ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND The Three-Part Essay Structure

PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES CM 1
READING ACADEMIC TEXTS

Academic Texts

An academic text is a critical, objective, specialized

reading material that provides information about
concepts and theories that are related to a specific
discipline. It is usually written by experts or professionals
in the given field.

Academic texts are based on facts with solid basis.

Therefore, these are generally formal, objective
(impersonal) and technical. It is formal since it avoids
casual or conversational language, such as contractions
or informal vocabulary. Objective (impersonal) since it
avoids direct reference to people or feelings, and instead
emphasizing objects, facts and ideas. Finally, itis
technical since it makes use of vocabularies specific to
the discipline.
The following are considered as academic texts:
Research Paper, Conference Paper, Feasibility Study,
Thesis/Dissertation, Reviews, Essay, Academic Journals,
Reports.
Structure of Academic Texts
One important feature of academic texts is that they are
organized in a specific way; they have a clear structure.
This structure makes it easier for the readers to navigate
the text and understand the material better. The
structure of an academic text should be clear throughout
the text and within each section, paragraph and even
sentence.
There are the two common structures of academic texts
depending on the type of assignment: the three-part
essay structure and the IMRaD structure.
The three-part essay structure is a basic structure that
consists of introduction, body and conclusion. The
introduction and the conclusion should be shorter than
the body of the text. For shorter essays, one or two
paragraphs for each of these sections can be
appropriate. For longer texts or theses, they may be
several pages long.
1.Introduction
•Its purpose is to clearly tell the reader the topic,
purpose and structure of the paper.
•As a rough guide, an introduction might be between 10
and 20 percent of the length of the whole paper and has
three main parts:
a. The most general information, such as
background and/or definitions.
b. The core of the introduction, where you show
the overall topic, purpose, your point of view,
hypotheses and/or research questions
(depending on what kind of paper it is).

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 c. The most specific information, describing the
scope and structure of your paper.
2.Body
•It develops the question, “What is the topic about?”
•It may elaborate directly on the topic sentence by giving
definitions, classifications, explanations, contrasts,
examples and evidence.
•This is considered as the heart of the essay because it
expounds the specific ideas for the readers to have a
better understanding of the topic.
•It usually is the largest part of the essay.
3.Conclusion
•The conclusion is closely related to the introduction and
is often described as its ‘mirror image’. This means that
if the introduction begins with general information and
ends with specific information, the conclusion moves in
the opposite direction.
•The conclusion usually begins by briefly summarizing
the main scope or structure of the paper, confirms the
topic that was given in the introduction, ends with a
more general statement about how this topic relates to
its context. This may take the form of an evaluation of
the importance of the topic, implications for future
research or a recommendation about theory or practice.
The IMRaD Structure
“IMRaD” format refers to a paper that is structured by
four main sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, and
Discussion. This format is often used for lab reports as
well as for reporting any planned, systematic research in
the social sciences, natural sciences, or engineering and
computer sciences.
According to George Mason University, this is how you
compose an academic text in the form of IMRaD:
1.Introduction –Make a case for your research. The
introduction explains why this research is important or
necessary or important. Begin by describing the problem
or situation that motivates the research. Move to
discussing the current state of research in the field; then
reveal a “gap” or problem in the field. Finally, explain
how the present research is a solution to that problem or
gap. If the study has hypotheses, they are presented at
the end of the introduction.
2. Methods –What did you do? The methods section tells
readers how you conducted your study. It includes
information about your population, sample, methods,
and equipment. The “gold standard” of the methods
section is that it should enable readers to duplicate your
study. Methods sections typically use subheadings; they
are written in past tense, and they use a lot of passive
voice. This is typically the least read section of an IMRaD
report.
3.Results –What did you find? In this section, you present
your findings. Typically, the Results section contains only
the findings, not any explanation of or commentary on
the findings (see below). Results sections are usually
written in the past tense. Make sure all tables and figures
are labeled and numbered separately. Captions go above
tables and beneath figures.
4.Discussion –What does it mean? In this section, you
summarize your main findings, comment on those
findings (see below), and connect them to another
research. You also discuss limitations of your study, and
use these limitations as reasons to suggest additional,
future research.
Language of Academic Texts
Academic Language is defined as the language of
academic disciplines, of texts and literature, and of
extended, reasoned discourse. Additionally, researchers
have defined academic language as the language that
students must comprehend to access the concepts
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associated with a particular discipline and be able to use
to demonstrate their understanding of those concepts.
Academic language related to geometry, for example,
might include words such as area, circumference,
diameter, and radius; in order to fully describe the
properties of a circle, you need to know these terms and
be able to use them appropriately to demonstrate your
understanding of the different ways to calculate the size
of a circle.
What is difference between academic language and
social language? Social language is the simple, informal
language we use when talking face to face with family
members and friends. It allows us to use contemporary
or slang terms like “cool,” “awesome,” or “dude.” We can
also communicate feelings, needs, and wants using
symbolic hand gestures for drink, eat, hot, cold, hurt, or
tired. Social language also includes writing emails,
friendly letters, and texts or retelling stories.
Academic language on the other hand is different from
everyday social language. It is the vocabulary students or
adults must learn to succeed in the classroom or in the
workplace. We use academic language to describe and
comprehend complex ideas, process higher-order
thinking, and understand abstract concepts.
Characteristics of Academic Language
As discussed in the previous lesson, academic texts are
formal, objective (impersonal) and technical. Therefore,
the language used in this kind of text is just the same.
Academic writers use cautious, considered language in
an effort to be as exact as they can in their analysis. They
try to say only what they mean and what they think can
be justified.
It is formal since it avoids casual or conversational
language, such as contractions or informal vocabulary.
Objective (impersonal) since it avoids direct reference to
people or feelings, and instead emphasizing objects,
facts and ideas. And, technical since it makes use of
vocabularies specific to the discipline.
CHARACTERISTICS OF ACADEMIC LANGUAGE
FORMAL - It should not be conversational and casual.
Avoid colloquial and idiomatic expressions, slang, and
contractions.
X dig in
X cup of tea
X dude
X don’t
IMPERSONAL - Do not refer to yourself as the
performer of actions. Do not use personal pronouns.
For example: “It is commonly said that... instead of
“Many of my friends and colleagues say that...”
“Research revealed that...” instead of “I discovered that”
PRECISE - The facts are presented accurately. The choice
of words is appropriate. The use of technical terms to
achieve precision is applied. For example:“85% of the
population”, “The results are okay(satisfactory).”,
asphyxiation (medical term).
OBJECTIVE - It is unbiased, based on facts and is not
influenced by personal feelings. For example: “The essay
on... is distressing.” instead of “I do not like the essay”
ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND
PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES CM 2
WRITING ACADEMIC TEXTS
Summarizing
Last week, we discussed what an academic text is: An
academic text is a critical, objective, specialized reading
material that provides information about concepts and
theories that are related to a specific discipline. It is
usually written by experts or professionals in the given
field.
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After reading an academic text, you are now presented
with a multitude of information. Some you need to
remember to understand and some are most likely to be
forgotten. How do you make sure that only the
important information are retained? There are several
techniques that you can employ to do so. These are tried
and techniques that you may have been using before, as
well. The first one is summarizing.
When you are asked to recall your favorite movie, or
when your friend asks you to “spill the tea”. You do not
necessarily go into every part of the story. What we do
so that we do not miss the important details is we
summarize. A summary is a synopsis or digest of the
essence of an entire text. This technique captures all the
major parts of a text, leaving out details which may
confuse the readers.
For this part of the discussion, you will be learning how
to summarize an academic text that you have read. The
following are some helpful tips fromwritingcenter.com.
1. Read the text to be summarized repeatedly to make
sure that you have a clear grasp of the text. It is possible
to miss out some details in the first encounter with the
text. Read it at least two times: the first time to
appreciate it, and the next time to understand. Read it as
many times as you need it.
2. Identify the main idea of the text to be summarized
and use this as the first sentence of your summary to give
the reader with a clear overview of what the academic
text is about.
3. Put your feet into your readers’ shoe and do not
expect that they already know what you are writing
about. Provide the necessary context and background
information that you feel are unfamiliar with them.
4. Ensure a smooth flow of ideas by organizing your
ideas using transitional devices (consequently, therefore,
moreover, as a result, etc.) Remember your Reading and
Writing lessons? This applies here! Make sure that the
ideas are cohesive and coherent so that the readers will
understand the relationship between them. Writing an
outline prior to the summary will help you in this regard.
We will discuss more on that later.
5. Limit your summary to a few sentences. Always keep
in mind that one of the determining characteristics of a
summary is brevity, however, that does not mean that
you will sacrifice quality for quantity. You must capture
the essence of the text by removing unnecessary details.
Your main priority is to make the readers understand the
text the way that you do.
6. Proofread you work. Verify the details that you
included and make sure that they capture the essence of
the text. The summary should help you and the reader
understand what the text is about without the “nitty-
gritty” details presented the text. As they say, less is
more.
Take note that being able to write an effective summary
is a skill. It is a measure of how much you have
understood or learned a topic or concept. You can only
summarize if you have truly learned the topic.If you
cannot summarize a subject, even if you have memorized
all the facts about it, you can be absolutely sure that you
have not learned it. And, if you truly learn the subject,
you will still be able to summarize, no matter how long
you have learned it.
• Determine the main idea of the text, and use it
as the first sentence of your summary.
• List down points that may possible be unfamiliar
to your readers.
• Use a graphic organizer to show how the ideas
flow.
• Write the draft of your summary.
• Compare your summary to the original text.
Does it contain the essential ideas?
Basic Rules in Summarizing
Like any other process, summarizing also includes rules
that you can follow to make sure that you can do it
correctly. Here are some of the general rules:
A. Erase things that do not matter. Remember that a
summary should be concise, yet complete. Include only
the most important details from the text. Trivial details
that do not affect the essence of the text should be
removed.
B. Only write down important points. So how can you
tell which ones are the important points? These are the
details that would help the reader understand the text,
not just simply add additional information.
C. Erase things that repeat. Avoid redundancy by
deleting sentences that have the same idea. If you have
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already discussed the idea in one sentence, do not A. Supporting Details
explain it in another. In the same way, combine same
B. Supporting Details
ideas in the same sentence.
If you will translate or write this outline into an essay,
D. Trade general terms for specific names. Substitute
each main idea represented by a roman numeral is the
superordinate terms for lists. Superordinate terms acts
main topic of the paragraph. The supporting sentences
like an “umbrella” term to which objects/ ideas can be
are those in the numbers and lowercase letter. The next
classified. (e.g. Animals for dogs, cat; Flowers for daisies,
main idea will then be written in the second paragraph,
roses) Focus on the big picture. Long, technical lists are
marked by roman numeral II, in the outline. There are
hard to remember. If one word will give you the meaning,
two categories in classifying the types of an outline. The
then less is more.
first one is based on its purpose: The reading outline and
E. Use your own words to write the summary. Using the writing outline.
your original words is the foremost requirement in
We use a reading outline when we want to “breakdown”
writing a summary. Do not just copy the sentences from
the text that was already written for us to read and
the original text. However, do not inject your opinion
understand. It helps you understand the text’s structure
since it may affect the essence of the original text.
more critically because you will have to find the text’s
Now that you know the rules, let us go to the techniques thesis statement and supporting details. You will better
that you can use in summarizing an academic texts. The understand how a writer connects and sequences the
first one is outlining. information in the reading text. On the other hand, the
writing outline is for you-the writer. We use this as the
Outlining
skeleton or framework of our essay. It helps us visualize
Every tall building was once made up of steel rods as a and organize our ideas logically, before turning them into
foundation. Without this foundation, the structure a complete and cohesive essay. The writing outline is part
would not be able to stand firm throughout time. This of the pre-writing process.
also determines the shape that the building will take
The second category to classify outlines is according to
upon completion. In the same way, an outline serves as
format. When you use sentences to breakdown your
the skeleton of an academic text or essay. It is an
essay into an outline, it is called as a sentence outline. If
important tool for writers in guiding the reader into the
you will use phrases or just keywords, it is referred to as
flow of the ideas in text. Like a map, it focuses the
topic outline. You can combine these types into your
attention and comprehension of the reader. It is one of
reading or writing outline. Take note of the correct
the most effective way in organizing ideas.
symbol to use and indent your sentences/ phrases
We use alphanumeric symbols to distinguish the main further to the right, as the ideas become more specific.
ideas from the supporting ideas or details. Doing so helps
Steps in creating a reading outline
us better grasp the essence of a text. Below is the format
of an outline: 1. Read the entire text first. Skim the text afterward.
Having an overview of the reading’s content will help you
I. Main Idea
follow its structure better.
A. Supporting Details
2. Locate the thesis statement. This is the “controlling”
1. Minor details (examples, more specific details) sentence that the paragraph revolves around.

2. Minor details 3. Look for the key ideas in each paragraph of the essay.
This is how you will determine the ideas that will be
a. More specific details considered as the main idea, or supporting ideas.
B. Supporting Details

II. Main Idea

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4. Look at the topic sentence and group related ideas
together. Once you have determined all the ideas,
classify those that are related to each other.
5. Arrange the contents according to chronological order,
spatial order, and general to specific order. Determine
how the ideas were discussed, and make sure the outline
flows the same way.
6. Go back to the text and make sure you have not miss
any important information. Compare the outline to the
essay, to verify if you have all the important details
noted, and that they are arranged logically.
Other techniques in summarizing
1. Somebody Wanted But So Then. Don’t panic! These
words are clues that represent a key question related to
a text’s essential elements:
Somebody—Who is the text about?
Wanted—What did the main character want?
But—What was the problem encountered?
So—How was the problem solved?
Then—How did it end?
2. SAAC Method. This method is particularly helpful in
learning the format of a summary. This includes the title
and author’s name.
State—The name of the article, book, movie
Assign—the name of the author
Action—what the author is doing (ex.Tells, explains)
Complete—complete the sentence or summary with
keywords and important details.
3. 5W’s, 1 H. This technique relies on six crucial
questions: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How. These
questions make it easy to identify the main character,
important details and main idea. Your summary may not
necessarily follow this order as long as it contains all of
this information.
Who is the text about?
What did he/she do?
When did it happen?
Why did he/she do it?
How did he/she do what he/she did?
4. First Then Finally. This technique helps summarize
events or steps in chronological order or in sequence.
First–What happened first?
Then–What key details took place during the
event/action?
Finally–What were the results of the action?
Thesis Statement
What is the essay all about? This is the question that is
almost always asked immediately right after you study or
read a certain text. To answer this question, your minds
rewinds the information that you processed to come up
with a logical answer. To avoid being drowned by all that
information, you can highlight the thesis statement.
A thesis statement a sentence that states the main idea
of a writing assignment and helps control the ideas
within the paper. It is not merely a topic. It often reflects
an opinion or judgment that a writer has made about a
reading or personal experience. The thesis statement
contains a subject and a verb; it is a simple declarative
sentence, commonly uses single sentence, and expresses
a basic idea. This is often found at the beginning of every
paragraph. After which, the succeeding sentences serve
as supporting sentences or details that elaborates on the
main idea stated in the thesis statement. However, it can
still be found in the middle or at the end of the
paragraph. If it cannot be found in any part of the
paragraph, then we refer to it as an implied thesis
statement.
Thesis statements both help the writers in organizing
their ideas, and the readers in understanding those
ideas. When you summarize your academic texts, use the
thesis statement to make sure that each paragraph is
focused on one main idea. In the same way, when you
read an academic text, identify the thesis statement to
help you better understand what the text is all about. Go
back to item no.4 of Learning Activity No.1, what do you
think is the thesis statement in the paragraph? In writing
a strong thesis statement, be guided by these questions
shared by The Writer Center.
Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question
prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you
fix an argument that misses the focus of the question. If
the prompt isn’t phrased as a question, try to rephrase it.
For example, “Discuss the effect of X on Y” can be
rephrased as “What is the effect of X on Y?
Have I taken a position that others might challenge or
oppose? If your thesis simply states facts that no one
would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you
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are simply providing a summary, rather than making an
argument.
Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis
statements that are too vague often do not have a strong
argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or
“successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is
something “good”; what specifically makes something
“successful”?
Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s
first response is likely to be “So what?” then you need to
clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger
issue.
Does my essay support my thesis specifically and
without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your
essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to
change. It’s okay to change your working thesis to reflect
things you have figured out in the course of writing your
paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your
writing as necessary.
Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? If a
reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis
may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader.
See what you can add to give the reader a better take on
your position right from the beginning.
ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND
PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES CM 3
WRITING THE REACTION PAPER/REVIEW/CRITIQUE
Critical Approaches in Writing a Critique
There are various ways or standpoints by which you can
analyze and critique a certain material. You can critique
a material based on its technical aspects, its approach
to gender, your reaction as a reader, listener, or
audience, or even through its portrayal of the class
struggle or social structure.
Critical Approaches in Writing a Critique:
1. Formalism
• claims that literary works contain intrinsic
properties and treats each work as a distinct
work of art.
• posits that the key to understanding a text is
through the text itself; the historical context,
the author or any other external contexts are
not necessary in interpreting the meaning.
Common aspects looked into in formalism:
• Author’s techniques in resolving contradictions
within the work.
• Central passage that sums up the entirety of the
work
• Contribution of parts and the work as a whole
to its aesthetic quality
• Contribution of rhymes and rhythms to the
meaning or effect of the work
• Relationship of the form and the content
• Use of imagery to develop the symbols used in
the work
• Interconnectedness of various parts of the work
• Paradox, ambiguity, and irony in the work
• Unity in the work
A reaction paper, review, and critique should NOT:
➢ Be a stream of consciousness paper
➢ Include a lot of “I think,” “I feel,” or “I believe,”
statements
➢ Use the pronoun “you”
➢ Be autobiographical papers about why you like
or do not like something
➢ Be a repetition of what the author has already
said
2. Feminist Criticism or Feminism
• focuses on how literature presents women as
subjects of socio-political, psychological, and
economic oppression
• reveals how aspects of our culture are
patriarchal, i.e., how our culture views men as
superior and women as inferior.
Common aspects looked into when using feminism:
• How culture determines gender
• How gender equality is presented in the text
• How gender issues are presented in the literary
works and other aspects of human production
and daily life
• How women are socially, politically,
psychologically, and economically oppressed by
patriarchy
• How patriarchal ideology is an overpowering
presence
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3. Reader-Response Criticism Structure of Reaction Paper/Review/ Critique
• concerned with the reviewer’s reaction as an ‣Title of the book/article
audience of a work. Introduction (5%) or work
• claims that the reader’s role cannot be separated ‣Writer’s name
from the understanding of the work; a text does ‣Thesis statement
not have meaning until the reader reads it and Summary (10%) ‣Objective or Purpose
interprets it ‣Methods used (if
• Readers are therefore not passive and distant, applicable)
but are active consumers of the material ‣Major findings, claims,
presented to them. ideas, or messages
Review/Critique (in no ‣Does the writer
Common aspects looked into when using Reader – particular order 75%) explicitly state his/her
Response Criticism: thesis statement.
• Interaction between the reader and the text in ‣What are the
creating meaning assumptions
• The impact of readers’ delivery of sounds and ‣What are the
visuals on enhancing and changing meaning. contributions of the work
to the field where it
4. Marxist Criticism belongs?
• concerned with differences between economic ‣What problems and
classes and implications of a capitalist system, issues are discussed or
such as the continuing conflicts between presented in the work?
working class and the elite. ‣What kind of
• attempts to reveal that the ultimate source of information are
people’s experience is the socio-economic presented in the work?
system Conclusion (10%) ‣Overall impression of
the work
Common aspects looked into when using Marxist ‣Scholarly or literary
criticism: value of the reviewed
• Social class as represented in the work article, book or work.
• Social class of the writer/creator ‣Benefits for the
• Social class of the characters intended audience
• Conflicts and interactions between economic ‣Suggestion for future
classes direction of research

Other critical approaches you can use: Reaction Paper/Review/ Critique with NO
• Structuralism prescribed structure
• Gender criticism ‣Basic details about the
• Ecocriticism Introduction material (title, director or
• Biographical criticism artist name of
• Historical criticism exhibition/event)
• Mythological criticism ‣Main assessment of the
material (for films and
Structure of Reaction Paper/Review/ Critique performances)
In writing a reaction paper, review, or critique, the writer ‣Discussion or analysis of
must to follow a logical organization and structure in the work (critical
order for him to present his critical evaluation effectively. Analysis or approach)
The following are the standard structures that are being Interpretation ‣What aspects of the
used: work make you think it is
a success or failure.
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 ‣Were there unanswered ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND
questions or plot lines? If
yes, how did they affect
PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES CM 4
the story? WRITING A CONCEPT PAPER
‣How does the work
relate in other ideas ore Concept Paper
events in the world?
‣What stood out while Isn’t life just a quest of searching for answers? What is
you were watching the your purpose? Where do you want to go? When would
film or the performance? this happen? Who will be with you to the end? Why are
‣ Reinforcement of main things the way they are? How do things work? These are
Conclusion or Evaluation assessment just questions that you may have asked at least once (or
‣Comparison to a similar more than once) in your life. Our higher order thinking
work. ‣Recommendation skills as humans gives us the seemingly incontrollable
of the material (if you quench for knowledge.
liked it)
Everything in this world revolves around a concept, and
Guidelines in Writing a Reaction Paper, Review, or rationalizing these concepts are a part of the growth of
Critique humanity. In a formal setting such as the academe,
scholars discuss these concepts through a concept paper.
For Articles and Journals A concept paper aims to explain, clarify, or theorize a
✓ Read to the work to be reviewed carefully particular concept. Academic texts such as thesis,
✓ Relate the content of the work to what you research papers, reports-are all kinds of a concept paper.
already know about the topic. Basically, any scholarly work that was done through a
✓ Focus on discussing how the book treats the series of studies and backed up by data and facts to
topic elaborate on any topic is considered as a concept paper.
✓ Report the type of analysis or mode of
presentation. In a stricter sense, concept papers are also used to
✓ Examine whether the findings are adequately propose ideas for a project. Any project, program, or
supported. product started with a concept. It functions like short
✓ Suggest points for improvement of the summary of what the project is and why it is important
reasoning. and how it is carried out. Since it is a proposal, it is
✓ Point out other interpretations that the writer typically addressed to an approving body or office such
missed out. as funders or sponsors. The concept paper should be able
For artworks and other media to convince them to support the project.
✓ Use speculative verbs (evoke, create, appear, &
suggest). It may also serve as a prelude to a full paper. It aims to
✓ Make sure to describe it to the reader (do not objectively inform the reader about the idea or concept.
spoil key events). It is an embodiment of your ideas on a certain topic.
✓ Describe the material in simple terms (artworks).
General note: In developing a concept, it is important to connect theory
• Did the work hold your interest? and experience. Theory is acquired from the thorough
• Did the work annoy or excite you? research from various academic references about your
chosen topic, and experience comes from the daily
• Did the work prompt you to raise questions to
observations made by the researcher. Below are the
the author?
ways in how researchers can develop these concepts:
• Did the work lead you to some realizations?
• Did the work remind you of other materials that
Ways to Elucidate a Concept
you have read, viewed or listened to?
The concept paper defines an idea or a concept and
explains its essence in order to clarify the “whatness” of
that idea or concept. It answers the questions: what is it
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and about it (Dadufalza 1996:183). A concept paper
starts with a definition, either formal or informal, of the
term or the concept and proceeds with an expanded
definition and an analytic description of the aspects of
the concept.
A concept paper is a short summary of what the project
is and why it is important and how it is carried out. It
serves as a prelude to a full paper. It aims to objectively
inform the reader about the idea or concept. It is an
embodiment of your ideas on a certain topic.
I. Definition -is a logical technique by which the meaning
of a term is revealed. Definition is important because it
clarifies the meaning of a word or a concept and it also
limit the scope of that particular word or concept.
Limiting the scope controls and avoids
misinterpretations, ague notions, and/or broad ideas.
Techniques
A. Formal–follows a pattern or equation: term + genus +
differentia (differentiating characteristics)
Ex. A robot is a machine that looks like a human being
and performs complex acts of a human being (Webster)
B. By synonym-using a word or phrase that shares a
meaning with the term being defined. Ex: Hashish –
marijuana.
C. By origin or semantic history–using the etymology of
the word. Ex. Yoga comes from the Sanskrit “to join”
D. By Illustration–using observable characteristics.
Ex: Known for their shedding their leaves in the fall,
deciduous trees include oaks, maples, and beeches.
E. By function–using the function of purpose.
Ex: A thermometer measures temperature change.
F. By analysis-breaking down wholes into parts, aspects
into levels, and a process into steps
Ex: The republican form of government has three
branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary.
G. By contrast-use of the opposite concept
Ex: Unlike those of gas, the particles of plasma are
electrically charged. H. By negation–stating what a term
is not. Ex: Wild rice, an American delicacy, is not rice at
all but the seed of a tall aquatic grass.
II. Explication–goes beyond definition by attempting to
reveal meaning by understanding its implications, such
as the connotations of words and the tone conveyed by
the brevity or length of a sentence. An explication is a
commentary that makes what is unknown-known. It is a
method of explanation in which sentences, verses,
quotes, or phrases are taken from a literary or academic
work then interpreted and explained in a detailed way.
You may begin by analyzing how the text was
constructed and end with a concise conclusion by
restating your major arguments. Explication not only
illuminates a piece of literature, but also serves to remind
the readers about its historical setting and formal
properties of style and language.
III. Clarification-it is a method of explanation in which the
points are organized from a general abstract idea to
specific and concrete examples. The analysis of the
concept is done by looking at the examples and
specifying its characteristics.
The following methods are the ways that we can
elucidate a concept:
I. Definition (Ex.: formal, synonym, origin, illustration,
function, analysis, contrast, negation)
II. Explication
III. Clarification
Kinds of Concept Papers and Their Parts
There are two general categories of concept papers
based on its purpose: the project proposal and the
research proposal.
A project proposal is a short summary of what a project
is and why it is important and how it is carried out. It
provides a concise summary of the key elements of a
funding request for the purpose of soliciting feedback
and/or buy--in from prospective funders, prospective
partners, and other potential stakeholders. Project
proposals are mostly accomplished in the corporate or
business sectors.
The two kinds of concept papers are:
1. Project Proposal 2. Research Proposal
Since a project proposal is for the approval of the funder,
you must follow the specifications that they provided. If
there are none the following parts should be present:
I. Introduction - Introduce your idea and identify the
program or opportunity you think is a good fit.
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Demonstrate that you understand the mission of the
funding agency and the types of projects that they
support. Identify how your project meets the goals of the
funder. Identify any other funders that will be involved
and their interest in the project where appropriate.
Introduce the question, problem, or need to be
addressed.
II. Purpose/Need - Briefly provide supporting
documentation for the importance of addressing this
question, problem, or need. If you have statistical data,
use it. Cite significant and compelling sources. Why does
this project matter? Make sure you cite or refer to what
others have accomplished relative to your project.
III. Project Description - Concisely describe what you
plan to do, your approach, who benefits and potential
impacts.
IV. Goals/Objectives/Aims/Research Questions
- Outline your goals, objectives/aims, and research
questions. Goals are simply a clearer statement of the
vision, specifying the accomplishments to be achieved if
the vision is to become real. The target objectives/aims
are clearer statements of the specific activities required
to achieve the goals. A goal is a statement describing a
broad or abstract intent, state or condition. An objective
is a statement of action or intent to achieve measurable
outcomes that relate to the goal.
V. Methods and Timeline - Briefly describe how the
project be carried out, providing sufficient detail to allow
the reader to assess feasibility and likely impact but not
so much detail that the reader is overwhelmed. Make
sure the methods and timeline are explicitly related to
the goals and objectives.
VI. Expected Outcomes/Benefits (and often Evaluation)
-Explain the expected results from your program and
how will it benefit your target market. You may also
include how can the project’s success can be measured
or evaluated.
VII. Budget/Needs & Requested Support - Once you
have laid out everything that your funder needs to know-
from your idea to its expected results-enumerate the
kind of support that you would be needing from their
office. Be specific with the materials or financing that you
need. This includes specific details such as the type,
quality, quantity, price range, or brand. If it is financial
support that you are asking for, prepare justification for
the amount and the breakdown, as well. List them in
tabular form for convenience.
VIII. Contact Information - End the proposal with your
professional contact details, so your funder can reach out
to you for any clarification and to inform you of the status
of your proposal. The second kind of a concept paper is
the research proposal. It is the concept paper that you,
as learners, are more familiar with. It serves as a prelude
to a full paper or research. It aims to objectively inform
the reader about the idea or concept. It is an
embodiment of your ideas on a certain topic.
When a concept paper is used as a prelude to a full-
blown research, the following parts may be present:
I. Title Page
Research title
Name and school
Date of submission
II. Background of the Study
State the field you are researching on
State the problems to be addressed by the research
Provide statistics and previous studies to prove your
claim
Reasons in conducting the research
Theoretical and practical implications
III. Preliminary Literature Review -
Provide theoretical framework
Provide major related literature review at least five
Provide brief synthesis of the reviewed literature and
studies.
IV. Statement of the Problem/Objectives
State the general problem in one sentence
State your specific research questions of objectives.
V. Methodology
Context and participants of the study
Instruments to be used
Data collection procedures
Data analysis scheme to be used
VI. Timeline
Duration of the research (Gantt chart)
VII. Reference
List of books, journals, and other resources cited in your
paper
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 PARTS OF THE CONCEPT PAPER BASED ON ITS KIND: Parts of a Position Paper
Writing a position paper entails outlining your thoughts
PROJECT PROPOSAL RESEARCH PROPOSAL and presenting valid arguments. Therefore, it is
I. Introduction I. Title Page important to know its parts in order for you to present
your claims in a logical manner.
II. Purpose/ Need II. Background of the
study
The following is the classic format of a position paper:
III. Project Description III. Preliminary Literature
Review
sIV. Goals/ Objectives/ IV. Statement of the
Aims Problem/ Objectives
V. Methods and Timeline V. Methodology
VI. Expected Outcome VI. Timeline
VII. Budget/ Needs VII. Reference
VIII. Contact Information

ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND

PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES CM 5
WRITING THE POSITION PAPER

People continuously take sides and form opinions on

things that concern their everyday lives. For instance,
when you are asked about your opinion towards a
relevant identifying issue such as: “Is virtual class better
than the traditional face-to-face education? “In your
mind, perhaps, you already formed your own stand—you
either agree or disagree. But why?

While everyone is entitled on their own stand or opinion,

in academic writing, defending your point by simply
saying, “Yes, because I believe that... ”or“ No, because I
think...”is not enough. As we have discussed in the
previous course materials, when you present your own
stand or opinion, it should be based on facts. You should
support your argument with evidences to ensure the
validity of your claims, as well as to refute the
counterclaims to show that you are well informed about
both sides.
Just like the above-mentioned scenario, a position paper
presents one side of an arguable opinion about an issue.
It expresses arguments that support the stand of the
writer which are based on the facts that he collected. The
goal of a position paper is to convince the audience that
the opinion raised by the writer underwent thorough
investigation and that the writer’s opinion is valid and
defensible.
Parts of a Position Paper
A. Introduction - This part of the paper identifies an
issue that is being discussed by the author
emphasizing his/her position about the issue.
Here, the topic is introduced; the background
and history of the issue shall also be discussed.
Issue Criteria - To take a side on a subject, you should
first establish the plausibility of a topic that interests you.
Ask yourself the following questions to ensure that you
will be able to present a strong argument:
✓Is it a real issue, with genuine controversy and
uncertainty?
✓Can you distinctly identify two positions?
✓Are you personally interested in advocating one of
these positions?
✓Is the issue narrow enough to be manageable?

A position paper presents the writer’s stand or opinion

on an issue.
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 B. Body - This part illustrates the central argument
which can be presented through a brief
description of the argument. Details, points of
view, pieces of evidence are used to support the
claim. It can be divided into these sections
namely: background information, evidence
supporting the author’s position, and a
discussion that addresses and refutes arguments
that present both sides of the issue.
C. Conclusion - This part restates the main points,
then summarizes the arguments made in the
paper and then provides a call of action.
Guidelines in Writing a Position Paper
The goal of a position paper is to convince the readers
that your opinion is valid and worth reading. Therefore,
the ideas presented on your paper should be carefully
examined—from choosing a topic, developing your
argument, and organizing your paper. Here are some tips
by WO Writing Center of University of Hawaii:
Analyzing an Issue and Developing an Argument
Once your topic is selected, you should do some research
on the subject matter. While you may already have an
opinion on your topic and an idea about which side of the
argument you want to take, you need to ensure that your
position is well supported. Listing out the pro and con
sides of the topic will help you examine your ability to
support your counter claims, along with a list of
supporting evidence for both sides. Supporting evidence
includes the following:
To convince a particular person that your own views are
sound, you have to consider his or her way of thinking.
In considering your readers, ask yourself the following
questions:
Who is your audience?
What do they believe?
Where do they stand on the issue?
How are their interests involved?
What evidence is likely to be effective with them?
In determining your viewpoint, ask yourself the
following:
Is your topic interesting?
Can you manage the material within the specifications
set by the instructor?
Does your topic assert something specific and propose
a plan of action?
Do you have enough material to support your opinion?
Organizing your paper
Your introduction should lead up to a thesis that
organizes the rest of your paper. There are three
advantages to leading with the thesis:
The audience knows where you stand.
The thesis is located in the two strongest places, first and
last.
It is the most common form of academic argument used.

➢ Factual Knowledge-Information that is verifiable

and agreed upon by almost everyone.
➢ Statistical Inferences - Interpretation and
examples of an accumulation of facts.
➢ Informed Opinion -Opinion developed through
research and/or expertise of the claim.
➢ Personal Testimony -Personal experience
related by a knowledgeable party.

Once you have made your pro and con lists, compare the
information side by side.

Considering your audience and determining your

viewpoint. Once you have made your pro and con
lists, compare the information side by side. Considering
your audience, as well as your own viewpoint, choose the
position you will take.

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