Writing from Research

1. Writing from Research AIDEN YEH, PH.D. WENZAO URSULINE COLLEGE OF LANGUAGES researchwriting2012.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/58821571/Researchwriting1.ppt

2. Writing is…communicating • Written word creates a public record of our knowledge, our opinions, and our skill with language • So we try to make it accurate, forceful, and honest

3. Writing is…demanding • It is a demanding process • Requires commitment • Discovering a well-focused topic • Finding a reason for writing about it • Choosing a format • Exploring resources through critical reading • Completing the writing task with grace and style

4. What affects writing? • The richness of our language • Our background • Experiences • Our target audience/readers • Form of expression that we choose

5. Writing is more than just… • Sharing personal thoughts • You need to explore complex topics • You need to find information • And present it effectively • You need to document the sources • You need to invest time

6. Research writing… • Grows from investigation • Establishes a clear purpose • Develops analysis for a variety of topics

7. Why do Research? • Teaches methods of discovery (interviews, observation, and experimentation), find solutions and synthesize your ideas • Teaches investigative skills (finding reliable sources) • Develops inquiry-based techniques (to advance your knowledge) • Teaches critical thinking (discriminate between useful information and unfounded or ill-conceived comments) • Teaches logic (make perceptive judgments based on logical response to your reading, observation, interview, and testing) • Teaches basic ingredients of argument (make a claim and support it with reasons and evidence)

8. RW follows conventions • Modern Language Association- MLA • American Psychological Association-APA

9. Avoiding Plagiarism • Citation • Quotation marks • Paraphrase • Parenthetical citations and notes • Works cited or references pages

10. RW Terminology • Evaluate • Interpret • Perform causal analysis • Definition • Comparison • Search for precedents • Testing • Discussion of implications

11. Evaluation • Establish a clear criteria of judgment and explain hot the subject meets these criteria • E.g. What makes a good movie? • Importance of a literary poetic verses?

12. Interpretation • What does it mean? • What are the implications of these results? • What does this data tell us? • Can you explain your reading of the problem to others? • Eg. What are the social implications of computer dating? What are the psychological implications?

13. Definition • Provide extended definition • E.g. • The root cause of breakups in relationships is selfishness. • This topic requires a definition of selfishness and examples of how it weakens relationships • 3 elements (subject, the class in which the subject belongs to, and differences between others

14. Proposal • We should do something • Practical applications • Calls for action • Advancing the thesis and support with reasons and evidence • Convince the readers that problems exist • Consider opposing positions

15. Causal Argument • Show condition exists because of specific circumstances • Something caused or created the situation, we need to know why

16. Comparison, Analogy • Compare two classifications • Analogy is a figurative comparison that allows the writer to draw several parallels or similarity

17. Precedence • Conventions or customs • Requires a past event that establishes a rule of law or a point of procedure

18. Implications • Explain findings • Arrive at conclusions • Discuss the implications of your inquiry

19. Establishing a Schedule • See pages 8-9