Look at PowerPoints: Structure, Academic Language, Sources & Avoidable Errors for exercises
Introduction (31/01/2023)
- Formal, precise, concise (stick to the point), objective, and cautious (honest) language used to
communicate your ideas in academic settings
- Need academic language: precision, expectation/standardization, recognition and belonging
CUP= Common Underlying Proficiency
- Skills and knowledge acquired that can be applied in any language
Types of academic writing
- Academic writing: research papers, peer-reviewed journal articles, argumentative essays,
descriptive essays, summaries, literature reviews
- Grammar & Mechanics: Correct grammar rules, correct and consistent spelling
- Structure & organisation: Clear structure, readers know where to expect content, author makes
effort to connect ideas in text together
- Language & style: Formal/objective/cautious/precise/concise, word choice, author’s work
- Content: Author’s ideas supported by evidence, author’s ideas explained and developed
- Referencing: Referencing system used
-> Don’t: ‘’your’’ health, ‘’here’s’’
Peer-reviewed journal articles as preferred source
- Written by experts
- Checked by experts
- Long process conducted start-finish by the authors
- Don’t earn money
- Heavily conforms to the rules and expectations of academic texts (source provided, special
formatting applied, covers certain content, content is organized according to expectations)
IMRaD
- Introduction (introduction), methods (body), results (body) and discussion (conclusion)
- Logical structure for presenting info
- Helps: authors organize content, readers locate information, reviewers evaluate texts, adaptable
framework, strong structural foundation
Order
- Introduce topic (What is it? What is the problem? What is your argument?)
- Provide background information (definitions of key terms, what we already know about this topic)
- Your addition to this topic (develop our argument, break down counter argument)
- Conclude (restate argument, etc.)
, Structure (07/02/2023)
Purpose of structure
- Highlight your main ideas
Easy to find
Prominent locations (first and last sentences in paragraphs)
- Map your content
Highlight main ideas – easy to find, prominent locations
Identify keywords and definitions
Avoid repetition
- Allow for linear (or nonlinear!) reading
- Strengthen your argument
How and where to add structure
Coherence (whole paper, sections, paragraphs)
- The quality of being logical and consistent structured
- Larger structures
- Key question: does the organization help the reader understand the content?
- Buzz words: a text that is coherent is easy to skim (already know main ideas) and scan (know where
to look for specific info)
Cohesion (sentence to sentence)
- The quality of being united
- Smaller structures
- Key question: are there written connections to join ideas together?
- Buzz words: a text that is cohesive has flow
Coherence (cognitive representation)
Whole paper
- Research paper: introduction, methods, results, discussion (IMRaD)
- Academic text (essay): introduction, body, conclusion
Why?
Following established patterns gives readers a familiar and logical structure
Easier to read/follow
Structure = logic, what is the BEST way to present your content?
- Is there an expected structure for this content/section?
- What is the most logical way to present this content?
Funnel structure
- How it works
Broad -> specific
Most important -> least important
What needs to be explained first -> subsequent info
What will grab reader’s attention first (i.e. the problem) -> possible solution (i.e. RQ &
hypothesis)
- Where to use is
Introduction sections
Within subsections/paragraphs
Conclusions
Discussion sections = reverse funnel (specific info about your study -> broad implications)
Introduction (31/01/2023)
- Formal, precise, concise (stick to the point), objective, and cautious (honest) language used to
communicate your ideas in academic settings
- Need academic language: precision, expectation/standardization, recognition and belonging
CUP= Common Underlying Proficiency
- Skills and knowledge acquired that can be applied in any language
Types of academic writing
- Academic writing: research papers, peer-reviewed journal articles, argumentative essays,
descriptive essays, summaries, literature reviews
- Grammar & Mechanics: Correct grammar rules, correct and consistent spelling
- Structure & organisation: Clear structure, readers know where to expect content, author makes
effort to connect ideas in text together
- Language & style: Formal/objective/cautious/precise/concise, word choice, author’s work
- Content: Author’s ideas supported by evidence, author’s ideas explained and developed
- Referencing: Referencing system used
-> Don’t: ‘’your’’ health, ‘’here’s’’
Peer-reviewed journal articles as preferred source
- Written by experts
- Checked by experts
- Long process conducted start-finish by the authors
- Don’t earn money
- Heavily conforms to the rules and expectations of academic texts (source provided, special
formatting applied, covers certain content, content is organized according to expectations)
IMRaD
- Introduction (introduction), methods (body), results (body) and discussion (conclusion)
- Logical structure for presenting info
- Helps: authors organize content, readers locate information, reviewers evaluate texts, adaptable
framework, strong structural foundation
Order
- Introduce topic (What is it? What is the problem? What is your argument?)
- Provide background information (definitions of key terms, what we already know about this topic)
- Your addition to this topic (develop our argument, break down counter argument)
- Conclude (restate argument, etc.)
, Structure (07/02/2023)
Purpose of structure
- Highlight your main ideas
Easy to find
Prominent locations (first and last sentences in paragraphs)
- Map your content
Highlight main ideas – easy to find, prominent locations
Identify keywords and definitions
Avoid repetition
- Allow for linear (or nonlinear!) reading
- Strengthen your argument
How and where to add structure
Coherence (whole paper, sections, paragraphs)
- The quality of being logical and consistent structured
- Larger structures
- Key question: does the organization help the reader understand the content?
- Buzz words: a text that is coherent is easy to skim (already know main ideas) and scan (know where
to look for specific info)
Cohesion (sentence to sentence)
- The quality of being united
- Smaller structures
- Key question: are there written connections to join ideas together?
- Buzz words: a text that is cohesive has flow
Coherence (cognitive representation)
Whole paper
- Research paper: introduction, methods, results, discussion (IMRaD)
- Academic text (essay): introduction, body, conclusion
Why?
Following established patterns gives readers a familiar and logical structure
Easier to read/follow
Structure = logic, what is the BEST way to present your content?
- Is there an expected structure for this content/section?
- What is the most logical way to present this content?
Funnel structure
- How it works
Broad -> specific
Most important -> least important
What needs to be explained first -> subsequent info
What will grab reader’s attention first (i.e. the problem) -> possible solution (i.e. RQ &
hypothesis)
- Where to use is
Introduction sections
Within subsections/paragraphs
Conclusions
Discussion sections = reverse funnel (specific info about your study -> broad implications)
