Reflective Exploration of Academic Writing Skills - Essay Example

?Evaluative Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This evaluative report focuses on a reflective exploration of my academic writing skills demonstrated in Assignment 4 (Essay – final copy), and the paper is based on the structure developed in Assignment 3 (Monitoring – report). The paper incorporates eight sections such as Introduction, Essay Structure, Paragraph Structure, Linking/Connecting Ideas and Information, Integrating Evidence, Referencing, Conclusions/Recommendations, and List of References. The third section includes the following subsections: Essay Introduction Analysis, Essay Body Analysis, and Essay Conclusion Analysis. Each section in the report analyzes an important component of the essay written by me in order to establish the importance of academic writing skills in essay writing. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Essay Structure 2.1 Essay Introduction Analysis 2.2 Essay Body Analysis 2.3 Essay Conclusion Analysis 3.0 Paragraph Structure 4.0 Linking/Connecting Ideas and Information 5.0 Integrating Evidence 6.0 Referencing 7.0 Conclusions/Recommendations 8.0 List of References 1.0 INTRODUCTION Academic writing is an integral part of most of the academic courses pursued in the current world, and the learners need to produce various types of academic papers such as ‘essay’, ‘position statement’, ‘report’, etc. Analyzing or evaluating one’s academic writing skills has great significance in the background of today’s higher education system as such assessments help in the improvement of academic writing process in the future. The possibilities of one’s career development in today’s academic scenario depend mainly on one’s ability to write convincingly according to the requirements of academic writing. In this evaluative report, a detailed analysis of my academic writing skills demonstrated in Assignment 4 (Essay – final copy) is carried out and it builds upon the structure developed in Assignment 3 (Monitoring – report). Purpose The most essential purpose or aim of this report is to discuss the fundamentals of academic writing and to evaluate my skills in the context of these writing tools. Definition of Terms Academic Writing: Academic writing can be loosely defined as “writing that demonstrates such qualities as critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, and a certain elegance or sophistication.” (Roe and Ouden, 2003, p. xiii). Broadly, academic writing may refer to any type of writing done in an academic setting. Essay: An essay may be defined as a short academic composition on a specific topic, having components such as introduction, thesis statement, topic sentences, body paragraphs, conclusion, etc. Position Statement: A position statement can be defined as a type academic paper which clarifies or describes a specific arguable point of view. 2.0 ESSAY STRUCTURE An academic essay is an essential element of academic writing, and it assesses a student’s aptitude to present his thoughts and ideas in a structured manner. An effective essay writing process starts with collecting crucial ideas about the topic, and it is essential to present these ideas in an organized way. Thus, an essay should begin with introducing the thesis and the main arguments in an interesting way, and it should be developed logically through the body-paragraphs, ending with a logical conclusion. Therefore, there are three main segments in an essay, i.e. the introduction, the body and the conclusion. 2.1 Essay Introduction Analysis In this section, an analysis of the introduction of the ‘Monitoring – Essay’ is carried out. The introductory section of the essay is as follows: The rate of people developing type 2 diabetes is soaring in the western world; Type 2 Diabetes in recent times was typically regarded as a disease of the middle-aged and elderly. While it still is true that this age-group sustain a higher risk, evidence shows that diagnoses of this disease in people aged less than 30 years is accelerating and in fact becoming quite common. Even once active children and adolescents are now becoming caught up in the diabetes epidemic. (Dabelea, Hanson, Bennett, Roumain, Knowler, & Pettitt, 1998). King, Aubert, and Herman, (1998) State that in the year 2000 there were approximately 150 million individuals with this disease and studies estimate this to double by 2025. What is type 2 diabetes? Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is when the pancreas makes some insulin but is not produced in the amount your body needs and therefore does not work effectively. In a reflective analysis of this introduction, it becomes lucid that essay’s introduction incorporates several pertinent components such as lead-in statement, the position or thesis statement, the outline or overview of supporting points, definitions, etc. All these components have a crucial role in the overall introduction of the topic and the main arguments in the essay. For example, the lead-in statement in my essay creates an interest in the readers to read further, apart from vaguely introducing the main topic of discussion. The rate of people developing type 2 diabetes is soaring in the western world; Type 2 Diabetes in recent times was typically regarded as a disease of the middle-aged and elderly. This sentence not only suggests the major arguments of discussion, but arouses a kind of curiosity in the readers for further discussions. Similarly, the position or thesis statement clearly introduces the main position of the essay and maintains the most pertinent argument of the paper. Therefore, it is fundamental to realize that the introduction of my essay conforms to the theoretical structure, by incorporating the essential components of an introduction such as lead-in statement, the position or thesis statement, definitions, etc. 2.2 Essay Body Analysis What is type 2 diabetes? Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is when the pancreas makes some insulin but is not produced in the amount your body needs and therefore does not work effectively. This is the topic sentence of the first paragraph in the body of the sentence, and this sentence clearly defines and explains the major question under discussion. In fact, this topic sentence introduces a new supporting point, i.e. type 2-diabetes. All through this paragraph, a clear explanation of type 2-diabetes is given and it is illustrated in a simple and comprehensible way. These explanations are presented in a convincing manner and the supporting arguments from Diabetes Australia (2010) and the world health organization (WHO) are effectively used. Significantly, the evidence provided in this paragraph is highly relevant as it not only explains the topic of discussion but also widens the scope of the discussion to various sub-topics such as obesity. With obesity being one of the underlying causes there is no wonder that the levels of Diabetes over the world have sky rocketed. In this topic sentence, the most central argument of the paragraph is evident, and it suggests how obesity influences the levels of Diabetes. In this paragraph, a new supporting point is introduced, i.e. obesity is an underlying cause of the levels of Diabetes in the world. The reference from Fogoros (2002) further strengthens the argument. The western lifestyle now consists of Automation, computers, and satellite TV, and unless we make a specific effort to exercise, it is all too easy and convenient for many of us to live completely sedentary lives.  The topic sentence in the next paragraph introduces another crucial supporting point in the essay, i.e. the western lifestyle which causes the levels of Diabetes. The reference from Fogoros (2002) is crucial in establishing this argument. It is becoming more and more evident that the conveniences of western life are rapidly contributing to the development of both obesity and type 2 diabetes. This topic sentence introduces the most central argument of the entire essay, i.e. how western life is rapidly contributing to the development of both obesity and type 2 diabetes. The paragraph suggests how the economic scenario, food habit, increase in technology and improvements to machinery, entertainment for children, and other life styles of the Western world have contributed to the development of both obesity and type 2 diabetes. The arguments presented in this paragraph are central to the entire essay. While it is clear that a balanced diet and physical activity can greatly reduce the risks of type 2 diabetes, studies are still currently being exercised on the intensity of physical activity that is required to improve insulin levels. In this topic sentence, there is a hint about the supporting evidence from research materials that highlight the importance of balanced diet and physical activity as a solution to the issue at hand. Thus, the paragraph clearly argues that balanced diet and physical activity are crucial to reducing the problem of overweight and type 2 diabetes. 2.3 Essay Conclusion Analysis The conclusion of the essay is as foolows: As the epidemic develops over the world, health agencies must take a pro-active approach in stabilizing this disease, such as using one of the tools that had a helping hand in the obesity/diabetes epidemic “Television” public announcements will bring attention to people’s lifestyles and furthermore educate individuals of the risks associated with unhealthy food choices. School based educational programs on the benefits of sustaining a healthy life style are crucial however could be ineffective if their environment at home does not change. While there are many websites available for people diagnosed with this disease, stronger media coverage is needed to prevent the diagnosis in the first instance. As they do say Prevention is always the best method. If these prevention methods along with others are implemented it may change the opinion of some medical professionals that the generation of people aged 10 to 30 years today will not outlive their parents (Magryta, 2009). This statement only demonstrates the severity of this problem worldwide. While the Diabetes epidemic starts to be recognized by everyone not only healthcare professionals hopefully we all can take on board the effect our lifestyles are having on our bodies. A conclusion in an essay focuses mainly to reinstate the major arguments and discussions conducted in the body of the essay and to re-establish the position or thesis statement to highlight the main topic. In this sense, the conclusion in my essay fails to reinstate the major arguments and to re-establish the position or thesis statement. It is also not consistent with the theoretical structure of a conclusion. However, this conclusion has a great scope in that it makes some recommendations and establishes the importance of prevention methods. 3.0 PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE In order to comprehend the paragraph structure of the essay the following paragraph can be considered: With obesity being one of the underlying causes there is no wonder that the levels of Diabetes over the world have sky rocketed. Fogoros (2002) explains that while genetics do play a role in obesity one thing we can conclude with some certainty is that it is not just our genetics as this does not explain the rapid increase in obesity. Fogoros, (2002) goes on to say the only logical explanation for this rapid fattening of the world is in our lifestyles, and in what we are eating  and these two factors have changed recently. In this paragraph, the topic sentence is emphasized by bolding it and highlighting the text pink and the supporting evidences, including examples and quotes, are given in red. As Wingersky, Boerner, and Holguin-Balogh maintain, “a good paragraph contains several related sentences that support one main idea, which is limited to and focused in one sentence.” (Wingersky, Boerner, and Holguin-Balogh, 2008, p. 28). In this paragraph, the topic argument is clearly limited to and focused in one sentence, which is the first sentence. The analysis conducted in this paragraph is incorporated in the final two sentences where Fogoros’ (2002) argument is used to support the analysis. However, this paragraph does not incorporate several related sentences that support the main idea and the analysis part is short. Similarly, the paragraph also lacks a concluding sentence which sums up all the major argument incorporated in the paragraph. 4.0 LINKING/CONNECTING IDEAS AND INFORMATION The following paragraph may be used to analyze the language that links academic comment, examples, statistics or other evidence to your analysis and evaluation: It is becoming more and more evident that the conveniences of western life are rapidly contributing to the development of both obesity and type 2 diabetes (diabetic care services, 2010). With the current economic times unfortunately mothers are forced to seek employment and with both parents working and time restraints the conveniences of fast food becomes the easy and inexpensive option. Researchers at the University of Washington found that nutrient-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables were far more expensive than sweets and snack foods; this is a major contributor relating to food choices. In the 1980s, Schools became a contributor to the trend also, with the approach of fast food items in the Tuck shop due to financial cutbacks. At the same time, harmless activity outside of school diminished as neighbourhoods became too dangerous to allow children to play unsupervised and increasing numbers of children spent the afternoons indoors until a parent came home from work. Team sports for children became the dominant option, but again with the economic times this is expensive. Entertainment for children consists of Pay TV, video games, and computers, according to studies this is hardly the active lifestyle required to live a healthy life. The increase in technology and improvements to machinery has also made our working lives less physical. As developing countries around the world have been adopting the western lifestyle resulting in decreased physical activity and over consumption of high calorie foods, studies have shown that the rate of obesity has tripled in the last 20 years. (Hossain, Kawar & Nahas, 2007). Analyzing this paragraph, it becomes clear that the language used in the essay should link to academic comment, examples, statistics or other evidence to the analysis and evaluation. The use of words such as ‘therefore’, ‘consequently’, ‘implicit’ etc. can be useful in this regard. Similarly, the inter-relationship of sub-points can be clearly comprehended from the use of words such as ‘firstly’, ‘secondly’, ‘furthermore’, etc. In this paragraph, the connectives that are selected are important in correlating the sub-points to the main argument that is presented in the topic sentence: It is becoming more and more evident that the conveniences of western life are rapidly contributing to the development of both obesity and type 2 diabetes. However, linking or connecting ideas and information in the paragraph is greatly limited. 5.0 INTEGRATING EVIDENCE The integrating evidence in the essay can be realized from the analysis of the following paragraph: With obesity being one of the underlying causes there is no wonder that the levels of Diabetes over the world have sky rocketed. Fogoros (2002) explains that while genetics do play a role in obesity one thing we can conclude with some certainty is that it is not just our genetics as this does not explain the rapid increase in obesity. Fogoros, (2002) goes on to say the only logical explanation for this rapid fattening of the world is in our lifestyles, and in what we are eating  and these two factors have changed recently. In this paragraph, the verbs that are used to introduce the quote or another’s IP into the sentence are given in red. Evidences from Fogoros (2002) are used to support and explain the major argument of the paragraph given in the first sentence: With obesity being one of the underlying causes there is no wonder that the levels of Diabetes over the world have sky rocketed. The effectiveness of integrating quotes or another’s IP using verbs and the author’s name in an academic essay is indubitable. It not only supports one’s argument but also provides further evidences to convince the readers about the validity of the argument. 6.0 REFERENCING The referencing evidence in the essay can be realized from the analysis of the following paragraph: The rate of people developing type 2 diabetes is soaring in the western world; Type 2 Diabetes in recent times was typically regarded as a disease of the middle-aged and elderly. While it still is true that this age-group sustain a higher risk, evidence shows that diagnoses of this disease in people aged less than 30 years is accelerating and in fact becoming quite common. Even once active children and adolescents are now becoming caught up in the diabetes epidemic. (Dabelea, Hanson, Bennett, Roumain, Knowler, & Pettitt, 1998). King, Aubert, and Herman, (1998) state that in the year 2000 there were approximately 150 million individuals with this disease and studies estimate this to double by 2025. In this paragraph, one gets the evidence about how a direct or indirect quote, or perhaps an acknowledgment of another’s intellectual property (IP) is correctly in-text referenced. Using such referencing conventions is important as it helps one in using another person’s opinion and arguments to support his own arguments by rightly giving acknowledgment of another’s intellectual property (IP). A secondary source is included in the text by referencing it as given in the example. (Dabelea, Hanson, Bennett, Roumain, Knowler, & Pettitt, 1998). It also clearly illustrates how in-text referencing entries are given in the essay when books by six or more authors are used. The purpose of referencing in the essay has been to validate and support my arguments by citing from scholarly materials, and it played a crucial role in my essay. 7.0 CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS In conclusion, it is important to recognize that there are various essential elements in academic essay writing. These components make the academic essay effective and convincing to the readers and prove one’s ability to persuade the readers through effective writing strategy. There several significant components of academic essay writing such as introduction, essay structure, paragraph structure, linking/connecting ideas and information, integrating evidence, referencing, conclusions/recommendations, and list of references. These components prove one’s academic writing skills in essay writing. 8.0 LIST OF REFERENCES (separate page) A, Wilson N, Story G, McLay RT, Harper MJ, Jones IE. (2002) Intensive lifestyle changes are necessary to improve insulin sensitivity: a randomized controlled trial. Diabetes Care. 25, 445. Dabelea D, Hanson RL, Bennett PH, Roumain J, Knowler WC, Pettitt DJ. (1998) Increasing prevalence of Type II diabetes in American Indian children. Diabetologia 41, 904. Dean HJ, Mundy RL, Moffatt M. (1992) Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in Indian children in Manitoba. Canadian Medical Association Journal 147, 52. Fagot-Campagna A, Pettitt DJ, Engelgau MM, Burrows NR, Geiss LS, Valdez R, Beckles GL, Saaddine J, Gregg EW, Williamson DF, Narayan KM. (2000). Type 2 diabetes among North American children and adolescents: an epidemiologic review and a public health perspective. Journal of Pediatrics, 136, 664. http://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/Understanding-Diabetes/What-is-Diabetes/Type-2-Diabetes/ King H, Aubert RE, Herman WH. (1998) Global burden of diabetes, 1995 – 2025: prevalence, numerical, estimates, and projections. Diabetes Care. 21, 1414. Magryta, C. J. (2009). School lunches: A strategy to combat childhood obesity. Retrieved December 18, 2010 from http://health.usf.edu/NR/rdonlyres/57DE53AD-CF4A-4CB5-B2DB-147FAF398F88/0/2010pp009012FPHRChristineSpiker2010Formatted.pdf References Roe, Steven C. and Ouden, Pamela H. Den. (2003). Designs for disciplines: an introduction to academic writing. Canadian Scholars’ Press. p. xiii. Wingersky, Joy., Boerner, Jan., Holguin-Balogh, Diana. (2008). Writing Paragraphs and Essays: Integrating Reading, Writing, and Grammar Skills. Cengage Learning. p. 28. Read More