1. Academic Writing for Social Work
Session 1
Making the step up: The transition to undergraduate writing.
Viola Eidenbenz

2. How is academic writing different at university level?
unstructured time + workload
Independent study
time management
freedom + underlying expectations

3. Depth of analysis and critical approach
reading challenging texts
engaging with sources
positioning yourself
connecting theories + micro contexts

4. Depth of reflexivity
Critical approach
Different perspectives

5. Developing a more academic style.
Structure
Coherence
Explicitness
Formality
Expression
Terminology.

6. The first essay task
You are required to write an individual assignment demonstrating an understanding of the historical and political context of social work provision. You are expected to choose one service user group on which to focus and to consider service user perspectives and anti-oppressive perspectives for this group.
You should read and review some relevant literature in order to demonstrate knowledge of the context in which social work operates. You are encouraged to relate your reading to your personal and/or professional experience where relevant.

7. Unpacking the essay task
What exactly does the title ask you to do?
Why do you think you have been given this title?
History of service-user group: Why?
Understand the present condition
How it relates to social/political context
Reasons for change in provision: political?
ideological? economic? new knowledge?
technologies?

8. Essay task FAQS
Which service user group should I choose?

9. How far back in history should I go?

10. How much of the essay should be devoted to the history part and how much to the service users?

11. Can I write in the first person ‘I’?

12. Can I draw on my own experience? Isn’t this ‘anecdote’?

13. What about research methods?
Do I need to do original research / produce my own empirical evidence for this essay assignment?

14. Does it matter if I go over the word limit?

15. What does the word limit include?

16. How many items should the reference list include
How many items should the reference list include? Should I include everything I’ve read or just everything that I’ve referred to in the essay?

17. How is the essay assessed?
Presentation and Organisation
Coverage and Use of the Literature and other available evidence
Coverage of Issues and Discussion
Anti-Discriminatory and Anti-Oppressive Practice Issues

18. Module overview 'Making the step up':
The transition to undergraduate writing
The essay writing process
+ paragraph structure
Developing a critical argument
+ intro to referencing
Using sources:
Referencing and avoiding plagiarism
5 Introductions and conclusions
6 Paraphrasing + editing and proofreading
7+8 Review and tutorials by appointment
Report writing or reflective writing / tutorials
Project / tutorials
In sessions 9 and 10 we will focus on your projects.

19. One-to-one tutorials with a Royal Literary Fellow
30 or 45 minutes
Monday & Tuesday 10-4pm
Thursday & Friday pm
Register at the Centre for English & Academic Writing RHB204

20. Viola Eidenbenz