1. ‛Academic writing styles’ has been developed by Vitae © 2009 Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited. Please refer to www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer for full conditions of use.www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer Academic writing styles

2. ‛Academic writing styles’ has been developed by Vitae © 2009 Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited. Please refer to www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer for full conditions of use.www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer Workshop objectives Discuss the general aspects of academic writing and the structure of an argument Consider the accessibility and readability of academic writing Develop a text analysis strategy for theses in their discipline in order to influence their own writing

3. ‛Academic writing styles’ has been developed by Vitae © 2009 Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited. Please refer to www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer for full conditions of use.www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer ‛To be a successful writer I know of only two methods; read a lot and write a lot’ Stephen King

4. ‛Academic writing styles’ has been developed by Vitae © 2009 Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited. Please refer to www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer for full conditions of use.www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer Content - original, sound research, timely, valuable, justifiable, replicable Selection - (WHAT is included, and in how much detail.) Focused, in sufficient detail that someone else could replicate Organisation - logical, following a conventional pattern for article or thesis Presentation - appropriate writing style, choices of words and phrases. Grammar, punctuation, spelling. Visually: does it look good on the page? Typography, layout, clear diagrams What makes academic writing good?

5. ‛Academic writing styles’ has been developed by Vitae © 2009 Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited. Please refer to www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer for full conditions of use.www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer Data SinceSince On account of Warrant QualifierClaim/conclusion So, Backing, Unless Rebuttal From Toulmin, S. (1958, updated 2003) ‛The Uses of Argument’, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Structure of an argument

6. ‛Academic writing styles’ has been developed by Vitae © 2009 Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited. Please refer to www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer for full conditions of use.www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer Michelle was born in Northern Ireland presumably So,, Michelle is a British subject Since On account of A person born in NI will be a British subject The following statutes and legal provisions… Unless Both her parents were born in Eire, or she has become an Irish citizen Data Michelle was born in Northern Ireland Question to be discussed - Is Michelle Irish?

7. ‛Academic writing styles’ has been developed by Vitae © 2009 Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited. Please refer to www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer for full conditions of use.www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer Research* suggests that influential papers are often more readable, eg Watson and Crick’s DNA structure paper Word can assess readability Spelling and grammar options Fog factor assessment Rule of thumb: shorter words and shorter sentences *Hartley J. (2004), On writing scientific articles in English. ‛Science Foundation in China’, 11(2):53-6. Accessibility and readability

8. ‛Academic writing styles’ has been developed by Vitae © 2009 Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited. Please refer to www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer for full conditions of use.www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer These are usually centred around: Author’s voice – first person or not Structure – eg IMRaD structure in science Appropriate language – phraseology, choice of words Discipline variations

9. ‛Academic writing styles’ has been developed by Vitae © 2009 Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited. Please refer to www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer for full conditions of use.www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer ‛The research is based on interviews conducted with respondents within the Nottingham area, mostly carried out in their own homes. Nottingham is a perfect location to conduct research of this kind…’ Extract from introductory chapter* What stands out? What influence does that have on your view of this thesis? *Thanks to the original author for agreeing to this usage. Copyright remains with the original author. Thesis extract

10. ‛Academic writing styles’ has been developed by Vitae © 2009 Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited. Please refer to www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer for full conditions of use.www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer It is part of your development as a researcher to: Analyse and understand the variations Be aware of the flexibility Balance them with your preferred style Tip: start drafting work in an informal style to test your ideas and thoughts. Make it more formal as you redraft. Understanding disciplinarity

11. ‛Academic writing styles’ has been developed by Vitae © 2009 Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited. Please refer to www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer for full conditions of use.www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer How many books/articles/theses have you read? How many of them impressed you in the way they were written? What were your objectives for reading them? Read a lot!

12. ‛Academic writing styles’ has been developed by Vitae © 2009 Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited. Please refer to www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer for full conditions of use.www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer In groups develop a template for analysing texts in your disciplines Consider: Macro level – whole piece Mid level – large sections Micro level – paragraphs Highlight key issues – any specific issues? Analysing style

13. ‛Academic writing styles’ has been developed by Vitae © 2009 Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited. Please refer to www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer for full conditions of use.www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer Prioritise the items in the analysis list that you aren’t clear of Focus your analysis of the different genres you have to produce on these: - Thesis - Journal article - The different building blocks of each What are you unclear of?

14. ‛Academic writing styles’ has been developed by Vitae © 2009 Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited. Please refer to www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer for full conditions of use.www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer Use the same analysis on your writing - On which features does it need development? - On which features is it already good enough? Ways to develop - Write a lot and get feedback - Writers’ groups - One-to-one consultations (study support) Your writing development

15. ‛Academic writing styles’ has been developed by Vitae © 2009 Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited. Please refer to www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer for full conditions of use.www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer Analyse texts as you read them - Your template - For readability Analyse your writing - Same template - For readability Focus your efforts and others’ feedback on weaker areas Wrap up

16. ‛Academic writing styles’ has been developed by Vitae © 2009 Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited. Please refer to www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer for full conditions of use.www.vitae.ac.uk/resourcedisclaimer Professor Jonathan Wolff suggests that academic writing is confined by conventions to be dull! ‛A detective novel written by a good philosophy student would begin: ‛In this novel I shall show that the butler did it.’ The rest will be just filling in the details’* *See http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/comment/story/0,,2161629,00.html Final thought