Architectural glass des.prof., former head of glass dep. What is academic writing?
• Academic writing is writing which communicates ideas,
information and research to the wider academic community. • It can be divided into two types: student academic writing, and expert academic writing, Types of Academic text Definition Essay A fairly short, self-contained argument, often using sources from a class in response to a question provided by an instructor.
Research paper A more in-depth investigation based
on independent research, often in response to a question chosen by the student. • What Is an Academic Essay? • An academic essay is a structured form of writing students face in school, college, and university as a part of their curricula. • Compared to other types of academic writing, essays are usually shorter in length and present the authors’ opinions to support their arguments. • Here are some key features of an academic essay for you to keep in mind: • Conciseness — as a rule, essays are short; the length of such papers range from 200 to 500 words. • Topic — due to their short lengths, a perfect topic for an essay should be narrowed-down and not too broad. • Well-structured text — although essays can be considered as one of the least formal types of writing, they still need to have a solid structure and follow the proper academic paper format. • Clear central idea — every academic essay should deliver a specific point that should be clear and powerful (i.e. thesis statement). • Personal motivation — unlike other types of writing, essays often imply that their authors are personally interested in the subjects they are discussing. • Supporting facts, evidence, and examples — although essays may present an author’s personal beliefs and ideas, they should also provide arguments that support those ideas. • How to Write an Academic Essay: Format, Examples | EssayPro • Research Paper: • 1- Define Your Research Question. • 2- Create a Research Strategy by ……..2. First, review your library's website. • Second, make an appointment with a reference librarian. • 3- Evaluate Sources. • Why Write Research Papers? • Learning Scholarly Conventions: During the research and writing process, you'll learn how to document your research, cite sources appropriately, format an academic paper, maintain an academic tone, and more. • Organizing Information: In a way, research is nothing more than a massive organizational project. • The information available to you is near-infinite, and it's your job to review that information, narrow it down, categorize it, and present it in a clear, relevant format. • Managing Time: Research papers put your time management skills to the test. Every step of the research and writing process takes time. • Exploring Your Chosen Subject: No matter what topic you choose, you're bound to come away from the research process with new ideas and countless nuggets of fascinating information. • The best research papers are the result of genuine interest and a thorough research process. With these ideas in mind, go forth and research. What Is a Research Paper? (thoughtco.com) Thesis/dissertation The large final research project undertaken at the end of a degree, usually on a topic of the student’s choice. Research proposal An outline of a potential topic and plan for a future dissertation or research project. Literature review A critical synthesis of existing research on a topic, usually written in order to inform the approach of a new piece of research. • Main Differences Between a Thesis vs. Dissertation • The biggest difference between a thesis and a dissertation is that a thesis is based on existing research. • A thesis is for master’s students and the dissertation is for PhD students.
• Structurally, the two pieces of written analysis have many
differences. • A thesis is at least 100 pages in length. • A dissertation is 2-3x that in length. • A thesis expands upon and analyzes existing research. • A dissertation’s content is mostly attributed to the student as the author. • Similarities: • Each is considered a final project and required to graduate. • Both require immense understanding of the material. • Written skills are key to complete both. • Neither can be plagiarized. • Both are used to defend an argument. • Both require analytical skills. • You will have to draft, rewrite, and edit both pieces of writing. • For both, it is useful to have another person look over before submission. • Both papers are given deadlines. • Differences: • A dissertation is longer than a thesis. • A dissertation requires new research. • A dissertation requires a hypothesis that is then proven. • A thesis chooses a stance on an existing idea and defends it with analysis. • A dissertation has a longer oral presentation component. • Dissertation vs Thesis: The Differences that Matter (uopeople.edu) Research proposal • Key Questions to Be Asked • At this stage, it is good to ask these preparatory questions to help you steer your research in the right direction: • What is the topic I want to study? • Why is it worthwhile to study it? • What practical or valuable problems will it help solve? • How does it build upon—and possibly improve—existing research already done about the topic? • What are the specific tasks that I must plan to do? • Can I get those tasks done within the time and resources available? • Research Proposal Writing • A. Introduction. • B. Background and Significance. • C. Review of Prior Studies and Literature. • D. Aims and Research Questions. • E. Research Design & Methods. • F. Implications and Contribution to Knowledge. • G. Compliance with Ethical Principles. • H. Budget. • I. Timetable. • J. Conclusion. • K. Appendices. • After reading the introduction, your readers should be able to clearly understand what you want to do. Likewise, they should be able to appreciate your enthusiasm(excitement) for the topic and to be engaged in the potential results of the study (Jackowski & Leggett, 2015).
• Consider your introduction as a two-four paragraph narrative that
concisely responds to the following questions: • What is the central problem of the study? • What is the field of study that is relevant to that core problem? • What methods should be utilized to analyze that problem? • Why is this study important? • What is its significance to the academy and to the world at large? • Why should someone reading the proposal be concerned about the results of the proposed research? • Take note that most academic institutions and funding agencies do not require an abstract or synopsis(summary) before the introduction. • However, it is best to check your institution’s guidelines. • How to Write a Research Proposal: Structure, Examples & Common Mistakes | Research.com • B. Background and Significance • This part is for explaining the context of a research proposal and for clearly describing its importance. • you should endeavor (seek) to address the following key considerations: • Specify the problem of the study and provide a more detailed elaboration (preparation)of the research purpose. • This is very important when the research problem is multifaceted or complex. • C. Review of Prior Studies and Literature • Your study background and significance is directly related to this section, while, at the same time, showing the innovation and originality of your proposed work (Abdulai & Owusu-Ansah, 2014). • As there are many efficient ways in framing your review of existing related studies, many scholars are following the use of the “five Cs” in writing a literature review (Sudheesh et al., 2016): • Cite properly in order to maintain the primary focus on the previous studies related to the research problem. • Compare the methods, outcomes, models, and arguments mentioned in the literature. • Contrast the different themes, controversies, methodologies, and arguments underscored in the literature. • Critique the literature. Identify the engaging arguments used by scholars. • Connect the literature to your own particular study area and topic. • Discuss whether and how your proposed study draws upon, deviates from, synthesizes, or contributes new knowledge to existing literature. • D. Aims and Research Questions • Give considerable time in properly framing your objectives and try to write them in a single sentence, if possible. • A research objective will help you stay focused and prevent you from drifting off on tangents (Krathwohl & Smith, 2005). • all study proposals must deal with the following questions: • What do you plan to achieve? Be straightforward and concise in describing the research problem and what topic you are proposing to study. • Why do you want to conduct the research? You must also provide compelling (convincing) evidence that your selected topic is worthy of a thorough examination. • How are you going to conduct the research? Make sure that your proposed study is doable (usable) and provide a clear, coherent set of strategies to complete it. • E. Research Design & Methods • This part must build confidence among your readers that it is something worth pursuing. • An effective way to frame your study design is by drawing good examples from your literature review. Emulate the good approaches used by other researchers. • F. Implications and Contribution to Knowledge • By drawing from your research objectives, explain how the expected outcomes will affect future studies, practice, theory, policymaking, procedures, etc. • Discussing study implications typically have either methodological, theoretical, or substantive significance (Abdulai & Owusu-Ansah, 2014). • G. Compliance with Ethical Principles • There is nothing fundamentally best or worst when it comes to the scientific writing style. • It is just a standardized approach for presenting information that is tailored to facilitate communication. • Different scholarly disciplines have diverse publication styles. • So this section depends on the protocols set by the target institution or agency. • Another major ethical APA principle promotes the need to ensure the accuracy of scientific knowledge. • The underlying principle behind the (universal) scientific method comprises observation, which can be verified and repeated by other scholars. • H. Budget • Some universities do not require a detailed budgetary allocation for proposed studies that only involve archival research and simple academic research, although some still do.
• The actual cost – present how much money do you need to
complete the entire study • Justification – discuss why such budget item is necessary to complete the research • Source – explain how the amount was calculated • Materials – Will you need access to any software solutions? • Does using a technology tool require installation or training costs? • Time – How much will you need to cover the time spent on your research study? • Do you need to take an official leave from your regular work? • Travel costs – Will you need to go to particular places to conduct interviews or gather data? • How much must you spend on such trips? • Assistance – Will you hire research assistants for your proposed study? What will they do and how much will you pay them? • Will you outsource any other activities (statistical analyses, etc.)? • I. Timetable • The research schedule is another aspect where one should be realistic and to the point. • The study turnaround time shows that your proposed study can be finished within the allowed period of completion, e.g., the student’s candidature or the university’s academic calendar. • Conclusion • One of the best ways to conclude your research proposal is by presenting a few of your anticipated outcomes. • Revisions and Proofreading • As with any other piece of academic writing, it is essential to redraft, edit, and proofread your research proposal before you submit it (van Ekelenburg, 2010). • If you have the opportunity, ask a friend, colleague, or supervisor for feedback and writing suggestions before handing it over to the evaluators. • In academic publishing, proposal rejection is a reality, even for the most seasoned scholarly writers. • In fact, the success rate of reapplied proposals is considerably higher compared to the first submissions. • V. Common Mistakes to Avoid in Proposal Writing • Submitting lengthy proposals. When writing research proposals, be to the point. • Covering too much research ground. It is common for students to fail in delimiting the contextual boundaries of their studies, be it the topic, time, place, etc. • • Not citing major works in a literature review. While it is advised to keep everything in the proposal at a minimum—a few milestone(landmark) research studies must already be included. • Too much focus on minor issues, yet very few details on major issues. A proposal must focus only a few key study questions to clearly argue why it should be conducted. • Inability to frame a persuasive and coherent argument for the proposed study. • Poor grammar or careless writing. Thanks a lot