Academic writing superheroes

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how to be an

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academic writing superhero!

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Resources for guidance on everything academic!From being critical to referencing to revision, we've got something for you!

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using your sources (inc. referencing)

academic language

structuring your work

keeping your work critical

understanding your question

What pops into your head when you hear the words 'academic writing’?

This might seem an obvious step but it needs to be clarified – what exactly are you being asked to do?

understanding your question

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Note any options you've been given

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Think about the possible issues to discuss

Note any limitations to the assignment

Note anything specific you need to include

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step 3

step 2

step 1

critically analyse a piece of contemporary dance or the work of a contemporary choreographer.

Academically, being critical doesn’t mean being negative, it just means asking questions to demonstrate your understanding of a topic

keeping your work critical

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descriptive is...

• Stating what happened/when
• Stating what something is like
• Giving a story so far
• Stating the order in which things happened
• Explaining what something means

• Examining from different angles
• Weighing one interpretation against another
• Building an argument according to the evidence
• Explaining how information is relevant and important to the question
• Indicating why something works

critical is...

'plymouth' model

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How was lighting, sound, costume and/or set used - did it enhance the performance? Was anything significant happening in society which may have impacted on this work? How does it relate to other works at that time?

What’s the significance of this piece? How influential has it been?

Is it choreographically sound - does it have a beginning/middle/end? Is it new, innovative or different -how/why? Were any specific areas emphasised – why?

What’s the title – does it help to interpret the work? What’s the meaning of the work? Is it better or worse than previous work – how/why?

critically analyse a piece of contemporary dance or the work of a contemporary choreographer.

What does the assignment actually look like? Basically...the essay burger!

structuring your work

03

the 'essay burger'

draw your main points together to show that you have answered the assignment question

use as many 'burger fillings' as you need to

further points to make - use the template to structure each paragraph

develop your argument's key points with supporting evidence

essentially a map for your reader, setting out the 'path' your assignment will take

Introduction

burger filling 1

burger filling 2

burger filling 3

conclusion

If you can't reference it...you can't use it!

using your sources (incl. referencing)

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stop!think about that source!

using sources

No matter where your information comes from YOU MUST REFERENCE IT! You MUST reference EVERYTHING that's NOT yours!

It doesn’t mean long sentences and big words -it just means being clear, concise and objective

academic language

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academic language is...cofe(?!!)

Share your thoughts with us!

thanks!

‘Several recent studies have explored…’ ‘ABC and XYX found evidence that…’ ‘…in line with many other studies…’ ‘Both ABC and XYZ concluded…’ ‘In contrast/In comparison…’ ‘Contrary to…’ ‘Differing from ABC, XYZ argues…’

Evidenced:

Have you been given any limitations?

• look at the topic from a particular viewpoint? (eg. a social or an economic perspective)
• apply a particular theoretical approach?
• stick to certain types of sources? (current research or video/audio resources)

contemporary

anyone remember the superheroes?

What core themes are there?Basically, these are the things you MUST cover in your assignment.critical analysisdance/choreographer

Introduction

Your introduction could include any of the following, depending on your topic.It does not need to include them all!

Hook: compelling fact, quotation etc to capture your reader’s attention and highlights the significance of this topic.Explanation: background information about the key theme to be discussed throughout your assignment.'Scholarly value': brief overview of previous approaches to the topic followed by an idea of what your work will add to the conversation. Counterargument: information about a position you will argue against. Thesis: a statement which highlights your assignment's main argument.Roadmap: an overview of your work's main points to give your reader an idea of what to expect.

‘In general terms, this means…’ ‘Critics have generally placed emphasis on…’ ‘The majority of reviews show…’‘It is thought/believed that…’ ‘A possible explanation of…’ ‘According to many in the field…’ ‘There is some evidence to suggest that…’

Cautious/hedging:

Generating ideas

Brainstorming: think of all the things related to the specific theme your question (not the topic as a whole!) and note them down in no particular order. This is a way of encouraging you to think freely about your topic in order to generate as many ideas as possible.Asking Questions/Starbursting: a systematic brainstorming method focusing on questions rather than immediately generating new ideas. Generate key questions based on a simple structured brainstorming framework in the shape of a star with six points, each point representing a different question group: Who / What / When / Where / Why / How. This approach helps you comprehensively assess your topic from all angles.Mind Mapping/Clustering: visually organising your thoughts and ideas using diagrams. Helps you to see connections between concepts and ideas that are related to your central topic. Free Writing: a brainstorming activity where you basically write about anything that comes to mind on a topic for a set amount of time without interruptions or self-editing. Combine or adapt any technique to suit what works best for you!

Have you been given any choices to make?Are there any options as to what you can write about?piece of dancethe work of a choreographer

Get your thesaurus out!

Look into - Go over - Make a startGood - A lot of - A bit

Main body

Each paragraph should look at a different (but linked) aspect of your topic. Although there’s no perfect paragraph model, you could try this:

• tell your reader what the paragraph is going to cover (either introduce a new point or link it to the previous one)
• explain why it’s important
• make your argument and support it with EVIDENCE
• conclude by linking to the question/next paragraph

• highlight the key message or argument you want the reader to take away
• summarise the answer to the question, as you set out in your introduction
• (if relevant) identify any gaps or weaknesses in the arguments or ideas presented and recommend further research
• don't add anything new into your conclusion - it will confuse your reader as to why you didn't discuss it in the main body of your work!

Conclusion

Your conclusion brings the main points you've made together to answer the question you were originallyset.

OMG!I can't say 'I'?

I surveyed the literature and discovered...We developed a comparison table to...We researched the question of...