Writing: It’s A Skill, Not An Art Making the transition to writing at RRU Theresa Bell, Writing Centre Coordinator

Session Plan Session plan Writing Centre services What is academic writing? Creating a document plan Paragraphing APA style

Writing Centre services Drop in to see me Book an appointment for personal instruction Reviewing submitted assignments Phone or email me with a question Writing Centre website Resources Forums Subscribing to forums NB: Services do not include proofreading or editing unmarked assignments

What is Academic Writing? At RRU, academic writing: Demonstrates critical thinking Is concise, logical, interesting, and it represents your knowledge and understanding Demonstrates the outcomes for the assignment Consistently and correctly follows APA style rules

What is Critical Thinking? “Good critical thinking is skillful and responsible thinking in which you study the problem from all angles, and then exercise your best judgement to draw conclusions." (Retrieved September 11, 2007 from http://www.otal.umd.edu/~vg/msf98/homework/critthink.htm)

Demonstrating Critical Thinking

Creating a Document Plan Helps you stay on track Identifies holes in your research or logic before you start to write Helps prevent writer’s block

1. Choose Topic & Brainstorm Ideas Choose topic and brainstorm ideas 1. Choose Topic & Brainstorm Ideas Returning learners Gardens Peacocks Royal Roads University Online & F2F learning Focus on teamwork Applied programs

Thesis Statement/Research Question Determine problem/thesis statement Thesis Statement/Research Question Should be specific – outlines parameters of focus of study The thesis statement may change as the paper develops; don’t get too far off track before reviewing/revising your document plan

Edit and theme ideas

Group ideas 1. History First Nations Heritage trees The Dunsmuirs Royal Roads Military College Quarterdeck Royal Roads University 2. Hatley Park Unique ecosystems Gardens Hiking paths 3. Wildlife Cougars Deer Peacocks 4. Educational programs Focus on life-long learning Workplace learners Applied focus Blended model of delivery

Create the plan

Major research project plan © 2007 P. Laberge. Reproduced with permission.

APA: Why oh why? Plagiarism is the act of presenting the ideas or works of another as one's own. This applies to all materials including essays, work term reports or assignments, laboratory reports, seminar presentations, computer programs, research projects and results, postings in discussion groups, and statistical data. The use of such material either directly or indirectly without proper acknowledgment (i.e., footnotes or endnotes) is contrary to the norms of academic behaviour. (Royal Roads University (RRU), 2007, para. 5) Meet academic standards Ensure standards throughout programs Avoid plagiarism – consequences of which apply to everyone in a team, not just one person

Formatting Spacing and indentation Double-space the entire paper Indent new paragraph by one tab space Indent block quotation by one tab space from left margin (quotation of 40+ words) Margins 1 inch for all margins Page number Must appear in the top right corner of every page

In-text citations Appear in round brackets after the quoted or paraphrased text Include the author’s last name, the date of publication/copyright, and the location reference For example: (Johnson, 2010, p. 4) or (RRU, 2010, para. 5)

In-text citations Provide the author's name and date of publication in the text, so only the page reference is required after the quotation. e.g., According to the American Psychological Association (APA)(2010), “references in APA publications are cited in text with an author-date citation system” (p. 174).

In-Text Citation Format In-text citations Make no mention of the author's name or the date of publication in the text, so all citation information is included in the citation. e.g., “References in APA publications are cited in text with an author-date citation system and are listed alphabetically in the text” (American Psychological Association (APA), 2010, p. 174).

Choose the Correct Citation (James, 2010, 4) (RRU, 2010, p. 4) (James, 2010, page 4) (RRU, p. 4)

Personal Communication Personal communications may be private letters, memo, some electronic communications (e.g., e-mail or message from nonarchived discussion groups or electronic bulletin boards), personal interviews, telephone conversations…. Because they do not provide recoverable data…cite personal communications in text only. (APA, 2010, p. 179)

Personal Communication To cite the resource, "give the initials as well as the surname of the communicator, and provide as exact a date as possible" (p. 179). T. Bell stated, “…” (personal communication, March 31, 2010). “…”(T. Bell, personal communication, March 31, 2010).

Quiz: Using ‘personal communication’ Use the format for ‘personal communication to cite: Materials posted on a password-protected course website Internal corporate documents that will not be released to the public Interviews that don’t have a published transcript All of the above

The Reference List The reference list ‘References’, not ‘Bibliography’ or ‘Works Cited’ “References cited in text must appear in the reference list, and each entry in the reference list must be cited in text” (p. 174).

Basic Forms Basic forms Periodical Nonperiodical “Items published on a regular basis such as journals, magazines, newspapers, and newsletters”(p. 198). Nonperiodical Items published separately: books, reports, brochures, manuals, and AV media.

Electronic periodical article Author, A., & Author, B. (Date). Title of article. Title of Periodical, xx(x), xxx-xxx. doi: xxxxxxxxxx Initials only for authors’ first names Use ampersand, not “and” Date format: Year, Month day Use sentence case for article title Hanging indent 0.5” Italicize the title of the periodical and use title case Provide page range without “p.”. Italicize volume number (not issue number, nor the brackets around it). Use the DOI as locator information.

Electronic Article With DOI Electronic journal article with DOI Godfrey, D. (2005, December). Adapting historical citations to APA style. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 49(4), 544-547. doi: 10.1207/s15506878jobem4904_15 http://www.doi.org Citation: (Godfrey, 2005, p. 546)

Article From Electronic Database Gemmell, R. (2008, November). Encouraging student voice in academic writing. English Journal, 98(2), 64-68. Retrieved from the Academic Search Premier database. Citation: (Gemmell, 2008, p. 65) https://ezproxy.royalroads.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=35783529&site=ehost-live

Corporate Report Corporate report Royal Roads University. (2007). InRoads. Retrieved from http://www.royalroads.ca/about-rru/the-university/news-events/inroads-newsletter/ Citation: (Royal Roads University, 2007, para. 2) No closing punctuation after URL and no hyperlink

Non-periodical: Book Nonperiodical: Book Author, A. (Date). Title of work. Location: Publisher. Citation: (Lastname, year, p. 4) Italicize title of book and use sentence case. Note city and state abbreviation unless city is outside US. Use city and country for non-American cities.

Website Website Royal Roads University. (n.d.). BA in Professional Communication. Retrieved from http://www.royalroads.ca/program/professional-communication-ba Citation: (Royal Roads University, n.d., para. 2)

Quiz: What’s wrong with this reference? Gemmell, R (November, 2008). Encouraging Student Voice In Academic Writing. English journal, 98(2), 64-68. Retrieved January 24, 2010, from Ebscohost.

Referencing Canadian legislative materials The Canadian standard is The Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation (a.k.a. The McGill Guide) http://library.queensu.ca/law/lederman/legalcit.htm to reference Canadian statutes and cases) http://library.queensu.ca/webdoc/guides/cancite.htm for legislative proceedings, committees, etc.

Hansard Excerpt Hansard excerpt Canada. Parliament. House of Commons. Debates, 36th Parliament, 1st Session, vol. 135, issue 121A, June 18, 1998. (Online). Available: http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/Chamber_House_Debates_load.asp?Language=E&Parl=36&Ses=1&Dte=121A_1998-06-18-E. (via WWW) [July 30, 2004].

APA Resources APA resources APA6 section of Writing Centre website (http://learner.royalroads.ca/moodle/course/view.php?id=92&unit=20 ) APA help guide (6th edition) Differences between the 5th and 6th editions of the APA manual Formatting overview “APA Exposed” tutorial APA forum for your questions

Questions? Drop by the Writing Centre in the Library 10-5, Monday to Friday http://learner.royalroads.ca/writingcentre rruwritingcentre@royalroads.ca (250) 391-2600, Ext. 4353