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Success Strategies…

Learn essential strategies for academic writing, from developing a thesis statement to structuring arguments with citations and peer review. Understand assignments, generate ideas, and organize your work effectively. This guide provides valuable insights to enhance your writing skills.

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Success Strategies…

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  1. Success Strategies… …for Academic Writing ~~~~~~~~~~ Baccalauréat en administration publique et services communautaires --- Presented by The Student Learning Commons

  2. Success strategies at a glance…

  3. a thesis statement (or in science, a hypothesis) and/or a research question Most published academic writing has… sound, well-developed argumentation citations—references to other sources—to help justify and support the arguments. attention to concise and correct expression, along with uses of discipline-specific terms As well, much published academic writing is peer-reviewed to ensure quality.

  4. Understand your assignment • Take time to read and re-read the instructions. • Pay close attention to key words, such as … If in doubt … ASK your prof or TA

  5. Or you could start by expressing an opinion about the topic. Take time to explore and focus your topic You could start by asking a question (sometimes called a “research question”) about the topic. University students work way harder today than their parents did! Do students today work harder than they did twenty years ago?

  6. Other ways of generating ideas … TOPIC Review class notes and readings Making a concept map And  Just to see what’s out there … Talk to people!

  7. Get to know library resources Explore articles, databases, e-publications and journals, and discipline-specific resource links. …but don’t just check out stacks of books! SFU Library HELPhttp://www.lib.sfu.ca/researchhelp/index.htm

  8. Begin with a ‘working’ thesis Simply put, a ‘thesis statement’ is a reasonable assertion that can be backed with evidence. ~~~~~ Don’t confuse a thesis with an opinion, which is a belief that hasn’t been (or can’t be) proven.

  9. A ‘working thesis’ is an assertion that isn’t yet complete. It’s a work in process. A working thesis might start as a simple claim: “Research shows that post-secondary students work harder than any other demographic group today.”

  10. Don’t just brain-dump—organize! While reading, taking notes, or researching, use KEY WORDS to keep your ideas organized. ~~~ Record notes and citations using RefWorks (a handy library tool) or old-fashioned note-cards …

  11. A “bibliography” card… CALL NUMBER/ DATABASE INFO Full Bibliographical Info (author/s, title, publication info, year, page-range (for article or chapter), URL, date you retrieved URL … General summary of source (very brief) and/or exact quote

  12. A “note-card”… KEY WORD(S) Last name/short title of source ONE significant exact quote, paraphrased idea, set of facts, or concept from this source. Adding your own comment is good practice. + PAGE number(s) if applicable

  13. Support a structured position Assume you’ll need at least two (or more) well developed sub-points under each part of your mini-outline. Seek out opposing or alternative ideas…so your paper isn’t weighed too heavily toward one view.

  14. Formalize your thesis… Unlike a simple claim, a formal thesis statement incorporates logical relationships. For example… X because Y Although Z, X Even though Z, X because Y

  15. SAMPLE FORMAL THESIS: Even though being a student is usually considered easier than working full-time, post-secondary students are the hardest-working demographic group in Canada today because they typically work part-time or even full-time while going to school.

  16. You can break your thesis into parts, creating a rough outline Intro  THESIS Body Part 1: Profile of students 20 years ago: academics, jobs, economics Part 2: Profile of students today… Part 3: Workload comparison: students with similar age demographic Part 4: Analysis of comparisons and conclusions.

  17. The 1st C: coherence Make your INTRO coherent and engaging—so readers will want to keep going … Hook your reader with an event, anecdote, example, or question. Outline the main issue or problem you’re focusing on. Provide background or context. Present your thesis--typically the final (or close to final) sentence of the introduction (Note: describing what the paper will cover is NOT a thesis).

  18. The 1st C: coherence • Make your CONCLUSION count … • Avoid … “In conclusion”! • Bring the reader back to your thesis without repeating it word-for-word • Don’t introduce new evidence • But do outline further areas of inquiry, and/or suggest a sense of significance. Why does what you’ve written matter? What should your reader take away from it?

  19. …also means checking the overall “connectedness” of ideas … • Is my thesis clearly stated? Do all my main points develop it? • Does my paper answer the research question posed? • Are my main points arranged in a logical sequence? The 1st C: coherence

  20. On a finer level, you also need to check forconnections between sentences, such as appropriate transitions, summary words, and repetition of key concepts throughout a paragraph. Go here for some further strategies to improve cohesion. The 2ndC: cohesion

  21. Use the three P’s of revision P lagiarize-proof—acknowledge your sources! The library and the Student Learning Commons can help you learn more. For example, try the Library’s “do-it-yourself tutorial” on avoiding plagiarism.

  22. Here’s a sneak preview of two common citation styles… • What a parenthetical citation looks like: • APA (Volkman, 1998, p. 72) • MLA (Volkman 72) What a References (APA) or Works Cited (MLA) entry looks like: APA Volkman, J. (1998). Cruising through research: library skills for young adults. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited. MLA Volkman, John D. Cruising Through Research: Library Skills for Young Adults. Englewood: Libraries Unlimited, 1998. Visit http://lib.radford.edu/tutorial/VII/comp.asp for more examples...

  23. Use the three P’s of revision P eers—if possible, ask a trustworthy second reader to read your writing for expression, flow, or logic.

  24. Use the three P’s of revision • Check for usage and tone … • Are you using discipline-specific terms correctly and appropriately? • Are you writing at a level of formality that fits the assignment? • Are you using passive verbs or active verbs as appropriate for the assignment or discipline? • Passive/Objective (“The experiment was conducted.”) • Active/Personal (“As a child, I experienced racism.”) • Is your language unbiased, gender-fair, inclusive?

  25. Use the three P’s of revision P olish!— Use a spell-checker to catch “typos.” Read the paper aloud slowly and mark up problem areas. Keep a list of your problem-areas and their solutions. Use available writing resources to help you learn to edit and proofread.

  26. Use SFU resources…like the SLC The Student Learning Commons is your academic success centre! We offer free writing workshops and workshop follow-up a wide range of online writing resources one-on-one consultations (appointments or drop-ins) with trained peer educators assistance with learning, reading, and studying skills and strategies. services at all three SFU campuses Go to http://learningcommons.sfu.ca

  27. Any questions … ? Merci, bonne chance, and best wishes for success at SFU!

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