From conceptualization to end product
MSW I – Fall 2007
Teiahsha Bankhead, PhD, LCSW

Why have a writing workshop for MSW students?
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Pause to think about writing style, techniques, process, quality of outcome
Requested by practice community
Grade inflation can allow for poor writing
Achievement (caring & emotional connection) + cognitive skills + written expression = professional success
Identify students whose skills need improvement
Framework for approaching a
“serious piece of intellectual work”

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Take risks, be free & creative with your thoughts
Truly engage with process
Be open to new ideas
Don’t be afraid to be silly or goofy – nonlinear process
Suspend judgment
Additional suggestions???

What do we hope to accomplish today?
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9:30 - 10:15
Approaching graduate level writing
• Diverse Experiences in Writing
• Literature Review
10:15 – 11:15
Completing Writing
Assignments –
Process of Conceptualization
• Problem Statement
• Topic development
• Concept in Images
11:15 – 11:30
Tips on Improving Your
Writing
• APA Style & a Hunt for Mistakes
11:30 – 12:00
Writing Assignment for
Submission
• Questions & logistics on assignment

Exercise: Diverse Experiences in Writing
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Hold hands & silently form a straight line facing me
Release hands, but stand shoulder-to-shoulder in a straight lie without speaking
Listen carefully to each sentence and take the steps requested if the sentence applies
Imagine a prize at the front of the room that everyone is competing for
Make your movements based upon an honest self assessment

Diversity in Writing: Process Questions
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Remain where you are & look around to assess your position and the position of other students
Who do you think among you would win the prize?
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What happened?
How did the exercise make you feel?
What were your thought as you did this exercise?
What have you learned from this exercise?
What can you do with this information in the future?
What did most of the questions have in common?

Why is writing a literature review often viewed as difficult or mysterious?
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There is not one way to complete it
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There is no formula
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You may approach it from many different angles
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How it is organized depends upon the content, main points and argument of the piece
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Often not taught to undergraduates, but expected of graduate students

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Provides background to a problem & explains the relationship between previous & current studies
Places research in historical & theoretical context
Identifies risk factors, problems, current trends & debates in field
Gives direction to the project (recent work cited)
Allows author to contributing new knowledge by analysis and synthesis of primary works
Requires use of libraries – subscriptions & limitations of web – (interlibrary loan, reference librarian)
Depends on search methods – synonyms & key words – relevant article subject headings – use in subsequent searches

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Formal systematic search of the literature
Mental work – cognitive processing
Generate useful knowledge
- Make a contribution to knowledge by analyzing and synthesizing existing work
Access data
Gain knowledge
Argue points using mental models
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Determine what has been written about a topic
Clearly present and critique existing findings
Build on existing findings & point out why and how your paper adds a unique perspective
Goal – to constantly refine and develop and evolve the research community’s body of knowledge in any given area

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Choose a topic
Narrow the topic
Research the topic
• Reading related manuscripts
Create an annotated bibliography
• Group themed findings together
• Analyze & critique the findings
Conceptualize the paper
• Plan the main points & thrust of the paper
• What is your central argument and how do you prove it?

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What is the difficult situation, item, relationship or issue for which more knowledge is needed?
• What do you know about it?
• How can we know more?

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Approaching the research topic
• Which intervention impact clients most in your placement?
• What are the treatment methods you use in practice?
• What would you like to know about the population or intervention you use?
• What is done well in practice?
• What could be done better?
• What are you passionate about?
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Things to consider when approaching a research topic…
• Intent or goal
• Knowledge of topic
• Audience
• Key words
• Example: gay men, psycho/social/sexual behavior, culture, homophobia, dating patterns, sexual practices

Sharpen the question
• Is the question about who, what where, why or when?
• Explanatory or descriptive?
• What are the variables or factors under consideration?
• Be specific, relevant & reasonable for the field?
Targeting the population
• Activity or practice
• Gender
• Age
• Race/ethnicity
• Region
• Program/agency
• Sexual orientation
• Ability/disability
• Illness

Instructions
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At table fold paper into 4 sections
Draw a circle in the middle of the page
Each table has a broad topic
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Assignment - Create a visual concept for a paper that explains the underlying conditions giving rise to the social problem you have been assigned
• You may use drawings, images, shapes, arrows & symbols
• You may not use words or numbers

Process Exercise: Paper Concept in Images
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Share & describe your conceptualization with student colleagues at you table
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Provide a justification for the 4 major areas you covered
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Come to consensus at the table on the best approach to conceptualizing the paper
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Practice acting out your concept to present to the group

Nonverbal Presentations of Concept Papers

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Meditate
Think quietly
Write a zero draft
Engage in challenging spirited dialogue
Draw it out
Act it out
BECOME CRYSTAL
CLEAR
– about what you want to say

Common Pitfalls in Graduate Student Writing
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Poor conceptualization – piece not thought through
Taking on too much at once –
(i.e. you can do
anything but not everything at once)
Poor organization, opening sentence or thesis statement
Too broad, too general and lacking depth
Formulaic writing
Fragmented flow of ideas
Colloquial vs. scholarly language
Poor use of references or poor references
Inaccurate or biased assumptions used as facts
Anxiety that stifles creativity

What do you mean by poor use of references?
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General
Inaccurate
Overuse of a single reference
Overuse of direct quotes
Use of ideas of author’s for which they have not received credit
Ideas inappropriately referenced
Annotated bibliography

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Well done
Integrated
Synthesized – use of multiple authors referenced in a sentence
Convincing
Appropriately critiques and challenges existing works
Provides details
Lead the reader through a logical sequence of ideas
Well organized, w/ref. to begin., mid., end
Impeccable grammar
Makes sense
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Poorly done
Fragmented
Disjointed
Leaves gaps in argument
Encourages debate for which there is no response
Assumes literature is comprehensive and correct all the time
General
Illogical presentation of ideas
Poor grammar
Doesn’t make sense

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Hierarchical Value of
Scholarly References
Rated on objectivity
Scrutiny – levels of outside review
Originality – primary vs. secondary
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Peer reviewed journal articles – narrow and current
Government reports & documents – large & not user friendly
Chapters in edited book – secondary data
Researched manuscript – biased w/o peer review
Edited book – biased, secondary
Newspaper article – NY Times, LA Times, Washington Post – conceptualization is narrow, not scholarly, reactionary
Books – lack peer review, secondary analysis
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Popular periodicals
Personal testimony

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Annotated bibliography
Group common themes
Critique –
1. Methods
2. Findings
3. Sample
4. Time period
5. Purpose
6. Assumptions
7. Gaps
Reduce / eliminate use of direct quotes

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…(Cox, 2007).
…(Cox, 2007; Jones,
2003).
…(Cox, 2007, p. 126).
…(Cox, Om & Takaki,
2003) then (Cox et al.,
2003).
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Single author
Two authors in a single sentence, alphabetical order
Direct quote, page number
List all authors first time mentioned in an article.
If more than two, infuture refs., use first author, et al.)

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Identify number of mistakes
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Describe the mistakes

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Review the annotated bibliography that I will hand out and use selected references to complete your assignment
Your assignment is to write a paper that will…
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Describe the factors contributing to the disproportionately high representation of people of color in the criminal justice system
Your paper should be no longer than two typed double-spaced pages
You do not need to attach a reference list or cover page, but include your name, email address and telephone number on the first page in the header section
Please email your paper to Dr. Bankhead at bankhead@csus.edu
by Friday, Sept. 8, 2007 at 5:00 p.m. In the subject line write MSW I Writing Exercise
If your writing is acceptable you will not here from us. If improvement is needed we will contact you within two weeks to suggest that you see a writing tutor. If we do not receive a paper from you we will ask that you see a tutor.

Keys to Successful Writing in Graduate School
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Be critical of your own work
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Write and rewrite – walk away from your work and reread it at a later time to assess clarity, logic and perspective
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Be organized and clearly articulate the position for which you are advocating
Let your clear vision be your guide
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Your ideas, beliefs and values may be transformed in graduate school, so expect this to be true as well for your writing
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You can get to “good enough” in your writing but a piece of serious intellectual work is never really finished