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Get Ready: Academic Writing, General Pitfalls and (Oh Yes) Getting Started!

This document provides guidance on academic writing and common pitfalls to avoid. It discusses doing thorough research, planning and organizing your writing, writing a strong thesis statement, following instructions, validating opinions, avoiding simple mistakes, and proofreading. It also notes the importance of knowing your research methodology, whether the work is basic or applied research, understanding what your professor wants, properly planning your work, and having a realistic perspective. The overall message is to be well-prepared in all aspects of the writing process to produce high-quality academic work.

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Yan Naung Ko
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
51 views

Get Ready: Academic Writing, General Pitfalls and (Oh Yes) Getting Started!

This document provides guidance on academic writing and common pitfalls to avoid. It discusses doing thorough research, planning and organizing your writing, writing a strong thesis statement, following instructions, validating opinions, avoiding simple mistakes, and proofreading. It also notes the importance of knowing your research methodology, whether the work is basic or applied research, understanding what your professor wants, properly planning your work, and having a realistic perspective. The overall message is to be well-prepared in all aspects of the writing process to produce high-quality academic work.

Uploaded by

Yan Naung Ko
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Get Ready: Academic Writing, General

Pitfalls and (oh yes) Getting Started!

March 20, 2014

1
1 Academic Writing

March 20, 2014

2
Do’s…

• Do conduct a sufficient amount of research. Do a fully packed 7


months, and more if you need more time to complete! Balance
the effort across all the elements of the thesis from preparation,
orientation, modelling, analyzing, validating, tool development,
writing, etc! Make sure that the research conducted fits in with
the requirements.

March 20, 2014 3


Do’s…

• Do plan and organize as you go. Don't make the mistake of writing
your thesis with little thought of its direction. Work out what you
want to achieve academically and in terms of research impact and
plan that in while reviewing progress regularly. Organize your
sources into background information, supporting arguments and
opposing arguments, then present your theoretical approach and
your research methodology, then application and verification,
then analysis and results based on validation, then reflect and
conclude.

March 20, 2014 4


More Do’s…

•Do write a strong thesis


hypothesis that will be able
to carry the supporting
arguments. A thesis
statement should be broad
enough to cover the
supporting arguments but
narrow enough to bring
focus.

March 20, 2014 5


More Do’s…

•Do follow thesis/paper instructions. Many students will make the


mistake of not following their professor's instructions. Most
professors will guide you on basic issues of length, etc but they
will also say things that they think are important and if you do not
listen, remember and implement you may not use specific advise
that is critical to them. Follow their instructions precisely and
even ask for clarification to be sure on what actions they want
you to take.

March 20, 2014 6


More Do’s…
•Do validate your opinions, theoretical basis and eventual
models or tools. Unless specifically instructed, do not
leave your opinions unsupported by research. Writing
a thesis or research paper shows that you know
exactly how to substantiate your claims. Prove it, like
as if you were going to court and you need to provide
evidence!

March 20, 2014 7


Don'ts…
•Don't make simple and inconsistent writing
mistakes. Do not add new points in the
conclusion. Remember, the conclusion is a wrap-
up. You are acting as a guide and the reader
should not be confused by a new point when
what is expected is a wrap-up. Do not present
figures, graphs and illustrations but not tell the
reader why. Be careful with acronyms and
jargon! No amazingly long sentences or whole
sections of many very short factual statements.

March 20, 2014 8


Don'ts…

•Don't forget to proof-read your writing. Apart from poor spelling


and grammar your brilliant ideas are wasted if the exam
committee has a hard time reading it. Your teacher will end up
feeling frustrated by spelling errors and take his/her frustration
out on your grade. As a good friend to read it quickly and to be
critical of the overall package! Ask your prof if there are any
serious gaps and issues.

www.peterwerkman.nl

March 20, 2014 9


Don'ts…

•Don't plagiarize. This mistake can be deadly. Remember always cite


your sources both in-text and in the bibliography. Most style
manuals will give you exact instructions on how to cite sources
and write up the bibliography or works cited page. Remember to
also be good at referencing the most relevant work, rather than
not knowing about it or including it.

March 20, 2014 10


Literature Review

• Divide your initial search up into keywords associated with your


hypothesis (specific theory, particular application, wider topic,
general field, supporting general theory, etc)
• Search on higher quality search machines such as Webster, ISI
rated, professional organizations (AIAA, RAeS, etc), google
scholar, etc.
• Read abstract, scan paper and get ones that seem to be
promising. Look at references in best papers to use their
references, up-to-date being most important!
• Write a simple line of what the paper’s main contribution is and
then you can group a number of papers into a block that you can
use to explore the state-of-the-art in a certain area.
• Always summarize or synthesize at the end at least in order to
add your interpretation clearly, while also linking it you your
research hypothesis and objectives.

March 20, 2014 11


Practically….

• Write anything with a view to re-using it:


• MOP/Lit. Review
• Kickoff/mid-term/green light reports &review
• Industry presentations and reports
• Manuals
• Papers
• Make a draft skeleton of the structure with your prof first
• Put sections together, iterate on core content and more general
overview to get it right first time!
• Make it as accessible as possible in terms of text, layout,
structure & headings, graphics, conclusions, abstract, etc.

March 20, 2014 12


2 General Pitfalls

March 20, 2014

13
Not knowing what you are doing!
• What research methodology are you using and what is
needed to deliver that at the highest quality?

March 20, 2014 14


Is it basic research?
Basic (aka fundamental or pure ) research is driven by a scientist's curiosity or interest
in a scientific question. The main motivation is to expand man's knowledge , not to
create or invent something. There is no obvious commercial value to the discoveries
that result from basic research.

For example, basic science investigations probe for answers to questions such as:

• How did the universe begin?


• What are protons, neutrons, and electrons composed of?
• How do slime molds reproduce?
• What is the specific genetic code of the fruit fly?

• Most scientists believe that a basic, fundamental understanding of all branches of


science is needed in order for progress to take place. In other words, basic research
lays down the foundation for the applied science that follows. If basic work is done
first, then applied spin-offs often eventually result from this research. As Dr. George
Smoot of LBNL says, "People cannot foresee the future well enough to predict
what's going to develop from basic research. If we only did applied research, we
would still be making better spears."

March 20, 2014 15


Is it applied research?
Applied research is designed to solve practical problems of the modern world,
rather than to acquire knowledge for knowledge's sake. One might say
that the goal of the applied scientist is to improve the human condition .

• For example, applied researchers may investigate ways to:

• improve agricultural crop production


• treat or cure a specific disease
• improve the energy efficiency of homes, offices, or modes of
transportation

• Some scientists feel that the time has come for a shift in emphasis away
from purely basic research and toward applied science. This trend, they
feel, is necessitated by the problems resulting from global overpopulation,
pollution, and the overuse of the earth's natural resources

March 20, 2014 16


Or a bit of both (know what your aim is).
• The distinction between basic and applied research isn't always clear. It
sometimes depends on your perspective or point of view. "How long will it
be before some practical application results from the research ?"

• If a practical use is only a few years away, then the work can be
defined as strictly applied research.
• If a practical use is still 20-50 years away, then the work is somewhat
applied and somewhat basic in nature.
• If a practical use cannot be envisioned in the foreseeable future,
then the work can be described as purely basic research.

• For example, for some time now, a fair amount of research has been
underway on developing fusion reactors to provide a controlled energy
source for cities. There is a clear applied goal to this work, yet there are
so many technical obstacles to overcome that it may be another 30 to 50
years before we see a functional fusion reactor in use. The development of
fusion energy could be regarded as both basic and applied research.

March 20, 2014 17


Not knowing what your prof wants!
• Applied or basic, quick and dirty or slow and methodical,
money is no object or commercially viable, blue sky or
bang for buck, high quantity-low quality or vice versa,…..

March 20, 2014 18


Not knowing how you should do it!
• Planning (what and when), methodology, agreements, team
members, expectations, deliverables as well as goals?

March 20, 2014 19


Being too optimistic or vice-versa!
• What is realistic? Listen to those around you? Look at
your performance relative to your Gantt! Be reflective!

March 20, 2014 20


Not doing it only your way – listen to others!
• Don’t make a Sid Viscous of yourself and die in the process, but
Keith Richards works well when your really good!

March 20, 2014 21


3. Getting started!

March 20, 2014 22


Step 1

• Talk to your prof (NOTE: leave your agenda behind or


at least indeed make it clear if you can’t let go of it!)

March 20, 2014 23


Step 2 etc

• Follow what your prof recommends on all subsequent


steps!

March 20, 2014 24


Last step!

• Reflect on what you have experienced, the knowledge you have


developed and the learning outcomes, both soft and hard, and go on to
use your Masters as a passport to continued development and success,;
all augmented through your understanding of the importance of research
quality, as relevant to many activities!

"What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday,


and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow:
Our life is the creation of our mind.“ Buddha

March 20, 2014 25


Then you walk the walk!

March 20, 2014 26

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