Using academic vocabulary II : defining ideas & integrating source material

1. Using academic vocabulary II : defining ideas & integrating source material Week 3 Feb. 2

2. Agenda • Integrating Data • Academic Vocabulary II • Defining and Naming

3. Integrating data • General guidelines for presenting data: • Present findings as concisely as possible, but provide enough details to justify your conclusions • You can assume your reader has a working knowledge of basic statistics (such as a 1st year stats course) • You may have to explain the more advanced multivariate statistical methods, such as repeated measures ANOVAS or multiple regression analysis • Graphs and tables take up space, so only use them if they are essential to show findings in a graphical format. • Information in a table should be summarized or discussed, so the reader should not have to look at the table to follow the discussion on the results. • You should guide the reader through the table by pointing out the interesting results in the table. • Interpret all your research findings; don’t leave it to a reader to try to figure out what numbers in a table mean (Kotzé, 2007, p 53-54)

4. Integrating data • Expected structure when integrating a table: • Location elements and/or summary statements • Highlighting statements • Discussion of implications, problems, exceptions, recommendations or other interesting aspects of the data. • In this example, the highlighting statements and discussion are combined. Can you identify them? (Swales & Feak, 2012, p 144) P142, 145 HO

5. Integrating data • Location statements that often follow a table: • Table 5 shows the types of…. • Table 6 provides summary statistics for… • Figure 2 shows a honeycomb solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) unit…. • Figure 1 plots wealth as a function of age. • To keep good connections, this could come at the end of the paragraph before: • The types of internet misbehavior common among university students are shown in Table 4. • …variables used in the analysis are provided in Table 5. passive tense is ok (Swales & Feak, 2012, p 147)

6. Integrating data • Consider language for highlighting something important from your data: • As can be seen in the first column,… • As shown in Table 1,… • As predicted by the model, … • As described above,… • As described on the previous page,… • As described in the previous section,… • Notice the prepositions • Notice the progression from specific to general in the language choices.

7. Integrating data • With highlighting statements you can: • Spot trends or regularities in the data • Separate more important findings from less important ones • Make claims of appropriate strength • Try to avoid: • Simply repeating all the details in words • Attempting to cover all the information • Claiming more than is reasonable or defensible (Swales & Feak, 2012, p 159)

8. Integrating data • Look at your examples that you brought to class, and find a table in each that is discussed. • Consider the typical three parts we’ve discussed: • Location elements and/or summary statements • Highlighting statements • Discussion of implications, problems, exceptions, recommendations or other interesting aspects of the data. • Which of the above does the commentary have? • Not have? • What is different between the examples?

9. Applied • Look at a table or figure in your own writing, try to identify the three typical parts: • Location elements and/or summary statements • Highlighting statements • Discussion of implications, problems, exceptions, recommendations or other interesting aspects of the data. • Which of the above does your commentary have? • Not have? • What would you suggest to improve? • Alternative if you don’t have tables in your writing: P166, 167

10. Break time! • Defining and Naming, when we return

11. Defining and Naming • Paragraph: Detailed definitions, such as in a dictionary or for a complex term. • Full sentence: A common general statement to develop common understanding, or can function as a hook. • Embedded Phrase: Embedded definitions can clarify terms but are not used if the reader should be familiar. • “The majority of corporate profits, or earnings after all the operating expenses have been deducted, are subject to tax by the government.” • Also signaled by “known as”, “defined as” and “called” Try a definition, either embedded or full sentence, with a term in your field (From Swales & Feak, 2012, p 65)

12. Defining and Naming • It is helpful to offer a definition in what conditions? • The term or concept may be unfamiliar to your readers. • You need to display your understanding for a course or examination. • The origin sheds light on the issue at hand. • There is lack of agreement or some ambiguity surrounding the meaning. (From Swales & Feak, 2012, p 67)

13. Defining and Naming • Consider P68-69 on the handout. • Consider the formal sentence definition also: • A solar cellisa devicethat/whichconverts energy of sunlight into electric energy. • Which definitional technique • have you used? • could you use? • are you unlikely to use? • TASK SIX (P.70) • TASK SEVEN (P.70, with the journal you brought) P68-70 HO

14. Defining and Naming—Acronyms • “In the last decade, tremendous strides have been made in the science and technology of OLEDS.” • The first use of an acronym, spell it out: • “In the last decade, tremendous strides have been made in the science and technology of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDS).” • Exception: if you will insult your readers or if the base term is so obscure it no longer applies • E.g. The data was collected from participants on a USB. USB stands for…? (From Swales & Feak, 2012, p 61)

15. Defining and Naming Suggestions • “Whereby” is commonly used in formal writing instead of “by which”, “through which” • Collective bargainingisa processwhereby employers agree to discuss work-related issues with employee representatives. • Avoid using “when” and “where” in definitions • NOT: Pollution is whenthe environmentbecomescontaminatedas a result of human activity. • USE: Pollution is a form of environmental contaminationresulting from human activity. N (thing) is when (time)… ≠ N (thing) is N (thing) = (From Swales & Feak, 2012, p 73)

16. Applied • We have looked at three ways to define: • As paragraphs, general statements, or embedded phrases • Also, integrating acronyms for terms • Look at the writing you have in progress. The first time you introduce a term, • do you define it in any way? • did you use any acronyms that should be spelled out the first time?

17. Reviewing • Reasons why articles are rejected: • The research does not make a sufficiently large contribution to the “body of knowledge” (i.e., to the literature) • The conceptual framework (i.e., the literature review is not well developed, lacks precise definitions or core constructs, lacks compelling theoretical motivation for stated hypotheses. • The methodology used in the study is seriously flawed (e.g., the sample is too small or the reliability and validity of measure are questionable) • The author’s writing style is disorganized or the article is not structured properly. • Where in your writing should you look for each one? • What should you look for specifically? (Kotzé, 2007, p 1-2)

18. Reviewing • The first three (contribution, conceptual framework, methodology) may be difficult to know if it is not your field or specialty, but advised writing style is that it be for “an intelligent layperson” • Later, we’ll also look at establishing a research space and establishing a niche, which a reviewer can help see if you have done.

19. Reviewing • Writing style: • Use expected organizations for your genre (e.g., journal, book review) • Be careful not to repeat the same information in different paragraphs or sections. • Aim for a concise style: Keep sentences short, longer than three lines if often difficult to follow; sentences with “and” can often be broken up • Ask yourself when reading: • Have I (or, the writer) clearly defined this concept/construct? • Am I making logical sense here? • Am I repeating myself? • How can I shorten this? • Listen to your reader: If a reader (any intelligent layperson) tells you it isn’t clear, it probably isn’t. • Their advice of what to change might not be the fix you need, but at least you can know something isn’t clear. • Connections, reordering sentences, or explaining might help. • Example reviewer comments: (1) comments/changes; (2) Editor • (examples are from Kara’s personal writing, please no judging, or reusing)

20. Homework • Bring two articles from a journal or database in your discipline, similar to what you are writing (hard copy or on your computer) • Consider glancing through this TheunsKotze article at the abstract and introduction guidelines

21. Workshop • Keep the same partner as last week • Use the same workshopping instructions • This week’s global issue to consider: • Integrating data • This week’s local issue to consider: • Defining and naming language • Two have signed up to meet me today.

22. If time (From Liu & Hansen, 2002, p 138)