ACADEMIC WRITING

Fereshteh Didegah Email: fereshteh.didegah@soran.edu.iq

November 2014Soran University, Faculty of Engineering

IS IT YOU?

Do Not Panic!

Today we will learn about academic writing, step by step!

“Academic writing is structured”

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What are the main parts of a research paper?

Introduction Body

ConclusionReferences

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Introduction Explains what you writeabout and how you plan to do it

Body A series of paragraphs, 80-90% of the paper. Gives details/ evidence to answer the questions

Conclusion Usually one paragraph, briefly summarises main ideas and shows you have answered the

questions

References List of sources you used (Harvard style is preferred)

A Research Topic as an Example

Suppose that your teacher asks you to research about: “The Impact of Facebook on Undergraduate Students in Faculty of Engineering at Soran University”

The Introduction

• The introduction guides the reader into your paper by grabbing attention and introducing the topic.

• Make sure to introduce your topic. Provide a brief synopsis of what your topic is and also remember to include your reference works in text.

• Remember to have a concluding sentence in your introduction.

Body Structure

Body may be consisted of:

1. Literature Review2. Methodology3. Results and Discussion

Literature Review

• Review relevant literature to the topic• Try to point out the gaps in the literature• Conclude with a short paragraph why you are doing the

current research? Is it in-line with any previous research work?

• Mention about research questions/hypotheses you are seeking to answer them.

Methodology

Methodology section comprises of:

• Research sample and population• Research method to conduct the research• Statistical/Mathematical methods if applied

Results and Discussion

• Answer the questions one by one• Discuss the results • Refer to the literature review when discussing

a result

The Conclusion

• The conclusion brings together ALL of the main points of the research.

• It refers back to the results and discussion.• The conclusion leaves the reader with a final thought and

a sense of closure by resolving any ideas brought up in the research.

#1 RULE IN ANY CONCLUSION YOU CANNOT INTRODUCE ANYTHING NEW!

Lecturer Expectation from You• It is important to give your lecturer exactly what he/she asks

for.An Example:

The impact of social media on undergraduate students

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Advantages Disadvantages

Facebook Twitter

Research Gate

Proof reading

• Proof reading is different from revision. Revision focuses on the content but proof reading deals with recognizing and correcting errors, punctuation, capitalisation, spelling and grammar.

• If your writing is in English, ask an English native speaker to proof-read your work.

• Even if it is in your mother language (Kurdish), proof-read your work few times or ask a second person to do it for you.

Referencing

Referencing is a standard method of acknowledging your sources of information and ideas that you have used in your assignment.

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Why do we reference?

• To acknowledge another person's intellectual work

• To make it possible for your reader to locate your sources independently

• To demonstrate your knowledge of your field and make your writing more trustworthy

• To avoid being accused of 'plagiarism' (using other people's words/ideas as if they were your own)

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Source of references

References can include a range of sources:

Journal articlesBooksConference proceedingsDissertationsGovernment reports and reports from other bodiesPatentsReliable websites/weblogs

Where to find sources?

• Libraries• Scholarly search engines (See Google Scholar)• Electronic databases (Science Direct, EBSCO,

ProQuest, Springer, …)• Open access journals (See DOAJ)

Google Scholar

Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)

doaj.org

Most Common Referencing Styles

• Harvard referencing style

• Oxford referencing style

• APA stands for "American Psychological Association"

• MLA comes from the "Modern Language Association of America”

Harvard Referencing StyleIn text reference: When you summarise, refer to, or quote from an author's work in your document, you need to acknowledge your source in the text. Example:(Levitt, 2013, p. 14)

In the reference list:If it is a book: Levitt, P. (2013) How are we to live? Oxford: Oxford University Press.

If it is a journal article:Levitt, P. (2013) Case study research: principles and practices. American journal of research, 25(6), 10-20.

Plagiarism

• Definition: Using someone’s words or ideas and presenting them as your own (Marshall & Rowland, 1998).

• There are many plagiarism software. The best used by universities around the word is “TURNITIN”.

How to Prevent Plagiarism?

• Quoting - use the exact words of the author(s). When quoting you usually place the words in quotation marks (“…”)

• Paraphrasing - putting the information in your own words

• Summarising - express the main points when it is someone else's opinion, theory or information.

When you incorporate the work of others in your writing you must always reference your sources.

“It is by writing, even more than by speech, that you actually master your

material and extend your own understanding.”

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Good luck with your academic writing!