LESSON 1: FUNDAMENTALS OF READING ACADEMIC TEXT

ACADEMIC TEXT
• Are written by professionals in a given field.
• they are edited by the authors’ peers and often take years to publish.
• Their language is formal and will contain words and terms typical to the field.
• The author’s name will be present, as well as their credentials.
• There will be a list of references that indicate where the author obtained the information s/he is using in the
articles.
CONTENT AND STYLE OF ACADEMIC TEXT
• They state critical questions and issues.
• They provide facts and evidence from credible sources.
• They use precise and accurate words while avoiding jargon and colloquial expressions.
• They take an objective point-of-view and avoid being personal and subjective.
• They list references.
• They use hedging or cautious language to tone down their claims.
HEDGING EXPRESSIONS
• Have flexibility to avoid making absolute/categorical statements which claim that the writer/researcher has
found the perfect and only answer.
• To avoid overstating their results as they are aware that theirs may not be the final word on the issue.
NON-ACADEMIC TEXT
• Are written for the mass public.
• they are published quickly and can be written by anyone.
• Their language is informal, casual and may contain slang.
• The author may not be provided and will not have any credentials listed.
• There will be no reference list.

ACADEMIC DESCRITION
TEXT

ARTICLES Published in scholarly journals, this type of academic text offers results of research and
development that can impact the academic community or provide relevance to nation-building.

CONFERENCE These are papers presented in scholastic conferences, and may be revised as articles for possible
PAPERS publication in scholarly journals.

REVIEWS These provide evaluation or reviews of works published in scholarly journals.

THESES These are personal researches written by a candidate for a college or university degree.
DISSERTATIONS

WHY DO YOU READ?

• To better understand an existing idea
• To get ideas that can support a particular writing assignment
• To get more information
• To identify gaps in existing ideas
• To connect new ideas to existing ones
STRENGTH OF CLAIMS
• Must
• Will/would
• Should
• May
• Can/could
• Might
BEFORE READING
• Determine which type of academic text.
• Determine and establish your purpose for reading.
• Identify the author’s purpose for writing.
• Predict or infer the main idea or argument of the text based on its title.
• Identify your attitude towards the author and the text.
• State what you already know and what you want to learn about the topic.
• Determine the target audience.
• Check the publication date for relevance.
• Check the reference list while making sure to consider the correctness
• Use a concept map or graphic organizer to note your existing ideas and knowledge on the topic
DURING READING
• Annotate important of the text
- annotating a text can help you determine essential ideas or information.
1. Write key words or phrases on the margins in bullet form.
2. Write something on the page margin where important information is found.
3. Write brief notes on the margin.
4. Write questions on information that you find confusing.
5. Write what you already know about the ideas.
6. Write the limitations of the author’s arguments.
7. Write notes on the reliability of the text.
8. Comment on the author’s biases.
• React on the arguments presented in the text.
• Underline important words.
• Underline or encircle meanings or definitions.
• Use context clues to define unfamiliar or technical words to be defined later.
• Synthesize author’s arguments at the end of chapter or section.
• Determine the main idea of the text.
• Identify the evidence or supporting arguments presented by the author and check their validity and relevance.
AFTER READING
• Reflect on what you learned.
• React on some parts of the text through writing.
• Discuss some parts with your teacher or classmates.
• Link the main idea of the text to what you already know.
 LESSON 2: LOCATING MAIN IDEAS
MAIN IDEA
• Is the point of the paragraph.
• It is the most important thought about the topic.
• To figure out the main idea, ask yourself this question: What is being said about the person, thing or idea (the
topic)?
• The author can locate the main idea in different places within a paragraph. The main idea is usually a
sentence. And it is usually the first sentence.
THESIS STATEMENT
• Presents or describe the point of an essay. In an Academic text, the thesis statement is usually presented in the
abstract or executive summary or found at the last part of the introduction.
TOPIC SENTENCE
• Presents or describe the point of the paragraph; in other words, it is the main idea of a paragraph. It can be
located in the beginning, middle, or last part of the paragraph.
LESSON 4 - CITING SOURCES
PURPOSE FOR CITING SOURCES

 To give credit to the original author of a work

 To promote scholarly writing
 To help your target audience identify your original source
FORMS OF CITATION
1. IN-TEXT CITATION

 Requires the writer to cite the details of the reference used in a certain part of his/her essay.
 Format-
o Author’s last name,
o Year of publication,
o Page # (if necessary)
2. REFERENCE CITATION

 Refers to the complete bibliographic entries of all references used by the writer. This appears in the
reference list found at the last part of the paper.
 Style Guides
o The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA)
 According to Sipacio (2014) APA style is required for business students’ majors.
 APA style is applied in the social sciences (Sipacio, 2014)
 According to Sipacio and Barrot (2014), APA style is required for business student majors.
 APA style is required for Business student majors (Sipacio & Barrot, 2014)
 According to Sipacio, Barrot and Sanchez (2014) the APA style is appropriate for the fields of
nursing and education.
 The APA style is appropriate for the fields of nursing and education (Sipacio,Barrot, and
Sanchez, 2014).
 Subsequent Citation:
 Sipacio et al. states that ingeneral, the social sciences employ this citation style (2014).
 In general, the social sciences employ this citation style ( Sipacio et al., 2014)
o The Modern Language Association Style Guide (MLA)
 Sipacio claimed that MLA style is required for Humanities students majors (54).
 MLA style is required for Humanities student majors (Sipacio 54).
 Sipacio and Barrot claimed tha MLA style is required for Humanities student majors (54).
o Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
o American Medical Association Manual of Style (AMA)
o The Chicago Manual Style

STYLE GUIDE DISCIPLINE

 APA Psychology, Education, Hotel and Restaurant management, Business,
Economics and other Social Sciences

MLA Literature, Art and Humanities

IEEE Engineering

AMA Medicine, Health Sciences and other Natural Sciences

CHICAGO Reference Books, Non-Academic Periodicals (e.g., newspapers,

magazines, journals, among others)

 If the print source does not list an author, use the shortened title of the work enclosed in quotation marks in place of
the author’s name
 MLA style is one of the many citation styles students can use (“Citation Styles” 64).
 Direct Quotations
 Use double quotation marks to enclose direct quotes not exceeding four lines. In the parenthetical citation, give
the author’s name and the page number.
 All punctuations which are part of the quoted text must be placed inside the quotation marks, but if the
punctuations are part of your text, place them outside.
 Ex. Miranda claimed that “adhering to a style is a mark of discipline” (56).
Would it be fair to say that “adhering to a style is a mark of discipline” (Miranda 56)?
Lesson 5: BASICS OF SUMMARIZING
WHAT IS SUMMARIZING?
• Is an important skill in critical reading, summarizing is often used to determine the essential ideas in a book,
article or any other kind of text.
WHAT IS NOT SUMMARIZING?

 Write down everything;

 Write down ideas from the text word-for-word;
 Write down incoherent and irrelevant ideas;
 Write down ideas that are not stated in the text; or
 Write down a summary that has the same length or is longer than the original text.

GUIDELINES IN SUMMARIZING

 Clarify your purpose before you read.

 Read the text and understand the meaning.
 Select and underline or circle the main ideas and phrases while reading.
 Combine the sentences into a paragraph. Use appropriate transitional devices.
 Ensure that you do not copy a single sentence from the original text.
 Refrain from adding comments about the text. Stick to the ideas it presents.
 Compare your output with the original text to ensure accuracy.
 Record the details of the original source

Formats in summarizing
1. Idea heading format
 in this format, the summarized idea comes before the citation.
2. Author heading format
 In this format, the summarized idea comes after the citation. The author’s name/s is/are connected by an
appropriate reporting verb.
3. Date heading format
 In this format, the summarized idea comes after the date when the material was published.
Using Reporting Verbs When Summarizing
A reporting verb is a word used to discuss another person’s writings or assertions.

BIOLOGY LINGUISTICS
-DESCRIBE -FIND -SUGGEST -ARGUE
-REPORT -SHOW -FIND - DEMOSTRATE
-SUGGEST -OBSERVE -PROPOSE -POINT OUT
Lesson 6: PARAPHRASING AND DIRECT QUOTING
PARAPHRASING

 your own explanation or interpretation of another person’s ideas.

 Paraphrasing in academic writing is an effective way to restate, condense, or clarify another
author’s ideas while also providing credibility to your own argument or analysis.
DIRECT QUOTING

• is one in which you copy an author's words directly from the text and use that exact wording in
your essay.

SUMMARIZING PARAPHRASING DIRECT QUOTING

Does not match the source word Does not match the source word Matches the source word for word
for word for word

Involves putting the main idea/s Involves putting a passage from a Is usually a short part of the text
into your own words, source into your own words

Presents a broad overview, so is Changes the words or phrasing a Cited part appears between
usually much shorter than the passage, but retains and fully quotation marks.
original text communicates the original
meaning

Must be attributed to the original Must be attributed to the original Must be attributed to the original
source source source

WHEN TO USE?

PARAPHRASING SUMMARIZING DIRECT QUOTING

1. Paraphrase a short text with one 1. Summarize a text that has long 1. Quote a text that conveys
or two sentences or a paragraph sections. powerful message.
with a maximum of five sentences.

2. Paraphrase when you want to
a. avoid or minimize direct
quotation; or
b. Rewrite the author’s words
by not changing the
message or use your own
words to state the author’s
ideas.
2. Summarize when you want to…
a. avoid or minimize direct
quotation; or use the main idea of
the text and write it in your own
words.
2. Quote directly when you want to
a. begin your discussion with
the author’s stand; or
b. highlight the author’s
expertise in your claim,
argument, or discussion.

GUIDELINES IN PARAPHRASING
1. Read and understand 7. check sentence structure
2. Use a pen 8. refrain from adding
3. recall key words 9. check and remove
4. write it in your own words 10. record
5. compare 11. format
6. check the accuracy
Lesson 7: WRITING AN ABSTRACT PRECIS OR SUMMARY

ABSTRACT

• presents the essential elements of a longer work in a short and powerful statement.
• includes the key terms found in a longer work and the purpose and methods of the research.
• Note that the way we write an abstract, precis or summary depends on the expectations of a
particular discipline or field.

DESCRIPTIVE ABSTRACTS

• Their purpose is simply to pique the interest of the target audience.

SUMMATIVE ABSTRACT
• On the other hand, readily present the key ideas and major findings of the study.

STRUCTURE
In terms of structure, a research abstract generally follows the given allocation of words:
• Rationale (around 20%)
• Research problems ( 10%)
• Methodology (20%)
• Major finding ( 40%)
• Conclusion and implications (10%)
GUIDELINES
• Read
• Highlight
• State the author’s name, the title of the passage and the main idea at the beginning sentence.
• Use words or phrases indicating that you are presenting an abstract, precis or summary.
• Write main idea
• Never copy in verbatim
• Combine main ideas
• Refrain from adding
• Edit
• Compare
Lesson 3: EVALUATING SOURCES

CRITERIA IN EVALUATING SOURCES

o RELEVANCE

• How well does the source support your topic?

• You can check the title, table of contents, summary/abstract, introduction, or headings of the text to
have a sense of its content

o AUTHORITY

• Is the author’s name identified?

• Is the author’s background, education, or training related to the topic?
• 10Is he/she a professor in a reputable university?
• Whr24 mat are his/her publications?
• Is the contact information of the author available?

o CURRENCY

• WHAT IS THE DATE OF PUBLICATION?

• In most fields, the data from the older publications may no longer be valid. As much as possible, the
date of publication should be at most five years earlier.

o CONTENTS

• Does the author have a lot of citations in his or her text and/ or bibliography or works cited section?
• What is the tone and style of writing?
• Is the information inaccurate?
• Is the information obviously biased or prejudiced?

o LOCATION OF SOURCES

• Where is the source published? Is it published digitally or print?

• Is it a book, an academic journal, or a reputable news source such as www.nytimes.com or www.
Economist.com?
• Does it provide complete publication information such as author (s)/editor (s), title, date of
publication and publisher?
• What is the url of the website?