Introduction, Theses Statement, Abstract, Conclusion

Important considerations when writing a paper

Prof. Claudia Cabezas Palacios

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Introductory paragraph

Conclusions

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Thesis statement

hedging

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Title

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Abstract

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Introductory paragraph

A good introduction performs two functions. Firstly, it tells the reader what you are going to be talking about in your paper; simply put, it should identify the essay topic and give some insight about the essay’s main point. Secondly, it has to evoke interest and motivate the audience to read the rest of your paper.

Give a little (but substantial) information.

• Main points
• Topic importance
• Outline

Tells the main topic or position.

• Clear

• Specific
• Original

Draw the readers interest!

• Quotations
• Questions
• Statistics

Background Information

Theses Statement

Hook

Characteristics of a Good Introduction

Whatever kind of opening you use should be relevant to your subject and move your readers quickly and smoothly toward your thesis.

The sketch of important background should be accomplished quickly with just enough information to help your readers understand why your subject and thesis are important.

Although some methods of topic development place the tesis near the end of the paper or even in the conclusión, in most academic writing, it appears near the end of introductory paragraph.

Placed at the introduction, the thesis provides a preview of the main idea you will develop in your essay and prepares your readers for the development.

What to avoid in an Introduction

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Thesis statement

A thesis statement is the sentence that states the repeated focus for an entire piece of writing.

The thesis statement of an essay is usually written after a hook and or topic sentence of the introductory paragraph to make a point that will be supported by examples throughout the entire essay.

Example: Opening paragraph topic sentence: Tea has long been studied and enjoyed for its beneficial properties. Thesis: Drinking tea has positive effects on a person's overall health because of the compounds it contains.

vs

A topic sentence, however, can be used to back up the thesis by introducing the topic of each supporting paragraph.

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Step 1: Start with a question.What would you like to find out or decide about your topic?

Step 2: Write your initial answer.After some initial research, you can formulate a tentative answer to this question. At this stage it can be simple, and it should guide the process of researching and writing.

The best thesis statements are concise, contentious and coherent.

The thesis statement generally appears at the end of your essay introduction or research paper introduction.

Step 3: Develop your answerNow you need to consider why this is your answer and how you will convince your reader to agree with you. As you read more about your topic and begin writing, your answer should get more detailed. The final thesis statement doesn’t just state your position, but summarizes your overall argument.

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Title

• The title is the most visible part of an article.
• A good title catches attention and incites readers to read more.
• Ideally, a good title should be brief and concise.
• It should also be complete and give a good description of the content of the article.
• It should include information regarding the main research question, the population under study and the context of the research.

Functions of a title:

First, it predicts content.Second, it catches the reader's interest. Third, it reflects the tone or slant of the piece of writing. Fourth, it contains keywords that will make it easy to access by a computer search.

Hairston, Maxine, and Michael Keene. Successful Writing. 5th ed. New York: Norton, 2003.

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Abstract

An abstract is a paragraph that provides an overview of a paper.

Characteristics of an Abstract:

Points to include:

• Research Problem & Objective (written in the present simple or past simple tense with overall information).
• Methods (one or two sentences, written in the past simple tense).
• Key results or aguments (highlights the most important, written in the present simple or past simple )tense.
• Conclusion (clear central point argued, written in the present simple tense).
• Keywords (most important elements).

100 - 300 words in length

Summarizes the content or process of the paper

Follows the organization of the paper

Includes keywords

Do not write in the first person singular or plural!!!

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Conclusions

• Conclude by linking the last paragraph to the first, perhaps by reiterating a word or phrase you used at the beginning.
• Conclude with sentences of simple language which can help create an effect of understated drama.
• Conclude with a sentence that's compound or parallel in structure; such sentences can establish a sense of balance or order that may feel just right at the end of a complex discussion.

The end of an essay should therefore convey a sense of completeness and closure as well as a sense of the lingering possibilities of the topic, its larger meaning, its implications: the final paragraph should close the discussion without closing it off.

How NOT to End a Conclusion:

Don't simply summarize your essay. A brief summary of your argument may be useful, especially if your essay is long--more than ten pages or so. But shorter essays tend not to require a restatement of your main ideas.

Avoid phrases like "in conclusion," "to conclude," "in summary," and "to sum up." These phrases can be useful -even welcomed- in oral presentations. But readers can see, by the tell-tale compression of the pages, when an essay is about to end. You'll irritate your audience if you belabor the obvious.

Do not add new information!!!

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hedging

By hedging, authors tone down their statements in order to reduce the risk of opposition. This position associates hedges with scientific imprecision and defines them as linguistic cues of bias which avoid personal accountability for statements.

Hedging, also called caution or cautious language or tentative language or vague language, is a way of softening the language by making the claims or conclusions less absolute.

Writers want their readers to know that they do not claim to have the final word on the subject. In fact, academic writers may well wish to reduce the strength of claims simply because stronger statements would not be justified by the data or evidence presented.

Hedges may be understood as positive or negative politeness strategies in which the writer tries to appear humble rather than arrogant or all-knowing. Once a claim becomes widely accepted, it is then possible to present it without a hedge.

A certain degree of hedging has become conventionalized; hedging now functions to conform to an established writing style in English.

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In order to distinguish between facts and claims, writers often use tentative language such as it seems likely that... or arguably...

Although duration of smoking is also important when considering risk, it is highly correlated with age, which itself is a risk factor, so separating their effects can be difficult; however, large studies tend to show a relation between duration and risk. Because light smoking seems to have dramatic effects on cardiovascular disease, shorter duration might also be associated with a higher than expected risk.

Now it's your turn!

Get together with your group and write a draft of your abstract.

Thanks!