1. GET AHEAD UNDERGRADUATE SUMMER PROGRAMME 2014
Reading and writing for academic purposes
Sara Steinke

2. Aims of the session Reading for academic purposes
- coping with the large amount of reading
expected of you
- increasing your understanding of the reading
- understanding your reading lists
Writing for academic purposes
- what makes English academic
- the style and conventions of academic
writing

3. Common problems students encounter when reading for academic purposes
What is meant by reading for academic purposes - are you a smart reader
Reading skills for academic purposes - SQ3R
Understanding reading lists and the library catalogue
Writers are not authorities. They are participants in a public exchange of views. Be critical of their work.

4. Common difficulties with reading
These are some common difficulties mentioned
by undergraduate students. Which of them apply to
you?
I read the words on the page but am not taking them in.
I spend too much or too little time on the reading.
I have difficulty expressing what I have read in my own words.
I simply do not understand the material.
I find the language used too complicated.
I can not remember everything I read.
I find the amount of reading overwhelming.

6. Academic reading Non academic reading
Reader is:
active
selective and interacts with the reading material
has a particular question in mind
re-reads with a purpose
Reader is:
passive
reads from page one till the end
does not ask questions
expects the author to guide them through the narrative

7. Survey - before you read, survey the entire text, including the table of contents. Read titles, subtitles, introductions and conclusions and review any graphics.
Question - write questions for the key points you have identified. Turn heading and subheadings into questions. Ask who, what, where, when and why.
Read - read through the text from beginning to end, pausing at the end of each section to answer the questions you have created. Highlight key points in the text as you read, or make brief notes.
Recite - answer the questions out loud to reinforce your learning. Make a list of key facts you need to know. Try to stop after each section in the text.
Review - reviewing the concepts in the text after you are finished reading and reciting each section, and come back to it periodically over a few days. Summarise difficult passages and rewrite the major points in your own words.

8. Scanning Skimming To get a general idea of the text
See what is in the news or on a website
Browse through a book to see if you what to read it
Look through a television guide to see what is on one evening
Flick through a catalogue to see what is on offer
Look through the options on a Google search to see what sites it suggests
To get particular information from a text
Look up a word in an index or dictionary
Find a phone number or address in a directory
Check what time a television programmes is on
Look up details and prices in a catalogue
Pick out a website you want from a Google search

9. Reading
Can you:
select and use different reading strategies (e.g. skim, scan, in-depth)?
think about what you need to find out before you start reading (are you reading to verify facts, to understand a subject in general or to analyse a particular argument)?
critically evaluate reading?
deal with new vocabulary?

10. Useful sources (for reading)
Cottrell, S. (2008) The Study Skills Handbook, 3rd
ed., (London, Macmillan) Chapter 6 ‘Research
skills’ pp
Northedge, A. (2005) The Good Study Guide
(Milton Keynes, Open University Press) chapter 5
‘Reading’ pp

11. Reading lists
Lecturers give out lists of recommended resources to help you gain a greater understanding of your subject
Use the reading list as your first ‘port of call’ for a topic
These lists include references to:
- books
- sections of books/chapters
- journal articles
- web sites

12. Understanding book references
Author’s name (surname first)
Date of publication
Title of book, edition if appropriate
Place of publication
Publisher

13. Understanding journal article references
Author’s name (surname first)
Date of publication
Title of the article
Name of the journal
Volume
Issue
Page numbers

14. Understanding web sources references
Author’s name or company/organization name
Date document was produced or updated
Title of the document
URL (web site address)
Date you accessed the web site
Birkbeck Library (2012) Birkbeck eLibrary.
(Accessed: 25
June 2012)

15. Citing references: why?
To acknowledge the use of other people’s work
To avoid plagiarism
So those that read your essays can see how widely you have read
So those that read your work can see what influenced you to draw the conclusions you did

16. Citing references: how?
List all the resources that you have read or consulted at the end of your essay in a bibliography
List the resources in alphabetical order of surname
There are different ‘styles’ of citing references - be consistent
Check your course handbook for your department’s preferred style

17. The Library catalogue This information includes: Use the catalogue to
Publication details
Shelf mark (location)
Number of copies
Loan length
Availability OR
Link to access ebook
Use the catalogue to
find information
about:
books
ebooks
DVDs
print journals
ejournals - access via eLibrary

18. Library and IT skills Can you:
use the library catalogue and online database efficiently and effectively?
undertake research, both primary and secondary?
produce documents (essays, dissertations, reports) using Word and Excel?

19. Useful sources (for library)
Pears, R. and Shields, G. (2013) Cite them right:
the essential referencing guide. 9th ed.
Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
list

20. Why do you think writing gives students the most anxiety?
They have not written an essay in a long time.
They do not know what an academic essay looks like.
They miss deadlines as a result of poor time management.
They have no idea why they are writing an essay.
Answer: A, B, C and D

21. Importance of academic English for undergraduate study
What makes English academic
Check your academic English

22. “In my experience the most important thing is to write the
way they want. You can write all kinds of stuff you know
about, but you don’t get good marks unless you write it
the proper way.”
Deepens your learning
Develops your writing skills
Doing yourself justice
Enables the reader to understand your point of view
Strengthens your powers of self-expression
Major medium through which your progress is assessed
Northedge, A. The Good Study Guide

23. What is academic English?
What makes spoken or written
English ‘academic’ is not the
ideas, but the way the
ideas are
presented - in a logical order,
with evidence to support them,
objectively and
expressed - using formal
language, using specialist
vocabulary, using words and
phrases that are expected in
writing at university
Definitions ‘academy’ = place of study, university ‘academic’ = doing things they way they are done in the Academy ‘academic writing’ = writing in the way that is expected of people at university

24. In a logical order start with a plan
jot down any ideas that you have as you think of them
group your ideas about the same point together and present them in the same paragraph
start each paragraph with a sentence that shows what you are going to write about in that paragraph - the topic sentence
put your points in order so that they follow on from each other
develop the main idea in the topic sentence with your other points

25. With evidence read and make notes from different sources
use sources that are reliable and/or
recommended to you
make notes of where different writers agree or disagree so that you can compare different views
remember that things are usually more grey than black and white

26. Objectively make suggestions, not strongly emotional comments
avoid stating your personal opinion
do not involve the reader directly by asking questions

27. Use formal language write in full sentences
do not use abbreviations or contractions
use impersonal forms (not the first person ‘I’)
no slang or colloquial expressions

28. Use specialist vocabulary
check the meaning of specialist terms in your subject
note examples of how these terms are used in the books and articles that you read
do not use terms that you do not understand

29. Use words and phrases that are expected
academic writers are expected to be cautious e.g. ‘this suggests ...’, ‘this might explain ...’
readers expect phrases that act as signposts to guide them through the text
– additional information
e.g. ‘furthermore ...’, ‘moreover ...’, ‘in addition ...’
– to move to specific examples
e.g. ‘for instance ...’, ‘as an illustration ...’

30. How to annoy your lecturers
Using apostrophes wrongly
Confusing common words, for example there/their
Making spelling errors
Using informal language
Writing sentences without verbs
Making every sentence a paragraph
Not using paragraphs
Writing long convoluted sentences
Trying to write too pompously
Using run-on sentences/comma splices
A group of lecturers
from different
subjects were asked
what really annoyed
them about
students’ grammar
and language . . .

31. Check your academic English skills at
CheckyouracademicEnglishskills.pptx/view
get-ready-to-study-at-birkbeck
Grammar
Vocabulary
Punctuation
Spelling
Academic style

32. Academic writing: conventions (1)
Do not use contractions or slang
Use the terminology of your field
Avoid the first (‘I’) and second person (‘you’)
Define key terms you use in a particular way
Include only ideas that are relevant to your argument and subject
Limit ideas to one per sentence/single point for each paragraph

33. Academic writing: conventions (2)
Use formal style
Writing style does not have to be complicated /elaborate
Be well organised and present ideas in logical order
Present objective analysis that is critical without
being too positive or negative, be cautious
Use clear, precise language
Avoid emotive language

34. Academic writing: conventions (3)
Be kind to your reader - give reader clues (transition words, summaries) to let them know where they are in your argument
Use subheadings and sections, where appropriate
Cite relevant sources
Explain, not just describe
Use quotes, examples
Establish clear connections between ideas

35. Quick quiz What is wrong with this piece of critical writing
Quick quiz What is wrong with this piece of critical writing? (Cottrell 2008: 209)
Mount Pepe is going up - it’s going to take everything with it when it goes. And I mean everything - villages, farms, trees, the lot. It’s frightening to think of how powerful a volcano can be. Think of the damage they cause! Remember Pompeii and Mount Etna!

36. What is right with this piece of critical writing? (Cottrell 2008: 209)
In order to assess whether it is necessary to evacuate the villages on Mount Pepe, three main factors need to be taken into consideration. The first, and most important, of these is the element of safety. According to seismic experts currently working on the volcano, there is likely to be a major eruption within the next ten years (Achebe 2007). According to Achebe, the eruption is likely to destroy villages over a radius of 120 miles (Achebe 2008, p.7).

37. Writing Can you: express your ideas clearly in written form?
make an outline of what you are going to write?
write in clear sentences and paragraphs?
link your ideas in a logical order?
use correct grammar?
develop your own argument?
identify your audience and write in an appropriate register?

38. Useful reading for academic writing
Cottrell, S. (2008) The Study Skills Handbook (3rd edition) (Palgrave
Macmillan, London) chapter 8 ‘Writing for university’ and chapter 9
‘Developing your writing’
Crème, P. (1997) Writing at University (Open University Press, Milton Keynes)
Greetham, B. (2008) How to write better essays (2nd edition) (Palgrave
Macmillan, London)
Northedge, A. (2007) The Good Study Guide (Open University Press, Milton
Keynes) chapter 10 ‘Writing the way ‘they’ want’ and chapter 11 ‘Managing
the writing process’
Peck, J. & Coyle, M. (2005) Write it Right: A Handbook for Students (Palgrave
Redman P (2001) Good Essay Writing (Sage, London)
Rose, J. (2007) The Mature Students Guide to Writing (2nd edition)
(Basingstoke, Palgrave)

39. Useful websites for academic writing
Get ahead Stay ahead interactive tutorials
Website supporting the Palgrave MacMillan
study skills books
Useful listening

40. Recap of the session Reading for academic purposes
- coping with the large amount of reading
expected of you
- increasing your understanding of the reading
- understanding your reading lists
Writing for academic purposes
- what makes English academic
- the style and conventions of academic
writing

41. Presentations can be found at
ntation/get-ready-to-study-at-birkbeck

42. and effective note making go hand-in-hand
Common problems students encounter when note making for academic purposes
Difference between note taking and note making
Note making skills for undergraduate study -linear notes, mind mapping
Active reading (SQ3R)
and effective note making go hand-in-hand

43. Common difficulties with notes
These are some common difficulties mentioned
by students. Which of them apply to you?
I try to take down everything that is said/on the
PowerPoint presentation in lectures.
2. I am unsure what the purpose of note-taking is.
3. I am uncertain about how many notes to take.
4. I am unsure what to make notes on.
5. I do not take time to organise my notes so that I can retrieve them later on.
6. I only know one way for note-taking.

44. Note taking is when you are taking notes on material in class; on what a speaker is saying; on what is happening around you. Note making is when you make notes on your thoughts; things you think you should study for, or remember; your own individual thoughts or information that you recall, and want to write down to remember or study.
What is the difference between note taking and note making?

45. Techniques for linear, sequential notes
Make headings and subheadings
List key words
Number the points
Underline, colour, use capital letters for emphasis
Use abbreviations. Examples: = for equal, < less than, > more than, increase, decrease, re regarding, cf compared with
Only use one side of a page in case you want to add more
Note name of authors you want/need to read in margin

46. Techniques for radial, concept notes or mind maps
Turn the paper sideways, A3 landscape
Write the topic in the centre of the page
Write related ideas around this centre
Add secondary ideas to the main ideas
Link up these ideas to show relationships
Use colours, different line thickness, symbols, pictures
Add details to points as you go along

47. Condensing notes
‘Boil’ notes down to essential information. This is often easier to do a few weeks later, because your understanding of the subject has increased. You can see more clearly what is important information and what is not.
Note gaps knowledge, confusions and contradictions in the reading or your knowledge
Move from linear notes to conceptual notes (linear notes to mind maps)

48. Organising and storing your notes
By systematic from the beginning
Make sure you can (re)read them before filing them away - but do not rewrite them ‘neatly’
Condensed notes can be copied and filed in at least two different ways:
- chronological order (as you go along)
- topic order (e.g. in anticipation of an assignment)
- personal interest (for your own research later?)
Write subject clearly in top right hand corner; number pages; colour code them; index cards

49. Note making Can you: make effective notes when reading?
make effective notes when listening (e.g. during lectures)?
use more than one note making technique?
do you have a way of organising your notes?

50. Useful sources (for note making)
Cottrell, S. (2008) The Study Skills Handbook, 3rd ed., (London,
Macmillan) chapter 6 ‘Research skills’ pp
Northedge, A. (2005) The Good Study Guide (Milton Keynes, Open
University Press) chapter 6 ‘Making notes’ pp
Buzan T. (rev. 2003) Use Your Head (London, BBC)
Buzan, T. & B. (rev. 2006) The Mind Map Book (London, BBC )
Buzan T. (2007) The Buzan Study Skills Handbook (London, BBC)
ahead/skills/notetaking