1. The Dalhousie University Writing Centre Academic writing: Composing an analytical essay that incorporates a literature review
2. Overview Introduction to the Writing Centre The Elements of a Good Paper Key Features of Academic Writing Content Thesis Statement Literature Review Form Essay Structure Paragraphs (topic sentences and transitional statements) Sentencing APA Additional Resources
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4. Any phase of the writing process (brainstorming, developing thesis statements, crafting the final draft, revising)
15. Use your own words. Avoid excessive reliance on direct quotations. Quotations are useful elements for support of your assertions; they should not speak for you.
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17. The Elements of a Good PaperContent: The Thesis Statement The thesis statement offers the point of argument or purpose. The thesis statement must be arguable. It is not simply an observation; it is not a question; it is not simply an announcement of the topic. For example, I think that universal health care is important. (This statement is a statement of opinion and it can not, therefore, be argued.) Currently there is no federally funded universal health care program that includes subsidized day care. (This statement is a fact and is therefore not arguable. It may, however, be the problem; the proposed solution would be the thesis.) To redress inequality between men and women, the federal government should develop and implement a universal health care program that includes subsidized day care. (This statement can be debated and is, therefore, an appropriate thesis statement.)
18. Content: Literature Review Literature reviews provide an analytical synthesis of key issues and themes on a topic. They are not summaries; rather, literature reviews offer an overview of the themes, approaches, perspectives, and conclusions of the literature on a subject. Literature reviews enable us to demonstrate familiarity with an area of study; participate in the ongoing academic dialogue; establish the relationships between ideas; identify points of tension in the academic dialogue; identify gaps in current knowledge; establish the need for further research.
19. Content: Literature Review Your literature review should include the following elements: An overview of the subject, issue or theory under consideration, along with the objectives of the literature review; Division of works under review into categories (e.g. those in support of a particular position, those against, and those offering alternative theses entirely); Explanation of how each work is similar to and how it varies from the others; Conclusions as to which pieces are best considered in their argument, are most convincing of their opinions, and make the greatest contribution to the understanding and development of their area of research. (http://library.ucsc.edu/help/howto/write-a-literature-review)
20. Content: Steps in Creating a Literature Review 1. Define your topic and create a thesis statement. 2. Identify your sources. 3. For each of your books and/or articles, take note of the Keywords/concepts (how is the subject described), Themes (what is the author saying about the subject), Approaches (method of research), Perspectives (the theory used to understand the subject), Findings/conclusions (results of the research).
21. Content: Steps in Creating a Literature Review 4. Consider how your sources relate to each other and to your thesis. Look for similarities, identify differences, and note omissions. 5. Structure your literature review around the themes that emerge rather than the individual sources (synthesize the material). What emerges in the literature on unaccompanied and separated children in Canada are three themes. These themes include the trauma of flight and separation from family, the challenges of resettlement and integration, and the lack of a cohesive federal policy directing intervention.
22. Steps in Creating a Literature Review 6. Clearly express similarities and differences by incorporating synthesizing phrases. UnlikeSmith (2003), Jones (2005) suggests that poverty is a result of systemic failures related to the uneven distribution of wealth. Althoughtheir perspectives differ, Stone (1998) and Goldberg (2006) conclude that poverty is best redressed through increasing minimum wage. Both Morse (1998) and Stone (1998) attribute poverty to personal short-comings of individuals.
23. The Elements of a Good PaperForm: Essay Structure The introduction must accomplish three tasks. It must show the reader that there is a problem or explain the context for an issue; state the thesis (point of argument or purpose) and emphasize the implications of this claim; and state your intended route or "roadmap“ (the elements of your analysis in the order you develop them). The body paragraphs develop and support your thesis. Each paragraph has a specific purpose in developing the thesis, a purpose that is presented in the topic sentence, offers evidence from primary and/or secondary sources; fits logically within the flow of the argument. The conclusion reaffirms your paper’s position; draws together the main points; emphasizes the implications of your analysis and findings, making clear your contribution to our understanding of the topic.
31. create links in a chain of points (first, second, third; first, furthermore, finally; basically, similarly, as well; generally, however, therefore)
32. establish order sequentially or chronologically (after, at first, before, finallyfirst...second...third, later, meanwhile, next, then)
33. establish purpose In order to better understand this occurrence, the historical context must first be addressed. Before addressing the key issues, it is necessary to define… For lists of transition words and their uses, seehttp://www.sass.uottawa.ca/writing/kit/grammar-transitional.pdf
34. Revision Look at what you have written from the perspective of someone reading it for the first time and answering the following questions: What is the occasion for writing or the problem the paper seeks to address? What sentence contains the thesis? What sentence(s) in the introduction indicates the projected organization? How is the essay organized? Are transitions in place throughout the paper to facilitate the flow of the argument? Is the information from secondary sources synthesized and effectively used to develop the paper’s thesis? (Conversely, are the sources allowed to dominate the discussion and minimize the author’s voice?) Are there errors in the paper that inhibit the flow of the argument or limit the effectiveness of the content? Does each paragraph, each sentence, each word have a clear purpose? Does the conclusion effectively summarize the key findings, reaffirm the thesis, and emphasize the implications?
35. APA Referencing Use of secondary sources with proper citations and referencing demonstrates academic integrity and successful engagement in the profession. Use proper author/date in-text citation with page numbers for direct quotations. Alphabetize the reference list and use hanging indents. Follow the guidelines for APA 6th edition: http://libraries.dal.ca/content/dam/dalhousie/pdf/library/Style_Guides/apa_style6.pdf
36. References and Additional Resources Gillet, A. (2011). Features of academic writing. Retrieved July 22, 2011, from www.uefap.com/writing/feature/intro.htm Purdue Online Writing Lab. (2011). Retrieved from http://owl.english.purdue/owl/ Taylor, D. (n.d.). The literature review: A few tips on conducting it. Retrieved from www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/specific-types-of-writing/literature-review Transition words. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sass.uottawa.ca/writing/kit/grammar-transitional.pdf Write a literature review. (2011). Retrieved from http://library.ucsc.edu/help/howto/write-a-literature-review
