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Academic Writing

Academic Writing. Jason LaFrance, Ed.D . . Essential Questions. What does good academic writing look like? What can I do to improve my academic writing? Other questions?. Good Academic Writing . Technically correct (adhering to academic conventions of APA 6 th Ed.)

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Academic Writing

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  1. Academic Writing Jason LaFrance, Ed.D.

  2. Essential Questions • What does good academic writing look like? • What can I do to improve my academic writing? • Other questions?

  3. Good Academic Writing • Technically correct (adhering to academic conventions of APA 6th Ed.) • Coherent in organization • Cohesive in structure • Scholarly in content and style

  4. Agenda • Intro - Patience & Persistence • Phase I: Planning • Phase II: Writing • Phase III: Editing • Closing – Q & A

  5. Intro Patience and Persistence

  6. Obstacles • Too busy! • _______ takes up all my extra time. • I will write as soon as… • Too depressed to write. • Too tired. • I have to read one more article/book. • Can’t get started • Afraid of writing because others will think it isn’t good. • I’m not smart enough. • I’m distracted by web surfing, e-mail, text messaging, etc. • I need big blocks of time.

  7. Overcome obstacles • Interrupt your interruptions • Document how you spend your time • Plan and execute • Chunk • Celebrate

  8. Priorities

  9. Phase I: Planning • Develop a clear purpose • Plan structure of paper • Broad to detailed • Cohesive and Coherent • Read widely • Identify the leading researchers

  10. APA Overview Formatting • Page layout • Tables and figures Stylistics of writing • Conciseness • Point of view • Word choice Citations • Plagiarism (and self-plagiarism) Sample Paper • http://owl.english.purdue.edu/media/pdf/20090212013008_560.pdf

  11. Cohesion and Coherence • Cohesion – elements relate to each other • Coherence – they make sense Ideas (sentences and paragraphs) should be connected

  12. What is the perceived technology leadership preparedness level of school principals as measured by their understanding of the 2009 ISTE NETS-A standards?

  13. Sample Layout of Chapters

  14. Phase II- Writing Execute the Plan

  15. Essential Skills • You are identifying and presenting complex ideas and arguments • Summarizing • Paraphrasing

  16. Making an argument • Provide clear evidence • Primary vs. Secondary sources • Academic vs. Non-academic sources • http://library.ucf.edu/Reference/Guides/ScholarlyvPopular.asp • Present both sides of the argument

  17. Transitions

  18. Phase III- Editing

  19. Conciseness Wordy: Suzie believed but could not confirm that Billy had feelings of affection for her. (14 words) Concise: Suzie assumed that Billy adored her. (6 words) * From Purdue Owl Writing Lab

  20. Think, Pair, Share (2 minutes) How many words can you say this in? Wordy: Our website has made available many of the things you can use for making a decision on the best dentist. (20 words) * From Purdue Owl Writing Lab

  21. Example How many words can you say this in? Wordy: Our website has made available many of the things you can use for making a decision on the best dentist. (20 words) Concise: Our website presents criteria for determining the best dentist. (9 words)

  22. Questions to ask yourself • Is each sentence complete? • Does the punctuation help or hinder understanding? • Are there too-many ideas in each sentence, or should short sentences be rolled into longer sentences for smoother reading? • Does each sentence connect with the sentence before it? • Does each sentence connect with the sentence after it? • How are new themes introduced? • How are connections made between ideas throughout the piece?

  23. Editing Writing Samples • Use Feedback Checklist • Sample 1 – Together • Sample 2 & 3 – Individual/Small groups * Note: Gradual Release of responsibility: I do, We do, You do

  24. Final Thoughts • Follow APA formatting • Develop an thorough plan • Read widely • Support for all knowledge claims using evidence • Concise, to the point writing style

  25. Resources • Editing software • Grammarly • Whitesmoke • Reference Management tools • Refworks • Mendeley • Endnote • Data analysis tools • SPSS • NVIVO • Atlas Ti

  26. Resources (Cont.) • Georgia Southern ETD Guidelines: http://academics.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/ • Georgia Southern University Writing Center: http://class.georgiasouthern.edu/writingc/ • Purdue Owl Writing Labhttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

  27. No Surrender!!! Royalty free image from: www.freedigitalphotos.net

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