS REGULAR DESCALING IS ESSENTIAL TO KEEP YOUR KETTLE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER.

•If your kettle switches off before it has boiled it indicates your kettle needs descaling.

•Descale your kettle using

either a proprietary kettle descaler suitable for PLASTIC kettles. Follow manufacturer's instructions,

or white vinegar

1.Fill the kettle with ½ l of 8° white vinegar.

2.Leave to soak for 1 hour without boiling.

3.Empty your kettle and rinse it two or three times with clear water.

or citric acid

1.Boil 0.5 l of water.

2.Add 25 g of citric acid.

3.Leave to soak for 15 minutes.

4.Discard this mixture.

5.Rinse the kettle with clear water two or three times.

•Repeat process if needed.

•Descaling agents for metal kettles, coffee makers or steam irons are unsuitable and will damage your Tefal kettle. Never use metal

abrasives to clean the interior.

•When using powder descaler or citric acid, always add water. Never use in an empty kettle.

•Always follow the directions for use on the descaler carefully. Rinse the inside well after using a descaler.

O2

Mr A Gillett

School of Combined Studies

University of Hertfordshire

Ref. 000055/4/50

Mobile Phone No: 07934297360

August 2003

Dear Mr Gillett,

A change to your O2 tariff

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subscription will change from £18 to £l 9 per month (inc VAT).

This new rate will appear on the first bill you receive after 1st October and will apply to your next full monthly subscription charged after 1st

October 2003. We regret having to make this increase and would like to reassure you that all call charges and other terms and conditions for

O2 50 remain the same.

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If you'd like to review your tariff, or add a Bolt On to your account, contact your Customer Service team on 0870 111 7202.

Yours sincerely,

Deborah Cordless

Consumer Marketing Manager

O2 (UK) Limited Rgistered in England no. 1743099 Registered Office 260 Bath Road Slough SL1 4DX

Text 4

Text 5

Introduction to Pitch

2/1 Pitch names and notation

Playing any note on a piano produces a fixed sound. The sound gradually fades away, but it does not go up or down. Music is made up from fixed sounds such as this.

Many instruments (including all the stringed instruments and the trombone) are capable of producing an infinite number of fixed sounds between any two notes on a keyboard, with only minute differences between them. It is the same with the human voice. But in practice all instruments, and singing voices too, normally use only the particular notes of the keyboard. When a player such as a violinist 'tunes' his instrument, he is trying to find exactly the one fixed sound he wants. All the other notes in the music will be placed in relation to this one note. If one note is played on the keyboard and then another note is played anywhere to the right of it, the sound of the second note is said to be higher than that of the first. A note to the left of it would produce a lower sound. In the same way men's voices are said to be lower than those of women or young boys. The technical word referring to the height or depth of sound is pitch.

On the keyboard, groups of two black notes alternate with groups of three black notes. This makes it easy to distinguish between the white notes, which are given the letter names from A to G. A is always between the second and third of the group of three black notes. After G comes A again.

Text 6

Juliet Hist! Romeo, hist! O for a falconer's voice

To lure this tassel-gentle back again!

Bondage is hoarse and may not speak aloud;

Else would I tear the cave where Echo lies,

And make her airy tongue more hoarse than mine

With repetition of my Romeo's name.

Romeo!

Romeo It is my soul that calls upon my name.

How silver-sweet sound lovers' tongues by night,

Like softest music to attending ears!

Juliet Romeo!

Romeo My dear?

Juliet At what o'clock to-morrow

Shall I send to thee?

Romeo By the hour of nine.

Juliet I will not fail. 'Tis twenty years till then.

I have forgot why I did call thee back.

Romeo Let me stand here till thou remember it.

Juliet I shall forget, to have thee still stand there,

Rememb'ring how I love thy company.

Romeo And I'll still stay, to have thee still forget,

Forgetting any other home but this.

Juliet 'Tis almost morning. I would have thee gone-

And yet no farther than a wanton's bird,

That lets it hop a little from her hand,

Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves,

And with a silk thread plucks it back again,

So loving-jealous of his liberty.

Romeo I would I were thy bird.

Juliet Sweet, so would I.

Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing.

Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow,

That I shall say good night till it be morrow.

Text 7This paper examines interaction in written text through the interplay between the notions of text averral and attribution (Sinclair, 1988). Text averral is evidenced in the unmarked parts of the text, where the utterances are assumed to be attributed to the author. Attribution, the counterpart of text averral, is the marked case where the sources of authority are clearly signalled.It is hoped that this study will add to our knowledge about the characteristics of different types of text, and illuminate the way for students who find themselves lost amidst the echoes of the multiple voices they hear within the same text. Text averral and attribution are basic notions for the organization of interaction in written text. The assumption is made that the author of a non-fictional artefact (Sinclair, 1986) avers every statement in his or her text so long as he/she does not attribute these statements to another source - whether that source is other or self. Averral is manifested in various ways in the text - negatively, through absence of attribution, and positively, through commenting, evaluating or metastructuring of the discourse. Attribution, on the other hand, is signalled in the text by a number of devices of which reporting is an obvious one.

Text 8Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?Thou art more lovely and more temperate:Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,And summer's lease hath all too short a date:Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,And often is his gold complexion dimmed,And every fair from fair sometime declines,By chance, or nature's changing course untrimmed:But thy eternal summer shall not fade,Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st,So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

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Text 9

Puzzle for Nigel as tortoise does a runner

RETIRED policeman Nigel Folds is trying to solve the mystery of the disappearing tortoise. For the leopard tortoise from South Africa vanished from his garden in Maltings Drive, Wheathampstead, between 2pm and 5pm on Friday, August 15. Nigel, who has a collection of more than a dozen tortoises of different types, is certain the

female tortoise, which is between 15 and 18 inches long, has been taken from his garden by children. He said: "We have a six-foot panel fence around the garden to keep them all in. We live next to a playground and I feel some youngsters simply couldn't resist the temptation." The missing tortoise is one of a breeding pair which he had bought for £500 each just

10 days before it disappeared and Nigel is worried that it will not survive without special care once the nights become cooler.

Bred

Nigel began his collection of tortoises around nine years ago. He said: "Although it is now illegal to import the Mediterranean variety, there are

many others which can still be brought into the country from other parts of the world. We have successfully bred the Mediterranean variety in the past but this year our mature female has not laid any eggs." Anyone with information should call Nigel on 01582 833355 or the police on 01707 638102.

Text 10

Text 11

N.W.3. s/c c.h. lux. furn. flt. fridge ph. £26 423 7283Hampstead Mod. cen. ht. flt. 3 rooms k. and b. tel. col. T.V. £32 inc. elec. gas 482 1266Nr. Traf. Sq. s/c lux. furn. flt. 1st fl. 1 double bed. 1 recep. kit/diner bthrm. hall. tel. 225 6126 after 2 p.m.N.W.2. luxury gr. fl. gdn. flt. s.c. 2 b. rec. c.h.w. & c.h. mod. bthrm. lab. sav. k. 1 min. shpg. cntre. £26 inc. 456 1387N.W.2. Nr. tube Furn. flt. 3rd floor suit 2 sgl. sh. 924 456 2793 N.10. cul-de-sac 4r. k & b £28 754 3871Putney. Mod. 1st fl. flt. s/c. 2 beds lnge. k. b/w.c. c.h. lift gge. no sharing £30 p.w. 894 6336N.W.1. furn. bse. flt. Ir. bdrm. own k. sh. bth. c.h. suit prof. pers. 7429139S. Kensington 2 min. tube & shops pleas. furn. s/c. flt. bdrm. rec. mod k and b. sep. w.c. suit one man or m/c only min. 6 mths. refs. essent. £28 p.w. 566 2784.,W.2. Bedsit. own ckg. facs. sh. bthrm. lge. snny. rm. £14 877 7521

Text 12PO Box 1452AlmeiraSpain

14th April 2003Dear John,How are you? Everything here's fine. I'm very happy at the moment because my football team won last week. I went to the match with my brother Fernando, and we both enjoyed it very much. The score was 6 - 1.Well, that's a little bit of recent news from Almeira. Now, here's the most important thing in this letter:What are you doing in September? I'm on holiday then, and I'd like to invite you to come to Almeira for a month. The weather is usually very good in September (it's not too hot!). We could go swimming and I could show you something of Spain.I hope you can come. My family and I think it's a great idea, and we all want to meet you.That's all for now.Best wishes to you and your family.

one central point

or theme

contributing factors contributing factors

contributing factors

contributing factors

No digressions

No repetitions

Inform but

not entertain

Standard written

form of the language

Academic Writing: Getting started

Planning…

• Consider what you know

• Consider what you think

• Summarize

• Evaluate

• Analyze

• Synthesize

• Consider your position

Let’s try the planning…

In your groups, you are asked to write 300 words on the following topic:

‘What I looked for while selecting a University for my higher education’

Stage 1: Planning

University

of choice

location

Fees

Standing/

prestige

Curricula

Programs

offered

Extra-

curriclar

activities

Accreditation

Stage 2: Introduction and Conclusion

SHOCKING

NEWS

You can write

them at the end!

Find startling statistics or quote an expert

Mention common misconceptions

Define a term

Not just a summary

Use fresh language, no repetitions

Involve critical thinking

Stage 3: Developing Coherent Paragraphs

Show connections

Use topic sentences –

central idea for each paragraph

Expand on topic sentence:

explain fully what you mean

Give definitions, make distinctions, offer details, examples,

relevant quotations with your comments

Follow logical sequence

Stage 4: READ READ READ

Sources you can use:

* Textbooks

* Primary Sources

* Journal Articles

* Internet Sources

Research the reading!!Remember: you are now trying to answer a specific question. Try to

find THAT ANSWER

Every time you read a source you think you will use, or you DO USE in your essay, immediately complete

the reference list at the end

Label your notes

intelligently

Stage 5: How to Avoid Plagiarism

It is AGAINST UOWD Policy to plagiarize ANY portion of a knownsource. UOWD applies

Zero-Tolerance!!

•Can’t I avoid problems just by listing sources?

•If I put my ideas into my own words…

•But I didn’t know anything about the subject, so how much to cite?

•How can I tell what’s my idea?

•What if I did not know the policy?

Exercise 3

So what exactly do I have to document?

Quotations, exact words, ideas…

Your group will be given three pieces of information that you must

use to complete your write up…

•You MUST use text from ALL three sources

•You MUST use both paraphrasing AND direct quotations

You have 10 minutes

Let’s look at some examples of how to apply referencing…

As a student wanting to study in the UAE and in choosing a University, I have looked at

the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) website to find out which universities

were accredited. The benefit, as per the CAA, of accreditation is in the quality of

education offered and whether recognised universities comply with international

standards (CAA, 2011). This is a very important factor for me because I intend to migrate

to Canada and settle there once I am done with my education, so I need to know that my

University is recognised and my degree will be valued there.

Another factor that has me thinking is the cost of living. As I prefer to live in the same city

as my university of choice, it is important to know whether I can afford to stay near the

university or not. I have read that the ‘expenses of residential buildings have gone up

considerably in the recent years [in Dubai]’ (Guide2Dubai, 2011). However, I will try to

seek shared accommodation or check out the university’s policies on scholarships to see

if I can still choose University of Wollongong in Dubai and live in Dubai. I believe if I can

achieve a scholarship to reduce my tuition fees, then I can afford to live in Dubai

comfortably.

Reference list

1. CAA. (2011). CAA Mission. CAA Portal. [Online] Available URL: http://www..

2. Guide2Dubai. (2011). Cost of Living in Dubai. [Online] Available URL: http://www...

3. Which source is missing here?

Where did I

take this idea

from? This is

plagiarism!

Paraphrasing

Direct quote

Stage 6: Revise and re-revise

Stage 7: Double check all marking criteria

Stage 8: Check submission requirements and then submit

Academic Writing: almost there…

Helpful Websites and Handouts

• Handout 1: What is Academic Writing• http://www.wwnorton.com/college/film/movies2/writing-

about-movies/what-is-academic-writing.pdf

• Handout 2: Advice on Academic Writing• http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice

Statement of Purpose - Country• UOWD Coversheet

1. Introduction

2. Delegates

• Who are the team members: students

must give a short biography of each

member

• Mentor: Lecturer/Tutor

3. State of Problem

• a brief overview of your country,

• whether it is a contributor to global

emission problem and/or a sufferer of the

problem,

• its current position where Kyoto Protocol

is concerned,

• what it did it in the past, and

• what it plans to do in the future.

4. Conclusion

• References

• Turnitin Receipt

Format

• Word limit: 500 – 700 words including points 1 – 4 from Content list

• Margins: 1” on each side• Header: ENVI030 Simulation Project

Module 2• Footer: Group names and page

numbers• Title: Arial 16 points Bold, centered• Arial 10 points, justified• 1.5 line spacing• One line spacing between paragraphs• All headings should be 12 points, Bold,

Title Case capital• All sub-headings should be 10 points,

Bold, title case capital. Numbering should be:

1.2.

2.12.2

• All figures and graphs should be included within the text

• Referencing must be proper

Statement of Purpose - UN• UOWD Coversheet

1. Introduction

2. Delegates

• Who are the team members: students

must give a short biography of each

member

• Mentor: Lecturer/Tutor

3. State of Problem

• a brief overview of climate change,

• Signs and effects of climate change

• Ways to reduce greenhouse gas

emissions,

• Efforts underway to curb global warming,

• Relationship between economic

development and carbon emissions

• Responsibility of four nations

4. Conclusion – possible resolutions

• References

• Turnitin Receipt

Format

• Word limit: 500 – 700 words including points 1 – 4 from Content list

• Margins: 1” on each side• Header: ENVI030 Simulation Project

Module 2• Footer: Group names and page

numbers• Title: Arial 16 points Bold, centered• Arial 10 points, justified• 1.5 line spacing• One line spacing between paragraphs• All headings should be 12 points, Bold,

Title Case capital• All sub-headings should be 10 points,

Bold, title case capital. Numbering should be:

1.2.

2.12.2

• All figures and graphs should be included within the text

• Referencing must be proper

3. Statement of Purpose

Overfill has been a serious problem facing our city waste facilities for the last decade.

By some estimations, our city dumps are, on average, 30% above capacity—an

unsanitary, unsafe, and unwise position for our city to be in.

Several methods have been proposed in order to combat this. Perhaps the most

popular of these is the simplest: building two new landfills on the county outskirts.

Others have proposed stronger recycling campaigns and larger per-bag waste

disposal costs as a way to lessen the potential damage of our trash situation.

City XYZ is close to drowning in trash. Action is needed if the city is to remain the

clean, safe place to live it has always been.

Words: 117

Sample Statement of Purpose

Debrief Report• UOWD Cover Sheet

• Abstract

1. Introduction

2. Literature Review and Problem Statement

(you need to quote references from

academic papers that discuss the

problem/issue you have identified to

establish the fact that indeed it is a

problem)

3. Chosen Country

• Background and Overview

4. Proposed/Applied Resolutions

5. Analysis of the resolution’s impact on

problem/issue

6. Recommendation and Conclusion

• Appendix

• Statement of Problem (with

corrections from tutor)

• Anything else that is not very

important, but needs to be included –

so you do not eat away words in your

report

• References

Format

• Word limit: 2000 words including points 1 –6 from Content list

• Margins: 1” on each side• Header: ENVI030 Debrief Paper• Footer: Group names and page numbers• Arial 10 points, justified• 1.5 line spacing• One line spacing between paragraphs• All headings should be 12 points, Bold,

Title Case capital• All sub-headings should be 10 points, Bold,

title case capital. Numbering should be:1.2.

2.12.2

• Abstract: Time New Roman, 10 point, italics, centered

• Title: Arial 16 points Bold, centered• Author names, affiliations, email addresses

one after the other – Arial 11• All figures and graphs should be included

within the text• Referencing must be Harvard Style

Sample Placards & Posters

Presentation

• This is a formal presentation, so you are expected to come dressed in formals

• Your presentation needs to reflect your research

• You need to come prepared with your slides in electronic format.

• Detailed format us provided with your project helpline

Tips For Newcomers

For those of you who are just beginning your academic careers, here are some tips that might help you to survive:

• First of all, keep up with your reading and go to class. You can't hope to be part of a conversation if you are absent from it.

• Pay attention not only to what others are saying, but also to how they are saying it. Notice that sound arguments are never made without evidence.

• Don't confuse evidence, assumption, and opinion. Evidence is something that you can prove. Assumption is something that one can safely infer from the evidence at hand. Opinion is your own particular interpretation of the evidence.

• Pay attention to the requirements of an assignment. When asked for evidence, don't offer opinion. When asked for your opinion, don't simply present the facts. Too often students write summary when they are asked to write analysis. The assignment will cue you as to how to respond.

• Familiarize yourself with new language. Every discipline has its own jargon. While you will want to avoid unnecessary use of jargon in your own writing, you will want to be sure before you write that you have a clear understanding of important concepts and terms.

• Don't make the mistake of thinking that because something is in print it has cornered the market on truth. Your own interpretation of a text might be just as valid (or even more valid) than something you've found in the library or on the internet. Be critical of what you read, and have confidence that you might say as much.

• Pay attention to standards and rules. Your professors will expect you to write carefully and clearly. They will expect your work to be free of errors in grammar and style. They will expect you to follow the rules for citing sources and to turn in work that is indeed your own. If you have a question about a professor's standards, ask. You will find that your professors are eager to help you.

Good luck!