Week 2

Critical Reading and

Language for Academic Research

Writing

At the end of the lecture, students should be able to

• to demonstrate understanding on the relationship of language and academic context

• to demonstrate understanding on the importance of critical reading for novice researchers

• to demonstrate understanding on key parts of a research report

Language and Academic Context

The language used in academic context is distinct from the language we are familiar with and use in other contexts such as home or the workplace.

There is comparatively high degree of formality in the language of academic texts.

This formality is achieved through use of specific vocabulary and conciseness of the language.

There is a high proportion of content word that makes it tightly packed with information.

The language used in academic context is often impersonal and often avoids expressions of feelings

The language often uses ‘abstract rhetors’ such as, ‘Table 2 shows’ or ‘The data suggest..’

Creswell (2009)

Most importantly, you have to be

aware that

Language constructs, and is constructed by, features of its academic context (language and academic contexts are interdependent of each other).

This means that your language may be grammatically correct but still inappropriate if you fail to consider the context of academic communication.

Consider these simple statements:

“Medical students must learn how to treat their customers well.”

“Business students must learn how to treat their customers well.”

“Law students must learn how to treat their customers well.”

Question:

What is your opinion on the use of the words ‘treat’ and ‘customers’?

Are the statements grammatically correct?

Are the statements pragmatically correct?

It is also important to remember

that in research writing, you will be

blending all academic discourse* that you

have used before. You will have to show the

ability to

inform/explain

show analysis

argue/convince

ask questions

report

interpret

discuss

compare & contrast

conclude

suggest or recommend

summarize

cite/acknowledge

illustrate

to show cohesion and

coherence

quantify (or qualify)

present facts or opinionHowe and Henrikkson (2007)

“Academic discourse refers to the ways of

thinking and using language which exist in

the academy.” (Hyland, 2009)

READING CRITICALLY FOR

ACADEMIC WRITING

Reading and Writing are among the most useful and important skills that can be cultivated in college and implement continually throughout our academic life in college

Reading prepares you to learn what other people have discovered in the past, to understand what you read today, to receive and adapt tomorrow’s idea

It trains us to think, to acquaint ourselves with other people’s new ideas and knowledge, to evaluate and adapt them, and contribute new ideas and discoveries of our own

Writing, on the other hand is undeniably hard

work, and not just for beginners

We enjoy an enormous advantage if we are

articulate writers, alert and insightful readers,

and resourceful researchers

We should accept the difficulty and preserve

through periods when writing gets tough,

knowing eventually we will work through them

As writers, we are artists in a sense that we are

able to use our imaginations, experiences, and

talents to create, from the unlimited options

available to us, works that are original and

effective

Writing gives us the means to communicate

and due to hard work and hard choices

involved in writing, the sense of achievement

we derive from having created a work uniquely

our own can be great and exciting

For a start, what can you

critically observe when

reading a research report ?

• Reading, writing and

research are interrelated

activities, so it makes

sense to study them

together

• Doing research often

involves finding what other

people have written,

reading it, and then writing

in response

• Research papers do not

grow out of your personal

experiences and opinions

to the same extent that

other types of compositions

do

• They require our critical

thinking skills to evaluate

information and ideas that

we uncover while learning

Critically observe

The format used

The key terms/areas/topics

Referencing

The general problem or issue

raised

The purpose of research

The research questions

The method of collecting data

The findings

Conclusion and Recommendation

As you read you will discover the various

format used for a research article. For

instance:

INTRODUCTION LITERATURE REVIEW

METHODOLOGYData

ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION

CONCLUSION

INTRODUCTION

INCLUSIVE OF LIT REVIEW

METHOD

FINDINGS/ RESULT

DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION

or

(Creswell, 2009)

(APA model)

General parts of a research

report (APA)

Introduction

• It typically introduces the background of the research.

• It may include a review on the literature related to the research topics. It gives an overview of the field of inquiry: what has already been said on the topic, who the key writers are, what the current theories and hypotheses are (for experimental studies only)

• It presents what questions are being asked (for descriptive and experimental studies)

Method

• a method refers to a simple set of procedures, a description of process, instantiated and materialized by a set of methods, techniques and tools

Data Analysis/Discussions

In data analysis, the researcher reports the findings of the

research

Discussion is where the researcher compares and

contrasts important relationships among what has been

done in the past, the purpose of the study, the stated

research questions, and the results of the current study.

The discussion evaluates what has been done and a

“measuring up” to see if the reported results fit the

researcher’s expectations.

The discussion also comprises the conclusion which sums

up the whole paper, the purpose and findings reported in

the paper.

The discussion also comprises the implications and

limitations of the study.

You will also come

across common key

terms like

Different citation

techniques such as

Modern Language Association (MLA)

Footnote/Endnote style

Gibaldi describes…and he also writes “this

handbook is a guide for the preparation of

research papers” (5).

Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for

Writers of Research Papers. 6th ed. New

York: MLA, 2003.

American Psychological Association

(APA) style

She stated, “The list of rules… in this

manner” (Anderson, 1984, p. 198), but she

still was upset.

Gibaldi, J. (2003) MLA handbook for writers

of research papers. 6th ed. New York:

MLA.

Research area:Research topic:Keywords: Issue:Variables:Theory:SotP:Research purpose:Research objective /questions:Hypotheses:Sample/participant:Implications:Recommendations:

CRITICAL READING FOR

ACADEMIC RESEARCH

Critical Reading

Especially for novice researchers, critical reading will help you to double check your sources and it will make sure that any reports that you write are based on good evidence. If you don’t read text critically, you can be easily led to believe biased or false arguments/opinions.

http://petermjfitzgerald.wordpress.com/20

10/12/15/critical-reading-and-thinking/

CRITICAL READING FOR

ACADEMIC RESEARCH

Critical Reading Questions you may ask while

reading are:

Is the problem worth researching on?

Does the author present something current, interesting and useful?

What is the method used and is it coherent with the questions asked?

How are the findings presented?

Are the findings in line with other researches?

Is there anything missing from the text that should be there?

Do you suspect the/any information to be misleading or incorrect?

Is the language clear and easy to understand?

Tasks:

1. Critically read and discuss

the article on Factors Influencing Students

Career Choices among Secondary

School students in Kisumu

Municipality, Kenya .

2. In your group, find an article to read and

present to the class

The end