University writing 30:151

january 12, 2016

brief recap

• Syllabus

• Website

• Slack

• Assignment

revisiting "literacy tasks"

1) knowledge of research skills

(We'll address this one later.)

2) Ability to read complex texts

(week 3 and week 4, plus your first essay.)

3) key disciplinary concepts

4) strategies for new information

Today's overarching questions:

what is academic writing?

why academic writing?

What IS the PURPOSE?

PUT SIMPLY:

WHAT IS IT AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

What?

engages the work of others

(Photo credit: University of Winnipeg Library)

created by scholars (loosely defined)

specialized readers & broader public

(Inter)disciplinary

topics of interest to the academic community

informed argument

analytical, not personal

why?

transferable

impact

Characteristics of academic writing

survey (P. 14) thaiss & zawacki @ George Mason University 

three characteristics

1) Clear Evidence that the Writer Has been ...

"PERSISTENCE" in writing

• Have you filled in the gaps in your argument?
   
• Have you provided enough explanations, examples, and evidence to support your claims?

• Have you thoroughly examined the primary text and the evidence you're using?
   
• Have you asked challenging questions? 

"open-mindedness"

• Have you considered and acknowledged different perspectives and counterarguments?
   
• Have you considered evidence that complicates or undermines your argument?
   
• Does your essay reflect and acknowledge the full complexity of your topic and its various components?

"disciplined"

• Are your conclusions and assessments of the evidence based in reason and logic?
   
• Does your essay stay on topic? 
   
• Have you diligently recorded, documented, and cited all your sources?
   
• Does your essay demonstrate academic rigour?
   
• Does it follow the conventions and regulations of the subject in which you study?

2) The dominance of reason over emotion

"Logos"

the primary rhetorical mode

academic values:

intellect, objectivity, reason, free and open inquiry (academic freedom), truth, knowledge 

3) An IMAGINED READER WHO IS:

• rational
   

• reading for information
   

• intending to engage in a reasonable way

problem:

THESE ARE RESULTS AND IDEALS, not actionable measures

let's be more specific by asking ...

how does an academic essay fulfill these expectations?

What characteristics show the results of literacy tasks?

"characteristics of the critical essay"

L. Lennie Irvin

(CC-BY-NC-SA)

"critical"

(most academic writing is "critical")

1) argumentative in the broadest sense

"[the essay] MAKES A POINT AND SUPPORTS IT" (irvin)

main argument (Thesis)

Sub-argument

Sub-argument

Sub-argument

2) that Point is debatable

it addresses a problem that is open to interpretation

topic:

how does technology and social media shape communication?

A THESIS STATEMENT RESPONDS TO The QUESTION AND SPECIFIES The ARGUMENT

3) Organization

recognizable 

structure

characteristic of genre that helps the reader

5 paragraph essay as a learning tool

example outline

4) Support

From “The Politics of Boredom and the Boredom of Politics in David Foster Wallace’s The Pale King” by Ralph Clare

Generalizations require specific examples

5) Document

(VIA)

6) transitions

7) FOrmatted

(VIA)

8) grammar

More REasonable:

Learning Grammar IMPROVES YOUR WRITING

careful writing rewards careful, attentive readers

know the rules before you break them

"You must believe . . . in the ability of the reader to receive and decode the message." (Strunk Jr.)

academic writing genres

vary by discipline

humanities

• Books
• Journal Articles
• Book Reviews

• Blog posts
• Journalism
• Criticism
• Reference letters
• Collections of citations

The whole process, briefly:

Understanding the process

• Formal peer review

• Theory and methodology

• Creating a "record" of human culture (documentation)

• Interpretation, analysis, and contextualization

"appropriate" tone and style

"appropriate"?

always depends on your audience, context,
& purpose

(VIA)

that's why it's called the "academic" style

writing is an adaptive process

using the academic style is 

not 

imitation scholarship

characteristics 

1) formal

standard written english

2) relies on evidence

3) concrete

4) sentence variety

well-constructed phrases and sentences

5) Purposeful writing driven by deliberate choices

but why?

every choice serves a purpose

style has an explicit purpose in academic writing

these characteristics help achieve seriousness, thoughtfulness,

& assertiveness

good writing style makes your sentences clearer and more effective

Cardinal Rules?

say what you mean

get your point across

make yourself understood

what to do 

&

what not to do

don't: use colloquial words or phrases

"i'm going to show you that kids these days are poor sports."

Instead: use proper written form

"This essay explores how adolescents respond to personal failures in competitive sports."

Don't: Ask questions when statements will do

"Stress affects everyone. How To deal with it? exercise, nutrition, and relaxation." 

Instead: Use direct statements

"People affected by stress have different ways of coping, including exercise, nutrition, and relaxation."

don't: use weak, flimsy verbs

"i got a book from the mall in order to do my essay."

instead: use strong, precise verbs

"i purchased a book from the mall in order to write my essay."

don't: use "phrasal" or multi-word verbs

"This essay talks about gender inequality in commercial media and makes the point that images idealize men and women."

instead: prefer strong, precise verbs

"This essay discusses gender inequality in commercial media and argues that images idealize men and women."

do: emphasize main actors and actions (via)

There was uncertainty in President Clinton's mind about the intention of the Russians to disarm their nuclear weapons. 

President Clinton remained unconvinced that the Russians intended to disarm their nuclear weapons.

(VIA)

the actor should be the subject

the action should be a verb

Avoid: Second-PErson Pronoun

"society should encourage independence among students. in order to succeed, you also need the support of your community."

Instead: Use specific nouns

these are a few examples

not comprehensive

start with decision-making

style is a commitment to clear, purposeful expression

clear presentation of ideas 

clarity of thought & purpose

find these slides

slides.com/trentgill

readings for next week

hashtagliteracy.ca/schedule

next week:

summary

paraphrase

quotation

academic integrity

plagiarism

sentence structure

Parts of speech

clauses & Punctuation

via eltpics, cc-by-nc