Academic writing for researchers Rochelle Sibley Rochelle.Sibley@warwick.ac.uk Academic Writing Programme 13th March 2013

Outline of the workshop day 9:00-12:15 Session 1 – Writing collaboratively (coffee break 10:30-10:45) 12:15-1:30 Lunch 1:30-4:50 Session 2 – Responding to reader comments (Coffee break 3:00-3:15) 4:50-5:00 Feedback and close Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Writing collaboratively Session 1 Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick Writing collaboratively

Session aims To discuss your individual experiences with and concerns about collaborative writing. To identify key questions that need answering at the start of a collaborative writing project. To create a flexible template for adapting the five-stage writing process for collaborative work. To define and address important stylistic issues associated with collaborative writing. Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Initial questions What different forms of collaborative writing might you experience in your career? What have been your experiences of collaborative writing so far? What are the positive aspects and potential challenges of collaborative writing? Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Defining successful collaborative writing How do we define collaborative writing? How do we measure the success of collaborative writing? Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Forms of collaborative writing The team plans and outlines the task, then each writer prepares his/her part and the group compiles the individual parts, and revises the whole document as needed; The team plans and outlines the writing task, then one member prepares a draft, the team edits and revises the draft; One member of the team plans and writes a draft, the group revises the draft; One person plans and writes the draft, then one or more members revises the draft without consulting the original authors; The group plans and writes the draft, one or more members revise the draft without consulting the original authors; One person assigns the tasks, each member completes the individual task, one person compiles and revises the document; One dictates, another transcribes and edits. From Ede L. and Lunsford A. Singular Text/Plural Authors: Perspectives on Collaborative Authoring. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale, 1990. Available at: http://www.sis.pitt.edu/~spring/cas/node31.html Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Levels of collaboration Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick ©The Writing Centre at UNC Chapel Hill. Available at http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/group-writing/ .

Measuring success Ede and Lunsford suggest that the level of satisfaction in collaborative writing is influenced by eight factors: the degree to which goals are articulated and shared; the degree of openness and mutual respect; the degree of control the writers have over the text; the degree to which writers can respond to others who modify the text; the way in which credit (directly or indirectly) is acknowledged; the presence of an agreed upon procedure for managing conflicts and resolving disputes; the number and types of (bureaucratic) constraints imposed on the authors-- deadlines, technical/legal requirements, etc., and; the status of the project within the organization. From Ede L. and Lunsford A. Singular Text/Plural Authors: Perspectives on Collaborative Authoring. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale, 1990. Available at: http://www.sis.pitt.edu/~spring/cas/node31.html Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Free-writing exercise Free writing means to: Write for five minutes Without stopping In full sentences For no reader Without structure Some free-writing prompts: What worries me about collaborative writing is… I want to try collaborative writing because… Collaborative writing might help me to… Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Key issues in collaborative writing What are the crucial questions you need to answer before your start a piece of collaborative writing? What collaborative model is being used? What is the aim of the piece? What is its scope? What is its approach? Who is the target audience? What is the deadline (overall and/or phased)? Who will write what? How will progress be measured? How will the piece be revised/harmonised? Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Inventing Planning Drafting The writing process Decoding the task Identifying your research needs Writing a thesis statement Inventing Read your research material Make notes Outline your assignment Planning Create first draft – everything relates to thesis statement Use references consistently Be aware of practical constraints Drafting Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

(possible major alterations) The writing process Do you stay on topic? Good use of evidence? Logical structure? Any plagiarism? Revising (possible major alterations) Proofreading Document integrity (page numbers, formatting, etc) Editing (minor alterations) Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Adapting the writing process How can the five-stage writing process be adapted to fit collaborative writing? What additional tasks would you want to include in each writing stage? How could you adapt this for your own field/project/topic – what would be your key questions or tasks? Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Style and collaborative writing Read through the passage and discuss in pairs: What you notice about the writing style. How could the style be improved? What types of style rules might you want to agree on? Definitions of key terms/concepts Use of keywords/key phrases Use of acronyms/abbreviations Use of capitalisation Grammatical consistency Consider a style guide for regular writing teams – how might you adapt this for your discipline? Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Collaborative exercise You are going to work in pairs or threes to create and then present a short proposal for an interdisciplinary conference on your collective research interests. This will need sections on: Topic and scope Conference aims Intended participants Outcomes Choose a method of writing collaboratively from the list earlier and follow it. You will then be swapping proposals to review each other’s use of style and structure. Is one approach more efficient/user-friendly than the other(s)? Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Responding to Reader comments Session 2 Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick Responding to Reader comments

Session aims How to deal with difficult or conflicting reader comments How to work effectively with editors. How to implement suggested revisions to your draft. How to prevent common issues with readers. Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Initial questions What have been your positive experiences with readers’ comments? What have been your challenges with readers’ comments? Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Common reader revisions What are the most common reader comments? The structure of the article isn’t consistent with your stated aims. There isn’t enough supporting evidence for your conclusions. Your conclusions do not match your intended outcomes. The sample size for your data was too small. You did not acknowledge alternative interpretations/approaches. It is not clear how your article fits with this journal’s interests. You need to include the following studies/papers/articles….. It was not clear what this study adds to the field. The article lacks analytical detail in the discussion of the data. How would you respond to these? Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Group activity Read through the sets of comments – how would you respond to them? In pairs or threes, discuss what action you would take to resolve each reader comment. Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Reacting analytically The following questions help you react analytically rather than emotionally: What is this revision actually saying? Has anyone else pointed out this issue with my writing? How much would I actually need to do in order to comply with these revisions? What would be the outcome(s) of me making this revision? Can I see how making this change would improve the text? Am I prepared to make these revisions if it means this piece is published? Can you add any more? Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Dealing with contradictory comments Important questions to ask yourself: Remember the scope of the piece – which comments go beyond it? Which comments fit with the overall concerns of the journal? Which comments are more stylistic than content-related? Which comments relate to recent developments in the field? How can you deal with contradictory reader comments? Use the editor’s letter as a guide on how to respond. Contact the editor for advice – editors often have a preferred reviewer. Use your own judgement – you know your work best. Remember to justify your choices in your response to the editor. Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Dealing with ‘hostile’ comments At what point does a negative comment become hostile? What can you do in response? Only allow yourself a fixed amount of time to be angry/upset. Take a break from the paper/article before you revise it. Look beneath the phrasing at what is being said – may still be useful. Remember that you don’t have to follow every single reader revision – you can explain in your response to the editor if you decide not to follow something up. Don’t take it personally – even the harshest comments can help you improve. Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Free writing - editors and reviewers Free writing means to: Write for five minutes Without stopping In full sentences For no reader Without structure Free writing prompts: “As a writer, my priorities are…” “As a reviewer, my priorities are…” “As an editor, my priorities are…” What does this show us about how we need to present our work to reviewers and editors? Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Preventing common issues What types of common revisions are actually avoidable? How does a review and/or editor differ from your target audience? How can you target journals effectively? How can you sharpen up your writing style? Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Writing targeted journal articles Key starting questions: Who is your target audience? What is your target journal? How do you identify target journals? What can you do to target your article? Analyse your target journal Contact the journal editor Look for gaps in the current debate on your topic that fit your target journal Use keyword searches Start a journal club in your department (to discuss and analyse journal areas/submissions) Choose a ‘model academic’ in your field to guide your publication choices (useful for differentiating between early, mid and late-career) Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Sharpening up your writing What tips or strategies do you use to improve the accuracy and clarity of your writing? Key questions to ask yourself: Have I said what I intended to say on my topic? Have I been consistent in my stated aims and actual outcomes? Have I made it clear what this piece contributes to the field? Is my argument logical and strongly supported with evidence? You could try the following: Prioritise clarity of expression and consistency of phrasing in the editing stage of the writing process. Look for ‘model writers’ (either within your field or outside it) to use for inspiration. Ask a ‘critical friend’ outside your field to read your work. Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Individual exercise Using everything we’ve done today, write an action plan for yourself about how to address your most recent readers’ comments. What can you do to ‘cure’ them? What can you do to prevent them occurring next time? Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick

Feedback and questions Copyright 2013 Academic Writing Programme, University of Warwick Feedback and questions