PROFESSIONAL ACADEMIC WRITING IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT- DRAWING ON RESEARCH FINDINGS TO
DEVELOP PRACTICE
T.M.LILLIS@OPEN.AC.UK AND MJCURRY@WARNER.ROCHESTER.EDU
THE IMPORTANCE OF 'LITERACY BROKERS' IN SCHOLARLY PUBLICATION
1. AIMS OF THE WORKSHOP
The aims of this workshop are to:
 Inform you about one key finding from our research to date: that ‘literacy brokers’
play an important role in the production of academic texts. Some authors do not
always realise exactly how the broker is influencing their text;
 To exemplify types of brokering that occur, drawn from our data;
 To reflect on and discuss the types of brokering you want, when and for what
purpose.
2. WHO ARE ‘LITERACY BROKERS’?
By literacy brokers we mean anybody other than the authors who are involved in the
production of an academic text for publication. From our research we are referring to the
following as ‘brokers’: translators, proofreaders, friends, English-speaking academic
colleagues, English-language specialists, editors and journal reviewers.
3. ACTIVITY 1: COMPARING BEFORE AND AFTER DRAFTS
In small groups consider the Text Data (see Appendix) below drawn from our research.
Look at the text extracts before and after an intervention and discuss the following questions.
1.
2.
3.
4.
What kind of brokering is going on?
Who is doing it?
What purpose does it serve?
Do you agree with the proposed change/s? Why/why not?
4. ACTIVITY 2: WHAT’S AT STAKE IN ACCEPTING AND/OR REJECTING
DIFFERENT TYPES OF BROKERING?
Look at the Text Data again and consider the following questions.
1. Which versions do you prefer? Why?
2. How would you describe the kind of brokering that is going on? Is this the
kind of brokering that you would/not like for your academic writing? Why/why not?
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PROFESSIONAL ACADEMIC WRITING IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT- DRAWING ON RESEARCH FINDINGS TO
DEVELOP PRACTICE
T.M.LILLIS@OPEN.AC.UK AND MJCURRY@WARNER.ROCHESTER.EDU
5. CONSIDERING DIFFERENT TYPES OF BROKERING TEXT: THREE MAIN
TYPES OF BROKERS
In our research we have found three main types of brokers who adopt different approaches to
the text. These are illustrated in the Table below.
Table: Brokers involved in academic text production: Textual practices and
orientations
CATEGORY OF
TEXT EXTRACT
BROKER COMMENT/
ORIENTATION
BROKER
ACTION
We could say that the Query by broker
1.ACADEMIC
target group
PROFESSIONAL
Isn’t this a bit problematic.
participants are more
What do you mean by
middle-class than the
middle class?
Knowledge content
random sample
participants.
2. LANGUAGE
PROFESSIONAL
3.
NONPROFESSIONAL
We used correlation
analysis to examine
the relationship
between mental
rotation ability and
intelligence subtests
(Table.2. And 3.). The
result indicated an
interference between
verbal abilities and
performance time of
mental rotations.
Reformulations made to
text by broker
Correlational analysis was
used to examine the
relationship between
mental rotation ability
and the intelligence subtests
(Table 2 and 3). The result
indicated a negative
correlation between verbal
abilities and performance
time of mental rotations.
The evaluation of the X
methodology is discussed
and recommendations for
intervention activities are
proposed.
Section deleted
by broker
She enjoyed attending
school and her school
notes were very good
at first grade.
Corrections to lexical item
and preposition made by
broker
She enjoyed attending
school and her school
marks were very
good in the first
grade.
Research was
undertaken on 5
locations.
Correction to preposition
made by broker.
Research was
undertaken in
5 locations.
2
Target journal
conversations
Disciplinary
conversations
Specialist discourse
Sentence
level changes/
corrections
PROFESSIONAL ACADEMIC WRITING IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT- DRAWING ON RESEARCH FINDINGS TO
DEVELOP PRACTICE
T.M.LILLIS@OPEN.AC.UK AND MJCURRY@WARNER.ROCHESTER.EDU
6. REFLECTING ON YOUR OWN ACADEMIC WRITING PRACTICE
What brokers do you use? Why? What kind of brokering do you want? Why? On the basis of
the data and discussion today, how might you approach brokers in the future? For example,
would you direct them to one particular kind of brokering rather than another-e.g. sentence
level corrections rather than the content of your text?
Appendix- TEXT DATA- authentic extracts from academic papers collected
EXAMPLE 1:
BEFORE
From the Results section
AFTER
From the Results section
We use correlation analysis to examine the
relationship between mental rotation ability
and intelligence subtests (Table.2. and 3.).
The result indicated interference between
verbal abilities and performance time of
mental rotations.
Correlational analysis was used to examine
the relationship between mental rotation
ability and the intelligence subtests (Table.2.
and 3.). The result indicated a negative
correlation between verbal abilities and
performance time of mental rotations.
EXAMPLE 2:
BEFORE
From the Introduction section
AFTER
From the Introduction section
Different findings have been reported
concerning the written language in LKS cases
(29, 30, 31).
The purpose of this study is to present a case
of a child affected by the LK syndrome---
Various findings have been reported
concerning the written language in LKS cases
(29, 30, 31).
The purpose of this study is to present the
case of a child affected by the LK syndrome--
EXAMPLE 3:
BEFORE
From the Discussion section
AFTER
From the Discussion section
---sexual education in Slovakia is insufficient
Sexual education in Slovakia appears to be
insufficient
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PROFESSIONAL ACADEMIC WRITING IN A GLOBAL CONTEXT- DRAWING ON RESEARCH FINDINGS TO
DEVELOP PRACTICE
T.M.LILLIS@OPEN.AC.UK AND MJCURRY@WARNER.ROCHESTER.EDU
EXAMPLE 4:
BEFORE
From the Results section of the abstract
AFTER
From the Results section of the abstract
Presented results outline the procedure that
was used for conducting the RAR
methodology and description of the
structural, social and cultural context in the
Army. Further are reported the key findings
of general, specific (socio-cultural) and
individual behaviour patterns concerning
interaction of substance (alcohol) use and
sexual behaviour. The evaluation of the RAR
methodology are discussed and
recommendations for intervention activities
are proposed.
The results of the study describe general,
specific (socio-cultural) and individual
behaviour patterns relating to the interaction
of substance (alcohol) use and sexual
behaviour. Recommendations are made about
intervention that may be taken to foster safer
sexual practices. Finally, advantages and
limitations of the RAR methodology itself are
discussed.
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