Advice on academic writing.

1. Advice On Academic
Writing
Subject: Language and Written Expression 4
Institute: ISFD Nº41
Teacher: Saubidet Oyhamburu, Stella Maris
Student: Veltri, Jimena

2. General Advice On Academic
Essay-Writing
● An essay should have an ARGUMENT
● It should answer A QUESTION or A FEW QUESTIONS
● It should try to prove something by REASONING and
EVIDENCE
● It develops a THESIS
● It should be designed to present your argument clearly
and persuasively

3. Understanding Essay Topics: Steps
to help you along
● Note the Key Terms: Those naming parts of the topic and those giving
directions for dealing with it.
● Note which Concepts or Methods: The topic asks you to use. An essay
assignment expects you to use course concepts and ways of thinking; it
encourages you to break new ground for yourself in applying course
methodology.
● Ask Your self Questions: About the specific topic in terms of the concepts or
methods that seem applicable. Looking for controversies in the material will
also help you find things worth discussing.
● Tentative Thesis Statements: At a fairly early stage—that is, a statement of
your own likely position in the controversy that most interests you, or your
preliminary answer to an important interpretive question. It will help focus your
investigation.

4. Organization
● First you must know what kind of essay you will
be writing, does it belong to a specific genre?
● Most university essays are argumentative, and
there is no set pattern for the shape of an
argumentative essay
● Create an essay outline in order to organize your
ideas, this will help to keep you on track.
● You must be prepared to come up with whatever
essay structure helps you to convince your
reader of the validity of your position. You must
be flexible and rely on your wits.

5. Thesis Statements
● Summery statement is usually expected in order
to reflect you position. It comes in the first
paragraph.
● It should explain and give evidence for its claim
● It should capture the readers attention.
● Avoid being vague and emotional
● It should be written objectively based on proven
facts

6. Introduction and Conclusion
Introductions and conclusions play a very
important role in the academic essay.
● A good introduction should identify your topic,
provide essential context, and indicate your
particular focus in the essay while also capturing
your readers attention.
● A strong conclusion will provide a sense of
closure to the essay while again placing your
concepts in a somewhat wider context.

7. Paragraphs
● Its a series of related sentences developing a
central idea, called the topic.
● They should be unified
● They are similar to mini thesis statements, they
have a specific main point

8. Ways to Develop The Paragraphs
● Illustration Paragraph: Supports a general statement by
means of examples, details, or relevant quotations.
● Definition Paragraph: Defines a term, often by drawing
distinctions between the term and other related ones.
● Analysis or Classification Paragraph: Develops a topic by
distinguishing its component parts and discussing each of
these parts separately.
● Comparison or Contrast Paragraph: Compares two sources,
positions or ideas.
● Qualification Paragraph: Acknowledges that what you
previously asserted is not absolutely true or always
applicable.
● Process Paragraph: Involves a straightforward step-by-step
description.

9. Critical Reading
To read critically is to make judgements about how a text is argued. This is a
highly reflective skill requiring you to “stand back” and gain some distance
from the text you are reading. In order to do this you must read looking for
ways of thinking for the subject matter.
● Determine the central claims or purpose of the text.
● Begin to make some judgements about context.
● Distinguish the kinds of reasoning the text employs.
● Examine the evidence.
● Critical reading may involve evaluation.

10. Research Reading
● One must read with comprehension and memory.
● In going through sources for a research essay, you are looking
for facts to support or modify your original view of the topic, and
for others’ opinions to bolster and to challenge your own.
●

11. Research using the net
Research on the Net is very different from traditional library research,
and the differences can cause problems.
● The Net is a tremendous resource, but it must be used carefully and
critically.
● You have to pay close attention when doing research on-line. There are
a great many solid academic resources available on the Net, including
hundreds of on-line journals and sites set up by universities and
scholarly or scientific organizations.
Basic Guidelines:
● Don’t rely exclusively on Net resources.
● Narrow your research topic before logging on.
● Know your subject directories and search engines.
● Keep a detailed record of sites you visit and the sites you use.
● Double-check all URLs that you put in your paper.

12. Guideline For Evaluating Specific
Resources On The Net
● Authority: Who is the author? Are her qualifications specified? Has she
written about the topic before?
● Affiliation: Is the author affiliated with a reputable institution or
organization? Does the information reflect the views of the
organization, or only of the author?
● Audience Level: What audience is the Web site designed for? You want
information at the college or research level. Don’t use sites intended for
elementary students or sites that are too technical for your needs.
● Currency: Is the date of the most recent update given? Generally
speaking, Internet resources should be up-to-date; after all, getting the
most current information is the main reason for using the Net for
research in the first place.
● Content Reliability/Accuracy: Is the material on the Web site reliable
and accurate?Is the information factual, not opinion? Can you verify the
information in print sources?

13. Summarizing
Summarizing a text, or distilling its essential concepts into a paragraph or
two, is a useful study tool as well as good writing practice. A summary
has two aims:
1.To reproduce the overarching ideas in a text, identifying the general
concepts that run through the entire piece.
2.To express these overarching ideas using precise, specific language.
Methods for summarizing:
● Include the title and identify the author in your first sentence.
● The first sentence or two of your summary should contain the author’s thesis,
or central concept, stated in your own words.
● When summarizing a longer article, try to see how the various stages in the
explanation or argument are built up in groups of related paragraphs.
● Omit ideas that are not really central to the text.
● In general, omit minor details and specific examples.
● Avoid writing opinions or personal responses in your summaries.
● Be careful not to plagiarize the author’s words.

14. Quotations
The focus of your essay should be on your understanding of the topic. If
you include too much quotation in your essay, you will crowd out your
own ideas.
Consider quoting a passage from one of your sources if any of the
following conditions holds:
1.The language of the passage is particularly elegant or powerful or
memorable.
2.You wish to confirm the credibility of your argument by enlisting the
support of an authority on your topic.
3.The passage is worthy of further analysis.
4.You wish to argue with someone else’s position in considerable detail.
If an argument or a factual account from one of your sources is
particularly relevant to your paper but does not deserve to be quoted
verbatim, consider:
● Paraphrasing the passage if you wish to convey the points in the
passage at roughly the same level of detail as in the original
● Summarizing the relevant passage if you wish to sketch only the most
essential points in the passage

15. Paraphrase≠Summarizing
To paraphrase means to restate someone else’s ideas in your own
language at roughly the same level of detail. To summarize means
to reduce the most essential points of someone else’s work into a
shorter form. Along with quotation, paraphrase and summary
provide the main tools for integrating your sources into your
papers. When choosing which to use, consider first your discipline
and the type of writing in which you are engaged. For example,
literature reviews in science reports rely almost exclusively on
summary. Argumentative essays, by contrast, rely on all three
tools.

16. Paraphrasing
Whenever you paraphrase, remember these two points:
● You must provide a reference.
● The paraphrase must be in your own words. You must do more
than merely substitute phrases here and there. You must also
create your own sentence structures.
When it comes time to write the paper, rely on your notes rather
than on the author’s work. Follow this simple sequence:
1)Convert the ideas from your notes into full sentences.
2)Provide a reference.
3)Go back to the original to ensure that (a) your paraphrase is
accurate and (b) you have truly said things in your own words.

17. Revising and Editing
Revision is much more than proofreading, though in the final editing stage it
involves some checking of details. Good revision and editing can transform a
mediocre first draft into an excellent final paper.
Steps in revising and editing:
1. Check whether you have fulfilled the intention of the assignment.
2. Look at overall organization:
● Does your introduction make clear where the rest of the paper is headed?
● Is each section in the right place to fulfill your purpose?
● Have you drawn connections between the sections?
● Would a person reading your conclusion know what question you had asked
and how you had arrived at your answer?
3. Now polish and edit your style by moving to smaller matters such as word
choice, sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

18. A Note on Appearance
Looks do count. Give your instructor the pleasure of handling a handsome
document-or at least of not getting annoyed or inconvenienced. These are the
basic expectations for any type of assignment:
● Include a cover page giving the title of your paper, the name of the course,
your name, the date, and the instructor’s name. Don’t bother with coloured
paper, fancy print, or decorations.
● Number your pages in the top right-hand corner. Omit the number for the first
page of your paper (since it will be headed by the title), starting in with 2 on the
second page.
● Double-space your text, including indented quotations, footnotes, and
reference lists. Leave margins of one inch (2.5 cm) on all sides of the page.
● Use a standard font in twelve-point size. For easier reading, don’t right-justify
your lines.
● Put the reference list or bibliography on a separate page at the end. (See the
handout on Standard Documentation Format: choose your format, then use
the examples as guides.)

19. Markers look at four general areas in deciding on a mark for a written
assignment:
1) How well you’ve handled the topic and followed the assignment
2) The quality of your ideas
3) The way you’ve organized your paper
4) The quality of your writing style and grammar.
This means that grammar is only one of a number of factors determining
your grade. Still, too many errors in grammar, punctuation, and style will
lose you marks. This guide describes the ways to avoid the most
common errors.

20. What to look Over Before
Handing In
Markers look at four general areas in deciding on a mark for a written
assignment:
1) How well you’ve handled the topic and followed the assignment
2) The quality of your ideas
3) The way you’ve organized your paper
4) The quality of your writing style and grammar.
This means that grammar is only one of a number of factors determining
your grade. Still, too many errors in grammar, punctuation, and style will
lose you marks.

21. Biography
University of Toronto (n.d.). Writing Advice
http://advice.writing.utoronto.ca