Academic writing notes

Academic writing: notes

1. Lecture 1: Tool box
 We focus on rules 0-6
 Rule 0: define your terms
o What: opinion
 Saying -> information
 Information is not part of an argument
o What (conclusion) + why (premise): argument
 Claim -> a position
 Explain why you think what you think
 Explain, don’t proclaim
 Conclusion determines relevancy
o The more familiar you are with something, the less you will define it. Be careful for this!
o 3 worst problems for critical thinking
 Ambiguity
▫ Don’t allow others to use a different meaning in my statement, if they
misunderstand the meaning they won’t understand the argument
 Arbitrary
 Inference
▫ We want people to follow the steps we set
 Rule 1: identify premise and conclusion
o Best way to argue: find conclusion and premises to attack premises
o Umberto Eco
 Chess: game of reason
 A good paper should be like a game of chess that you already played and won
 Win = conclusion
o Conjunctions (and, a bit,..)= plural
2. Lecture 2
 Rule 2: develop your ideas in a ‘natural’ order (logical, reasonable)
o The conclusion gives context
 Determines relevancy
o Eco’s chess metaphor
 A game you played and won
 How did you find every move?
 Ideal audience: intelligent but uninformed
o Exclaim don’t proclaim
 Ambiguity
 Arbitrary
 Inference
3. Lecture 3
 Rule 3: start from reliable premises
o Fact
 Reliable
 Is best way, but rarely possible
o Plausible
 Reliable