Academic Writing

(Its not as daunting as you might think.)

James Hayashi, MPW

Clutter
Consider this passage from William Zinssers Clutter (2006): Fighting clutter is like fighting weedsthe writer is always slightly behind. New varieties sprout overnight, and by noon they are part of American speech. John Dean holds the record. In just one day of testimony on TV during the Watergate hearings he raised the clutter quotient by 400 percent. The next day everyone in America was saying at this point in time instead of now. (p. 12)

Types of Clutter
A 10-word phrase where three words will suffice Im a little skeptical, and I Im a little skeptical, and my felt like it was one of those doubt reemerged. disbelieving times. The unneeded preposition face up to a problem vs face a problem free up some time vs free some time Redundancy After reviewing the report, my first initial impression was that

Fighting Clutter
Break free of the more is better impulse. Expand your paper with content, not with verbage. Be ruthless when reading your own workand the work of your peers. Go through the steps of writing. Set aside your work for 24 hours before coming back to revise it.

Clarity of Expression
Consider the following examples: Clause Researchers have to judge how valid and reliable the web sites are. Noun Phrase Researchers have to judge the validity and reliability of the web sites.

How the participants progressed through their academic classes was tracked by counselors.

The participants academic progress was tracked by counselors.

Clarity of Expression (cond)

This study clearly demonstrates that diet strongly influences toddlers' behavior. This study clearly demonstrates diets strong influence on toddler behavior.

Clarity of Expression (cond)

There was a clear pattern to how Participants self-assessment participants self-assessed their showed a clear pattern. performance. 1. Locate a clause within your sentence. The easiest way is to find a group of words beginning with how, that, which, who, or whom. 2. After the how or that, look for a verb that can be made into a noun: self-assessed self-assessment Sometimes instead, youll look for an adjective to be made into a noun: valid and reliable validity and reliability 3. Rebuild your sentence using these noun words instead.

Passive Voice
Active voice: Emphasizes the subject (the person performing an action). Passive voice: Emphasizes the object (the thing being acted upon); often uses the proposition by
Example Active: I shot the sheriff, but I did not shoot the deputy. Passive: The sheriff was shot by me, but the deputy was not shot by me.

Passive Voice
Example Active: Alexis left poor Dave at the altar. Passive: Poor Dave was left at the altar by Alexis. Unless youre intentionally concealing the identity of the subject, use active voice.

Passive Voice
Try some on your own! Convert these passive sentences into the active voice.
1. The group discussion was led by the teacher. 2. The baby dragons were stolen by Pyat Pree. 3. Mr. Bates was convicted of murder by the judge. 4. Students will be tested, and any progress will be recorded. 5. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low.

Sentence Patterns
You already know a variety of different sentence patterns. Use them! (Not only ___, but also ___. While X, Y.) Also dont be afraid to mix up the normal order of your clauses. For example

We need more funding for the project because one donor just pulled his support.
vs.

Because one donor just pulled his support, we need more funding for the project.

Sentence Patterns
Start a Commonplace Entries journal of sentence patterns you admire from your own reading. Deconstruct each sentence, and make a template version that you could use for your own writing. For example: The construction of heroes becomes the deconstruction of heroism (H.L. Gate, Jr., 1995, p. 7). Template: The X becomes the OPPOSITE-X. Imitation: The merit-pay system for teacher salaries leads to the breakdown of merit in all parts of educational structure.

Writing Advising
Group Advising: Be sure to attend the other writing seminars APA Tue, 9/17, 3-4PM (VKC 151) Intro to Grad Writing, Mon, 10/7, 3-4PM (Leavey Aud.) Intro to Grad Writing, Tue, 10/8, 3-4PM (VKC 151) Visit our Writing Advising webpage (http://rossierstudents.usc.edu/student-resources/ Check out the Masters Blog for weekly writing tips

Writing Advising
Individual Advising By referral only (from an instructor, or from your student services advisor, ). Online office hours: TBD Email questions to jhayashi@usc.edu

APA Citations
(Pretty much as byzantine as youve heard.)
James Hayashi, MPW

Quotation Formatting
Always provide three pieces of information for adirect quotation:
the author the year the page number of the quote.

Quotation Formatting
The page number always comes after the direct quotation. The author and year can be arranged in three different ways.

Quotation Formatting
Both the author and year given parenthetically, at the end of the quote: Early onset results in a more persistent and severe course (Kessler, 2003, p. 137).

Quotation Formatting
The author written as part of your own sentence, with the year provided parenthetically immediately after the authors name:

Kessler (2003) found that early onset results in a more persistent and severe course (p. 137).

Quotation Formatting
The year and authors name both as part of your own sentence: In 2003, Kesslers study of epidemiological samples showed that early onset results in a more persistent and severe course (p. 137).

Quotation Formatting
Note that the author or organization should be cited, not the name of a particular website or study. Right: (UNICEF, 2011) Wrong: (http://www.unicefusa.org/news/news-from-thefield/south-africa-neonatal-care-initiative.html, 2011) Wrong: (In South Africa, a neonatal care initiative builds health and saves lives, 2011)

Compare the following: The audiolingual method has been criticized as being focus[ed] exclusively and excessively on the manipulation of linguistic structures (Kumaravadivelu, 2006, p. 61). CLT was a principled response to the perceived failure of the audiolingual method, which was seen to focus exclusively and excessively on the manipulation of linguistic structures of the target language (Kumaravadivelu, 2006, p. 61).

If your quote is fewer than 40 words, incorporate it into your own sentence. Place double quotation marks around it. Do not punctuate before the closed quotation mark (unless you are quoting a question, and your material ends in a question mark). Instead, punctuate AFTER your parenthetical citation:
Although many scholars approved of the Communicative Approach, it was also ridiculed because it over-generalizes valid but limited insights until they become virtually meaningless (Swan, 1985, p. 2).

If your quotation is 40 words or longer, use block format to set it apart from the paragraph so that your reader can clearly see where the quotation begins and ends. Begin the quotation on a new line. Indent the entire quotation half an inch (the same indent as a new paragraph) from the left margin. Keep the block quote double-spaced.
Do NOT use quotation marks around the block quote. Cite the source, year, and pg # in parentheses at the end of the quotation.

The problem facing TBLT is how to make sure that learners focus their attention on grammatical forms while expressing their intended meaning. Doughty and Williams (1998) note that a crucial methodological choice is whether to take a proactive or reactive stance to focus on form. That is to say, a proactive approach would entail selecting in advance an aspect of the target to focus on, whereas a reactive stance would require that the teacher notice and be prepared to handle various learning difficulties as they arise. (p. 198, italics in original)

Quotation Formatting
Notice that the block quotation is still well integrated into the students own sentence. (Also note that the entire quote is indented on the left-hand side, there are no quotation marks used, and the parenthetical citation comes AFTER the final period.)

Quotation Formatting
In order to make your quotation fit more smoothly into your sentences and to avoid quoting too much text, you might need to omit or alter particular words. Use an ellipses surrounded by brackets to indicate omission: There are many existing definitions for learning tasks, but Ellis (2003) provides a particularly functional one: A task is [] intended to result in language use that bears a resemblance, direct or indirect, to the way language is used in the real world (p. 16).

Quoting vs. Paraphrasing

Its fine to use a quote, but be sure that your quote serves a PURPOSE When considering whether to quote or paraphrase, consider the following: Do I need the exact language here (e.g. to apply a legal definition to something), or could I paraphrase this information in my own words? Is there something particularly eloquent about the language in the quote that I would lose if I tried to paraphrase? Is this quote from a famous person or well-known authority in his/her field? If so, using an exact quote from him/her might lend your paper credibility. If not, you might decide to paraphrase instead.

Quoting vs. Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing: Using your own language to discuss someone elses ideas. Advantages: 1. Paraphrasing forces writers to understand the topic about which theyre writing. 2. Paraphrasing demonstrates true understanding of a concept or theory to a reader (or instructor). 3. Paraphrasing is more aesthetically pleasing, since it avoids filling a page with quotation marks.

Paraphrase
Original Text
During the 1980s, CLT became such a dominant force that it guided the form and function of almost all conceivable components of language pedagogy. A steady stream of scholarly books appeared with the label communicative unfailingly stamped on the cover.
(Kumaravadivelu, 2006, p. 61).

Plagiarized Version
In the 1980s, CLT grew into a dominating force that led the structure and purpose of nearly all imaginable parts of language pedagogy. A regular flow of academic books appeared with the term communicative on their covers (Kumaravadivelu, 2006, p. 61).

Original Text

Paraphrase

During the 1980s, CLT became such a dominant force that it guided the form and function of almost all conceivable components of language pedagogy. A steady stream of scholarly books appeared with the label communicative unfailingly stamped on the cover.
(Kumaravadivelu, 2006, p. 61).

Correctly Cited and Paraphrased Version

CLT played a critical role in the entire field of language teaching in the 1980s. So great was its influence, in fact, that a steady stream of scholarly books was produced with the imprimatur

communicative
(Kumaravadivelu, 2006, p. 61).

Secondary Sources
A primary source is the original source of information. For example, the first article to publish the results of a study or survey. It could be the original article in which a theorist defines her new learning theory. A secondary source is a source that quotes, paraphrases, or cites the primary source.

Secondary Sources
Cite primary sources whenever possible. Use secondary sources when the original source is not accessible, out of print, or unavailable in English. In your reference list, give the secondary source (that is, the work you actually read). In your paper, name the original work and cite the secondary source.

Secondary Sources
For example, if you read Kumaravadivelus 2006 article, and his work cited Kubota, you would write something like this:

According to Kubota (as cited in Kumaravadivelu, 2006), a critical multicultural approach can provide language learners with a range of ways to learn and interact with their acquired language.