ADP Lesson 2 Writing an Academic Paper
Sep 01, 2014
ADP Lesson 2Writing an Academic Paper
Writing Styles There are many types of writing styles. Informal styles
Blog Chat or chat message Diary or journal
Formal styles Academic papers Letters when applying for jobs Business reports
Academic Writing Has a target audience with knowledge about
the topic Based on research or literature review Provides information, data, analysis Usually for presentation or publication Uses paragraph form Is written in complete sentences
Writing Paragraphs A paragraph is an organized group of
sentences about a single topic or idea. A paragraph contains three main parts
Topic sentence Supporting sentences Concluding sentence
Begin a new paragraph when writing about a new idea
Topic sentence The topic sentence explains the main idea
or thesis of the paragraph. The topic sentence is usually the first
sentence or near the beginning of a paragraph.
The reader should be able to understand what the paragraph is about by reading the topic sentence.
Topic Sentence Examples
My hometown, Honolulu, Hawaii is famous for amazing natural features that attract tourists all year.
Currently, more universities are using Facebook for educational purposes.
Kansai University students are motivated to learn English to improve their writing and presentation skills.
Supporting Sentences Supporting sentences provides details or information
that support the topic sentence. Sometimes uses transition words or phrases,
Similarly In particular On the other hand In contrast Hence
First, second, third
Furthermore In addition However As a result
Supporting Sentences Example
Topic SentenceMy hometown, Honolulu, Hawaii is famous for amazing natural features that attract tourists all year.
Supporting SentencesMany people from around the world visit Waikiki Beach, a beautiful stretch of white sand and blue ocean, where they swim and surf. Beside beaches, Honolulu has a well-known volcano, Diamond Head, that has a popular hiking trail. Many Japanese tourists also like to visit Moanalua Garden, where there is a huge monkey pod tree that is popular on a television show sponsored by a company called Hitachi.
Types of Supporting Sentences
Cite data (For example, facts, statistics, evidence, details)
Use examples and illustrations Give quotes or evidence of what experts say Evaluate causes and reasons Compare and contrast Examine effects and consequences
Concluding Sentence
In conclusion In summary Therefore
Thus In the final
analysis As a result
The concluding sentence summarizes the idea of the paragraph.
The concluding sentence is similar but not the same as the topic sentence.
Words or phrases that can be used in a concluding sentence
Concluding Sentence Examples
Therefore, many tourists like Hawaii because they can go swimming, surfing, hiking and sightseeing in nature.
In conclusion, Facebook is no longer only used for social purposes, but is growing in use in universities.
As a result, Kansai University students are using English in speaking, reading and writing.
Group Discussion Activity
Write a paragraph that describes your group members.
Be sure to have A topic sentence Supporting sentences A concluding sentence
When you are finished, post your paragraph on the ADP Facebook Group page.
Writing an Experimental Report
Kansai University, Spring 2011
Overview Abstract Body Introduction
MethodsResults
Discussion
Conclusion
Introduction Opening Statement (General)
Introduce the problem Use simple English
Literature Review What previous studies have shown Only related to your work What your work shows that others do not
Study Overview State your hypothesis clearly Methods used in your research
Sample Introduction Introduce the topic
Recently, mobile phone use has increased in Japan and America. Newer models of mobile phones have features that allow users access the Internet, take videos and post comments to online sites.
Sample Introduction Give background
information Facebook has become a popular Social Networking
System (SNS) all over the world. According to
Yamamoto and Kubota (2010), Facebook is used by
______ people in _____ countries.
Note: When you use abbreviations (for example, SNS),
always the words first with the abbreviation in
parenthesis. After that you can use the abbreviation.
Sample IntroductionExplain the purpose of
the research The purpose of this study is to
compare the use of mobile phones in Hawaii and Japan.
The purpose of this paper is to find the SNS used most often in Hawaii and Japan.
Discussion Explain to the class your topic
of interest or about the research that you want to do as a graduate student.
Ask each other questions to clarify ideas.
HomeworkBefore the next class,
Write a general paragraph (first part of introduction) about your research topic or area of interest.
Introduce the problem What is the main topic? What is the purpose? Why was this topic selected? What are important relevant facts? What are problems or issues? Introduce the problem
Post your paragraph in Google Docs
Success!