WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT ESSAY? PRESENTED BY: PROF. ILDIKO HORVATH As a reference see Chapters: 1: Essay Writing Basics 5: Writing the Research Paper 10: Conventions of Academic Writing

Science Papers

FIRST: WHAT SHOULD A STUDENT ESSAY LOOK LIKE? Generally, follow APA style for formatting and references Needs to have a cover page and running head (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/5 60/01/) Essay Title: The Status of Healthcare in Canada Your Name Affiliation (class)

FIRST: WHAT SHOULD A STUDENT ESSAY LOOK LIKE? PAGES 2 AND UP Start the text on the second page Paragraphs and sections (if using) clearly defined, visually Respect formatting requirements (spacing, font size, margins) No double-spacing between paragraphs Watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdAfIqRt60c &list=PL8F43A67F38DE3D5D

FIRST: WHAT SHOULD A STUDENT ESSAY LOOK LIKE? FINAL PAGE References Calfee, R. C., & Valencia, R. R. (1991). APA guide to preparing manuscripts for journal publication. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Harlow, H. F. (1983). Fundamentals for preparing psychology journal articles. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 55, 893-896. Notice: Alphabetic order by last name Initials of first and middle names Standardized format For full set of rules, refer to link below and/or your textbook, pp. 91-100 Examples for APA format https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/08/

WHY IS GOOD ORGANIZATION & PRESENTATION ESSENTIAL? It shows diligence Reflects care for your work Inspires confidence in your abilities to handle the given task Creates interest and positive mindset in the reader Ultimately, … it helps you get a better grade! In scientific writing sloppy style & presentation = sloppy content & poor science Sloppy style breaks two essential rules of scientific writing: clarity and logical progression

THE WRITING PHASE An essay has three parts: an introduction, middle/body paragraphs, and a conclusion. As a basic guide, 20 per cent is usually sufficient for the introduction and conclusion together. Generally, when writing short research papers, no section headings are needed. Longer papers require headings. These segment the paper visually and separate distinct sections. Adapted from Bailey, 2013; Henderson, 2013

Writing an Introduction The introduction presents an essay’s purpose, topic, approach, and organization In scientific papers the introduction establishes credibility and reliability of the author Logical opening (inverted triangle method) Begins broad and ends specific Henderson, 2013

Issues of Credibility Knowledge Reliability Objectivity Appearing well-informed Providing strong support Reliability Following conventions Writing grammatically and clearly Objectivity Avoiding bias Mentioning other sides and viewpoints Henderson, 2013

Writing an Introduction A good introduction includes the following: Definition of key terms, if needed (for clarity) Relevant background information (places your research in context) Review of work by other writers on the topic (in shorter papers) Purpose or aim of the paper (the reader needs to know what you are trying to do) May include your methods used (e.g. experiment, literature review, group essay, lab report) Any limitations you imposed (be realistic and state your limitations clearly) The organization of your work (to ensure that the reader can follow your argument) Bailey, 2013

WRITING THE BODY OF YOUR ESSAY To write a successful essay, use strong paragraphs Strong paragraphs are: Unified Focused on one idea Coherent Easy to follow Well-developed Organized with relevant support Henderson, 2013

Writing Middle Paragraphs The topic sentence states the main idea of each paragraph The topic sentence is usually the first sentence but could be placed elsewhere in the paragraph The rest of the paragraph should support the topic sentence Add suitable evidence to substantiate your claim(s) Hard evidence (facts, statistics, research findings) preferred in scientific writing, as these add authority Adapted from Henderson, 2013

Science/Research Papers Voice and style Objective and analytical Detachment shows absence of bias and faulty reasoning Use of passive construction to deemphasize subject and/or stress that which is studied Direct Constructions that stress the study, not the researchers Avoid using personal pronouns ‘I’ and ‘we’ Language Straightforward prose with few modifiers Avoid figurative language Example: “Data were analyzed using the framework methodology of qualitative analysis”. Henderson, 2013

Writing a Conclusion As a rule, conclusions tend to be shorter and more diverse than introductions. Student papers should have a final section that summarizes the arguments and makes it clear to the reader that the original question has been answered. An effective summary should achieve full closure to the discussion and include a statement on the implications of the findings. Avoid making these common mistakes: Include some new information on the topic not mentioned before Include a quotation that appears to sum up your work Adapted from Bailey, 2013

Test Your Knowledge: Introduction

Test Your Knowledge: Conclusion