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Academic Research & Writing Skills: Toni Kennedy
Academic Research & Writing Skills: Toni Kennedy
Part I
Toni Kennedy
Manager Library & Information Services (DOCLIS) with the NSW Department of
Corrective Services
This paper, presented in two parts over two issues, will focus on the writing skills
required for communicating your re-search clearly and effectively.
Academic writing is formal writing. Many novice writers have trouble telling informal
writing apart from formal writing. They resort to informal writing, since it’s easier and
more familiar.
Essays, reports, presentations and research papers are just some examples of
documents written in the academic style. Academic writing, when used appropriately,
presents a polished and professional image. Academic writing skills encompass strong
composition, excellent grammar, and a consistent stylistic approach, providing proper
credits and references.
Are you grappling with how to communicate your research clearly and effectively?
These guidelines will explore ways of developing your skills for presenting a convincing
and cohesive argument, creating a logical structure, and achieving coherence and
cohesion between and within the text.
Process Overview
Task Product
Read the question and understand what you are Essay subject.
required to do. Think about the subject, the purpose
and the audience.
Think about what you know about the subject. Write Diagrams or notes.
it down in some way.
Find the books on your reading list and study them. List of materials studied.
Discuss your first draft informally with friends, other List of revisions/changes.
members of your class and your lecturer if possible.
Research
You will probably start by looking at
When you have understood the question secondary sources, for example
or what you are expected to write, you dictionaries, encyclopaedias and online
will need to do some reading to find out databases (indexes and full text) that
what has been published in your field of you can use to help you to find the
study. It is most unlikely that you will primary sources - the full text of
find the information you need about your articles, books, government and
topic in just one specific section of the company reports, etc. that you need to
library. You need to think and look as read for your essay. Use the library
widely as you can about possible subject computer catalogue to find useful
areas that may be relevant to your topic. books, audiovisual items and journal
articles for your topic.
Many sources are available in several
formats - as hard copy or on-line via the Search Strategy
Internet. In the last few years there has
o Have a firm concept of what it is
been a great increase in the amount of
you are looking for - have it as a
information that can be found on-line.
sentence
Using the Internet, it is possible to
o Are you looking for general
search for the details of books, journal
information or something specific?
articles and conference proceedings, as
o What type of 'document' are you
well as for data such as statistics, maps
looking for - article citation, full
and diagrams. The number of journal
text article, book
titles that you are able to access on-line
o List synonyms for each concept
is growing rapidly. Internet gateways
o Select the appropriate database –
and subject databases can also be good
Medline, PsychInfo etc
starting points for your research.
o Do the search, preferably using the
individual database’s advanced
Boolean Searching
Internet Research
Here are a few basic guidelines to
remember:
o Don't rely exclusively on Net
resources
o Narrow your research topic before
logging on
o Know your subject directories and
search engines
e.g. college OR university o Keep a detailed record of sites you
visit and the sites you use
In this search, we will retrieve records in o Double-check all URLs that you put
which AT LEAST ONE of the search in your paper
terms is present. We are searching on
the terms college and also university The following points are guidelines for
since documents containing either of evaluating specific resources you find on
these words might be relevant. OR logic the Net. The key to the whole process is
is most commonly used to search for to think critically about what you find on
synonymous terms or concepts. the Net; if you want to use it, you are
responsible for ensuring that it is
AND reliable and accurate.
o Authority
o Affiliation
o Audience Level
o Currency
o Content Reliability/Accuracy