Academic Writing Workshop Dr Robert Cote Director Writing
Academic Writing Workshop Dr. Robert Cote, Director Writing Skills Improvement Program College of Humanities Applied Biosciences Orientation August 25, 2017
Workshop Overview 1. WSIP: Who we are and what we do 2. English – The Crazy Language! 3. The Basics of Good Academic Writing 4. Tips for Better English Writing (Pitfalls) 5. Audience Awareness 6. Summary, Analysis, and Reflection 7. Formatting & Citing 8. Abstracts Defined 9. Editing an Abstract (Demo and Activity) © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program 2
WSIP History (1980 – Today) • Began as writing tutoring center for underrepresented, domestic, undergraduate minorities • Demographics have shifted to mostly international and/or graduate students • Served ~80, 000 students (individually and via writing workshops) © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program
Who are the Tutors? • Master’s degree or Ph. D in various fields • Provide professional* writing tutoring in all disciplines* • 10+ years of tutoring &/or classroom teaching experience • 5+ years of editing experience • High levels of intercultural competence © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program
Setting the Scene: Rapport, Respect, and Relationship • Rapport • Crucial to develop a connection with every student • Goal: Get to know you as an individual and your specific writing strengths, weaknesses, and needs • TASK 1 - Writing Fire Drill: I will show you a word, and you write whatever comes to mind in 2 minutes. The word is: • STRESS © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program
Group Activity 1. Raise your hand if you wrote a list of words or phrases. 2. Raise your hand if you wrote individual, unique sentences. 3. Raise your hand if you wrote a narrative or short story. 4. Did anyone not write anything at all? © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program 5
Who has ever been “stuck” when writing a paper? Source What are some reasons you’ve been stuck? © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program
Better Writing: Visualizing the Writing Process Linear Approach Brainstorming Writing Revising (Re-envisioning) Thinking First draft Organization Talking Content Freewriting Style Listing Grammar Clustering Outlining © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona, Writing Skills Improvement Program 8 Editing (Proofreading) Punctuation Formatting Mechanics Spellchecking Typos, Omissions
Setting the Scene: Rapport, Respect, and Relationship • Respect • We make sure that you know we value your writing. • We will never take away your voice. • We always say something positive about your written work. • Relationship • Tutoring sessions should be on-going. • Writing is a process that requires TIME and WORK. • We expect to see you many times over the next few years. © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program
WSIP General Offerings Academic Writing Tutoring Writing Workshops 1 -1 or Small-group Tutoring Writing Resources Fee-based Services Presentation Feedback © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program • Editing • Job Market Prep 10
30 or 50 –minute 1 -on-1 Tutoring Tasks and Topics Tasks • Language & Grammar • Punctuation • Organization & Style • Audience Awareness • Formatting • Citing & Citation Styles © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program • • Topics Class assignments Research papers Conference presentations Theses and dissertations Journal articles Abstracts Résumé/CV/cover letters (fee-based)
Main Office: Geronimo 800 E University 12
Contact Information Phone: (520) 621 -5849 Email: writingskills@email. arizona. edu Website: http: //wsip. arizona. edu © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program 13
Words: Little Things That Can Cause a Lot of Trouble! Number of words in the English Language? ~1 million Number of words in the works of Shakespeare? ~30, 000 Number of words an English-speaking, university educated person uses? Only 17, 000! (< 2%) © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program 14
Why does English cause so much trouble? 1. Modern American English contains words from how many parent languages? ~100 2. Inglsh iz naht uh funehdik langwij English is not a phonetic language. (The letters that we write do always not represent the sounds that we make when we speak) © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program 15
3. English is Crazy! © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program 16
What were his last few statements? A dreadful language, man alive I learned to talk it when I was five. But to write it? The more I try, I still haven’t learned it at twenty-five. And this is why we are doing this workshop! © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program 17
FANBOYS Coordinating Conjunction © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program Meaning FOR REASON AND MORE INFORMATION NOR NEGATION BUT OPPOSITE OR CHOICE or OPTION YET UNEXPECTED OPPOSITE SO REASON 18
When you connect 2 independent sentences (2 subjects and 2 verbs) with a coordinating conjunction to make 1 compound sentence, you need a comma. For: Maria speaks Spanish, for she was born in Mexico. (REASON) And: I live in Tucson, and I work at UA. (MORE INFO) Nor: Jon doesn’t speak Chinese, nor does he speak Arabic. (NEGATION) But: Jon doesn’t speak Chinese, but Sue does. (OPPOSITE) Or: I can take you to the airport, or you can call Uber. (CHOICE or OPTION) Yet: John studied hard for the exam, yet he still failed it. (UNEXPECTED OPPOSITE) So: I have explained the rules to you, so now you should understand them. (REASON) © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program 19
Task 2: Create 7 sentences using FANBOYS Coordinating Conjunction © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program Meaning , FOR REASON , AND MORE INFORMATION , NOR NEGATION , BUT OPPOSITE , OR CHOICE or OPTION , YET UNEXPECTED OPPOSITE , SO REASON 20
Writing Pitfall 1: Ambiguity Task 3: With a partner, discuss the two (2) possible meanings of each sentence: 1. I saw the man with the binoculars. 2. Free zoo animals! 3. We saw her duck. © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona, Writing Skills Improvement Program 21 Source
Task 4: Word Choice and Meaning With the person(s) sitting next to you, explain how changing something (verb, pronoun, spelling) affects the meaning of each sentence & its neutrality. 1. He has a dog. 2. He is a dog. 3. He is my dawg. © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program 17
Task 5: Phrase Order Make a complete sentence using all of these phrases. Do not add words. to get milk are using from cows but growing number robotic technology of farmers a small A small but growing number of farmers are using robotic technology to get milk from cows. © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program 23
Writing Pitfall 2: Misplaces Phrases Mary saw a box of puppies walking out of the supermarket for sale. According to the sentence, what is walking out of the supermarket? A BOX OF PUPPIES! What is for sale? THE SUPERMARKET! Task 6: Write 2 sentences without adding or deleting ANY words. You must change word order and use commas. © 2016 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona, Writing Skills Improvement Program 24 Source
Task 6: Sentence Rewrite 1. Walking out of the supermarket, Mary saw a box of puppies for sale. 2. Mary, walking out of the supermarket, saw a box of puppies for sale. Number 2 above is actually a reduced clause. What 2 words need to be added to make it even more formal and grammatically correct? 3. Mary, who was walking out of the supermarket, saw a box of puppies for sale. © 2016 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona, Writing Skills Improvement Program 25 Source
Writing Pitfall 3: (Dis)Organization The reader should never have to guess what you are trying to say. Six Common Organizational Structures Chronological Problem-Solution General to Particular Level of Importance Cause & Effect Compare & Contrast Specific Structures (previous publications, journal specifications, university and/or departmental requirements, etc. ) © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona, Writing Skills Improvement Program 26
Writing Pitfall 4: Wordiness Drawing on scoping interviews with hundreds of displaced Haitians, in-depth interviews with dozens of community leaders in Haiti and South Florida, and participant observation gathered during six weeks of consulting for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) during the aftermath of the earthquake of 2010, this qualitative and interpretive research explores the history of engaged public visual art in urban Haiti, examines local participation and language politics in reconstruction, and offers the multilingual and multimodal graffiti of one Haitian artist as a case study for challenging the existing foreign-dominated power structures through direct engagement with Haitians. © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona, Writing Skills Improvement Program 27
Task 7: Rewritten into 4 sentences. This qualitative and interpretive research was gathered in Haiti during six weeks of consulting for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) during the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake. It draws on scoping interviews with hundreds of displaced Haitians, in-depth interviews with dozens of community leaders in Haiti and South Florida, and participant observation. It explores the history of engaged public visual art in urban Haiti and examines local participation and language politics in reconstruction. Finally, it offers the multilingual and multimodal graffiti of one Haitian artist as a case study for challenging the existing foreign-dominated power structures through direct engagement with Haitians. © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program 21
Wordiness Warning Signs Common Signifiers… and what they mean. Redundant Pairs Using two similar words to emphasize the same definition Using two similar words to enhance a verb or noun Using words that don’t add any significant meaning Using vocabulary that is inappropriate for your audience Using a whole phrase to explain what could be better stated with one or two words Providing so much detail that your point is lost Saying things that don’t need to be said because they are already clear from the surrounding statements. Redundant Modifiers Meaningless Modifiers Questionable Word Choice Overstating Excessive Detail Stating (& restating) the Obvious © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona, Writing Skills Improvement Program 29
Wordiness via Overstating and Excessive Details Wordy the reason for; due to the fact that; in light of the fact that despite the fact that; regardless of the fact that; notwithstanding the fact that in the event that if it should transpire/happen that; under circumstances in which on the occasion of; in a situation in which; under circumstances in which © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona, Writing Skills Improvement Program Direct Because; since; why Although; even though If When 30
Writing Pitfall 5: Word Choice Use Google word check to determine a word’s ‘popularity’ Coeval vs. hermeneutic Use Find & Replace (eg: however) 1. Count words 2. Use Thesaurus to find synonyms 3. Make a list 4. Alternate words: • However, • Nevertheless, • On the other hand, • Nonetheless, • Despite/In spite of…, • However, © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program 27 Source
Knowing Your Audience Primary Concerns: Why am I writing? (Purpose) What am I writing? (Content) How am I writing? (Effective Communication) © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona, Writing Skills Improvement Program 32
Knowing Your Audience Secondary Concerns Level of Formality (age, gender, level of education, linguistic and cultural background, expectations) Design (charts, tables, figures*, equations) Citation style (IEEE, APA, AMA, MLA, Chicago) © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona, Writing Skills Improvement Program 33
Summary vs. Analysis What is the difference between a summary and an analysis? Video © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program 34
Summary Essay: What (Facts) 1. Restates the content of the text 2. Identifies the purpose 3. Does not develop arguments or claims about the text 4. If there are 30 people in a room, all of their summaries should be almost the same. © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program 35
Analysis Essay: Why? (Reasons) 1. Breaks down the components of a text 2. Asks questions and provides possible answers 3. Develops arguments or claims about the text 4. Use rhetorical strategies 5. If there are 30 people, there should be similar groupings (4 or 5) of reasons why. © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program 36
Reflective Writing Reflective writing is your response to experiences, opinions, events, or new information. It involves your personal thoughts and feelings, and it includes your opinion on something. Video If there are 30 people in the room, then I should read 30 different, unique reflections. © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program 37
Comparison Table Summary Who What Where When How many © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program Analysis Reflection Why Personal Reaction Reasons YOUR Experiences Ethos (Ethics) YOUR Thoughts Pathos (Emotion) YOUR Opinion Logos (Logic) 38
Task 7: Write 1 summary sentence, 1 analysis sentence, and 1 reflective sentence. © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program 39
Formatting Follow academic guidelines: Easy to read font style (TNR) and font size (12) 1 -inch margins all around Printed on regular, white 8. 5” by 11” paper 40
Citing Links to APA and MLA Resources Purdue OWL MLA Works Cited & Other Sources APA Style Crediting Sources Western Washington University Citing Maps APA Style Reference Examples MLA Style Center - FAQs for intext citations APA Style Blog MLA Style Center – FAQs general © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona, Writing Skills Improvement Program 41
APA In-text Citations, Single Author < 40 words “Quote” (Author’s Last name only, Date, p. #). “Quote” (Cote, 2013, p. 97). Cote writes, “Quote” (2013, p. 97). Cote (2013) states, “Quote” (p. 97). Cote (2013, p. 97) reports, “Quote. ” © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program 42
APA In-text Citations, Several Authors < 40 words • (Author’s Last Name, Date; ALN, D) in alphabetical order. • Several studies (Chaudron, 1983; Mangelsdorf, 1992; Paulus, 1999) examined the benefits of peer review. © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program 43
APA In-text Citations 40 words or more 1. Separate the quote from the previous paragraph by starting a new indented paragraph. 2. Do not double indent the first line! 3. Do not use any quotation marks! 4. Maintain double spacing and same font size. © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program 44
Sample In-text Long Citation This article presented classroom methods and strategies based on learner-centered approaches that develop college students’ analytic and communication skills. Curry (1996) explains, or explained the following: The participants were native and non-native English speaking undergraduates in a required course at the University of Boston’s College of Management. Several topics were discussed, including journal writing, timed free writing, and speaking. (p. 28) Using multiple topics allowed every student a better chance at demonstrating their skills in English. © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program 45
Abstract Defined Self-contained, short, and powerful statement that describes a larger work Components vary according to discipline Sciences: scope, purpose, results, and contents of the larger work Humanities: thesis, background, and conclusion of the larger work © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona, Writing Skills Improvement Program 46 Source
Abstract Defined An abstract is not a review, nor does it evaluate the work being abstracted. While it contains key words found in the larger work, the abstract is an original document rather than an excerpted passage. It is not cut and pasted from the Introduction! © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona, Writing Skills Improvement Program 47 Source
Parts of an Abstract 1 Motivation: Why do we care about the issue and the results? Problem statement: What problem are you trying to solve? What is the scope of your work (generalizable approach or for a specific situation)? Approach: How did you go about solving or making progress on the problem? Did you use simulation, analytic models, prototype construction, or analysis of field data for an actual product? What important variables did you control, ignore, or measure? © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona, Writing Skills Improvement Program 48 Source
Parts of an Abstract 2 Results: What's the answer? Put the result there, in numbers. Avoid vague, hand-waving results such as "very", "small", or "significant. " Conclusions: What are the implications of your answer? Are your results general, potentially generalizable, or specific to a particular case? © 2016 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona, Writing Skills Improvement Program 49 Source
Task 8: Abstract Editing Your handout is a real, 235 -word abstract from a Nutrition and Psychology journal. It needs to be edited/reduced by 10% to 20% to between 189 and 212 words. With a partner, take a few minutes to read through it, and start crossing off unnecessary words. Then, I will show you what I would edit. (-Edited-) © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona, Writing Skills Improvement Program 50
Any Questions? Robert Thank you! rcote@email. arizona. edu © 2017 Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona Writing Skills Improvement Program 51
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