Topic 4: Structure of an Academic Paper

Importance of Structure in Academic Writing: The organization of an

academic paper is not arbitrary; it serves multiple essential functions. A clear
structure helps to bring clarity to complex ideas, making them accessible and
understandable to the reader. It acts as a guide, leading the audience through the
researcher’s process of inquiry, argumentation, and conclusion in a coherent
manner. Moreover, a well-structured paper aligns with academic standards,
which are critical for peer recognition and publication.

Standard Structure in Different Academic Disciplines: The architecture of

an academic paper, often comprising sections such as the Title, Abstract,
Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Results, Discussion,
Conclusion, and References, serves as a universal framework. However,
specific fields or type of paper may adapt this structure to better suit their
unique requirements, employing variations that reflect the norms and priorities
of the discipline. For instance, a literature review may be more prominent in
humanities papers, while a detailed methodology section may be central to a
scientific report. Despite these variations, the overarching purpose of the
standard structure remains the same: to facilitate the clear and logical
presentation of scholarly work.

1. Title

Purpose of the Title in an Academic Paper: The title of an academic paper is

the reader’s initial point of contact with the work and serves a pivotal role in
framing their expectations.

Characteristics of an Effective Title: An optimal title for an academic paper

should be a model of brevity while being sufficiently descriptive. It should
encapsulate the main theme of the paper and guide the reader towards the
research question or thesis addressed. A well-crafted title is a balance between
being comprehensive and concise. It must include key terms that are relevant to
the research, which are crucial for indexing and searchability.

Example of a Title: An exemplary title such as "Discourse in late modernity:

Rethinking critical discourse analysis" effectively communicates the paper's
central focus (discourse analysis), the system under study (critical discourse),
and the temporal scale of the research (in late modernity). This title is direct and
informative, letting the reader know exactly what to expect in the paper without
superfluous details. It also incorporates key phrases that are likely to be used by
researchers searching for literature on this topic, thereby improving the paper's
visibility in academic databases.
 2. Abstract

Purpose: Summarizes the main points of the paper, including the research
question, methods, results, and conclusions.

Characteristics: Brief (usually 150-250 words), informative, and standalone.

Example: Article: Skills and strategies: Towards a new methodology for

listening; Abstract: This article calls for a rethinking of the purposes of the listening
lesson, and examines ways in which we can teach the skill rather than simply practise it. The
approaches proposed are based on micro-listening exercises which practise individual
subskills of listening. The implications of using authentic materials are then examined, and a
case is made for teaching recognition of the features of spontaneous speech. Finally, a
strategic view of listening is presented, and it is argued that classroom activities need to take
account of the true nature of real-life L2 listening, where understanding is partial, and
inferencing is crucial.

3. Introduction

Purpose: Introduces the topic, presents the research question, and outlines the
paper's structure.

Characteristics: Begins with a broad context before narrowing down to the

specifics of the research.

Example: "In the late 1960s and early 1970s, listening comprehension lessons
followed a relatively consistent format: Pre-teaching of new vocabulary, Extensive
listening - questions about general context, Intensive listening – detailed questions,
Examination of vocabulary and/or exponents of grammar, Play-and-repeat / Play-and-
predict / Recall words used. We pride ourselves on having advanced beyond the view that
underpins this approach, a view of listening as primarily a way of reinforcing
language input. But it is worthwhile asking exactly how fundamental have been the changes
in practice which have occurred over the past 25 years".

3a. Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is a concise summary of the main point or claim of an essay or research
paper. It is typically located at the end of the introductory paragraph and sets the tone for the
paper by guiding the direction of the argument or analysis. Here's a more detailed breakdown:

Purpose of a Thesis Statement: The primary purpose is to provide readers with a clear
understanding of the paper's focus and direction. It helps to organize and develop the
argument in a coherent manner.

Characteristics of a Strong Thesis Statement

Clear and Specific: A strong thesis statement clearly defines the topic and the
writer’s perspective. It avoids vague language and provides a specific angle or
assertion about the topic.
 Arguable: It should present a claim that could be challenged or opposed, thereby
inviting engagement and debate.

Focused: It must be narrow enough to be fully discussed in the scope of the paper
and not so broad that it lacks focus.

Evidence-based: The claim made in the thesis statement should be one that can be
supported with evidence from research and reasoning.

Types of Thesis Statements

Analytical Thesis Statement: This type breaks down an idea or issue into its component
parts, evaluates the idea, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience.

Expository (Explanatory) Thesis Statement: This type explains something to the reader. It
outlines what the reader should expect from the ensuing discussion.

Argumentative Thesis Statement: This type makes a claim about a topic and justifies this
claim with specific evidence. The claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an
evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation.

Placement of a Thesis Statement

Placement: While it typically appears at the end of the first paragraph, its placement can
vary in some types of writing. However, early placement is crucial to clearly establish the
paper's purpose.

In essence, the thesis statement is the cornerstone of any academic essay or research paper.
It requires careful thought and consideration, as it not only conveys the main argument but
also sets the stage for how the argument will be presented and supported throughout the
piece.

Weak and Strong Thesis Statements

Strong Weak
The statement clearly states the purpose The statement poses a query instead of
or position that you are trying to take in clearly stating the purpose or position that
your paper instead of posing a question. you are trying to take in your paper.
The statement is arguable and stating the The statement offers a statement or
clear position that you are going to take in accepted knowledge instead of being
your paper. arguable and stating the clear position
that you are going to take in your paper.
The statement offers a clear position that The statement offers an opinion instead
you are going to take based on available of the position that you are going to take
evidence to back up this position. based on available evidence to back up
this position.
The statement is made up of relevant The statement is made up of vague
details that address the issues that you statements instead of relevant details that
are dealing with in your research. address the issues that you are dealing
with in your research.
The statement includes a main idea and The statement includes conflicting ideas
 details to support the idea. and irrelevant information instead of a
main idea and details to support the idea.

The Thesis Statement and Topic Sentences

The thesis statement is the most important sentence in your paper because it
unifies and gives direction to the entire paper by expressing a single, specific,
clearly stated idea that states the primary point of the paper. In the same way,
topic sentences are vital to the paper because they relate back to the thesis and
give the point(s) to be discussed in individual body paragraphs, which in turn
support/prove the topic sentence and the thesis.

Enumerative Thesis and Umbrella Thesis

Two types of thesis statements:

1. The enumerative thesis (or “three-part” thesis) lists the evidence that supports your
primary argument, and each body paragraph discusses one piece of evidence.

A, B, and C cause Y
Example: The writers of Family Guy use irreverent humor to satirize pop culture, comment
on the stereotypical American family, and explore controversial themes.

2. The umbrella thesis encompasses the entire argument in a concise statement without
enumerating each piece of evidence.
The irreverent humor used in Family Guy is not used simply to shock, but to comment on
deeper societal issues.
The “Easy Thesis Generator”

This method offers a formulaic way to create a thesis by answering the following questions.
1. What is the topic?
2. What is your stand on the issue? Why did you take this stand?
3. How is your stance in opposition to others?

The formula, then, looks like this:

Qualification + Stance + Rationale = Thesis

“EFL LEARNERS’ PERCEPTION ABOUT PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES IN ENGLISH
MORPHOLOGY”: This study focuses on studying prefixes and suffixes, as well as giving
the meanings of some common suffixes and some advanced suffixes in English. This study
assesses the importance of affixes to English learners and determines which words are
prefixes and suffixes. For students majoring in languages, understanding affixes not only
helps to expand their vocabulary, but also helps them have better morphological analysis
skills.
 4. Literature Review/Theoretical Background (Topic 2)

5. Methodology

Purpose: Describes how the research was conducted, including the design,
materials, procedures, and analysis techniques.

Characteristics: Detailed enough for replication, clear and precise.

Example: Article: Neither speaker nor recipient: The middle-distance look of

unaddressed participants, Methodology: "The data in this article was drawn
from a large-scale qualitative study, which focused on the discursive practices
of a high-school staff. Over a 1-year period, I videotaped interviews and
observations. Instantiations in which participants acted as UPs were obtained
from the latter…"

6. Results
Purpose: Presents the findings of the study without interpretation.
Characteristics: Often includes tables, graphs, and statistics.
 7. Discussion
Purpose: Interprets the results, discusses their implications, and how they fit
with existing research.
Characteristics: Analytical, critical, and contextual.
Example: " This article examined the middle-distance look of UPs. Its findings show that
sequentially to primary participants’ discursive moves, UPs assume the participatory role of
‘neither a speaker nor a recipient’ through their looking behavior. The study’s main
contribution is in introducing observations, regarding the middle-distance look of UPs, in the
form of a list missing so far in the literature. "

8. Conclusion
Purpose: Summarizes the research findings, their significance, and the broader
implications.
Characteristics: Concise, reinforcing the importance of the research, and
suggesting future research avenues.
Example: " This article has suggested that, in current practice, we focus too much on the
product of listening and too little on the process. The solution it proposes features
various types of micro-listening exercise; these can be employed prognostically as part of
listening training or diagnostically, in response to evidence of breakdowns of
understanding…"

9. References (Topic 3)
Purpose: Acknowledges the work of other researchers and avoids plagiarism.
Characteristics: Lists all sources cited in the paper in a consistent format.
Example: References would be listed according to the relevant citation style,
e.g., APA, MLA, Harvard.

Outline of an academic paper "Functional Peculiarities of Medical Terms in

Modern Film Discourse":

I. Introduction

a) Background and context of the study

b) Importance of the topic
c) Thesis Statement: e.g. The use of medical terminology in modern film
discourse serves diverse narrative, character-building, and audience
engagement functions, with unique implications for the portrayal of
healthcare professionals and institutions, influencing audience reception
and attitudes. (basically we are going to check the way terms are used by
 different characters (medical and non-medical representatives),
description of people, institutions, cases etc.

II. Literature Review

Topic Sentence: The role of medical terminology in cinematic storytelling and

characterization has been widely discussed in previous research.
Previous research on the use of medical terminology in cinema
Topic Sentence: Scholars have examined how films depict healthcare
professionals and institutions using medical terminology.
…
Topic Sentence: Studies have delved into the audience's reception and impact
of medical terminology in films.
…

III. Methodology

Topic Sentence: The methodology involved identifying and categorizing

medical terms based on their functions in film discourse. …
Data collection: Selection of films and scenes
Data analysis: Methods for identifying and categorizing medical terms
Ethical considerations in using film content for research?
Limitations of the methodology

IV. Functional Peculiarities of Medical Terms

Topic Sentence: This section categorizes medical terms based on their distinct
functions in film discourse.
Data with examples
Topic Sentence: Medical terms contribute significantly to plot development in
modern film discourse.
Examples: Provide specific examples from films to illustrate each category of
function.
Topic Sentence: The portrayal of characters is enhanced through the utilization
of medical terms/jargon.
Examples: Provide specific examples from films to illustrate each category of
function.
Topic Sentence: Detailed analysis of these cases contributes to a deeper
understanding of the topic.
Evidence and Examples: Analyze scenes from the selected films to showcase
how medical terminology is employed and its effects in specific contexts.

V. Discussion
Topic Sentence: Findings from the study will be interpreted in this section.
Topic Sentence: Implications of the functional peculiarities of medical terms in
film discourse will be discussed.
Topic Sentence: Comparisons to other types of terminology in cinema will be
made.
Evidence and Examples: Support your discussions with evidence from your
research and specific film examples where applicable.

VI. Conclusion

Topic Sentence: The paper's contribution to the fields of linguistics, film

studies, and medical communication will be highlighted.
Topic Sentence: Future research directions and potential areas of exploration
will be suggested.

VII. References

Citation of sources used in the paper

VIII. Appendices (if necessary)

Supporting materials, data, or additional details

Activities

1. Analyze the following thesis statements, describe the type, define whether
it is a weak or a strong one, rewrite if it is a weak one:

a) Medical terms in movies are often overused, making the dialogue less
engaging and causing confusion for the audience.
b) Medical terminology integrated into film discourse enhances character
development, enriching the cinematic experience for audiences.
c) In our article we are planning to discuss if it is possible for medical
terminology in film to have an impact on the audience.
d) While medical terminology in film can be confusing and may sometimes
detract from the plot, it can also add a layer of authenticity and make
the dialogue more engaging.

2. Create a draft outline of an academic paper (e.g. article)

 3. Analyze the following academic papers in terms of structural elements,
point out thesis statements (types), topic sentences, arguments etc.

a)

Factors That Govern the Acquisition of

Language
Many parents, parents to be and even students studying Linguistics
think about how infants acquire the human language. As a child
grows older right after birth, they are filled with great determination
and excitement to learn the different sounds, words and sentences
to fully learn and understand the human language. According to
research in this article, there are three factor’s that governs the
acquisition of language which are: the discovery of the units of
language, packaging words into meaningful units and language
acquisition as creation.

In discovering the units of language infants has a great role to play.

Before an infant begin to connect words to objects, they must
establish which sound sequences are words, this is possible
through their native language from continuous sounds where there
is pauses. Even though there are different forms of language it
shows that an infant must go through a critical period of acquiring
language, this is called first language acquisition. Despite these
factors, infants can successfully divide words from fluent speech
from approximately 7 months of age. However, according to
research on the theorist Noam Chomsky he argued that, “language
is an innate faculty, and we are born with a set of rules about
language in our minds, which he referred to as ‘universal grammar’”.
He believed that an infant doesn’t copy the language they hear
around them, but, they deduce rules from it, which they can then
use to produce sentences that they have never heard before.
(Tahiriri, 2012).

Children package words into meaningful units. Although

distributional analyses enable children to break into the words and
phrases of a language, many higher linguistic functions cannot be
acquired with statistics alone. Children must discover the rules that
generate an infinite set, with only a finite sample. They evidently
possess additional language-learning abilities that enable them to
organize their language without explicit guidance, because
Chomsky believed that children at birth, are born with a “language
acquisition device” which allowed them to formulate rules of
language based on the input they received”. (Tahiriri, 2012). These
abilities diminish with age and may be biologically based. It can be
argued that according to Piaget “the unit is the word and the child
learns what words refer to and how to combine them. In the
behaviourist account, “there is no complex system of internalized
rules, either innately given or acquired through development, but a
system of habit strengths” (Tahriri, 2012)

Every child goes through a period where they acquire language.

During this period, children discover the combinations in the sounds
of their language and learn how they are arranged into
combinations, and map these combinations into meaning. These
processes unfold together, requiring children to merge their
capacities as they learn, to crack the code of communication that
surrounds them. Despite layers of complexity, each currently
beyond the reach of modern computers, young children readily solve
the linguistic puzzles facing them, even surpassing their input when
it lacks the expected structure. Natural experiments in which
children are faced with minimal language exposure can reveal the
extent of inborn language-learning capacities and their effect on
language creation and change.

However, it can be argued that, “even though a child would go

through that first language acquisition period through their native
language, later in life as they become older, they can become
bilingual through acquiring another language and master it as well,
this is called second language acquitision”. (Mihalicek, Wilson,
2007)

In conclusion, this article can be concluded that language

acquisition had various aspects that a child must go through to
acquire language and the acquiring of language doesn’t stop at
childhood but acquiring language can continue through adulthood if
a person desires to acquire another language, other than the one
they acquired at their childhood. There are also many theories we
can look at and understand when it comes to the acquisition of
language to have a better understanding of language because it is a
complex circumstance.

b)

The Future of the English Language

It is considered that English would like to become a lingua franca
without clear cut between formal and informal languages and there
will be increasingly more varieties of Englishes. However, it is
impossible that the varieties of English used in different parts of the
world will fragment into various unintelligible languages. In this
essay, these two issues will be explained in details.

Firstly, in terms of the historical aspect, because of two diasporas,

English was firstly spread to North America, Australia, New Zealand
and South Africa. Then, it was spread to Africa and many parts of
Asia, such as Hong Kong and Singapore. In these countries or cities,
after the colonial periods, English became the official or semi-
official language due to various reasons (Crystal, 2002). In terms of
the economic aspect, since the economic power of the US
developed rapidly, overtaking the UK, and achieved the dominant
economic position in the world (Jenkins, 2015). As a result,
American culture became much more influential around the globe.
For instance, Disneyland and its related movies are extremely
welcome by children from all over the world. Non-native English
speakers, consequently, learn American English when they watch
Disney movies and listen to related English songs.

There are some other factors related to globalization making

English achieve a global status. To be more details, it is the main
language of the world’s books, newspapers and advertising. It is the
official international language of airports and air traffic control. It is
the language of international business of diplomacy, of sports. Over
two-thirds of the world’s scientists writes in English. Three-quarters
of the world’s mail is written in English (Crystal, 2002).
Consequently, English is considered as a lingua franca. However, in
the future, it is most likely not to be the only lingua franca in the
world because of increased regional communication, informal
market interaction, migration, religious and the efforts of
organizations as well as government committees. Both Mandarin
and Arabic are good illustrations. Mandarin is spreading through out
China and some of its southern neighbors due to the population
explosion in the communities that speak Mandarin natively, the
growth of Mandarin-speaking migrants a well as the rapid
development of international trade, business and communication
among China and other countries. Arabic is spreading in North
Africa and South Asia both as the language of Islam and as an
important language of regional trade (Fishman, 1998).
Since English is no longer the only lingua franca in the world, as a
result, in the coming future, people probably learn more than one
foreign languages except for their mother tongues. In other words, a
majority of people are likely to become multilingual. Instead of
using languages separately, they are likely to code-switch between
languages in order to be associated with each language or ‘keep a
foot in each camp’ (Swann & Sinka, 2007). Just like what is
mentioned previously, due to various aspects of factors such as two
diasporas, the rapid growth of the economic power of the US and
globalization, compared with other languages, English has greater
cultural influence on the world and has been spread much wider.
Consequently, English is more commonly used by speakers from all
over the world rather than other global languages. That is why it is
predicted that English probably would become the matrix language
of all kinds of code-switching such as English-Spanish code-
switching and English-Cantonese code-switching.

Secondly, it is predicted that there will be no clear cut between

formal and informal English languages. With the rapid development
of information technology, increasingly more people apply social
medias such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Whatsapp to their
life. They are not only for daily purposes among friends and family
members, nowadays, social medias are applied to the contexts of
workplaces. For instance, Google and Cisco rely on video medias
(e.g. YouTube) to share recruiting videos as well as keynotes
speeches and press announcements with their employees and
investors (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010). Furthermore, Savitha (n.d.)
claimed that these social medias are originally considered to be
informal spaces of networking and communication. Emoji,
abstractions, simple forms and incomplete sentences can always be
found in various formats of texts posted on the social media.
Sometimes, making mistakes is acceptable in informal texts.

Traditionally, all these issues are not permitted in formal texts.

However, recently, these informal formats are being accepted. A
good case in point is that Bill Marriott, Chairman and CEO of the
Marriott International Hotel chain, uses his blog to post regular
updates of Marriott properties around the world very much in the
same way as would a work colleague when describing her vocation
(Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010). Depending on previous discussion, it is
assumed that instead of traditional landline telephone as well as
sending written correspondence through postal service in quite
formal formats, people are extremely likely to form various online
communities in order to fulfill various social functions. In these
online communities, they possibly communicate and exchange
information by blending formal languages with informal languages
as well. In other words, in the future, people are likely to pay more
attention to the content of communication rather than the formality
of the use of language, which probably creates an increasingly
ambiguous line between formal and informal English languages.

Finally, it is predicted that there possibly be increasingly more

varieties of Englishes. Due to the growth of information technology,
some online communities exist. Furthermore, since globalization
leads to the increased mobility, communities are likely to be more
fluid with people migrating to and pro as well. As a result, new
cultural practices emerge along with these new communities.

Considering that language is a part of culture and culture is

embedded in language, different new varieties of Englishes emerge
when the English language itself alters in order to adapt to the
emergent cultures of the diverse communities using it (Li, 2015;
Crystal, 2012). For example, if a British lawyer has lived and worked
in Singapore for a long period of time, his British English accent,
vocabulary and grammar would possibly be affected by Singlish (e.g.
John kena hit by the elephant) so that a new variety may be formed.
Such process is also called glocalisation. Since both globalisation
and glocalisation are seen as processes, their forces will continue
changing people’s lives and the English languages, leading to more
new Englishes except for existing new Englishes formed by
historical factors and local identities such as American English and
Singlish. Some people claimed that the varieties of English used in
different parts of the world will fragment into various unintelligible
languages. However, it is oversimplified.

First of all, language is attached to politics factors. To make a

dialect become a language, people need to reflect whether the
community has a single unity about promoting their code as a
language as well as whether this community has enough political
and economic power to influence the decision and gain respect
from outsiders. However, for most countries, the establishment
attitudes towards new Englishes are still generally negative. It is
considered that if new Englishes are applied to official contexts
such as schools, social media and governments, there will be
negative impact on the national reputations as well as their aims for
greater international roles. For instance, in Singapore, the prime
minister Goh Chok Tong appealed Singaporeans to cut down on the
use of Singlish and maintain the use of standard English in 1999 and
has launched the Speak Good English Movement since 2003
(Crystal, 2012). In a nutshell, new varieties of English are more
likely to be considered as dialects rather than languages and
limited to casual speeches among people in grass-root level only as
standard English still plays a significant role in all official functions.

In addition, people’s attitudes towards new Englishes contribute to

this issue as well. The relationship between language and identities
is related to the promotion of a language. According to Joseph
(2004), language and identity are ‘ultimately inseparable’. In Hong
Kong English, for instance, Hongkongers enjoy adding an extra
vowel at the end of a word. Instead of pronouncing ‘bus’ in [b?s],
Hongkongers often pronounce it in [b?si:] to show their local
identities. However, standard English is still more welcome by most
schools. For both non-native speaker (NNS) and native speaker (NS)
teachers, a staunch belief in the primacy of NS English is deeply
ingrained in their minds. The legitimacy of NNS regional accents are
still not acceptable by the teachers so that they approximate these
accents as closely to the standard one as possible (Jenkins, 2007).
In other words, on the one hand, the pull imposed by the need of
social identity, which leads to the growth of various new Englishes
could be balanced by the pull imposed by the consistence of the
standard English accent. At the formal level, there may be
increasing mutual unintelligiblity while at the latter level, there
might not (Crystal, 2012). These two phenomenons can be
neutralized by each other. On the other hand, even though some
new varieties of Englishes are likely to become a language, due to
the existing of LFC, these languages are probably still intelligible.

For linguistic features, firstly, it is predicted that the process of

standardization can possibly prevent the English language from
unintelligibility. During the standardization period, a variety will be
selected as the standard. Depending on the grammar and
vocabulary of the standard variety, norms are set by linguists. They
also extend the standard variety to a wider range of functions. Then
norms are imposed and variability suppressed. Such a process is
continuous since English is descriptive.

According to Johnson (1755), there is no dictionary of a language

can be perfect since when it is hastening to publication, some
words are budding and some are falling away. It means that each
language is unsteady and will change along with the development of
a country or a society. As soon as the English language changed, it
should be standardized again. During the process of standardization,
a number of references such as dictionaries and grammar books are
produced by both grammarians and lexicographers. NNS and NS
speak English by following the norms mentioned on these
references. In addition, according to Jenkins (2007), Lingua Franca
Core (LFC) has fairly proved in maintaining the intelligibility of new
Englishes. As long as NNS of English follow some certain shared
principles mentioned in LFC during communication, they will
generally understand each other even though they may speak in
various new varieties of Englishes. For instance, in accordance with
LFC, consonant deletion is not allowed. That is to say, the word
‘script’ should not be pronounced in [skrit]. Instead, it should be
pronounced in [skript]. As a result, even though speakers may have
different accents, to some extent, they still can understand each
other as long as standardization is not stopped and speakers follow
the LFC. Consequently, English language can be prevented from
fragmenting into different unintelligible languages.

To conclude, English probably becomes one of the lingua franca and

be consisted of a number of new varieties. There may be no clear
cut between formal and informal English but it is hard to fragment
into unintelligible languages. Finally, English probably be the matrix
language when people code-switch among various varieties.