Academic Writing:
Workshop for Graduate Students
Graduate Division of Educational Research
March 2007
Dr. Darren Lund
Faculty of Education
www.ucalgary.ca/~dtoolkit
Free Writing Advice:
“Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a
blank sheet of paper until drops of blood
form on your forehead.”
- Gene Fowler
Presentation Overview:
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Burning questions to address?
Brainstorm: Reasons for writing
Free advice from a newer faculty member
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A typical publishing experience
Forms of academic writing
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Why is writing so valued in the academy?
General advice for academic writing
Specific advice for academic writing
Suggestions for publishing your writing
refereed/non-refereed
Other issues
Helpful resources
Brainstorm: Reasons for Writing
Personal/Intrinsic:
 Express yourself
 Share ideas with others
 Make sense of the world
 Fulfill a need to create
Academic/Extrinsic:
 Employment expectation
 Merit/promotion ($)
 Service to a profession
 Share findings with the
broader community
On Clarity in Writing:
“Complexity and obscurity have professional
value… they exclude the outsiders, keep down
the competition… Much unclear writing is
based on unclear or incomplete thought…
It is impossible to be wholly clear on something
you do not understand.
Clarity thus exposes flaws in thought.”
- John Kenneth Galbraith
Why is Writing so Valued in the Academy?
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It is the currency here…
Tangible evidence of scholarly production
Proof that our work is valued by our peers
Blind peer review means fair adjudication
Shows that a scholar is able to:
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commit to a task
follow strict guidelines
organize thoughts, form an argument
complete an assignment under a deadline
Is relatively easy to measure and compare
General Advice for Academic Writing
From the heart:
 Honour your own voice
 Have a passion for your subject matter
 Respect your intended audience
 Create a plan to write that works for you
From the head:
 Consider all assignments and written reports as
potentially publishable
 Memorize the APA manual (or purchase
EndNote™)
On Finding Your Voice:
“Find a subject you care about and
which in your heart you feel others
should care about. It is the genuine
caring, and not your games with
language, which will be the most
compelling and seductive element in
your style.”
- Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Donlevy’s Model of
Academic Integrity
Values
(what you believe)
Knowledge
(what you think)
Actions
Actions
(what
you do)
(what you do)
Specific Advice for Academic Writing
Clarity is everything:
 Have a clear sense of purpose (strong thesis)
 Know your intended audience in advance
 Support every assertion with evidence
 Use a variety of solid sources
 Don’t say you’ll do it, just do it
 Show, rather than tell your reader
 Don’t fear the personal
 Use the active voice
 Exercise “verbal economy”
Advice for Publishing Your
Academic Writing
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Read widely in your subject area
Revise writing you have already completed
Select the best publication for your work
Consult the “Guidelines for Authors”
Query the editor with specific questions
Follow any suggestions you’re offered
Cite work from that journal
No multiple submissions of one paper
Prepare for (and learn from) rejection
A Typical Publishing Experience
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Prepare and submit your manuscript
Receive evidence of receipt of your paper
Wait, wait, wait (a few months to years!)
Receive comments from 2 to 4 reviewers
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Accept
Accept with minor revisions
Resubmit with major revisions
Reject
Revise and resubmit your manuscript
Receive confirmation of publication (date/edition)
Receive “galley proofs” and copyright release forms
Edit, sign, and return official documents
Receive 2 free copies of the journal
Forms of Academic Writing
Refereed:
 Scholarly journal article
 Book
 Book chapter
 Edited book
 Monograph/research report
 Published scholarly conference proceedings
 Juried poetry/creative work
Forms of Academic Writing, cont’d.
Non-Refereed:
 Invited essay/panel submission
 Research report
 Review essay
 Book review
 Professional journal article
 Magazine/newspaper article
 Non-academic conference proceedings
 Newsletter article
 Teachers’ guide/manual
Other Issues in Academic Writing
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The value of scholarship applications
The value of conference presentations
The value of writing book reviews
Attending journal round-tables
(AERA/CSSE)
Publishing your graduate thesis
Publishing with your supervisor
Joint vs. single authorship
Traditional vs. on-line journals
Finding a healthy balance in your career/life
Others?
Helpful Web Resources:
Advice on Academic Writing (U of T):
http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/advise.html
Kevin Schoepp’s APA Interactive Tutorial:
http://kevinschoepp.ca/APAtutorial/index.htm
Others?
Questions?
Contact Darren Lund at
dlund@ucalgary.ca
Tel: 220-7365