How to put your reading into your writing

Workshop objectives You should feel more confident about: Summarising the ideas of others Recognising themes and organising your notes accordingly What synthesis is and why it is important This is what we will be covering today. Can anyone suggest definition? – combination of components Synthesis = synthesis noun (syntheses) 1 the process of putting together separate parts to form a complex whole. 2 the result of such a process. […] from Greek syn together + thesis a placing. [http://www.chambers.co.uk/search.php?query=synthesis&title=21st ] “the combining of the constituent elements of separate material or abstract entities into a single or unified entity” [http://www.dictionary.com/browse/synthesis]

Writing an assignment Submission Editing conclusion draft paragraphs with critical thoughts introduction synthesis of key ideas summarise sources plan your writing literature searching Question analysis

Multiple sources – show your tutor that you have: Read and understood a wide range of sources i.e. evidence Been able to analyse and evaluate those sources Recognised the relationship/patterns between those sources Been able to paraphrase central ideas and synthesise to justify/support your conclusion Introduction – putting reading to writing – what’s it about/why this is important. What do you understand by title? What do you expect? It demonstrates to your lecturer that you have: Read and understood a wide range of appropriate sources/references i.e. evidence Been able to analyse, summarise and critically evaluate those sources Recognised the relationship/patterns between those sources Justified/supported the conclusion that you reach/claims that you make. Again this relies on evidence from authoritative sources which is what makes it a scholarly process - not bus talk or pub talk! Using multiple sources takes place in every kind of assignment: even poster presentations! Such skills are absolutely core and you will need them in whatever future profession you pursue after university – in many tasks and projects it is necessary to explore a range of sources of information and draw out the essential points you need to make an effective decision.

Summarising – True or False? You have to summarise each point in the text You must rewrite the original and use complex sentences You should keep the points in the same order as the original You can add your own opinions/examples/emotion You must write in Academic English style: impersonal and objective You should illustrate your points with examples You can change the meaning of the original slightly You should never cite the author Your summary should be shorter in length than the original Task 1 in pack. [S> this would lend itself to using Socrative – esp. for the large session in lecture theatre] 5 minutes task (groups/pairs) + 5 minutes feedback [this is intended as an initial diagnostic exercise for students to consider what they already know and think] 1You have to summarise each point in the text – False – only key points 2You must rewrite / paraphrase the original and use very complex sentences – False (simplify) 3You should keep the points in the same order as the original – False (not necessarily in the same order) 4You can add your own opinions / examples/ emotion. For example, sarcasm, anger and so on. False not in summaries 5You need to write in Academic English style: impersonal and objective. True (not text language) 6You should illustrate your points with examples – False (author only). 7You can change the meaning of the original slightly – False (don’t change possible to fact) 8You should never cite the author – False (Yes you should) 9Your summary should be no more than a third of the length of the original, and it could be much shorter. True (or shorter) Summarising is necessary to manage substantial amounts of reading from multiple sources in a time efficient way. Task 1

Why summarise? Helps your understanding of the text. Creates a more ‘usable’ version of the text, which is more manageable if you have multiple texts. Good summarising helps avoid plagiarism by citing and paraphrasing as you go. Stops your desk looking like this! summarise sources

Survey SQ3R method Question Read Recall Review https://vimeo.com/136299925 Survey Question Read Recall Review The SQ3R method = Survey, Question, Read, Recall, Review Have they heard of this method? Survey: Identify the main/key points and supporting detail of different – first scan read the abstract (if there is one), introduction, topic sentences, headings, conclusion, etc – Decide whether the text is scholarly enough for your purposes, up-to-date and relevant. If it doesn’t look as if it is going to be useful for your purposes don’t waste time on it! Question: As you survey the article start to ask yourself questions such as: What is the main content or point of this article? What issue or debate is it trying to address? How relevant is it to my own assignment or research? How does this information help me? Read: If some or all of the text looks useful, read the relevant parts intensively and make sure you understand the terminology, technical aspects, broad sweep of argument. Recall: Without looking at the original, paraphrase the main points/supporting detail. Imagine you are explaining what you have read to a classmate, and write down what you have understood in your own words (real life example – newspaper report.) = recall Have a short break! Review: check the original to make sure you haven’t changed anything or missed anything important out. Refer to the author with reporting verbs (these will be explained later on in this session) [You have now completed this reading so you can RELAX This approach makes reading lots of sources you’ve found more usable/manageable Useful to promote the ‘How to make notes from your reading’ workshop at this point Also ask if been to “How to reference and avoid plagiarism” workshop too – video on SQ3R technique (https://academicskills.uwe.ac.uk/general/workbooks/reading-and-note-taking/6826/sq3r-how-to-read-effectively) Watch video https://vimeo.com/136299925   summarise sources

Practice – summarising Summarising activity Task 2 in pack. do in small groups. Backs up all points in True/False activity Key points Original meaning The best summary is: 3) Preparation for cultural shock can take different forms, e.g. learning about the target culture and learning the language. However, preparing for particular aspects of culture shock, such as ‘ecoshock’ is more difficult because it is hard to adjust one’s body to ‘local time’, weather, ‘humidity’ and ‘altitude’. Features such as these are usually experienced in the initial, rather than latter, stages of culture shock. Answer 1 is not a good summary because it copies the original passage and only changes a few words. This could be considered plagiarism. Answer 2 is not a good summary because it is too short and does not include all of the essential information. Answer 3 is a good summary because: It involves rewriting the sentence structure; The words used are altered e.g. ‘various ways’ becomes ‘different forms’ and ‘new culture’ becomes ‘target culture’; Any terms that are taken from the original are placed in quotation marks; It captures the main points of the original but is substantially more succinct because it abbreviates and removes non-essential material. NB: Summarising is used at the note making stage to identify the main argument, points and topics in your text and capture them briefly in your own words. It should be much shorter than the original text. You should make sure that you capture the details of the source you are using to cite any points accurately. Paraphrasing is a way to transform some of the language in the original document in your own words. If an idea is taken from the original text, but not directly quoted, it is essential that it is written entirely in your own words and that the source of the idea is cited clearly. If you paraphrase effectively you not only demonstrate that you have carried out effective literature searching and read various texts but also that you have understood and been able to critically evaluate your sources by transforming the ideas and redeploying them, with due acknowledgement, in your own writing. This can help to make your own work more original because you are creating a new combination of ideas through synthesis. Both summarised and paraphrasing are skills that require practice! NB Task 2a invites you to write your own summary – there is unlikely to be time to do this in the session but have a go afterwards if you feel you would like to practice. Task 2

Reporting verbs Often used to refer to the work of other authors, and indicate: What they did (study, measure, use) What they found (find, observe, show) What they thought or said (think, believe, write, state) Use a variety of verbs Examples Diamond (2002) points out that only a small number of plant and animal species have been exploited for food. Previous studies have shown that foreclosure often results in vandalism, disinvestment and other negative spillover effects in the neighborhood. [Lin, Z., Rosenblatt, E. and Yao, V. W. (2009) Spillover effects of foreclosures on neighborhood property values. Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics [online]. 38 (4), pp. 387-407 [Accessed 15 September 2016]. draft paragraphs

Reporting verbs – examples Refer to the author(s) with phrases like: X (year) argues/ believes / states / claims/ offers/ suggests that … It is X’s opinion (year) that … According to X (year), … In a study by X (year), … X (year) has supported this conclusion … Research by X (year) indicates that … Several researchers (X, Year; Y, Year and Z, Year) have investigated this issue and make recommendations regarding … Tip: The Manchester Phrasebank is an excellent source of inspiration for further helpful phrases: http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/referring-to-sources/ Encourage the students to note Manchester phrasebank and explore for themselves after the workshop. draft paragraphs

Identify the reporting verbs Find the reporting verbs in the extract below from a research article about dressings. How the intervention might work Lawrence (1998) observed that dressings can act as a physical barrier to protect wounds until the continuity of the skin (epithelialisation) has been achieved. This occurs within about 48 hours of surgery, and to absorb exudate from the wound, keeping it dry and clean with the aim of avoiding bacterial contamination from the external environment. This was found to be the case in the research of Hutchinson, 1991; Mertz, 1985 and Ubbink, 2008. Another reason for using a dressing is to prevent contamination of the surrounding area by any wound discharge, as was reported by Downie in 2010, although this is mainly applicable for clean-contaminated, contaminated, and dirty or infected wounds. Some studies have identified that the moist environment created by some dressings accelerates wound healing (Dyson, 1988), although others believe that it is a disadvantage, as excessive exudate can cause maceration (softening and breakdown) of the wound and the surrounding healthy tissue, a view stated in Cutting (2002).   Toon CD, Lusuku C, Ramamoorthy R, Davidson BR, Gurusamy KS. Early versus delayed dressing removal after primary closure of clean and clean-contaminated surgical wounds. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2015, Issue 9. Art. No.: CD010259. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD010259.pub3. Group activity – shout out Task 3

Reporting verbs – answers Find the reporting verbs in the extract below from a research article about dressings. How the intervention might work Lawrence (1998) observed that dressings can act as a physical barrier to protect wounds until the continuity of the skin (epithelialisation) has been achieved. This occurs within about 48 hours of surgery, and to absorb exudate from the wound, keeping it dry and clean with the aim of avoiding bacterial contamination from the external environment. This was found to be the case in the research of Hutchinson, 1991; Mertz, 1985 and Ubbink, 2008. Another reason for using a dressing is to prevent contamination of the surrounding area by any wound discharge, as was reported by Downie in 2010, although this is mainly applicable for clean-contaminated, contaminated, and dirty or infected wounds. Some studies have identified that the moist environment created by some dressings accelerates wound healing (Dyson, 1988), although others believe that it is a disadvantage, as excessive exudate can cause maceration (softening and breakdown) of the wound and the surrounding healthy tissue, a view stated in Cutting (2002).   Toon CD, Lusuku C, Ramamoorthy R, Davidson BR, Gurusamy KS. Early versus delayed dressing removal after primary closure of clean and clean-contaminated surgical wounds. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2015, Issue 9. Art. No.: CD010259. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD010259.pub3. There are 6 in total. draft paragraphs

Sort out the reporting verbs! What they did What they found What they thought or said studied informed measured used identified thought confirmed observed reported disputed found persuaded believed challenged argued showed demonstrated evaluated claimed stated wrote Task 4

Sort out the reporting verbs! What they did What they found What they thought informed found believed identified demonstrated challenged showed studied argued observed thought used reported disputed measured confirmed wrote evaluated stated persuaded Suggested answers! claimed Task 4

Synthesis This includes summarising and analysing evidence, and then drawing a conclusion from that evidence. Summarise evidence from your reading into your writing. The evidence should be organised by theme/point into paragraphs Ideas should fit together clearly to build a strong argument and support your opinion Ask if anyone in the group attended the ‘How to make notes from your reading and lectures’ workshop… This is the next stage. Point of summarising is is so that you can synthesis better Find links between ideas / enable you to build up logical argument Synthesis = the combining of the constituent elements of separate material or abstract entities into a single or unified entity = definition [http://www.dictionary.com/browse/synthesis] Synthesis is a skill which includes summarising evidence from your reading into your writing and drawing a conclusion from that evidence. The evidence should be organised by theme/point into paragraphs and the ideas should fit together clearly to build a strong argument and support your opinion. It is a specialised skill and needs practice. When you have done your reading and note taking, organise your notes according to theme/point and look for similarities and differences between them. synthesis

Practicing synthesis Task 5 Look at this essay title: “Discuss why assignment essays are common assessment tasks in undergraduate tertiary coursework, and evaluate the effectiveness of assignments as an avenue for learning” You have found four relevant articles. Here are your notes. You now need to identify and organise themes/key points. Task 5 Discussion on the title – what are we being asked to do? Essay about using assignments as assessment toll i.e. discuss pros and cons Synthesising evidence makes your writing more powerful as you are demonstrating that an idea is supported by a number of authorities: students needing feedback (Jones et al., 2004, pp. 36-37; Peters, 2008, p. 79) effect of exams on students ( Peters, 2008, p. 79; Wonderland University, 2006) subject discourse (Jones et al., 2004, pp. 36-37; Peters, 2008, p. 79; Wonderland University, 2006) http://learninghub.une.edu.au/tlc/aso/aso-online/academic-writing/synthesising-evidence.php synthesis Task 5

Task 5. (these are summaries/bullet points taken from different sources). NB need to carefully explain what is required in this exercise! E.g. What do the commentators from the sources used identify as the main issues / considerations? Think of these topics as discussion points that you could use in a paragraph or as the basis of several paragraphs. Assignments vs exams Task 5 continued… exercise to do with the class (5 minutes) Give one example: e.g. subject discourse (Jones et al., 2004, pp. 36-37; Peters, 2009, p. 79; Wonderland University, 2006) Student discourse: Student Discourse, or students talking on-topic in an academic environment, is vital to language acquisition, student engagement and ultimately student achievement. Written or spoken communication about subject There are two more themes to find.= feedback and memory. Could also include plagiarism as a factor.

In pairs – link themes and evidence from other people’s research Students needing feedback (Jones et al., 2004, pp. 36-37; Peters, 2009, p. 79) Emphasis on memory ( Peters, 2009, p. 79; Wonderland University, 2006) Subject discourse (Jones et al., 2004, pp. 36-37; Peters, 2009, p. 79; Wonderland University, 2006) Plagiarism is also identified as a issue by Abbot

Key themes are: Students needing feedback (Jones et al., 2004, pp. 36-37; Peters, 2009, p. 79) Effect of exams on students ( Peters, 2009, p. 79; Wonderland University, 2006) Subject discourse (Jones et al., 2004, pp. 36-37; Peters, 2009, p. 79; Wonderland University, 2006) What is the next step – paragraph. Show exercise 3 from website for complete paragraph annotated. synthesis

Bringing it all together Bring these themes and ideas together in a structured paragraph: Bringing it all together What is the next step? – introduce the structured paragraph. Task 6 Give 2 to 3 minutes for the students to read the paragraph and the animated notes. Highlight the fact that this paragraph introduce key themes. Could be expanded by a comment on the sources. Show exercise 3 from website for complete annotated paragraph. Start analysis NB topic sentence and conclusion synthesis Task 6

Skills – a process for synthesis Read and take notes (summarise) Organise notes into groups/themes Write a topic sentence for each paragraph Construct each paragraph – compare, contrast and link points Draw a conclusion Summarise whole thing – promote other workshops at this point: How to make notes from your reading and lectures/ How to plan your writing; How to get started with Critical Writing / How to Improve your critical writing. Read widely and take good notes, including critical thoughts. See: http://academicskills.uwe.ac.uk/general/workbooks/reading-and-note-taking Organise your notes into groups, by theme/point/perspective etc Plan out your ‘line or argument’ i.e. the best order to present your evidence so that it leads to a convincing conclusion which supports your viewpoint. Attend the ‘Writing Critically’ workshop for more practice with this. Write a topic sentence for each paragraph (Writing for University - LOW) – planning and drafting workshop Carefully construct each paragraph, comparing, contrasting and linking the points together in a logical order. summarise sources synthesis introduction draft paragraphs conclusion

Writing good paragraphs Paragraphing Linking ideas together Library online workbook. Suggest: Go through the structuring a paragraph accordion: http://academicskills.uwe.ac.uk/general/workbooks/writing-for-university/4730/paragraphing Task 7 Do the “ending a paragraph” exercise [answer 2] Show the film Skills4study Task 8 Show activity to demonstrate words to link ideas together in a paragraph. introduction draft paragraphs conclusion Tasks 7 &8

Academic skills are employment skills Assessing information Writing a report Copyright TM infringement Planning and drafting a report or a project proposal Explain how academic skills in the other workshops could translate to the workplace Ensure students know that these are courses available from the library via InfoHub. Effective report reading Taking useful notes at meetings Summarise and synthesize sources Compare and contrast options Building an argument Recognising lines of reason

Workshops on a range of academic skills Further help Library online workbooks Ask a Librarian Workshops on a range of academic skills Study skills webpages Quick description/reminder of each Talk through step process: help yourself, go online, Ask a librarian, enquiry. Other workshops – they all fit together Ask a Librarian – link http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/library/ UWE Study skills webpages - http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/studysupport/studyskills.aspx Skills4study – independent online learning resource Books (371.30281) and ebooks Debrief: There seem to be tasks and activities – what is the distinction? – would it better to have just one or the other in a continuous sequence? Practice & practice answers example from HAS – could find a more generic example for Frenchay? Add a timings slide for own use. Create an answer sheet for students?