Academic writing Understanding your process, developing your
strategy A webinar with Prof Sarah Moore
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1. Introduction to this webinar. Academic writing - matters of
the heart and the head (5 mins) 2. Academic writing: understanding
your motivation to write (10 mins) 3. What is academic writing?
what are the shared features of academic writing across all
disciplines? what are the specific features of academic writing in
your discipline (15 mins) 4. The importance of analysing target
journals - abstract analysis exercise (10 mins) 5. Key lessons and
developing your writing strategy and targets (5 mins)
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Feelings about academic writing What you like about it What you
dont like about it
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Feelings about academic writing What you like about it
Opportunity to be original and to have insights heard Make
connection with other interested researchers/writers on my topic
Sense of achievement Immersion, generation of ideas, insights,
breakthroughs What you dont like about it Difficulty getting
started, making progress Sense of incompetence Worrying about all
the rules of academic writing Feeling constrained by genre Sense of
negative surveillance
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The writing process Pre writing Composing Revising Editing
Releasing
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The generic academic writing structure Introduction Background
Research methodology Results Discussion Conclusion
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Underlying features of most academic writing Whats the
difference between academic writing and other forms of
writing?
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Some key features Explication Intertextuality
Objectivity/detachment Rationality Critical thinking
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The benefits of freewriting Overcomes a sense of the reader
over the shoulder Digs into your real motivation and interests
Helps you to feel and become more creative and more engaged about
your writing Generates more ideas and more possibilities than
trying to get it right first time
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Mathematicians Writing In this article we report on part of a
study of the epistemological perspectives of practising research
mathematicians. We explore the identities that mathematicians
present to the world in their writing and the ways in which they
represent the nature of mathematical activity. Analysis of 53
published research papers reveals substantial variations in these
aspects of mathematicians writing. The interpretation of these
variations is supported by extracts from interviews with the
mathematicians. We discuss the implications for students and for
novice researchers beginning to write about their mathematical
activity Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 2000, vol
31 No 4: 429-453
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Mathematicians Writing In this article we report on part of a
study of the epistemological perspectives of practising research
mathematicians. We explore the identities that mathematicians
present to the world in their writing and the ways in which they
represent the nature of mathematical activity. Analysis of 53
published research papers reveals substantial variations in these
aspects of mathematicians writing. The interpretation of these
variations is supported by extracts from interviews with the
mathematicians. We discuss the implications for students and for
novice researchers beginning to write about their mathematical
activity Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 2000, vol
31 No 4: 429-453
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On the pedagogical insight of mathematicians: Interaction and
transition from the concrete to the abstract Paola Iannone , Elena
Nardi School of Education and Lifelong Learning, University of East
Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK Abstract In this paper we draw on a
16-month study funded by the Learning and Teaching Support Network
in the UK and entitled Mathematicians as Educational
Co-Researchers. The studys aims were two-fold. Primarily we
intended to explore mathematicians reflections on issues identified
in the literature as highly topical in the area of teaching and
learning of undergraduate mathematics. We also wished to explore
the conditions under which mutually effective collaboration between
mathematicians and researchers in mathematics education might be
achieved. Participants were 20 mathematicians from 6 mathematics
departments and the study involved a series of Focus Group
Interviews where pre-distributed samples of mathematical problems,
typical written student responses, observation protocols, interview
transcripts and outlines of relevant bibliography were used to
trigger an exploration of pedagogical issues. Here we elaborate the
theme On the Pedagogical Insights of Mathematicians as it emerged
from the data analysis. We do so in two parts: in the first part we
present the participants reflections on issues of interaction and
communication within the context of teaching and learning in higher
education. The data suggest that the lecturers believe that
mathematical learning is achieved more effectively as an
interactive process and recognise that lecturing is not a method
generally conducive to interaction. However, they discuss ways in
which interaction can be achieved and refer to seminars, tutorials
and feedback to students writing as other opportunities for
interaction that must not be missed. In the second part, we focus
on the lecturers pedagogical reflections regarding the abstract
nature of university mathematics and, in particular, the ways in
which teaching can facilitate the transition from the concrete to
the abstract. We conclude with a brief evaluation of the project by
the mathematicians themselves
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Common reasons why papers are rejected
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Reasons for rejecting by editor before sending out for review
Not relevant to that journals readers Does not make a contribution
to new knowledge in the discipline Does not meet established
ethical standards Poorly written Has not been prepared according to
the journals guidelines for presentation
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Problems with the research Paper describes a poorly conducted
study Research conducted was inadequate Literature review is
inadequate Paper has methodological problems The sample is
problematic Data has been interpreted poorly Analysis is weak Paper
duplicates other work / does not report anything new
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Problems with writing/presentation Too technical/contains too
much jargon Exceeds the word limit Carelessly prepared Badly
referenced Repetitive Disjointed
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Other problems Timeliness Space High levels of competition in
some journals Recently published a special editition on the theme
of the paper Publication biases
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Targeting a journal Experts in effective academic writing
strategies say: Do not write and then plan to find an appropriate
place for your writing - rather, analyse target journals carefully
and then write with the benefit of this analysis Get several copies
and scan recent editions of your chosen journal Read full
instructions for authors, check website and print off all relevant
author info Work out how you can mould your work to suit the
journals agenda Write to the editor with an initial inquiry
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Emailing the editor I am writing a paper on XXX which argues
that YYYDo you think this would be of interest to readers of the
journal at this time? If you get a response, reply thanking the
editor and letting him/her know when the paper is likely to be
completed. This relatively easy exercise does several things: IIt
externalises your commitment to writing IIt means that you wont be
writing into the dark, but that youll have a specifi goal in
advance of writers retreat IIt has the pragmatic effect of
differentiating your paper from those that are submitted without an
initial go ahead from the editor
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Simple mistakes that all of us make at some point Wrong journal
Wrong format Not following instructions Poor writing Getting
carried away with the discussion Suboptimal reporting of results
Inadequate description of methods Poor study design Failure to
revise and resubmit after peer review
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Keeping track Commit to keeping a record of the ecology of your
paper. (Versions, correspondence, feedback, reviews, ideas, changes
in direction and so on). This will become a helpful professional
development tool for yourself, and your students.
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Some reading: Writers retreats for academics: exploring and
increasing the motivation to write, Jounal of Further and Higher
Education (Moore 2003) Murray, R & Moore, S (2005) The Handbook
of Academic Writing: A Fresh Approach, McGraw Hill, London. Moore,
S (ed) (2009) Supporting Academic Writing Among Students And
Academics SEDA special
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Planning an intensive period of writing What resource material
do you need What data do you have to identify, gather or bring?
What can you do to enhance your focus on writing in an intensive
atmosphere What conversations do you need to have and with whom
before finalising and scoping your writing task Where does the
piece of writing you plan to do fit with your bigger writing task
and what can it tell you about the nature of your larger challenges
and activities?
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Your writing strategy Short term, medium term, long term? What
ideas do you most want to pursue? Are you familiar with the
structure and content of papers in your target journals? What
supports do you need to enlist to help you to find time, space,
skills to write? Who would you like to collaborate with? What
existing successes can you build on, or what quick wins might get
you started? What are your ultimate goals? What would a successful
academic writing strategy look like?
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Thanks! For more ideas on how to engage with writing, see my
UL40 talk on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm2lW43Q
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