Strategies for Reading the Literature, Filling the Page, and Finding Your Academic Voice

1. Strategies for Reading the Literature, Filling the Page, and Finding Your Academic Voice If you need to go to advising, my feelings won’t be hurt. Cellphone off? Thanks. December 2009

2. Objectives • Examine the relationship of critical reading and thinking to quality scholarly writing. • Review why audience matters so much to everything you write. • Share strategies for note-taking, annotating, and synthesizing the literature • Discover ways to find a comfortable scholarly voice. • Embrace ways to overcome writer’s block.

3. Purpose of Scholarly Writers Your job is to show that you know what you’re talking about, that what you’re writing is “true,” and that what you’re writing matters (i.e., “so what?” and “who cares?”). You can best achieve these goals by using doctoral-level evidence in the authoritative style and voice of a scholarly writer, all of which must pass the critical eye of your reader.

4. What does it mean to write like a scientist?

5. Job of a Scholarly* Writer To show—not tell—“the truth” to your critical reader through your mining of useful evidence. To distinguish useful evidence from that which is simply a crock. To present as objectively as possible all sides to this audience. *Scientific

6. Use evidence to show, not tell, the truth He was strung out. versus

7. Use evidence to show, not tell, the truth All day long on a bad day there is a knot in his stomach, a sour bow of anxiety that tightens and loosens and tightens again as the hours slowly pass. Sometimes it shakes itself free and flows upward to his chest so he cannot fill his lungs with breath. . . . By the end of a bad day, his stomach is a tight hot drum of gray worry and black bile. It appears slightly distended and he carries it before him like a volatile barrel of toxic waste. 64/91=70%[From “Body Language” by D. Schoemperlin]

8. Use evidence to show, not tell, the truth Exec Studies have shown statistical evidence that proves that, in fact, students enrolled in online programs do not earn as a high a salary after graduation, do more poorly on the GRE and other writing assessments Carillo (2008), in a comparative study of 200 students who graduated with an MBA from an online, for-profit university and a traditional state university, found that the students enrolled in the state institution earned $10,590 less upon graduation blah. Carillo discussed the limitations. Indeed, Smart (2009) noted that Carillo did not consider . . . Other evidence

9. Use evidence to show, not tell, the truth funda But the so-called educational reforms of the late 20th century, blurred by multiculturalism and muddied by relativism, have led to a curricular black hole that embodies everything and nothing. This is particularly acute in the public school system. Students in nonpublic high schools (which it’s safe to say often attract a less-talented student body) perform better in reading, civics, and history than their public school counterparts. • Bloom (1987) argued that attention paid on multiculturalism resulted in students’ lack of knowledge of the classics—and thus a morally relative view of ethics and values. . . • The Rhode Island Department of Education (2007) compiled data showing that private school students outperformed public school students in ~~~. Schmendrick (2008) countered that populations. . . .

10. zxzxz A lot of very important research has been done on the effectiveness of treatment programs for sex offenders. Jenkins (2005) examined blah blah blah blah. In his study, he blah blah blahed. His study found that blah blah blah. “The results indicated that blah blah blah blah” (Jenkins, 2005, p. 453). In a different research study that was done by Smith and Jones (2006), the authors examined blah blah blah blah. In this particular study, it was shown that blah blah blah. The authors blah blah blahed. The study examined 25 released offenders in a blah blah treatment program. The results, according to Smith and Jones, showed that “blah blah.” This study was important because the results showed what I just wrote. In a different study done by Roethlisberger and Ward (2009), the authors examined blah blah blah blah.In this particular study, it was shown that blah blah blah. The authors blah blah blah.ed. The study examined 25 released offenders in a blah blah treatment program. The results, according to the aubtors, showed that “blah blah.” This study was important because the results showed what I just wrote.

11. zxzxz Efficacy of treatment programs for sex offenders has been discouraging. De los Santos’s (2007) research on sex offenders at an Oregon prison suggested that known treatments used there were largely ineffective. That’s the assertion. It might be your opinion—maybe even your experience--that treatment doesn’t work, but you will show the truth of the assertion through the evidence that follows.Using the Celaya Likelihood to Offend (CLO) instrument, de los Santos found that inmates who had participated in prison rehabilitation programs were more likely to be repeat offenders upon release than were those who had not taken part in such therapies. Although de los Santos warned that his study did not examine all known types of treatments, the results did beckon those in the counseling field to reexamine assumptions about blah blah. A study of molesters in New England found that 81% of offenders had been through treatment (Quiles, 2007). Unclear from these findings was the extent to which successful treatment did not result in recidivist behavior. Only one study (Posner, 2005), completed in Alabama, suggested that only among Buddhist monk offenders did

12. Your Audience Is your cheerleader But is a bit grumpy Cares how well you show—but not tell—the “truth” Does not want you to just regurgitate the literature. Does want you to analyze, evaluate, compare, contrast, interpret, and synthesize the literature

13. A synthesized paper “…is an integrated, critical essay on the most relevant and current published knowledge on the topic.” – Walden’s rubric

14. What synthesis AIN’T: Common blunders Author A Author C Author B • Organization based on solely on authors, not ideas.

15. A synthesized paper theories trends B A C A C B methods

16. A synthesized paper theories trends B A C A C B methods • “…is organized around major ideas or themes and subconcepts of all aspects of the study.” – Walden’s rubric

17. Marshall McLuhan Alvin Toffler Everett Rogers Compare and contrast how theorists think social change takes place. Write Across Compare how theorists define and explain how social change takes place in an education system. Read Down Read Down Read Down Compare how theorists would bring about social change to integrate technology in educational institutions/schools. Communication technology as a strategy for social change.

18. Synthesis One section of the literature review might read: Zuckerman (2008) has suggested that X is true. Patterson (2009) has also argued that X is true, but has pointed out that the effects of X may be different from those suggested by Zuckerman. X

19. Synthesis Subtopic X is the main idea covered in these sentences. Zuckerman and Patterson agreed that X is true, but they disagreed on X’s effects. There is both agreement and disagreement, but what links the two arguments is that they both concern X. X

20. Evidence of synthesis “In line with these findings…” “The results of X are consistent with Y…” “Although X suggested ___, Y reached a different conclusion…”

21. Evidence of synthesis But synthesized paper is more than one that includes those synthesizing phrases. A synthesized paper should leave a reader with a HOLISTIC SENSE that the writer has conveyed his or her own new ideas, and has drawn on a chorus of support.

22. Evidence of synthesis Dude at Lansdowne residency Research has shown that the arts, when  integrated with other subjects, revitalizes  teaching and learning in schools (Darts, 2006; Gajda & Dorfman, 2006; Levin, 2008; Lynch, 2007). Barnes and Shirley (2007) identified that the arts can be used to motivate students to learn in all subject areas. Lynch also concluded that when the students learn though the arts, the whole child is developed. Reeves (2007), however, pointed out that a challenge policymakers may face is how to provide all students with rewarding arts experiences without reducing their other academic needs. One potential solution is to infuse the arts into the core curriculum. This process of adding the arts to the core curriculum is termed arts integration.  This is a strikingly well synthesized paragraph.

23. The Dinner Party

24. What synthesis AIN’T: Common blunders Two or more sources in a paragraph—period. The effects of dark chocolate have been found on mood (Hershey, 2004); namely, the more dark chocolate one eats, the more cheerful one tends to be. White chocolate has little effect on mood (Ghirardelli, 2005). Synthesis does not mean simply having two or more sources. Having more than one source is an excellent first step, but real synthesis isn’t happening unless a relationship between the sources is apparent.

25. What synthesis AIN’T: Common blunders Random synthesis words thrown in for good measure One reason that chocolate should be on every elementary school lunch menu is that it makes students feel good. Rita Dove, president of Dove Chocolate, agreed, stating, “Chocolate is the perfect end to a satisfying luncheon” (Hershey, 2009, p. 18). Use words deliberately. A word like agrees should be reserved for occasions when a real relationship is being explored.

26. What synthesis AIN’T: Common blunders Quotes upon quotes “Dark chocolate contains antioxidants” (Ghirardelli, 2008, p. 3); “antioxidants protect cells from free radical damage” (Oz, 2009, p. 27). “Dark chocolate can be incorporated into many snacks or meals” (Crocker, 2002, p. 22). Always ask yourself: are you interpreting quotes and furthering your own ideas, or are you just piling quotes one on top of the other?

27. What synthesis AIN’T: Common blunders Too much of one source Hershey (2005) has found that chocolate can boost one’s mood… Hershey (2005) has discovered a relationship between happiness and consumption of chocolate… Hershey’s (2005) study revealed that women eat significantly more chocolate than men… One source shouldn’t be driving your study.

28. What synthesis AIN’T: Common blunders Starting or ending a paragraph with a direct quote. “Potato chips are tasty treats but leave your fingers feeling greasy,” (Smith, 2005, p. 267). Potato chips are a favorite snack food among Americans (Wise, 1997, p. 23), but researchers have documented how they tend to leave your fingers, arteries, and intestinal tract with a Vaseline-like substance (Edwards, 2006). “There is a big problem for people who eat potato chips while typing on a laptop” (p. 19). “Another snack food with potential problems is the corn chip,” (Jones, 2008, p . 45). According to Wise (1997), potato chips are a favorite snack food among Americans (p. 23).

29. This sounds difficult. How can I stay organized? The synthesis matrix www.zotero.org

30. On Finding a Scholarly Voice

31. “The move from a structuralist account in which capital is understood to structure social relations in relatively homologous ways to a view of hegemony in which power relations are subject to repetition, convergence, and rearticulation brought the question of temporality into the thinking of structure, and marked a shift from a form of Althusserian theory that takes structural totalities as theoretical objects to one in which the insights into the contingent possibility of structure inaugurate a renewed conception of hegemony as bound up with the contingent sites and strategies of the rearticulation of power.”

32. “We are pleased to announce winners of the fourth Bad Writing Contest, sponsored by the scholarly journal Philosophy and Literature. Judith Butler, a Guggenheim Fellowship-winning professor of rhetoric and comparative literature at the University of California at Berkeley, admired as perhaps `one of the ten smartest people on the planet,’ wrote the sentence that captured the contest's first prize. Professor Butler's first-prize sentence appears in ‘Further Reflections on the Conversations of Our Time,’ an article in the scholarly journal Diacritics (1997).”

33. Finding Your Voice The suggestions by Shaw et al. (2007), as it applies statistically, further indicates that it is not that one theory cannot be concluded to apply to all women in general, but there is enough evidence to prove it should not be done (Livneh, 2000), and functional components of many of these theories leaves little room for maneuverability when such conclusion is drawn because of the way of life most of these individuals, especially when race is a factor (Spiegel, 1997).

34. Finding Your Voice The suggestions by Shaw et al. (2007), as it applies statistically, further indicates that it is not that one theory cannot be concluded to apply to all women in general, but there is enough evidence to prove it should not be done (Livneh, 2000), and functional components of many of these theories leaves little room for maneuverability when such conclusion is drawn because of the way of life most of these individuals, especially when race is a factor (Spiegel, 1997).

35. Finding Your Voice What Makes Nutrition So Good? Making good food choices is key to feeling great. Proper nutrition and smart eating build the solid foundation for the healthy lifestyle we all want. Eating a variety of foods provides energy, plus the basic essential nutrients you need to keep you looking and feeling your best. Many people eat when actually they are thirsty. Drinking eight glasses of water each day maintains body fluids and helps control one’s appetite.

38. Back of a cereal box. (1999). Golden Valley, MN: General Mills.

39. Finding Your Voice All you must do is show you know what you’re talking about and it’s “true.” Do so by letting the evidence do the work for you. A 2-yr low-carb, high fiber diet with 546 g per day of dried plums decreased incidence of obesity by .75 (p = .05) (Skinner, 2007). In a similar study Cuckold et al. (2008) compared reported weight loss but noted a 22% morbidity rate. Psychological effects included higher self-esteem and irritability. Adding 2 gal of water to the Skinner diet, King and Burger (2008) reported increased appetite control. The authors did not, however, measure ensuing urinary infections, which, as Visine (2006) noted, can result from excess water intake. Making good food choices is key to feeling great. Proper nutrition and smart eating build the solid foundation for the healthy lifestyle we all want. Eating a variety of foods provides energy, plus the basic essential nutrients you need to keep you looking and feeling your best. Many people eat when actually they are thirsty. Drinking eight glasses of water each day maintains body fluids and helps control one’s appetite.

40. Note-Taking Tips Smart people: What works for you?

41. Organizing Tips Inspiration.com or kidspiration.com

42. Writer’s Block Tips Tip 1: Stop trying so hard. Tip 2: Use PowerPoint to organize your stuff and as an outliner. Tip 3: You need not be perfect. The first draft can be pretty bad. Just write. That’s what the delete key is for. Tip 4: The paper. Not my paper.