Lessons Learned on Academic Writing - Essay Example

Lessons Learned on Academic Writing Effective Writing What gives life and rhythm to prose is the variety in sentence structure and length (Purdue OWL, 2008, para 1). Continuing the prose in the same tenor, with sentences of the same style, structure and length makes the reading dull. It is also important to keep the tone of the writing scholastic. Long sentences can be used to convey a lot of information and short sentences to stress a point. Starting sentences with different opening words will help to hold the interest of the reader. Unity, coherence, a topic sentence and adequate development are the different features of a paragraph (Purdue OWL, 2007, para 3). Unity is the focus on a single idea. Coherence is the intelligibility with the aid of logical and verbal bridges (Purdue OWL, 2007, para 5). Logical bridges are formed when the idea is carried from sentence to sentence. Verbal bridges are formed when keywords are repeated across the paragraph. "A topic sentence is a sentence that indicates in a general way what idea or thesis the paragraph is going to deal with" (Purdue OWL, 2007, para 8). This is a very good example of a topic sentence for a paragraph that describes the importance of the topic sentence. However, this need not necessarily be at the top of the paragraph. In a paragraph, transition sentences are used to connect ideas. A transition used at the end of a paragraph will help the idea flow easily to the next paragraph. These guidelines have actually opened my eyes to the flaws in my own writing, which will really help me as a writer in the long run to catch and hold the attention of my readers. References Purdue University Online Writing Lab. (2007). Paragraphs and paragraphing. Retrieved August 7, 2008, from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/606/01/ Purdue University Online Writing Lab. (2008). Sentence variety. Retrieved August 7, 2008, from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/573/01/ Evaluating Writing Strategies Content is undoubtedly the most essential feature of writing, however, what makes the content presentable is grammar and mechanics. The mechanics deal with the conventional rules of writing while grammar with the forms of words and how they relate to each other. For example, using apostrophe in a plural or a singular word (boys' or boy's) is a matter of mechanics, not grammar. Also, choosing the right rhetorical strategy is essential for powerful writing. Exemplification is the strategy of using facts, and description is that of detailing (Shulman, 2004, para 2). Narration, process analysis, comparison, classification, definition, cause-effect analysis and argumentation are others that can be used in different appropriate combinations for different topics. Having chosen the topic, thorough research leads to in-depth knowledge which, again, adds conviction to your writing. Information can be gathered from what others have written (books, journals, etc.), said (interviews, discussions, etc.) and made (software, organizations, etc.) (Dix, 1997, para 16). You have to be aware of the limitations, authenticity and suitability of your chosen methodology. If written sources suit scientific research, it may be a survey that suits market research. The study of the techniques and strategies and the practical assignments have helped immensely in improving my writing from being just prosy to being more powerful, convincing, interesting and effective. References Dix, A, (1997). Research techniques. In Research and Innovation Techniques. Retrieved August 8, 2008, from http://www.comp.lancs.ac.uk/dixa/topics/res-tech/intro.html Shulman, L. E. (2004). Rhetorical strategies of essay writing. Retrieved August 8, 2008, from http://www.nvcc.edu/home/lshulman/rhetoric.htm APA and Styles Academic writing is a result of in-depth research into already published sources, relevant references, logical interpretation and subjective summarization. There are several established and accepted styles for writing, the rules of which are to be diligently followed while formatting, referencing, etc. Generally, a particular style is used for a particular discipline or subject. The APA style is used for writings on psychology, education, social sciences, etc. while the MLA style is used for literary writings, writings on arts and humanities, etc. The AMA style is used for medicine- and health-related writings and those on biological sciences. The Turabian style is used by students for all kinds of writings on all disciplines, and the Chicago style is usually followed by magazines, newspapers, certain journals, books and such other publications. They also have specifications as regards the grammatical structures to be used. For example, "APA style requires authors to use the past tense or present perfect tense when using signal phrases to describe earlier research" (Purdue OWL, 2008, para 2). While the writing of quality academic paper necessitates intense research, plagiarism is deemed a serious offence. Plagiarism is using someone else's ideas, words, phrases or sentences and presenting them as our own purposefully or negligently. Another code of ethics while undertaking academic writing is keeping the identity of the employers confidential and not reusing the papers created for other purposes or other employers or publishing them elsewhere. This learning plan has been helpful in enlightening me on the rules and the codes of conduct that have to be strictly adhered to in the profession of academic writing. References Purdue University Online Writing Lab (2008). In-text citations: The basics. Retrieved August 9, 2008, from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/02/ Creating Final Drafts Having gathered the necessary information on the chosen subject and having interpreted it, you have summarized all that you have read, learnt and understood into an essay or a research paper. Having written it, it is not yet ready to be published, as there could be errors that need to be corrected and improvements that need to be made to adapt it to the actual purpose of the writing. This final pruning and polishing is done through editing and proofreading. Editing involves extensive rewriting of the sentences or even smaller elements of the text while proofreading involves minor changes in spelling and punctuation (Writing@CSU, n.d., para 1). Editing comprises checking of sentence structures, improving on words and checking grammar, spelling and punctuation all the time having the target reader in mind. Reading from right to left and from bottom to top is a good proofreading technique by which you are not likely to miss errors that may otherwise escape your perusal. Allowing yourself time between writing and proofreading will help you "return with a fresh eye and mind" (Purdue OWL, 2007, para 2). Taking time to avoid speeding through your proofing, reading aloud and looking out for errors that you are typically likely to make are other techniques that can be used while proofing. The aforesaid strategies have taught me the importance of prewriting and then changing words and sentences, modifying paragraphs, if necessary, and finally reading for and correcting errors in order to present a refined and polished work for a pre-determined audience. References Purdue University Online Writing Lab (2007). Proofreading your writing. Retrieved August 10, 2008, from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/561/01/ Writing@CSU (n.d.). Writing guides editing. Retrieved August 10, 2008, from http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/processes/editing/ Evaluating "Good" Essays Evaluation of essays has been based on several features that are essential for a high-quality essay. Several conceptual models have been created to facilitate easy and effective evaluation of essays. These models are based on factors like linguistic features, structural features, key words, etc. Some of the major qualities that a good essay should reflect are thorough knowledge on the subject, a good interpretation of it, ability to critically evaluate it and present it with conviction. Several automated models have been created based on these essential concepts. The LSA (Latent Semantic Analysis) is one wherein matrices are built of documents with the help of which they are compared with human graded essays and thereby evaluated. PEG (Project Essay Grade) and TCT (Text Categorization Technique) are two other models used for evaluation of essays. The E-RATER deals with several variables like argument content score, essay word frequency content score, total argument development words, total pronoun beginning arguments, total rhetorical words developing arguments, etc. (Williams, 2002, para 19). This method has been found to be closest to human markers, followed by LSA, TCT and PEG. However, automated grading cannot "deal with tabular and graphic content" (Williams, 2002, para 39). This last session of study has been very helpful in evaluating my writing and throwing light on my shortcomings in the area of effective summarization and convincing argumentation. The assignments, the comparisons and the evaluations will go a long way in grooming me as a potential writer. References Williams, R. (2002). Automated essay grading: An evaluation of four conceptual models. Retrieved August 11, 2008, from http://lsn.curtin.edu.au/tlf/tlf2001/williams.html Read More