Graduate Writing Skills Strategies for Success in Graduate

Graduate Writing Skills Strategies for Success in Graduate School and Beyond

Session Content l Undergraduate vs. graduate level writing l New expectations: student and faculty l Approaching academic writing l Resources

Undergraduate vs. Graduate l Most notable change when writing at the graduate level versus the undergraduate: purpose of writing l Undergraduate writing: Knowledge Telling l Graduate writing: Knowledge Making

Prior to graduate school… l Papers were exercises in providing enough information to meet a page limit and a deadline Complete Calvin & Hobbes © 2006 Bill Watterson

Knowledge Telling l Papers typically l l l demonstrate the accumulation of acquired knowledge are directed at the teacher as the primary audience incorporate direct quotation and paraphrase rather than summary and synthesis include simple argumentation and some analysis reduce issues/topics to simplest denominators tend towards comprehensive, yet broad, reports

Goal in Graduate Level Writing l Papers are no longer exercises in getting a grade from your teacher; they are contributions to a body of knowledge and part of an ongoing conversation http: //www. cellbiochem. ca/publications. html

Knowledge Making l Papers typically l l l l enter an existing conversation are aimed at peers in the field are submitted for publication or presentation utilize summary and synthesis use sound argumentation and thorough analysis follow disciplinary conventions precisely introduce new knowledge and offer meta-commentary that positions the writer as a scholar/professional peer

New Expectations l Students responsible for l Navigating procedures l Initiating research l Understanding degree/discipline expectations l Conferencing with faculty/advisors l Managing tasks and project timelines l Establishing writing/research schedule

New Expectations l Faculty responsible for l Assigning course work l may or may not provide detailed, step-by-step instructions for a paper or presentation l Reviewing your work l may or may not offer extensive feedback l may or may not make corrections l may only review at pre-determined stages l Supporting l may publication/presentation efforts or may not offer info on opportunities

Approaching Academic Writing Audien ce “Flow” Purpose style organiz ation presentation

Entering the Conversation* l l Audience: peers engaged in a discussion Purpose: add to existing knowledge Organization: disciplinary conventions “Flow”, Style, and Presentation l l accomplished by utilizing rhetorical patterns common to academic discourse -ORThey Say, I Say, Tying it Together * Material on the following slides adapted from They Say, I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing

“They Say” l Start with what others are saying l “Her point is” – skillful summarization l “As Jones herself states” – relevant quotation One hallmark of writing well is the ability to enter an important discussion in academic or public spheres and clearly summarize others in order to position one’s own argument

“I Say” l Three responses: Yes. No. Okay, but… l “And yet” – distinguish their words from yours l “Skeptics may object” – include a naysayer l “So what? ” – explaining why it matters Your audience needs to know what is at stake in order to stay interested in the content of the paper, yet this crucial question often remains unanswered, alienating many readers

Tying It All Together “As a result” – connecting all the parts l “Ain’t so / Is not” – finding balance between a formal voice and your own l “In Other Words” – Metacommentary l Use metacommentary to tell your reader how to interpret your claims, as well as clarify and elaborate your text.

Feeling Overwhelmed?

Breaking It Down Writing is recursive and filled with stops and starts l Multiple drafts are to be expected l Identify sections of your project so that you can establish a working timeline l Work on smaller portions of your project l Draft every day/week according to finished length and deadline l

Go Back to the Basics

Resources l College of Graduate Studies l http: //www. utoledo. edu/graduate/ l The Writing Center l http: //www. utoledo. edu/centers/writingcenter/ l University Libraries l http: //www. utoledo. edu/library/

Resources continued… l They Say, I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein l Academic Writing for Graduate Students, Essential Tasks and Skills, Second Edition by John M. Swales and Christine B. Feak

Resources continued… l The most recent edition of the style guide mandated by your discipline, i. e. APA, MLA, Chicago, CSE, etc.

Thank You and Remember… l Be Proactive l Communicate early and often l With faculty / reader / advisor l With librarian / tutor / co-hort l Get organized and stay organized l Seek out and utilize relevant resources

Take time to laugh a little