Transcript Writing an Academic Essay.ppsx

Writing an Academic Essay
The Purpose and Process of Academic Writing
Some Parameters
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We will not exhaust every aspect of academic writing
We will focus on the overall process of writing an
academic paper
We will not focus on rules
We will instead focus on strategies
What Is The Purpose of the Academic
Essay?
The word “essay” is derived from the Latin verb “exigere”,
which means to:
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Examine
Test
Drive out
What could the purpose of an essay be given this
definition?
Other Purposes
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Discover knowledge
Make a point
Persuade the reader
Share information
Synthesis Information
Analyze a topic
Document your observations
All of the above
Think of Writing as a Step by Step Process
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Read and Research
Brainstorm Ideas
Develop Working Thesis and Outline
Write Rough Draft
Review for Content
Revise Rough Draft
Review for Grammar and Mechanics
Revise Second Draft
Continue Reviewing and Revising as Needed
Where Do I Get Ideas To Write About?
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Read texts related to your topic
Use brainstorming techniques like:
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Listing ideas
Clustering or mind mapping
Free writing
Discuss the issue with others
Research the topic
Reading a Text
Compare these two images about Japanese Concentration
camps during World War II. The first is by American
photographer Ansel Adams. The second is a cartoon by
Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel.
Contrasting the Two Texts
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Ansel Adams
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Uses photograph
Creates sympathy
Documents history
Subtle
Politically motivated
Captures humanity
Shows us the suffering
Emphasizes helplessness
Focused on the individual
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Dr. Seuss
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Uses cartoon
Stirs animosity
Used for propaganda
Exaggerated
Politically motivated
Uses stereotypes
Makes characters look happy
Emphasizes danger
Focused on the larger view
Clustering
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Write your main point in the center of the page and
circle it
As ideas come to you, branch off from the main point
Think of the cluster as a tree, each idea branching off a
previous idea
Do not censor or edit yourself
Cluster Example
Develop a Working Thesis
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A thesis comes at the end of the introduction section of your
paper
It lets the reader know exactly what overall point you are
trying to make
It should be specific, not general
It can be used by the reader and the writer as a road map for
the rest of the paper
It is not fixed; it can and should evolve as your ideas evolve
What you present in the paper should not deviate from what
you promise in the thesis
Establishes expectations
Thesis Examples
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Dr. Seuss’ propaganda cartoons during World War II reduced
Japanese Americans to stereotypes, played on the fears of the
American public during a time of war, and focused on a the
broad, generalized issues of the situation rather than the
individual circumstances of the people involved.
Developing an Outline
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Once you establish a thesis, use it to help you develop an
outline of the paper
An outline will:
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Help you organize your ideas
Keep you focused
Save time
Keep in mind there are several ways to approach writing
an outline
Outline Example
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Thesis
Main Point
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Detail
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Detail
Supporting Point
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Detail
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Detail
Supporting Point
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Detail
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Detail
Supporting Point
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Detail
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Detail
Supporting Point
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Detail
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Detail
Main Point
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Main Point
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Supporting Point
Supporting Point
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Detail
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Detail
Supporting Point
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Detail
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Detail
Conclusion
Writing the Rough Draft
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Now that you have a thesis and outline, you may begin
writing your rough draft.
As you write this rough draft, keep the following
strategies in mind:
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Organize information in your body paragraphs
Hook the reader in the introduction
Keep your paper coherent with transition words and
sentences
Wrap up your paper with a strong closing
Utilize academic writing conventions
Follow the writing process
Introductions
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The purpose of the introduction paragraph is to:
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Bait the reader
Contextualize your argument or topic
Provide necessary background information about the topic
Strategies to Bait the Reader
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Ask a question
Tell a story
Use a quote
Provide interesting statistics
Share an anecdote
Make a provocative statement
Give Context in the Introduction
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What does the reader need to know to understand this
paper?
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Historical background
Issues relating to the topic
Important authors and texts you will be referring to
Cultural issues
Why this topic is important or relevant
Start Your Body Paragraphs with Clear
Topic Sentences
A topic sentence:
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Comes at the beginning of a paragraph
Presents the most important point you want to make in
that paragraph
Is specific (or not so broad it would require a full essay to
explore)
Use Compelling Supporting Points to
Support Your Topic Sentence
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Supporting points are examples or pieces of evidence
that support the claim you have made in your topic
sentence.
They can be:
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Facts
Examples
Anecdotes (Stories)
Expert Testimony
Quotes
Observations
Statistics
Make Sure to Elaborate with Concrete
Details
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Once you have listed your supporting points, you can
now elaborate on them by adding details or explaining
what you mean further.
Example
Topic Sentence: Dr. Seuss emphasized the danger posed by
Japanese Americans during World War II.
Main Point: His pictures show a parade of smiling Japanese
marching down the West Coast collecting explosives.
Detail: Each box of TNT these cartoon characters carry
plays on the often irrational fears Americans felt toward
Japanese Americans after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
An Alternative: Using the PIE Formula
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Another useful strategy to organize information is to use
the PIE formula
PIE
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P = Point = The main point you want to make
I = Illustration = A quote or paraphrase from the text
E = Explanation = Your explanation about what the quote or
paraphrase means
Use Transitions to Create Coherence
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Use transition words or sentences to bridge ideas so the
reader does not get confused
First
Second
In addition
Nevertheless
In contrast
Furthermore
Therefore
Etc.
Strategies for a Conclusion
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Re-state your thesis statement in a different way
Make a strong closing comment
Use any of the strategies for the introduction
Wrap up the paper with a neat bow tie
Academic Conventions: Things to Avoid
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Avoid use personal pronouns like “I”, “We”, and “You”.
Avoid not use contractions like “isn’t”, “they’re”, “wasn’t”,
etc.
Avoid slang
Avoid a personal tone
Avoid vague ideas
Avoid plagiarism
Academic Conventions: Things to Do
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Do address both sides of an argument
Do cite your sources
Do use a formal tone
Do take a stand
Do use concrete details
Do give yourself time to develop your paper
Remember, Writing is a Process
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Every writing assignment is practice for the next one
Writing takes time
Go through every step of the process
Focus on your ideas first
Focus on grammar and spelling last
Get feedback from a peer, instructor, or tutor