How to plan and structure your writing Presentation by UWE Library Learning Services 2017 / 2018

Workshop plan and learning outcomes At the end of the session you will feel more confident about: Understanding your assignment title Organising your thoughts Revising, editing and structuring your assignment Composing a clear introduction and conclusion

Starting point: what does the title mean? Before you can begin, you need to understand your title or question Activity 1: interpret the action words used in the title

TAP model Topic – the central key or theme Action – what you need to do Parameter – what limitations, boundaries Example: Discuss the impact of social media on the quality of friendships over the last 10 years. Activity 2: What are the causes of gender stereotyping in the mass media, and to what extent do they influence social attitudes? Discuss with reference to two recent examples.

Types of writer Grand Plan Diver Patchwork Architect Creme, P. & Lea, M.R. 2008, Writing at university: a guide for students, 3rd edn, McGraw-Hill Open University Press, Maidenhead. Diver Plunges into work Has to start writing before they know what they want to say Builds up a ‘plan’ by writing Patchwork Writes sections at an early stage which then need to be fitted together Adds links between the sections as they go Architect Finds it easy to put thoughts into mind map Sense of the broad structure before they know what will go in it Grand Plan Doesn’t make an outline at all Has a ‘grand plan’ in their ‘inner mind’ Might have a structure but can’t verbalise it until they start

Organising your thoughts There are TWO recommended techniques to generate and structure ideas to get started on a plan: Mind-mapping (see Lynda.com or Mindview) Assignment plan

Assignment plan Check out the assignment planner here 1 Title 2 Introduction 3 Main argument – notes Q (red) evidence for – notes Q, p.3-5 evidence against: Q, p.5 evaluation of evidence 4 Alternative theory: notes R (yellow) example of application evidence for evidence against (purple) why not convincing 5 Alternative theory 2: notes S (green) evaluation of evidence 6 Underlying issues – notes T (blue) 7 Conclusions Assignment plan Check out the assignment planner here

The rough edit (initial) Writing and editing: the process The rough edit (initial) Working document (better) Penultimate edit (even better) The final document (what you hand in)

A short video on paragraphing https://vimeo.com/48596286

Developing a paragraph (SEE) Statement (S) Write a topic sentence, linking to the previous paragraph and introducing the specific claim of this paragraph Evidence (E) Expand this with more information e.g. examples, quotations, definitions Compare/ contrast/ examine opposing ideas/ give reasons/causes Explanation/Evaluation (E) Evaluate the evidence and draw a conclusion Link to the next paragraph

Activity 5 –order a paragraph Another area that has received attention is the content and presentation of handover information. Wills (1994, p. 36) observes that “an unprofessional approach has been noted among some nurses, with derogatory comments about patients or their families”. A B A number of problems associated with the traditional routines of handover practices have been identified. C Thus, many serious problems have been identified in traditional handover practices which may reflect on the professional standing of nurses in this profession. D Lastly, there is the issue of what information nurses actually pass on during the handover. It appears that nurses frequently report on their own activities over the shift rather than providing patient centred information. (McKenna, L., 1997, p. 637) E Baldwin and McGinnis (1994) find that many handovers are unnecessarily lengthy which means that there is an unacceptable period of time during each shift when nurses are not available in the ward or unit.

Activity 5 - solution B E A D C A number of problems associated with the traditional routines of handover practices have been identified. Baldwin and McGinnis (1994, pp. 61-64) find that many handovers are unnecessarily lengthy which means that there is an unacceptable period of time during each shift when nurses are not available in the ward or unit. E Another area that has received attention is the content and presentation of handover information. Wills (1994, p. 36) observes that “an unprofessional approach has been noted among some nurses, with derogatory comments about patients or their families”. A Lastly, there is the issue of what information nurses actually pass on during the handover. It appears that “nurses frequently report on their own activities over the shift rather than providing patient centred information.”(Professional Nurse, 1997, p. 637) D Thus, many serious problems have been identified in traditional handover practices which may reflect on the professional standing of nurses in this profession. C

Conclusion elements Some key elements to include: Opening sentence Summary of key ideas Recommendations, predictions and opinion Round off

Conclusion exercise

Introduction elements Some key elements to include: Background information Hypothesis or topic Scope Outline

Learning outcomes Understanding your assignment title You should feel more confident about: Understanding your assignment title Organising your thoughts Revising, editing and structuring your assignment Composing a clear introduction and conclusion

Further help Writing for University workbook Online advice and tutorials: Writing skills Assignment planner Mindview mind mapping software Books and ebooks: Academic writing Ask a Librarian

Other workshops