Western Academic Writing: Getting Published in a Peer-Reviewed JournalCRRC-Armenia2010WorkshopJenny Paturyan

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Workshop Content

• Brainstorm:–How is western academia different?–How is western writing style different?

• Writing: Structure and Style• Practical Exercise• Writing an article for a peer-reviewed

journal• Documenting sources• Helpful tools• Wrap up

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Western Academic Style

•How is western academia different?•How is western writing style different?

▫ Strict style rules and requirements▫ Clear structure▫ More critical▫ Active discussions▫ Focused/addressed to specific audience▫ Importance of novelty

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Improve your Writing: Structure•Focus: what’s the puzzle?•Structure: tell them what you are going to

tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you told them

•5 important points: What? Why? How? Thus and So What?

•KISS: Keep It Simple Stupid•Back up your arguments: references and

data•Flawless in-text citations and reference

list (style, amount, full correspondence)

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Structure

•Abstract•Glossary, main terms (or in the end)•List of abbreviations•List of tables and figures•Introduction•Body•Conclusion•References•Appendixes

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Tips on Writing: Structure

•Plan ahead•Abstract is the last thing to be written.

Introductions is usually second last•Literature review is not to show that you

know a lot. It shows the “puzzle”•Methodology is there to show the quality

of your work•Pay attention to the paragraphs (lead

sentence, 3 sentences min)

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Improve Your Writing: Style•Write in short simple sentences•No emotions•Keep your audience in mind•Define your concepts•Provide information your reader needs

(abbreviation explanations, “within text references”)

•Be honest about flaws and limitations•It is YOUR job to help your reader

follow your train of thoughts!

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Tips on Writing Style

•Use active rather than passive voice•Do not abbreviate (don’t)•Does this word (sentence, paragraph)

carry any additional meaning?•It is crucial to find the right tone:

confident but not overconfident•Spellchecker (grammar check) always on!•Consistency: %, one-third vs. one third,

etc

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General Writing Tips

•Know your own writing style•Overcoming writer’s block•Read works you want to imitate•Let it be, then read again•Proofread several times: each time different

focus (punctuation, style, references, etc.)•Ask someone to proofread it• It has to look neat•Learning and improving never ends

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Practical Exercise

•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLk86Iho1Qo

•There is a quiz on CRRC moodle•http://crrc.mrooms.net/login/index.php•Work in groups

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Article in a Peer-Reviewed Journal•What’s an article?

▫About 20 pages▫Emphasis on results

•What’s a peer-reviewed journal?▫Ranks▫Process of Peer Review

•Have a very clear idea of what kind of articles that journal is publishing: content, style, format

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Documenting Your Sources

•Courtesy to the author•Credibility of your work•Service to your reader•For yourself, in case you need it later•To avoid plagiarism accusations

Using other people’s work and ideas, without acknowledging it, is plagiarism (this is true for pictures and graphs as well)

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Different Style Requirements• American Psychological Association (APA) style

▫Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Fifth edition. American Psychological Association: Washington, DC, 2001.

• The Modern Language Association (MLA) style▫ Joseph Gibaldi, MLA Handbook for Writers of

Research Papers. Sixth edition. The Modern Language Association of America: New York, 2003.

• Chicago style▫The Chicago Manual of Style. University of

Chicago Press: Chicago, 2003.• And a few thousand other styles• http://www.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/library/workshop/

citation.htm

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Helpful tools

•Spell-checker▫English is build in, active by default▫Armenian: PowerSpell

http://soft.areg.biz/downloads/poweroffice/download_ps_e.htm

•Reference management software▫ http://home.mybibliographix.com/▫http://www.zotero.org/

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Wrap-Up

•Writing for a Western academic community can be tricky for those of us used to Armenian/Russian academic style

•Good content is necessary but not sufficient. Good structure and good style are also needed

•Document your work from day 1. Keep track of your sources

•Make your results public: find the right journal, follow the submission criteria

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My favorite quotes about writing•You don’t get a second chance to make a

first impression•More is not better. Better is better•There are two types of PhD theses: the

perfect ones and the finished ones

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Further Reading

•http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice•http://essayinfo.com/•http://www.dianahacker.com/resdoc/•http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/

writersref6e/Player/Pages/Main.aspx•http://www.crrc.am/index.php/en/17/45 •Books at CRRC library

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Good luck writing and publishing!

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