Writing up your University Assignments and Research Projects
Neil Murray,Geraldine Hughes

ISBN: 0335227171,
Division: Open University Press,
Price: £16.99,
Pub Date: MAY-08,

Pages: 168
Edition: 01
Format: Paperback

Availability: Not Yet Published

Description

Writing Up Your University Assignments and Research Projects provides comprehensive guidance to undergraduate and postgraduate students on the principles and practices underlying good academic writing in general and the writing up of research projects in particular.

It takes as its point of departure the growing realisation that with university lecturers facing ever-increasing demands on their time, students who often feel insecure and uncertain about the expectations departments and examiners have of their writing are often left to fend for themselves. This can quickly lead to feelings of frustration, panic or isolation, and, in some cases, their withdrawal from courses.

This practical, task-based guide has been designed specifically to help these students by serving as a user-friendly self-study companion that can be read wholesale or simply dipped into for advice on any particular aspect of writing. The emphasis is on teaching rather than simply presenting information and careful consideration is given to what is attractive, accessible and engaging for students, both home and international. As such, the book goes beyond technical description to include rationales, tips and strategies, along with numerous examples and tasks, designed to help students understand and internalise what they are learning, consider their own writing more critically, increase their confidence and sense of achievement, and sensitise them to what really underpins the principles governing written academic discourse. In doing so, it seeks ultimately to instil in readers a sense of empowerment that will enable and encourage them to be creative and ambitious in their writing and to find and express effectively their own voice.

Author Biography

Neil Murray is Senior Lecturer and Programme Director at the School of International Studies, the University of South Australia. He has taught academic English and applied linguistics at undergraduate and postgraduate level since 1982 and has published in both areas. He is co-author of Contemporary Topics.

Geraldine Hughes is Lecturer in Academic English and Study Skills at King's College London, where she was formerly Director of the international foundation programme for over a decade. Her previous publications include a study guide for students enrolled in higher education computing courses.

This book draws on the authors' combined experience of 50 years teaching and managing academic writing courses in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australasia.


Table of Contents

Foreword

A guide to the book?s icons: What do they mean?

Part 1: The fundamentals of academic writing

Introduction

1 What are the key functions in academic writing?
1.1 Defining terms and ideas
1.2 Describing
1.3 Comparing and contrasting
1.4 Classifying
1.5 Explaining causes and effects
1.6 Developing an argument

2 How should I structure my writing?
2.1 Coherence: The flow of good writing
2.2 The 3 main parts of a writing project
Writing an introduction
Organising the body of your writing
The summary and conclusion
2.3 Citation, referencing and paraphrasing
2.4 Using footnotes

3 What do I need to know about writing style?
3.1 Writing clearly and concisely
3.2 Level of formality (register)
3.3 Using gender-neutral language
3.4 Reading other research reports

4 Approaching your writing project: Tips and strategies
4.1 Planning carefully
4.2 Deciding on your writing approach
4.3 Sourcing and selecting information
4.4 Recording information/making notes
4.5 Drafting
4.6 Defining terms
4.7 Supporting your claims
4.8 Acknowledging alternative perspectives and counter-arguments

Part 2: Putting together your research project

5 Understanding the research and writing process
5.1 What is a research project?
5.2 What?s the difference between a thesis and a dissertation?
5.3 The basic requirements of a research degree
5.4 Deciding on a research topic
5.5 Choosing and using your supervisor: What exactly is their role?
5.6 Writing a proposal
5.7 Adopting the correct mindset
5.8 Studying independently
5.9 Attending research seminars, conferences etc
5.10 Understanding disciplinary differences
5.11 The upgrading process (Ph.Ds only)
5.12 Familiarity with ?codes of practice?/rules & regulations
5.13 Ethical considerations
5.14 The importance of finding your own `voice??and why it can be challenging
5.15 Getting down to writing

6 What are the different components of a research project?
6.1 Title page
6.2 Abstract
6.3 Acknowledgements
6.4 List of contents
6.5 List of acronyms and abbreviations
6.6 Introduction
6.7 Literature review
6.8 Methodology
6.9 Results/data
6.10 Analysis and discussion
6.11 Conclusions
6.12 Bibliography
6.13 Appendices

7 ?And when it?s all over: Publishing and presenting your research
7.1 Journal articles
7.2 A book
7.3 Conference presentations
7.4 A final note

Part 3: Toolkit
Punctuation basics: A brief guide to the correct use of punctuation
Glossary of key terms
The academic word list
List of prefixes and suffixes
Appendix:
Style guide links
Sample table of contents



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