Notes

Academic Text- are written by professionals in a given field. They are edited by the authors' peers and often take years to publish. Their language is formal and will contain words and terms typical to the field.
Non- Academic Text- are written for the mass public. They are published quickly and can be written by anyone. Their language is informal, casual and may contain slang.
Two Structures of Academic Text
Three Part Essay- consisting of introduction, body and conclusion.
IMRD Structure- (Introduction-Method- Results-Discussion) where the body part of the text consists of two sections referred to as methods and results. The conclusion part of research articles written according to this format is called discussion, and has a slightly different set-up than the conclusion of the three-part essay.
Examples of Academic Text:

Article
Claims
Essay
Blog Article
Essay
Conference Paper
Proposal
Collaborative Wiki Article
Blog Post
Report
Popularization
Thesis/dissertation
Review

“Reading Techniques Locating Main Ideas” in a specific academic text.

Reading Techniques
a. Skimming – is sometimes referred to as a gist reading.
b. Scanning – is used when you are looking for specific information.
c. Intensive Reading- is reading for a high degree of comprehension and retention over a long period of time.
d. Extensive Reading – involves reading for pleasure.

LOCATING MAIN IDEAS
A thesis statement is one sentence that clearly and concisely tells the reader what your paper will be about. (It is the main or position you will defend in your paper.)
Example 1:
Examine these steps:
Determine essay’s topic (what you will be writing about)
Example: Pixa’s film UP
Determine your viewpoint.
Example: Persuasive Essay--- It’s not really a “kid” movie.
Determine three reasons to support your viewpoint.
Put it all together!
Example: Pixar’s film, Up, should not be considered a “kid” movie because it contains intense character conflicts, complex emotional scenes, and a theme of loss which is too difficult for young children to understand.
Example 2:
Question: “What are the potential benefits of using iPads in a seventh grade class?”
Answer/THESIS: “The potential benefits of using iPads in seventh grade class are….”
(3 reasons/ideas)

//WEEK 2
What is Summarizing?
As an important skill in critical reading, summarizing is often used to determine the essential ideas in a book, article, book chapter, an article or parts of an article.

What is Not Summarizing?
You are NOT summarizing when you;
Write down everything
Write down ideas from the text word-for-word.
Write down incoherent and irrelevant ideas;
Write down ideas that are not stated in the text.

Formats in Summarizing
1. Idea and format – in this format, the summarized idea comes before the citation.
Example:
2. Author heading Format- in this format the summarized idea comes after the citation. The author’s name/ s is/are connected by an appropriate reporting verb.
3. Date Heading Format- in this format, the summarized idea comes after the date when the materials was published

The lesson will be Paraphrasing and Direct Quoting in a specific academic text.

Comparing Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Direct Quoting.
1.Summary
2.Paraphrasing
3.Direct Quoting

1.Does not match the source word for word.
2.Does not match the source word for word
3.Matches the source word for word.
1.Involves putting in the main idea(s) into your own words, but including only the main point(s)
2.Involves putting a passage from a source into your own words.
3.Is usually a short part of the text.
1.Presents a broad overview, so is usually much shorter than the original text.
2.Changes the words or phrasing of a passage, but retains and fully communicates the original meaning.
3.Cited part appears between quotation marks.
1.Must be attributed to the original source.
2.Must be attributed to the original source.
3.Must be attributed to the original source

Paraphrasing involves taking a passage - either spoken or written - and rewording it. Writers often paraphrase sentences and paragraphs to deliver information in a more concise way, as you'll see in the examples below. When paraphrasing, it is important to keep the original meaning so that the facts remain intact. Basically, you are writing something in your own words that still expresses the original idea.

Paraphrasing Sentences
Sometimes you only need to paraphrase the information from one sentence. Here are some examples of paraphrasing individual sentences:
1. Original: Her life spanned years of incredible change for women as they gained more rights than ever before.
Paraphrase: She lived through the exciting era of women's liberation.
2. Original: Giraffes like Acacia leaves and hay, and they can consume 75 pounds of food a day.
Paraphrase: A giraffe can eat up to 75 pounds of Acacia leaves and hay daily.
Direct Quoting
- involves copying short sentences or passages from the original text word-for-word.
- places copied wording within “quotation marks”
- includes an in-text citation using the expected formatting style (APA, MLA, etc.)

//WEEK 3
Précis is a French word which means “exact” and “terse”, so in précis writing, the shorter the version, the better.

A précis is a brief summary, written on your own words, of a longer piece of writing. It is a condensed version of the essential content of the original material. A précis contains on comments or opinions of your own. It contains no details, no examples, and no illustrations. The language should be concise, with all unnecessary words left out. It should be the shortest possible account of what you have read.

Purpose: A Précis aims to come up with intelligent reading and clear, accurate writing. It is a skill of both analysis and genesis that critically questions every though included and excluded.

Preliminary to Précis Writing
1. Abstract- is a condensation of a passage, the important words, phrases, and sentences containing the essential thoughts being worked as simply as possible into sentences.
2. A paraphrase is a restatement of a difficult passage, stating clearly and fully in language of the simplest sort just what the passage means.
3. In precis writing, it is necessary to say as much as possible in as few words as possible.
4. The proper use of the colon and punctuation is an aid to good precis writing.
5. Generally a precis should be written in reported or indirect speech. This means a precis will be in third person and in the past tense.
6. A precis title must be a cold and matter of fact, not attractive to the imaginative mind. It is a precis of the precis.

The Abstract
An abstract is a succinct summary of a longer piece of work, usually academic in nature, which is published in solation from the main text ad should therefore stand on its own and be understandable without reference to the longer piece.

It should report the latter’s essential facts, and should not exaggerate or contain material that is not here.
It is an original work, not an excerpted passage. An abstract must be fully self-contained and make sense.
It is a well-developed single paragraph of approximately 250 words in length, which is indented and single spaced.
When it is necessary to write abstracts?
Abstracts are usually required for:
Submission of articles to journals
Application for research grants
Completion and submission of theses
Submission of proposals for conference papers.
Format:
1. Reason for writing
2. Problem
3. Methodology
4. Results
5. Implications
Types of Abstracts
1. Descriptive Abstracts- describe the work being abstracted. They are more like an outline of the work and are usually very short- 100 words or less.
2. Informative Abstracts- acts as substitutes for the actual papers as all the key arguments and conclusions are presented; specifically, the context and importance of research, reasons for methods, principal results and conclusions.
An informative abstract is made up of four parts:
Purpose
Methodology
Results
Conclusion
3. The indicative abstract- if you are writing and abstract for a less structured document like an essay, editorial, or book, you will write an indicative abstract.
Three parts:
Scope
Arguments used
Conclusions
4. Graphical Abstract- is a single, concise, pictorial and visual summary of the main findings of the article.
Should allow readers read to quickly gain an understanding of the main take-home message of the paper.

//WEEK 4
Types of Sources

Scholarly publications (Journals)
A scholarly publication contains articles written by experts in a particular field. The primary audience of these articles is other experts. These articles generally report on original research or case studies. Many of these publications are "peer reviewed" or "refereed". This means that scholars in the same field review the research and findings before the article is published. Articles in scholarly publications, in most cases:
are written by and for faculty, researchers, or other experts in a field
use scholarly or technical language
include a full bibliography of sources cited in the article
are often peer reviewed (refereed)

Popular sources (News and Magazines)
There are many occasions on which reading articles from popular sources can help to introduce you to a topic and introduce you to how that topic is being discussed in society. Articles in popular sources, in most cases:
are written by journalists or professional writers for a general audience
written in a language that is easy to understand by the general public
rarely have a bibliography - rather, they are fact-checked through the editorial process of the publication they appear in
don't assume prior knowledge of a subject area - for this reason, they are often very helpful to read if you don't know a lot about your subject area yet
may contain an argument, opinion, or analysis of an issue

Professional/Trade sources
Trade publications are generally for practitioners. They are focused on a specific field but are not intended to be "scholarly". Rather, they communicated the news and trends in that field. Articles in trade publications, in most cases:
are written by practitioners in a field (nurses, teachers, social workers, etc)
use the language (and jargon) of the field
Books / Book Chapters
Many academic books will be edited by an expert or group of experts. Often, books are a good source for a thorough investigation of a topic. Unlike a scholarly article, which will usually focus on the results of one research project, a book isilikely to include an overview of research or issues related to its topic.

Conference proceedings
Conference proceedings are compilations of papers, research, and information presented at conferences. Proceedings are sometimes peer-reviewed and are often the first publication of research that later appears in a scholarly publication (see above!).

Government Documents
The Government Printing Office disseminates information issued by all three branches of the government to federal depository libraries (including NMSU). Additionally, the many departments of the government publish reports, data, statistics, white papers, consumer information, transcripts of hearings, and more.

Theses & Dissertations
Theses and dissertations are the result of an individual student's research while in a graduate program. They are written under the guidance and review of an academic committee but are not considered "peer-reviewed" or "refereed" publications.

In general, there are three types of resources or sources of information: primary, secondary, and tertiary. It is important to understand these types and to know what type is appropriate for your coursework prior to searching for information.
Primary sources are original materials on which other research is based, including:
original written works – poems, diaries, court records, interviews, surveys, and original research/fieldwork, and
research published in scholarly/academic journals.
Secondary sources are those that describe or analyze primary sources, including:
reference materials – dictionaries, encyclopedias, textbooks, and
books and articles that interpret, review, or synthesize original research/fieldwork.
Tertiary sources are those used to organize and locate secondary and primary sources.
Indexes – provide citations that fully identify a work with information such as author, titles of a book, artile, and/or journal, publisher and publication date, volume and issue number and page numbers.
Abstracts – summarize the primary or secondary sources,
Databases – are online indexes that usually include abstracts for each primary or secondary resource, and may also include a digital copy of the resource.
Criteria in evaluating sources
Relevance of the Source to the Research Topic
Key ideas:
You can check the title, table contents, summary/abstract, introduction, or headings of the text to have sense of its content.

Authority/Author’s Qualifications
Is the author’s name identified?
Is the author’s background, education, or training related to the topic?
Is he or she a professor in a reputable university?
What are his/her publications?

//WEEK 5
Fact vs. Opinion

Fact- is a piece of information that can be strictly defined and proved true.
Statements that are based on truth.
Example:
1. The Nile is the longest river in the world.
2. Jakarta has 7,500.000 population.
3. Pollution can kill fish and plants that live in rivers.

Opinion- is a statement that expresses a belief, value, or feeling.
Example:
1. The Nile is the most beautiful river in the world.
2. Teenagers are too moody to be trusted.
3. Young people think they’ll live forever and can’t be hurt.

Critical Reading Strategies

1. SQ3R
SQ3R is a Reading/Study formula designed to help process and increase retention of written information. It consists of the following five steps.

S = SURVEY
Scan the piece of writing to establish its purpose and get the main ideas. Look for:
Titles and Headings – Indicate the main topics and concepts being developed.
Pictures, questions, bold or italicized print – emphasize important information.
Introduction and conclusion –May give the topics being covered as well as the purpose. First and last sentences in paragraphs
Footnotes
Q = QUESTION.
Write questions to give purpose and improve concentration. This aids comprehension. Turn main headings and pictures into questions. Jot down questions that you may have as you survey the material.
R = READ
-Search for answers to your questions. Make notes and highlight main ideas that support the concept.
R = RECITE
-Reciting helps to put the information into your long-term memory. Put what you have learned into your own words.
R = REVIEW
-It is important to review the material to understand and remember it. Did you answer all of the questions and understand the information?
Reviewing each time you study will eliminate the need to “cram” for a test.

2. KWL Method
K
What I know
W
What I want to know
L
What I learned
Write the information about what the students know in space.
Write the information about what the students want to know in this space.
After the completion of the lesson or unit, write the information that the students learned in this space.

What are Reaction Papers, Reviews, and Critique?
A reaction paper, a review and a critique are specialized forms of writing in which reviewer or reader evaluates any of the following:
a scholarly work (e.g., academic books and articles)
a work of art (e.g., performance art, play, dance, sports, film, exhibits)
designs (e.g., industrial designs, furniture fashion design)
graphic designs (e.g., posters, billboards, commercials, and digital media)
Why do we write Critiques?
A knowledge of the work’s subject area or related works.
An understanding of the work’s purpose, intended audience, development of argument, structure of evidence or creative style.
A recognition of the strengths and weaknesses of the work.

Critical Approaches in Writing a Critique

1. Formalism- it claims that the literary works contain intrinsic properties and treats each work as a distinct work of art.
2. Feminism- focuses on how literature presents women as subjects of socio-political, psychological, and economic oppression.
3. Reader-Response Criticism- it is concerned with the reviewer’s reaction as an audience of a work.
4. Marxist- it is concerned with the differences between economic classes and implications of a capitalist system, such as the continuing conflicts between the working class and the elite.

Structure of a Reaction paper, Review, or Critique
Introduction (around 5% of the paper)
Title of the book/article/work
Writer’s name
Thesis statement
Summary (around 10% of the paper)
Objective or purpose
Methods used (if applicable)
Major findings, claims, ideas, or messages

Review/Critique (if no particular order and around 75% of the paper)
Appropriateness of methodology to support the arguments (for books and articles) or appropriateness of mode of presentation (other works)
Theoretical soundness, coherence of ideas
Sufficiency and soundness of explanation in relation to other available information and experts.
Conclusion (around 10% of the paper)
Overall impression of the work
Scholarly or literary value of the reviewed article, book or work
Benefits for the intended audience or field
Suggestion for future direction or research.

//WEK 6

Seven (7) Principles of Effective Critique that Critics should Adhere.
1. Objective- Limit your critique to the observed behavior of the writer and do not criticize her/his personality, general psychological traits or physical characteristics.
2. Specific- a student/writer sometimes cannot understand an error and correct it if the critic is not specific enough.
3. Constructive- our world is awash in negativity. There is no point in being destructive when identifying a mistake.
4. Comprehensive- Your critique should be balanced and include both and good and bad points of the student.
5. Acceptable- the critic must perceive as a legitimate authority before that critique can be accepted by the writer.
6. Flexible- a critic should be able to shape his critique depending on audience, context, etc.
7. Organized- a good critic takes the writer by the hand and leads her through as few steps as possible to the desired goal of the instruction or the critique session.

Writing a Review Paper
A review paper is not a pure summary of the information you read for your review. You are required to analyse, synthesize, and interpret the information you read in some meaningful way.
A succinct review of a specific topic that provide sufficient, and in depth interpretation and synthesis of published’ work.
It synthesizes the results from several primary literature papers to produce a coherent argument about a topic or focused description of a field.
In the scientific literature, review articles, or book chapters, are a category of scientific papers, which provide a synthesis of research on a topic.
Review articles are secondary sources analyzing several original articles, which are primary sources reporting original results.
4 COMPONENTS IN WRITING A REVIEW
Your topic: Keeps you on track. Prepare a 1-2 sentence objective/description.
Annotated bibliography: An annotated bibliography is a list of peer-reviewed scientific papers that you are considering reviewing in your paper and a short summary (abstract) of findings relative to review.
Outline: The outline will help you provide constructive feedback on your review and will hopefully make writing the final version of the term paper easier.
Review Paper: This paper should discuss a topic related to freshwater ecology drawn from scientific literature.

Four General Parts
Introduction and background
Body
Conclusion
References or Literature Cited
Reaction Paper
requires the writer to analyze a text, and then develop a commentary related to it.
It is a popular academic assignment because it requires thoughtful reading, research, and writing.
How to Write a Reaction Paper?
Part 1-Prewriting and Actively Reading
Understand the purpose of a reaction paper.
Figure out what the text/article/book is about.
Read the text you are assigned right after it is assigned.
Write down your initial reactions.
Annotate the text as you read.
Question as you read.
Part 2- Drafting your Essay
Free write
Decide on your angle.
Determine your thesis.
Organize your paper.
Gather quotations.
Structure your paragraphs.
Part 3- Writing your Final Draft
Write your introduction.
Reread your reaction paragraphs to ensure you make a stance.
Explain the greater implications of the text for the class, author, audience, or yourself. (implications)
Edit for clarity and length.
Proof and spell check your document.
Ask yourself if you responded to the assignment adequately.

It is highly advisable to create an outline before you start writing your reaction paper.
In a paragraph, start your reaction paper with your introduction that includes a brief summary of the material you are tasked to respond to. Devote at least three sentences for this purpose.
The second paragraph should contain your first “reaction.”
Apply the previous method with the succeeding paragraphs for your other reactions. As much as possible, use personal indicators such as “I believe, “I think, “I suppose, “In my opinion,” and others.

//WEEK 7
A concept paper is about the in-depth analysis regarding an intangible thought, theory, or idea.
Provides an overview of the project, and helps funding agencies eliminate proposals that are likely to be disapproved.

Three Ways in Explaining a Concept
1. Definition- is the method of identifying a given term and making its meaning clearer. Its main purpose is to clarify and explain concepts, ideas, and issues by answering the question “What does it mean?”

A definition can be presented in three ways:
i. Informal definition- is done through a parenthetical or brief explanation.
ii. Formal definition- explains a term by incorporating the term to be defined (species), the general category of the term (genus) and the quality that makes the term different from the other terms in the same category (differentia)
iii. Extended definition is a detailed way of defining a term and is usually composed of at least one paragraph.

2. Explication- is a method of explanation in which sentences, verses, quotes or passages are taken from a literary or academic work and then interpreted and explained in detailed way.
3. Clarification- is a method or explanation in which points are organized from a general abstract idea to specific and concrete examples. It entails the analysis of the concept by looking at the examples and specifying some of its characteristics to arrive at one working definition which can be used throughout the paper.

Parts of a Concept Paper
The parts of a concept paper may also vary depending on the nature of the project/activity. Below are to outlines of a concept paper based on the text.

Concept Paper for a Project

1. Cover Page
State the name of the proponents and their affiliations.
State the addresses, contact numbers, and email address of the proponents.
State the head of the agency send his/her contact information.
State the date of submission.
2. Introduction
State the information about the funding agency to show that you understand its mission.
State the mission of the agency that the proponents represent and align it to the funding agency’s mission.
Present and describe other partner agencies and why they are qualified as such.
Provides reason why the funding agency should support the project.
3. Rationale or Background
State the gap in knowledge to be addressed by the project.
State the problems to be solved.
State the project’s significance.
4. Project Description
State the goals and objectives of the project.
Present the methodology (sometimes termed as Action Plan, Project Activities, or Approach.
Present the timeline expressed in months and year.
State the benefits or anticipated outcomes.
State how success of outcomes will be valued.
5. Project Needs and Cost
Outline the main budget; include the item description and amount.
Explain or justify how the budget will be used.
List the personnel or equipment needed for the project.

Concept Paper for Academic Research
1. Title Page
State your research title.
State your name and school.
State the date of submission.
2. Background of the Study
Provide the current state the field you are researching on.
State the gap in knowledge and problems to be addressed by the statistics and previous studies to prove your claims.
State the reasons why you want to investigate on the chosen topic.
3. Preliminary Literature Review
Provide a theoretical framework.
Provide related literature that supports your topic.
Provide a brief synthesis of the reviewed literature and studies.
4. Statement of the Problem/Objectives
State your general problem in one sentence.
State your specific research questions or objectives.
5. Abridged Methodology
Provide the context and participants of the study.
Provide the instruments to be used.
Provide the data collection procedure.
Provide the data analysis scheme to be used.
6. Timeline
Provide a timeline (e.g., Gantt chart) set in months and year.
7. References
Provide a list of all books, journals, and other resources cited in your paper.