Wk1 Comment: Kathy Kellen's Activity 4

In her article “What Is An Academic Paper?” Karen Gocsik (2004) addresses how writing in college differs from that in high school. She clearly defines “academic writing” as writing that is done by scholars for other scholars, such that addresses topics that the academic community is interested in, and presents the reader with an informed argument. Writers of the NACTA Journal article “Teaching Tips/Notes” explain that 

      Using the professional/ technical style would demonstrate that

      the student not only has studied and understands the material   

      well but also has organized his/or her thoughts using the 

      professional style common for that field of study and has 

      therefore moved to a higher level of organization.  (2010).

Moving from personal response to analytical writing can present a challenge. An academic writer must show that the associations, reactions, and how the text has been experienced, are written with an analytical frame of reference instead of a personal one. Points to remember are to summarize, evaluate, analyze, and synthesize. “When you analyze, you break the text into its parts. When you synthesize, you look for connections between ideas.” (Gocsik, 2004 p.18)

In depth research is necessary for both the development of arguments and the creation of an original piece of writing. This will avoid repetitive content and clichés. The use of secondary sources supports conclusions. (Przybyla, 2009 p.4). 

Questions are a vital component to the academic writer. Gocsik’s article lists questions to be asked at every stage of the writing process, which can help the writer to focus in on the topic, the target audience, and the appropriate structure. It also lists helpful tips for writers either new to, or long distanced from academic writing. 

Abbie Toy

@Kathy -
We must have been on the same wave-length today, because after I wrote my blog post I went to check yours and we wrote about the same article!  Moving from personal response writing to analytical writing was such a huge challenge for me, so reading the article and your blog post helped me think about the differences and how I can improve my writing!  After you mentioned all the questions in this article being vital to the writing process, I think I will go back and review them! Thanks!

Thursday, July 1, 2010 - 09:14 PM