Writing at the Graduate Level Kevin Eric De Pew English 687 June 1, 2005

Distinguishing Expectations B.A.: demonstrate knowledge; especially one’s ability to apply the knowledge M.A.: show knowledge and understanding of topic; demonstrate participation in the conversation; conference papers Ph.D.: should be immersed in the conversation; a few steps away from publishable article

Conventions of a Document Develop an argument; even in pedagogical tools and research plans you will be arguing for the effectiveness of these proposals Support the argument; provide both theoretical and practical evidence to prove your point Maintain organization & focus Be professional; know context

Develop Your Argument Use the current debate as a foundation Do not repeat the same point over & over Be capable of supporting the argument through multiple sources of evidence Apply discussion to specific context Acknowledge scope & limitations

Understanding the Conversation Research Conferences Listservs

Joining the Conversation Discuss current debates related to topic; demonstrate to your audience that you understand the issues being debated Align yourself with various theorists; justify this decision You can align yourself with ideas from one theorist and other ideas from another theorist; again justify this decision

Research: Where? Library: books, journal articles, government documents Internet: journal articles, organization sites, government documents, popular sources (e.g., newspapers, magazines) Empirical research: studies (e.g., interviews, observations, surveys) Personal experience: anecdotes

Research: Finding Sources Use search functions–keyword searches ODU or other university libraries Search engines (Google, Yahoo, Dogpile) Online Bookstores (Amazon, B&N) Use citations material in articles When an author refers to an idea that strikes you, look for the source information in the Works Cited Reference Librarians

Using Sources For an academic audiences, academic sources, especially from a given discipline, carry the most weight. Sources such as personal experience and popular articles can be used. However, they work better as concrete examples than as the theoretical foundation; use to illustrate the theory

Getting Feedback Come to the instructor’s office hours Do peer reviews–even if they are not assigned Go to the Graduate Writing tutor