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Summary Academic Writing
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Summary of Academic Writing for BA2 Business Economics at the VUB.
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Academic Writing1. Elements of composition
Best audience? One that listens, pays attention, is interested, participates.
ð “Informed” :
- Questions (say that you can ask questions)
- Length (state how long it will last)
- Rule of 3 (good at remembering 3 things => tricolon)
- Make the link (why it is relevant to use)
+ Who am I ?
=> Keep the audience connected! If they anticipate the end, they will stay connected to you.
+ Staying positive (energetic) by moving your arms, walking around.
a. Exordium (= introduction)
Explain:
- What (you will talk about)
- Why (you will talk about it=> “in order to…”)
- How (methodology)
b. Narrative (= context)
ð Treat your audience on the same level (as you). They are the intelligent but
uninformed. They aren’t specialists but aren’t idiots either. “Know your
audience!” (Decorum).
ð Filter your argument (they don’t need to know everything)
à Explain, don’t proclaim! => Don’t give conclusions without explaining your thought
process.
c. Division (= me vs. them)
ð You need to be aware and informed of both sides of an issue.
3 voices of rhetoric:
- Logos: logic (being reasonable)
- Ethos: character (more likely to adhere if you like the character)
- Pathos: emotional
d. Proof (= why I’m right)
e. Refutation (=why “they” are wrong)
1
, f. Conclusio (= conclusion)
ð Round up.
ð Necessary link with introduction.
è Reiteration:
- Be objective to avoid bias and being arbitrary
- This is the occasion to be persuasive! Don’t just repeat, try being more edgy
and persuade others (more aggressive than during the main part).
è Linguistic Pathos:
Say stronger things at the end to show momentum and to try and make them believe in
you and change their stance. Take advantages of your argumentative momentum.
Persuade them with your language, involve them emotionally.
2. Rhetoric
ð Always write for the “Intelligent but uninformed”.
ð Avoid fragment/run-on sentences.
Invention è Brainstorming
Arrangement è ? (Mindmap) OR outline
ð Don’t start writing before you have some sort of outline or general idea (don’t
start cooking before you have the recipe). => Gets skipped too much.
a. Outline
Planning (get ideas out, write them down) : 1/3
Outlining (structure ideas, what/why am I talking about it, where do I start è recipe) : 1/3
Writing (easier when Planning and Outlining is done) : 1/3
Editing (spelling/writing mistakes, sentences that are too long/too short, incomplete
sentences, …)
è Get someone to edit for you, a 2nd reader.
Rewrite (a 2nd time, correct mistakes and take advice into account)
b. Basics of Writing (Unit 1.1)
Summary scale (Research method)
ð Objectivity
ð Avoid using the 1st person singular
ð Neutral at best, formal is preferred
ð Don’t use too much idioms (too informal). It is better to explain. Example: Down
to earth, comparing apple and oranges. It is good to use them while speaking, if
your audience already knows them, they will accept it more easily (better for your
audience relationship) è My side bias.
2
, ð Phrasal verb : verb + preposition (get up/on/over/through), don’t use them too
much either. It is also mostly used when speaking orally.
You always first write the main body, then the introduction, and finally the conclusion.
ð Literature review: Reading articles or books about the same subject and
summarising them.
ð Abstract: a mini-summary of the contents of the paper in question.
ð Findings: what you found out during and after your research.
ð Discussion: an analysis of the material, only if asked for it. Generally half a page.
ð Each paragraph should have a topic sentence, a goal to achieve.
• Fallacies are a series of structural mistakes in thinking that we have been making
forever. They are misleading types of arguments.
3. Summarising
a) Read the original text carefully and check any new or difficult vocabulary.
b) Mark the key points by underlining or highlighting.
c) Make notes of the key points, paraphrasing where possible.
d) Write the summary from your notes, reorganising the structure if needed.
e) Check the summary to ensure it is accurate and nothing important has been changed or
lost.
Always write a clear, objective, non arbitrary summary while avoiding bias.
ð Avoid arbitrarity, avoid bias.
ð Be objective, explain what/why.
ð There is a difference between what you want to talk about and what you have to
talk about. Answer the question!
ð While paraphrasing, when in doubt => cite.
4. Organising Paragraphs
“A paragraph is a group of sentences which deal with a single topic. Dividing up the text into
paragraphs helps both writer and reader to follow the argument more clearly.”
“The parts of the paragraph are linked together by the reference words, conjunctions and
adverbs shown in bold in the table. They guide the reader through the arguments
presented.”
3
, a) A paragraph is a group of sentences which deal with a single topic. Dividing up the
text into paragraphs helps both writer and reader to follow the argument more
clearly.
b) The length of paragraphs varies significantly according to text type but should
normally be no less than four or five sentences.
c) Usually (but not always) the first sentence introduces the topic. Other sentences may
give definitions, examples, extra information, reasons, restatements and summaries.
d) The parts of the paragraph are linked together by the reference words, conjunctions
and adverbs shown in bold in the table. They guide the reader through the arguments
presented.
5. Introductions and conclusions
Introductions:
a) Definition of key terms, if needed
b) Relevant background information
c) Review of work by other writers on the topic
d) Purpose or aim of the paper
e) Your research methods
f) Any limitations you imposed
g) An outline of your paper
ð Answers “What”, “Why”, “How”.
ð For “Why” question: use “in order to”.
ð Define terms objectively.
ð Be consistent.
4
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