writing strategies chapter2

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Writing Up You University Assignments and Research

Projects

ROBERT BRUNET SOLÉ

Department of Chemical Engineering, URV, TarragonaSustainable Computer Aided Process Engineering Group

Robert Brunet

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2. How should I structure my writing?

2.1. Coherence: the flwo of good writing

2.2. The three main parts of a writing project


2.4. Using footnotes

2.5. English and latin abbreviations

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2.1. Coherence: the flwo of good writing

• Coherence, is particulary crucial in academic writing, where success or failure may well depend upon how clearly you have managed to communicate your ideas and lines or arguments to your reader.

• No matter how insightful or original those ideas may be, if you are not able to rpesent them in a clear and logical way, their meaning and value is lost.

•When you write down your ideas you must read through them extremly carefully and ask yourself, “Is tihs clear to a reader who has no acces to the ideas in my head?“ It is crucial always to consider your reader(s).

• Always show your writings to friends, colleagues, or your supervisor before to publish.

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• Three main parts: 1. Introduction. 2. The body. 3. The summary and conclusion

2.2.1. Writing an introduction

The thesis statement

•The most important function of an introduction is to signal to the reader what it is you are intending to discuss in your writing. This statement of intyent is often referred to as the thesis statement.

Providing a context for your discussion

•You are giving your reader a reason to read your work by locating its subject matter within a broader context that they will probably be familiar with or at least interested in.

Indicating your organization and approach

•It may also provide a brief description of your approach to the subject matter; how you are intending to deal with the subject, the nature of your analysis and perhaps what you hope to achieve it.

When should I write my introduction?

•Once you have finished your writing, you may well have a better perspective on the whole work and therefore be better placed to construct more relevant and appropiate introduction.

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2.2.2. Organizing the body of your writing

Paragraph

•A paragraph is a set of related sentences that develop one main idea. If the idea is complex around 10 sentences if it is simple 1 or 2 sentences.

• You will need to begin a new paragraph whenever you introduce a new idea or shift your focus of attention.

• Topic Sentence each parragraph should contain a topic sentence that indicates the main subject of that paragraph, its main idea, focus or point of interest.

• Supporting ideas provide a more detailed explanation of or comment on the main idea and will frequently include examples.

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2.2.3. Writing Summary and conclusion

Summary• A summary is a brief restatement of the main points of your section. It helps to build links between different parts of you writing and in doing so makes it more coherent and therefore more easily understood.• If you are writing research report is generally expected that you will include a summary at the end of each chapter.


• In summary, then, the argument is a follows ...

• We might summarise the main points thus: ...

• The key points discussed so far are (as follows) ...

• This chapter has looked at a number of theories on social change. First,

• Three main ideas have been presented in this chapter: we began by looking at...

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2.2.3. Writing Summary and conclusion

Conclusions• Conclusion is the most important part of your writing report or assignment, therefore you have to make the best possible job of it.•Conclusion effectively brings everything full circle and ties up all the loose ends. They show the relevnace and significance of the imformation presented in the body of your writing.

• In conclusion ...

• The evidence presented indicates/ suggests that ...

• Based on the evidence available, ...

• To return to our original question, it would appear that...

• What emerges from this dicussion is...

•There is strong evidence, to suggest that...

• We can conclude from the foregoing discussion that...

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2.3.1. Plagiarism: What is it and how can I avoid it?

2.3.2. In-text referencing

• There are two occasions when you will need to cite references within your text:1. When you directly quote an original source.2. When you use information or ideas taken from anaother source which you

express in your own words (parraphrasing)• There are two main style of referencing system are know as Harvard and

Vancouver referencing style.

2.3.3. Quoting primary and secondary sources

• Quoting a primary source means quoting directly a writer‘s own ideas precisely as they appear in the original work where published. In contrast, quoting a secondary source means quaoting a writer who has expressed the ideas of the original writer in his own words.

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2.3.3.1. Quoting directly: shorter streches of text

• Quoting a primary source means quoting directly a writer‘s own ideas precisely as they appear in the original work where published. In contrast, quoting a secondary source means quaoting a writer who has expressed the ideas of the original writer in his own words.

• Caballero (2005, p.67)argues that “GDP is the best method to solve MILP problems“.

• Brooks and Weatherston (200) explain that...

• Davies and Frugett (1997) argue that

• Hall et al. Have suggested that... Et al. Means ‘and others‘

2.3.3.3. Quoting directly: shorter streches of text

• ... In which operational conditions as well as structural parameters are simultaneously optimized.

(Grossman et al. 2004, p.137)

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2.3.3.4. Introducing quotations

• X states that‘ ...

• X argues that‘...

• X claims that‘ ...

• X has suggested that‘...

• X proposes that‘...

• X mantains that‘...

• As X states‘...

• As X claims,...

• As X suggest,...

• As X proposes,...

• As X maintains,...

• According to X,...

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2.3.3.5. Tips for using electornic sources

• Be particulary sceptical if they do not cite a specific author or publication date.• If there is no author name, try to identify the institutional body presenting, the

source; alternatively, email the Webmaster for advice.• Save and print all documents you wish to cite. Sometimes web-based material

suddenly disappears or is poorly archived.• Check whether any copyright restriction apply. If they do, make sure you secure

permission to use the source material.• Always bookmark useful websites.

• ‘Such documentation is typically found at dedicated governmental websites such as http://www.immi.gov.au‘• ‘Further details of these trends can be found at the organisation‘s website: <http://www.tectonics.data.org>

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2.4. Using footnotes

• As a general rule, it is best not to use footnotes. Instead, try to include any relevant information in the main body of your text.

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2.5. English and latin abbreviationscf. Compare

circa About (a specified date or number- e.g. circa 1999)

et al. And others

et seq. And the following (pages, material, etc.)

ibid. In the same book, article

infra Below or furthr on in a book, article etc

Loc. Cit.

Op. Cit.

Passim

(sic)

Viz.

Above/ see above

Below/ see below

Cp./ compare

Ed.; eds.

ff.

Ms.; mss.

n.d.

n.p.

n.pub.

No.; nos.

p.; pp

Trans.

Vol.; vols.

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Thanks for your Thanks for your attention!attention!

ROBERT BRUNET SOLÉ

Department of Chemical Engineering, URV, TarragonaSustainable Computer Aided Process Engineering Group

writing strategies chapter2

Education

writing project2

main parts

writing paragraph

main ideas

writing report

academic writing

main subject

main points