Academic Writing

1. Advice on Academic
writing

2. Genereal advice
 An Academic Essay should have:
 An ARGUMENT or topic that prove what you are writing giving examples.
 ORGANIZATION ( beginning, development and ending)
 SUCCESFUL METHODS of composing an essay: think, write, outline, revise and proofread.
 Reformulate your essay in case of an assigned topic does not provide you a tesis ready-
made. (HYPOTHESIS)
 Checklist
 Note the key terms: why, how, analyse relationship between cause and effect, compare,
evaluate, argue, agree or desagree.
 Note which concepts or methods the topic asks you to use.

3.  Look for CONTRAVERSIES in the material will also help you find things worth
discussing.
 Formulate a TENTATIVE THESIS STATEMENT.
 WRITER´S BLOCK
Writer feels stuck and unable to write. Causes:
 Anxiety, stress or lack of understanding of the material.
 Too much research.
 Unable to find a topic.
 Unfamiliar genre or discipline.
 To have trouble expressing your ideas.

4. PLANNING AND ORGANIZING
 Basic Guidelines:
 Pre-writing stage ( think or plan, organize and discuss)
 For example: BOOKS REVIEW is divided into three parts: begin with a summary,
discussion of strengths and weaknesses, and conclude with an overall
assessment.
 Understand genre and structure.
 Avoid a common pitfall.
 Essay outline: topic and sentence.
 Techniques for integrating note-taking and planning: Index Cards, The
Computer, The Circle Method and Reverse Outline.

5.  Using Tesis Statement:
The Thesis Statement is a clear summary statement of your position
that comes in the first paragraph. It contains an ARGUMENT thay could
be:
 Irrelevant or intriguing.
 Could indicate emotions to emphasize.
 Shows awareness of difficulties and disagreements
(sweeping,suitable complex).

6.  Introductions and coclusions:
 Good Introduction: - Should identify your topic.
- Provide essential content.
- Indicate particular focus in the essay.
- Engage interest to the reader.
 Strong Conclusion: - Provide a sense of closure to the essay.
- Place concepts in the context.
- Add stimulus to further thought.
- Involve critical thinking.

7.  Using Topic Sentence:
The Topic Sentence state the main point of a
paragraph. It serves as a mini-thesis for the paragraph and it usually
appears at the very beginning.
 Paragraphs:
 A paragraph is a series or related sentences developing a central
idea called the TOPIC SENTENCE.

8.  Types of Paragraphs:
1. Analysis or Classification.
2. A Comparison or Contrast.
3. Definition.
4. Qualification
5. Process
6. Flow Paragraph: moves from idea to idea using connectors and
linking words.

9. Reading and Researching
 How to get the most out of Reading:
 To improve your Reading comprehension, it will depend on: - Text
Books: be aware the structure of the text (chapter, titles, headings
and subheadings).
- Primary Resources: read each literary work and pay attention to
your own responses and questios.
- Research Reading: look for fact to support or modify your
original view of the topic.

10.  Critical Reading:
Consists of making judgements about HOW a text is argued. Look for ways of
thinking about the subject matter.
Ways of thinking:
 Determine the PURPOSE of the text.
 Make judgement about CONTEXT ( audience, dialogue, historical).
 Distinguish the kinds of reasoning the text employs ( context, theories,
methodology, concept).
 Examine EVIDENCE.
 May involve EVALUATION.

11.  Research Reading:
There are three main ideas:
 Know what kind of ideas you need to record ( topic, purpose, relevant ideas,
opinios).
 Do not write too much and use your own words.
 Label your notes intelligently using cards, notes or sheets to ensure ideas.

12.  Previewing:
You should take into account:
 Read the title and chapter title and think about the subject matter.
 Who wrote the text.
 Where and when was the text originally published. Who would be the
audience.
 To get general overeview of the text before beginnig to read the text in detail:
SKIMMING text, SCANNING text, and SUMMARIZING text.

13. Skimming a text: It helps you to place your focus when you are limited time
for reading (previewing techniques, reading the introduction, read the first one or
two sentence of each paragraph, read the concluding paragraph).
Sanning a text: It is Skimming with a more tightly focused porpuse: locate a
particular fact or figure; see whether the text mentions a subject you are
researching.
Summarizing a text: It has two aims: 1) Identify generals ideas; 2) Express
these overarching ideas using precise language.

14. USING SOURCES
 How not to plagarize:
 Give the reference as son as you have mentioned the idea.
 Name the autor and his/her exact words and put quotation marks around it
and then indicate your own stand.
 Paraphrase in your own words or summarize it.

15.  Standard Documentation Formats:
 Note-Bibliography system.
 Footnotes appear at the botton of each page.
 Footnotes or Endnotes followed by a bibliography.
 When you refer to a second time resource, use only the autor´s last name and
page number.
 APA System offers detailed advice on style, format an documentation practices
(autor´s name, minimal capitalization for titles of books and articles, and italic
for volumen numbers and journal titles)

16.  Using Quotation:
 NOT include too much quotation in your essay because you will
crowd out your own ideas.
 Paraphrasing and Summarizing is relevant to your paper.

17. Types of writings
 Book Review
 Annotated Bibliography
 Literature Review
 Abstract
 Comparative Essay
 History
 Literature
 Philosophy
 Science
 Active Voice in Science
 Admision Letters
 Aplication Letters
 Academic Proposal
 Academic Proposal in graduated
School
 Oral Presentation

18.  Book Review: Evaluate the essay or work in the light of specific issues and
theorical concerns in a course.
 Annotated Bibliography: Give an account of the research that have been
done on a given topic. It is alphabetic list of research sources.
 Literature Review: It is an account of what has been published on a topic
by accredited scholars and researchers.
It lets you gain and demonstrate skills in two áreas:
 Information seeking: the ability to scan the literatura efficiently, using manual
or computerized methods.
 Critical appraisal: the ability to apply principles of analysis to identify unbaised
and valid studies.

19.  Abstract: Give a first impression of the document that follows, letting readers
whether to continue reading and showing the what to look for if they do.
 Comparative Essay: It compares al least two (or more) posible ítems. These
ítems depend on the assigment.
 History:
 For Primary School is a document thatwas created at the time of the event or
subject you have chosen to study (texts, objects, buildings, films, painting,
cartoons)
 For Secondary School: having a topic in mind, you need to find out what
scholars have written about your topic. Interprete, analize or explain (literatura
review, opinión piece, documentaries, televisión broadcasts, books)

20.  Literature: It requires critical thought and strong argumentation, but it is
focused on language and close textual analysis.
Tips to keep in mind:
 Avoid plot summary.
 Master the art ofthe analytical thesis.
 Let the structure of your argument determine the structure of your paper.
 Opt analysis instead of evaluative judgment.
 Do not confuse the autor with the speaker.
 Integrate quotation fully into your argument.

21.  Writing Science: It should be written in a clear adn concise style, its
paragraphs should be coherent, and its ideas should be well organized.
 English as a Second Language:
The use of:
 Articles (definite, indefinite, countable, uncountable, singular, pliral)
 Expression of quality.
 The use of Gerunds (after a verb, phrasal verb, replace a noun)
 Refering to sources (verb + that/for/as)

22. Credits
Cayley R., Golubev P., Knott D., Khnoo E., Plotnick J.,
Procter M., Feedman L., Hall J., Taylor D., Lewsen S.,
(1999, 2007) University of Toronto-Writing Courses,
Advice on Academic Writing.
https:/advice.writing.utoronto.ca/