Reading and Writing at the Graduate Level By Kevin Eric DePew & Julia Romberger June 26, 2007

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

Reading Academic Articles Often you will find that you have far more reading than in your undergraduate courses You are responsible for doing all of the reading Each instructor has different expectations for the assigned reading; ask your instructors to articulate these

Reading Academic Scholarship Focus on the primary argument. What knowledge claims are being made? Notice which scholars the authors align themselves with; this helps contextualize the work Identify the theoretical framework Identify conclusions drawn and calls for further work.

Reading Data and Examples Do the intellectual exercise of asking yourself…  Do the conclusions emerge naturally from the data?  How can I make the scholars’ observations and conclusions relevant to my context? What factors are different or the same?  How is this theory applicable? Don’t sweat the details, unless the article is related to your research or you’ll be tested

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 your 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  Look for the source information in the Works Cited when a referenced idea strikes you Reference Librarians

Using Sources For an academic audiences, academic sources, especially from a specific 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 Use the Graduate Writing Assistant Program ( )