1. RWC Peer Tutor CPD Writing Strategies
Dr Aoife Lenihan
14/11/2017

2. Freewriting / Writing to Prompts
Keep writing non-stop for 5 minutes.
Prompt - What I worry about and struggle with when faced with an academic-writing task?
Write in sentences.
Do not edit or censor your writing.
Private writing – no one will read it.
(Discuss what you have written in pairs.)

3. Regional Writing Centre
Writing an Abstract
Brown’s 8 questions (Murray, 2005: )
Framework to help you draft an abstract
Allows you to see the paper as a whole and focus on the main points of the argument
Written at an early stage in the writing process, it helps you maintain the main focus as you write the paper.
Revise it as you go.
Abstract
A concise and factual abstract is required (maximum length 250 words). The abstract should be written using the following headings
Background
Objectives
Methods
Results
Conclusions
The abstract must be able to stand alone.
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4. Regional Writing Centre
Brown’s 8 Questions
Who are the intended readers? (3-5 names)
What did you do? (50 words)
Why did you do it? (50 words)
What happened? (50 words)
What do the results mean in theory? (50 words)
What do the results mean in practice? (50 words)
What is the key benefit for readers (25 words)
What remains unresolved? (no word limit)
(Brown 1994)
Brown provides eight questions, or writing prompts, for academics to use before they start writing. His goal is for academics to take more time at the start of the writing process to think carefully about what they want to say, so that they will become better writers and more likely to produce high quality work that is “right the first time.”  Although he intended the questions to be used as part of an action learning group (where a small group of people get together and peer review one another’s work), I find them just as effective in my own independent writing process.
Discuss your emerging summary with your partner.
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5. CARS Model Creating A Research Space
Move 1: Establishing a Territory [the situation]
Move 2: Establishing a Niche [the problem]
Move 3: Occupying the Niche [the solution]
Swales (2004)
More -
Move 1: Establishing a Territory [the situation] This is generally accomplished in two ways: by demonstrating that a general area of research is important, critical, interesting, problematic, relevant, or otherwise worthy of investigation and by introducing and reviewing key sources of prior research in that area to show where gaps exist or where prior research has been inadequate in addressing the research problem. Step 1 -- Claiming importance of, and/or  [writing action = describing the research problem and providing evidence to support why the topic is important to study]
Step 2 -- Making topic generalizations, and/or  [writing action = providing statements about the current state of knowledge, consensus, practice or description of phenomena]
Step 3 -- Reviewing items of previous research  [writing action = synthesize prior research that further supports the need to study the research problem; this is not a literature review but more a reflection of key studies that have touched upon but perhaps not fully addressed the topic]
Move 2: Establishing a Niche [the problem] This action refers to making a clear and cogent argument that your particular piece of research is important and possesses value. This can be done by indicating a specific gap in previous research, by challenging a broadly accepted assumption, by raising a question, a hypothesis, or need, or by extending previous knowledge in some way. Step 1a -- Counter-claiming, or  [writing action = introduce an opposing viewpoint or perspective or identify a gap in prior research that you believe has weakened or undermined the prevailing argument]
Step 1b -- Indicating a gap, or  [writing action = develop the research problem around a gap or understudied area of the literature]
Step 1c -- Question-raising, or  [writing action = similar to gap identification, this involves presenting key questions about the consequences of gaps in prior research that will be addressed by your study. For example, one could state, “Despite prior observations of voter behavior in local elections in urban Detroit, it remains unclear why do some single mothers choose to avoid....”]
Step 1d -- Continuing a tradition  [writing action = extend prior research to expand upon or clarify a research problem. This is often signaled with logical connecting terminology, such as, “hence,” “therefore,” “consequently,” “thus” or language that indicates a need. For example, one could state, “Consequently, these factors need to examined in more detail....” or “Evidence suggests an interesting correlation, therefore, it is desirable to survey different respondents....”]
Move 3: Occupying the Niche [the solution] The final "move" is to announce the means by which your study will contribute new knowledge or new understanding in contrast to prior research on the topic. This is also where you describe the remaining organizational structure of the paper. Step 1a -- Outlining purposes, or  [writing action = answering the “So What?” question. Explain in clear language the objectives of your study]
Step 1b -- Announcing present research [writing action = describe the purpose of your study in terms of what the research is going to do or accomplish. In the social sciences, the “So What?” question still needs to addressed]
Step 2 -- Announcing principle findings  [writing action = present a brief, general summary of key findings written, such as, “The findings indicate a need for...,” or “The research suggests four approaches to....”]
Step 3 -- Indicating article structure  [writing action = state how the remainder of your paper is organized]

6. Regional Writing Centre
Writing a ‘page 98 paper’
Early: to establish direction/focus
Associate your project with the literature
Distinguish your project from the literature
Build on research question/hypothesis
Focus reading/thinking
Manageable writing task: 325 words
To develop thinking about your thesis thesis?
Late: to focus thinking as you draft conclusion and revise your introduction
(Murray, 2006: 105)
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7. ‘Page 98 Paper’ My research question is … (50 words)
Researchers who have looked at this subject are … (50 words)
They argue that … (25 words)
Debate centres on the issue of … (25 words)
There is work to be done on … (25 words)
My research is closest to that of X in that(50 words)
My contribution will be … (50 words)
(Murray, 2006: 104)
The value of such lists of questions is that they provide a framework for students’ writing.  They generate text.  If the questions are well written, they can generate logically structured text; if they are not, the student can be steered towards analyzing why some prompts worked better than others to generate text and/or to develop their thinking.

8. Research Article Discussion (Swales, 1990: 172/3)
Background information
Statement of results
(Un)expected results
Reference to previous research
Explanation
Exemplification
Deduction and hypothesis
Recommendation
Swales’ (1990) identifies a list of eight moves as ‘‘a useful provisional framework’.
Not all may be present or they may not be presented in this order. However, it is important to keep these moves in mind as you think about what should be included in your discussion.

9. Regional Writing Centre
Outline
Key stages in the writing process
Understanding the assignment title
Brainstorming
Research
Planning and organising your essay
Structuring your essay (paragraphing)
Developing and sustaining your argument
Drafting and redrafting your essay
Editing and proofreading your essay
Writing is a process
Writing is a personal process
Developing strategies that work for you
What are the key stages in the writing process?
Think academically
What do you know already about the subject
Reading (paraphrasing/summarising)
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10. Outlining Outlining (Murray, 2005) Reverse Outlining
3 levels of headings
Reverse Outlining
Revision stage
Towards the end of your writing process

11. Regional Writing Centre
Other types of writing
Keep a learning diary (Moore and Murphy, 2005:61) / writing diary / process journal (Elbow and Belanoff, 2003:19).
When do you feel most/least motivated to write?
What strategies have/have not worked in the past?
Write a little bit every day (Moore and Murphy, 2005:117):
“we learn to write through writing” (Hyland, 2002:81).
Keep a notebook with you to record ideas when they come to mind (Moore and Murphy, (2005).
What do you like/not like about writing
What strategies are/are not helpful
Formal versus informal writing (and how the latter can nourish the former)
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12. Regional Writing Centre
Writing time
Dealing with issues of time
Setting goals
“Binge” and “snack” writing (Murray, 2005)
Do I need a big block of time to write productively?
“Short bursts of productive writing” (Murray and Moore, 2006:17)
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13. The writing process Drafting Revision Editing and proofreading
Pre-writing

14. My writing process Assessing my research/writing process Cognitive
Strategies
Metacognitive
Strategies
Assessing my
research/writing
process
Understanding your relationship with academic writing
Writing would be so much more enjoyable and less daunting for me if …
How would I characterise my writing process? What works? What is preventing me from moving forward?
What are the things that I do to make writing happen?
Affective
Strategies
Social
Strategies

15. Critical Thinking—Demo, Center for Teaching Excellence, University of South Florida (2005) “Bloom’s Taxonomy Pyramid” [online], available: [accessed: 15 Aug. 2008].

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