Academic Writing, Referencing and Report Structure

U12-2024-AcademicWriting.pdf Open PDF
Show converted presentation markdown

AARHUS UNIVERSITY ITPDP: ACADEMIC WRITING

Clemens Nylandsted Klokmose Department of Computer Science Collaboration & Computer-Human Interaction Group clemens@cs.au.dk

==> picture [135 x 102] intentionally omitted <==

PROFESSIONALLY: WHY DO WE WRITE?

  • › Communication: 25K+ emails in your work life › Design: Analyse and report › Technology: Strategic assessments, analysis and feasibility studies

› Projects: Process and final reports › Code: Documentation and architectural descriptions › Strategy: Financing, business plans, development plans, etc.

==> picture [64 x 40] intentionally omitted <==

==> picture [303 x 102] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
Clemens Nylandsted Klokmose APRIL 2023
2
----- End of picture text -----

AARHUS UNIVERSITY

STUDENTS: WHY DO WE WRITE?

  • › Learning tool

  • › Taking notes, working with theory, etc.

› Assignments in courses, bachelor report, master’s thesis, Ph.d. dissertation.

› Communication

==> picture [64 x 40] intentionally omitted <==

Clemens Nylandsted Klokmose

==> picture [135 x 102] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
APRIL 2023
3
----- End of picture text -----

AARHUS UNIVERSITY

IMPORTANT POINTS

  • › To write is a craft

  • › It must be trained and maintained › Learning demands time and effort

  • › You must be open to feedback

› Writing something is as much about your own understanding of the topic as it is about understanding the reader

› Take pride in writing well, don’t be sloppy.

==> picture [64 x 40] intentionally omitted <==

==> picture [135 x 102] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
APRIL 2023
4
----- End of picture text -----

Clemens Nylandsted Klokmose

AARHUS UNIVERSITY

ACADEMIC WRITING STYLE

› Academic language › Precise, unambiguous, clear › Understandable by peers on same level › Critical argumentation without opinions that are not backed up › Is objective › Uses terminology of the field › Use references!

› Characteristics (The ABC)

  • › A ccuracy

  • › B revity › C larity

==> picture [64 x 40] intentionally omitted <==

Clemens Nylandsted Klokmose

==> picture [135 x 102] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
APRIL 2023
5
----- End of picture text -----

AARHUS UNIVERSITY

ACCURACY

  • › Many apps developed for the public sector suffer from accessibility issues. Imprecise

  • › One of four apps developed for the public sector suffer from accessibility issues (Doe, 2022). More precise.

› Twenty three percent of mobile applications (iOS & Android) are not compliant with the WCAG 2 guidelines (Doe, 2022). Too detailed?

==> picture [64 x 40] intentionally omitted <==

APRIL 2023 6

Clemens Nylandsted Klokmose

AARHUS UNIVERSITY

BREVITY

› Avoid overly long sentences.

› Avoid redundancy (except when signposting).

› Never write just to write something.

“I apologize for such a long letter - I didn't have time to write a short one.” Mark Twain

==> picture [64 x 40] intentionally omitted <==

Clemens Nylandsted Klokmose

==> picture [57 x 23] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
APRIL 2023
7
----- End of picture text -----

AARHUS UNIVERSITY

CLARITY

› Write to express not to impress.

› Don’t assume that your reader has the same background knowledge as you.

› Use active voice when possible

==> picture [64 x 40] intentionally omitted <==

==> picture [135 x 102] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
APRIL 2023
8
----- End of picture text -----

Clemens Nylandsted Klokmose

AARHUS UNIVERSITY

COMMUNICATE WITH THE READER

› Transparency

  • › Meta communication

  • › Be honest

› Describe choices, assumptions, and limitations

› Help the reader assess the work

  • › Write to express not to impress

  • › Summaries after sections

› Tell the reader why they have to read what they are about to read (signposting) › Use references to previous and future sections

https://studypedia.au.dk/en/academic-standards/academic-norms

==> picture [64 x 40] intentionally omitted <==

APRIL 2023

Clemens Nylandsted Klokmose

AARHUS UNIVERSITY

9

ACTIVE / PASSIVE VOICE

› Active voice

  • › Direct

  • › Clear sender › “We have analysed data…”

  • › Passive voice

› Indirect › Weak and complex › “Data shows… “

  • › (fake objectivity)

›Newer academic tradition

==> picture [64 x 40] intentionally omitted <==

› Older academic tradition

==> picture [135 x 102] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
APRIL 2023
10
----- End of picture text -----

  • › Try to avoid it!

Clemens Nylandsted Klokmose

AARHUS UNIVERSITY

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

  • › Use spellchecker!

› Be consistent with punctuation, numbers (three/300), lists, etc. › Avoid unnecessary use of “quotation marks”. › Don’t use instant messaging writing style such as “…” or not ending sentences with a period.

› Use a reference manager

› EndNote if you use Word (accessible for students)

› https://library.au.dk/en/students/reference-management › Bibtex if you use Latex (you should.)

==> picture [64 x 40] intentionally omitted <==

==> picture [135 x 102] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
APRIL 2023
11
----- End of picture text -----

Clemens Nylandsted Klokmose

AARHUS UNIVERSITY

REFERENCES

› To anchor our argumentation in the field › To support our argumentation with evidence › Note: the weight of the evidence depends on the source! › To avoid plagiarism › If we use text, concepts, results from others we need to cite it › Cite with:

› “…” 1 with literal reproduction of text (e.g., quotes) › When it is just a reference use 1 › https://library.au.dk/studerende/plagiering/

› Better to cite one time too many than one time too few!

==> picture [64 x 40] intentionally omitted <==

APRIL 2023 12

Clemens Nylandsted Klokmose

AARHUS UNIVERSITY

TIPS FOR REFERENCES

  • › Pick a system (APA, Harvard, Vancouver) › For reports, APA/Harvard style (Author, year, [page]) is more readable than Vancouver [1]

  • › Use a reference the first time you mention author: Bardram (2009) says …

  • › End quotes with reference and page: “Activity-Based Computing … “ (Bardram 2009, pp.50)

==> picture [64 x 40] intentionally omitted <==

APRIL 2023 13

Clemens Nylandsted Klokmose

AARHUS UNIVERSITY

TIPS FOR REFERENCES

› Google Scholar! https://scholar.google.com

==> picture [64 x 40] intentionally omitted <==

==> picture [135 x 102] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
APRIL 2023
14
----- End of picture text -----

Clemens Nylandsted Klokmose

AARHUS UNIVERSITY

==> picture [64 x 40] intentionally omitted <==

Clemens Nylandsted Klokmose APRIL 2023 15

AARHUS UNIVERSITY

LATEX AND REFERENCES

› Choose a package: \usepackage{natbib} › Chose a style: \bibliographystyle{apalike} › Put in bibliography: \bibliography{refs} › Refs refers to the file refs.bib

==> picture [64 x 40] intentionally omitted <==

==> picture [135 x 102] intentionally omitted <==

----- Start of picture text -----
APRIL 2023
16
----- End of picture text -----

Clemens Nylandsted Klokmose

AARHUS UNIVERSITY

LATEX AND REFERENCES

  • › → \cite{weiser1999} (Weiser, 1999)

  • › → \citet{weiser1999} Weiser (1999)

  • › \cite[see][pp. 10]{weiser1999} → (see Weiser, 1999, pp. 10)

  • › \citeauthor{weiser1999} → Weiser

  • › \citeyear{weiser1999} → 1999

==> picture [64 x 40] intentionally omitted <==

APRIL 2023 17

Clemens Nylandsted Klokmose

AARHUS UNIVERSITY

AARHUS UNIVERSITY

==> picture [64 x 40] intentionally omitted <==

Clemens Nylandsted Klokmose APRIL 2023 18

WRITING PROCESS

› Write to think › Iterate on text › Don’t be afraid to throw away text › Use structure

› Outline the headings of the document to begin with › Add notes/bullets to the different sections › Ask for feedback!

› … but not on notes written for yourself › (In Latex use % notes: %This is a note to myself)

==> picture [64 x 40] intentionally omitted <==

APRIL 2023 19

Clemens Nylandsted Klokmose

AARHUS UNIVERSITY