1. Administration
1.1. Deadlines
1.1.1. Dec XX, 20XX
1.1.1.1. Extensions?
1.1.1.1.1. Policy
1.1.2. One week after end of class
1.2. Share Google doc with [email protected]
1.3. Format
1.3.1. OWL at Purdue
2. Features of Academic writing
2.1. Complexity
2.1.1. Written language is relatively more complex than spoken language. Written language has longer words, it is lexically more dense and it has a more varied vocabulary. It uses more noun-based phrases than verb-based phrases. Written texts are shorter and the language has more grammatical complexity, including more subordinate clauses and more passives.
2.2. Formality
2.2.1. Academic writing is relatively formal. In general this means that in an essay you should avoid colloquial words and expressions.
2.3. Precision
2.3.1. In academic writing, facts and figures are given precisely.
2.4. Objectivity
2.4.1. Written language is in general objective rather than personal. It therefore has fewer words that refer to the writer or the reader. This means that the main emphasis should be on the information that you want to give and the arguments you want to make, rather than you. For that reason, academic writing tends to use nouns (and adjectives), rather than verbs (and adverbs).
2.5. Explicitness
2.5.1. Academic writing is explicit about the relationships in the text. Furthermore, it is the responsibility of the writer in English to make it clear to the reader how the various parts of the text are related. These connections can be made explicit by the use of different signalling words.
2.6. Accuracy
2.6.1. Academic writing uses vocabulary accurately. Most subjects have words with narrow specific meanings. Linguistics distinguishes clearly between "phonetics" and "phonemics"; general English does not.
2.7. Hedging
2.7.1. In any kind of academic writing you do, it is necessary to make decisions about your stance on a particular subject, or the strength of the claims you are making. Different subjects prefer to do this in different ways. A technique common in certain kinds of academic writing is known by linguists as a ‘hedge’.
2.8. Responsibility
2.8.1. In academic writing you must be responsible for, and must be able to provide evidence and justification for, any claims you make. You are also responsible for demonstrating an understanding of any source texts you use.
3. How to Write High-Quality Papers and Essays More Quickly
3.1. Sections and Word/Page counts
3.1.1. Intro 1 page 260 words
3.1.2. Lit Review 3 pages 780 words
3.1.2.1. Set smart goals
3.1.2.1.1. Who are the obligatory shout outs, experts in the field, seminal works etc
3.1.2.1.2. What are the gaps that my findings plug
3.1.3. Historical Context 2 - 520
3.1.4. Methodology 3 -780
3.1.5. Findings 10 - 2600
3.1.5.1. What are the sexiest findings in my study?
3.1.5.1.1. Get feedback from peers about what sticks out.
3.1.6. Discussion Conclusion 5 - 1300
3.1.7. References 3- 780
3.2. The Plan
3.2.1. Set a modest writing goal
3.2.1.1. 300-400 words per day is a doable in a busy life.
3.2.2. Set up a schedule
3.2.2.1. Attach the plan to a calendar
3.2.3. Stick to the plan
3.2.3.1. Get it written even if it is rough
3.2.3.1.1. "Don't get it right, get it wrote"
3.3. Let it go
3.3.1. Find 1 or 2 expert friends ask them if you have done anything totally boneheaded.
3.3.1.1. Ask for a 30-60 minute read, most reviewers don't spend much more time than that
3.3.2. Get your paper to 80% -- don't burn out. Send it out.
3.3.3. Give yourself a treat
4. Thomas Boswell 40 Paragraphs in an Article
4.1. 5 Introductory and concluding remarks
4.2. 5 will establish a general, human background
4.3. 5 will state the theory that informs the analysis
4.4. 5 will state the method by which the data was gathered
4.5. 5 for results I
4.6. 5 for results II
4.7. 5 for results III
4.8. 5 Implications of the research
5. 1. Think about your topic
5.1. What will you enjoy writing about?
5.2. Why will someone who reads this be interested?
5.3. Identify your issue or topic
5.4. What's your goal for this paper?
5.4.1. Inspire someone about your topic?
5.4.2. Specific grade?
5.4.3. Do your best work?
6. 2. Research
6.1. Compile some ideas
6.1.1. Consider starting an annotated bibliography. Zotero makes this very simple
6.1.1.1. What framework or theoretical perspective will you use?
6.1.1.1.1. Identify various theories you considered and articulate your reason for choosing the theory you chose.
6.1.1.2. Read and annotate articles in support of your position
6.1.1.3. Read and annotate articles that oppose your position.
6.1.2. Appropriate use of Generative AI/ CHatyGPT
6.1.2.1. 1. Thou shalt not use ChatGPT to generate content. ChatGPT (and other generative AI apps) use a preditive model to predict the next word in a sentence. If you use ChatGPT to generate content, it will always be predictable and recognizable. Instead, use ChatGPT to create "structure" — structure of a journal article, grant proposal, research statement. With the structure in place, half your work will be done. Now write your own content. Nobody wants predictable content. But everybody wants a predictable structure.
6.1.2.2. 2. Thou shalt not ask ChatGPT for citations or references. This is the deadliest of the sins. ChatGPT may generate fake citations to research papers that don't even exist. You regular reminder that ChatGPT may generate fake citations to research papers that don't exist. Instead, use Scite Assistant — an AI-powered app that gives you real citations.
6.1.2.3. 3. Thou shalt not outsource your thinking to ChatGPT. Thinking for yourself is the single most important skill in today's knowledge economy. ChatGPT can help you brainstorm ideas but it can't think for you.
6.1.2.4. 4. Thou shalt not use ChatGPT as a plagiarism checker. ChatGPT is a chatbot and not a plagiarism checker. An American professor wrongly assumed his student were cheating using ChatGPT. He also wrongly assumed ChatGPT was a plagiarism checker. He ran his students' assignments through ChatGPT and asked if it had written them. ChatGPT lied and said yes. The professor wrongly failed the whole class.
6.1.2.5. 5. Thou shalt not over-rely on ChatGPT. ChatGPT is a powerful app, but it has limited uses when it comes to academic writing. Here are 15 more AI-powered apps that you can use for academic purposes: 1. Jenni AI for Academic Writing 2. PaperPal AI Powered Personal Writing Assistant 3. Schoarlcy A persona reading assistant that creates summaries of research papers. Also gives hyperlinks to Wikipedia entries for unfamiliar terms. 4, ChatPDF ChatGPT for research papers. Upload a paper and start asking it questions. 5. Casper A Chrome extension that summarizes research papers within your browser. Also helps you brainstorm ideas 6. SciSpace One of the most powerful and versatile tools currently available for reading journal articles. You can ask your reading Copilot to explain difficult passages. 7. Lateral A unique and powerful app that helps you find common themes across multiple research papers — in minutes.\ 8. ClioVis Not an AI-powered app but still much better than many available tools. Helps you visualize connections between different ideas. Also lets you export your notes to an MS Word file. 9. Glasp Think of it as Twitter but for note-takers. Take notes on research papers and share them with likeminded people across the world 10. Audiopen Converts your voice notes into coherent and cohesive prose. 11. Consensus Unlike ChatGPT that gives you fake citations, Consensus answers your questions with references to actually published papers. 12. Evidence Hunt Answers your clinical questions with citations to published papers. 13. Search Smart A search engine to help you find the most suitable database for your research. 14. Canva Helps you create posters, infographics, and whiteboards. Recently launched "Docs to Decks" feature converts any document into a presentation in minutes. 15. Journal Finders A list of 9 tools to help you find the most suitable journal for your paper.
6.1.2.6. 6. Thou shalt suffer if thou don't take ChatGPT prompts seriously. Prompting large language models like ChatGPT is a highly valuable skill. Anthropic AI just hired a prompt engineer at a salaray range of $175,000-$335,000 per year.
6.1.2.7. . Thou shalt not avoid ChatGPT. If you haven't used it yet, create a free account to try it. Basic knowledge of ChatGPT will soon become an accepted social norm, like how everyone expects you to know about Google. You may not use it. But you will need to know about it.
6.1.3. Generative AI
6.1.3.1. ChatGPT
6.1.3.2. Bard
6.1.3.2.1. `
6.1.3.3. Merlin
6.1.3.4. Many More
6.1.3.4.1. Even More
6.2. What articles support your argument
6.2.1. Supporting sources
6.2.1.1. Use the most recent research
6.2.1.1.1. Many peer reviewed academic journals will not accept papers with more than 85% of references more than 5 years old
6.2.1.2. Brandon University Library guides
6.2.1.3. References
6.2.1.3.1. Books
6.2.1.3.2. News sources
6.2.1.3.3. Blogs
6.2.1.3.4. Supporting Data
7. 3. Structure
7.1. 5 Part argument
7.1.1. Introduction
7.1.1.1. It must attract the interest of a specific audience and focus it on the subject of the argument.
7.1.1.1.1. For academic writing it must be scholarly in tone and format. See APA 6th Ed Manual Chapter 3 Writing Clearly and Concisely/
7.1.1.1.2. Writing should project an image of an advanced scholar
7.1.1.2. It must provide enough background information to make sure that the audience is aware of both the general problem as well as the specific issue or issues the writer is addressing (for instance, not just the problem of pollution but the specific problem of groundwater pollution in Columbia, SC).
7.1.1.2.1. What is the context for this argument?
7.1.1.3. It must clearly signal the writer’s specific position on the issue and/or the direction of her/his argument. Usually a classical argument has a written thesis statementearly in the paper—usually in the first paragraph or two.
7.1.1.3.1. Thesis is based on a current theoretical perspective and is supported by
7.1.1.4. Often written after the paper is complete along with the conclusion
7.1.2. Position
7.1.2.1. What argument are you making about the theory you have chosen as your lens?
7.1.3. Confirmation
7.1.3.1. Why should your reader accept your argument?
7.1.3.2. What scholarly research supports my argument?
7.1.3.2.1. Peer-reviewed
7.1.3.2.2. Scholarly research
7.1.3.2.3. Primary and Secondary Sources
7.1.3.2.4. Do not include citations of tertiary sources like dictionaries, encyclopedias, or textbooks
7.1.4. Concession/Refutation
7.1.4.1. What are the other sides of the argument?
7.1.4.1.1. What other theoretical perspective could be used to analyse this issue?
7.1.4.1.2. How have opposing arguments been supported by scholarly research?
7.1.4.1.3. What concessions could you make that would not defeat your argument?
7.1.4.2. How do you refute other arguments?
7.1.4.2.1. Can you demonstrate that opposition is based on faulty logic?
7.1.5. Conclusion
7.1.5.1. Restates your position and provides observations about the theory from the introduction.
7.1.5.1.1. Does it look like the theory works? Doesn't work? Either way this is important information.