CONTENTS

1. Why do research?2. Why write?3. Writing landscape4. Good academic writing 5. Keep is simple6. Stylish destinations7. What gets in the way?8. Delays

@tansyjtweets

THE BAREFOOT GUIDE toWriting for Publication

Private dimensions

Voyage of discoveryIt’s about learningThe challengeThe excitementThe satisfactionFame and fortune

Public dimensions

It’s about collaborationJoining a communitySharing the learningPublishingContributing to knowledge Because we ask students to..Because we have to…

Why do research?

Five reasons to get writing:

• It is what we do.• Thinking happens when we write.• It vivifies our teaching; it makes it cutting

edge.• It enables us to share our discoveries.• ‘Mastery’ comes out of the furnace of writing.

Why write?

It’s a journey

It’s a discipline

Writing is learnt

Academic writing can be exhilarating, or quietly pleasurable, or plain hard work. In common with our students, it is something we – academics – must do, usually alone. Sometimes we may feel ourselves resisting the imperative to write; at other times we may experience the frustration of planning to write yet never quite getting there. So much seems to come between us and our writing.

(Grant 2006, 483)

The writing landscape

• What words or phrases spring to mind? • What is good academic writing?• How do you know it when you see it?

The views: what good academic writing looks like

Impressing other academics with your erudition

OR

Communicating?

Writing for your mum

Communicate Concreteness

Craft Choice

Creative Courage

Stylish Academic Writing: Helen Sword

1. TITLE: Does the book or article have an interesting, concrete title? 2. OPENING: Engaging opening paragraph? 3. STORY: Does the book or article tell a story? 4. JARGON: Is the book or article relatively jargon-free? 5. VOICE: Does the author write with an individualistic voice? 6. INTERDISCIPLINARITY: Evidence of scholarly relationships outside the

author’s own field?7. EXAMPLES: Concrete examples, illustration, anecdotes, metaphors? 8. ELEGANCE AND CRAFT: Sentences carefully and elegantly crafted?9. VERBAL FITNESS: Clear sentences that favour active verbs & concrete

nouns10. CREATIVITY, ENGAGEMENT, HUMOUR: Conveys creativity, imagination,

originality; passion, commitment, personal engagement; a sense of humour?

‘Best dressed’ list (Helen Sword)

What gets in the way of academic writing?

Overcoming obstacles

or

Binge or daily grind…

• Carve out time to write small chunks regularly• Write for 20 minutes before you open your emails• Spontaneous writing - loosen your muscles• Have binge days too!• Suspend perfectionist tendencies• Good writing is difficult – accept this proposition• Watch out for writing rituals• Join a trusty and accountable community

Overcoming delays

Becker, H. (2007) Writing for Social Scientists. Chicago. University of Chicago Press. Boice, R. (1990) Professors as Writers: A self-help guide to productive writing. Oklahoma. New Forum. Grant, B. (2006) Writing in the company of other women: exceeding the boundaries, Studies in Higher Education, 31:4, 483-495.Jessop and Penny (1999) A story behind a story: Developing strategies for making sense of teacher narratives. International Journal of Social Research Methodology. 2:3. 213-230.Richardson, L. (1990) Writing Strategies: reaching diverse audiences. Thousand Oaks. California. Sage.Helen Sword (2013) Stylish Academic Writing. Cambridge. MA. Harvard University Press. Helen Sword (2013) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQsRvAVSVeMSword, H. (2009) Writing higher education differently: a manifesto on style, Studies in Higher Education, 34:3, 319-336.

References