academic writing for master of applied social work students 2015
TRANSCRIPT
Master’s in Applied Social Work
Centre for Learning and Teaching
Academic Writing Orientation
CENTRE FOR TEACHING
AND LEARNING SERVICES
http://tinyurl.com/6xy9hy Academic English podcast
http://owll.massey.ac.nz Online Writing and Learning Link
http://tinyurl.com/albanyworkshops2015 Workshops
Book on [email protected]
OR in person at the library (LEVEL 3)
ONE-TO-ONE OR SMALL GROUP CONSULTATIONS
CTL Orientation Workshops for Postgraduate Students
Date Time Venue Workshop
SNW300
SNW200
9am-2pm
Study Centre Auditorium
Part 2: Academic Writing
Analysing assignment questions Finding sources – Library session Using and acknowledging sources Writing paragraphs & Essays
Tue 24/2
or
Wed 25/2
5-7pm
12-2pm
Part 1: Academic Knowledge and Learning
Relationship between theory and research Application and critique of theory and
research in assignments
Sat 28/2 9am-1pm
Registration is essential:
Email: [email protected]
Date Time Venue Workshop
Wed 4/3 12-2pm QB2 Reading and Critiquing Journal Articles
Wed 11/3
Thurs 12/3
1-2pmor
7-8pm
QB5
Online workshop
Avoiding plagiarism
Avoiding plagiarism (repeat)
Wed 11/3 12-1:30pm
Library Seminar Room (Level3)
Writing a Research Proposal
Link for other workshops: http://albanyctl.massey.ac.nz
Other CTL Workshops for Postgraduate Students
Part 1: Academic English style
Part 2: APA referencing
Part 3: Using sources in your writing
Part 4: Paragraph structure
PART 1: ACADEMIC
ENGLISH STYLE
Ordinary English
Ageism happens when someone is treated badly justbecause they’re young or old and it’s a lot more commonthan people think. What matters most isn’t whether or notsomeone’s treated differently but whether it’s unfair to treatthem differently in the circumstances. You couldn’t call a barageist if they didn’t take on a 16 year-old for the job becausethat’s fair enough as their hands are tied. But it’s obvious thata bar that wouldn’t give a job to a 50 year old to serve drinksis being ageist if that person was able to do everything he orshe was supposed to do, except for the fact that he or shewas older. This sort of thing is incredibly common, even inNew Zealand.
Ageism may be defined as “unfair discrimination towards
someone on account of their age” (Smith & Davidov, 2003, p.
104). The crucial aspect in ageism is not discrimination in
itself, but its unfairness. A bar cannot be considered ageist for
refusing to employ a 16 year-old, since this is perfectly fair
(and in fact, legally required). However, a bar which refused
to employ a 50 year old to serve drinks could be considered
ageist, if that person met the other employment requirements.
Recent research has found evidence of ageist employment
practices, in over half of New Zealand organisations (Brown,
2012).
Academic English
Ageism happens when ….
unfair discrimination
precise
Ageism may be defined as ….
when someone is treated badly
concise
Academic English is:
Recent research has found
… (Brown, 2012).
based on theory and evidence
This sort of thing is incredibly
common, even in New Zealand.
Situational Leadership Theory is about the idea that there is no single
best leadership style, and if you really want to be an effective leader,
you need to adapt your leadership style so that you lead differently in
different situations and according to the different needs of different
followers, and if you are going to use it, you’ll have to start off by seeing
if you can put followers into four groups of different performance
readiness levels (R1, R2, R3, R4), and then you’d better have a good
look at the ways you are going about the day to day business of
managing a social work team and work out which of the four leadership
styles (Telling, Selling, Participating, Delegating) seem to fit. How these
leaders tell their followers their duties and responsibilities, provide
guidance, communicate (listening and explaining) and provide
supportive behaviors. Finally, ability (relevant knowledge, skill, and
experience) and willingness (confidence, commitment, and motivation
towards the tasks). You can find out which performance readiness level
they can best fit into.
Task 1: Suggest 3 improvements to this paragraph
Recent research has found evidence of such
practices, where age is used as an unjustified
barrier to employment or promotion, in over half
of New Zealand employers (Brown, 2012).
Citations are a short way of indicating the source of your
theories, models, concepts, examples or facts
In APA style, all you need to do is to put the author and
date of publication of the book, article or website you used
The most common way to do this is to put these in
brackets AFTER you’ve used the information
PART 2: APA
REFERENCING
As an alternative you can use ‘according to’
and include the author(s) in your sentence
Or make the author(s) the subject of your sentence, choosing an appropriate reporting verb, for example:
claim(s) argue(s) explain(s) point(s) out foundsuggest(s)
According to Brown (2012), older employees
provide three main benefits for organisations.
The first of these is ….
Brown (2012) found that age is used as an
unjustified barrier to employment or promotion in
over half of New Zealand employers.
Brooks, R. M. (2010). Financial management: Core concepts. Boston, MA: Pearson
Brown, P. (2012). Equal opportunities in New Zealand: Myth or reality? Australasian
Journal of Human Resources, 41(3), 46-68.
Davidson, C., & Tolich, M. (2001). Social science research in New Zealand.
Auckland, New Zealand: Pearson Education.
Khan, I., & Chen, T. (2010). Tackling ageism: A cross-institutional approach. In J.
Johnson & T. Peterson (Eds.), An equal opportunities handbook (pp. 102-131). San
Francisco, CA: Pilot Press.
Atkinson, D. (2013, January 24). Too old to work: Too young to die? Retrieved from
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/1004532.htm
Smith, P., & Davidoff, R. (2003). Equal opportunities: From policy to practice. Central
Islip, NY: Progressive Press.
Statistics New Zealand. (2008). Demographic Trends – 2001-2006. Retrieved from
http://stats.govt.nz/demotrends-2012.pdf
Your citations need to match up with complete references to sources in a list at the end
References
Smith, P., & Davidoff, R. (2003). Equal opportunities: From policy to
practice. Central Islip, NY: Progressive Press.
(year) title of book
city publisher
In academic writing, most references are to books and journal articles
surname,
initial
Brown, P. (2012). Equal opportunities in New Zealand: Myth or
reality? Australasian Journal of Human Resources, 41(3), 46-68.
doi: 10.1037/0278-6133.24.2.225
(year) title of articlesurname,
initial
volume / issue number
page numbers
name of journaldoi number
CHAPTER IN
EDITED BOOK
Biggins, G. (2009). Why I became a social worker. In P. Te Ara & T. Rogers (Eds.),
Social work and social workers in New Zealand/Aotearoa (pp.102-120).
Auckland, New Zealand: Insight Press.
Title of chapter – not
in italicsEditors’ names – initial
goes before and (Eds.),
goes after!
Title of book –
in italics
Page numbers of chapter – in
brackets with pp. before
Author of chapter
and year of
publication
City &
Publisher
CITY OF PUBLICATION
UK, NZ etccity,
country
Harmondsworth, England:
Penguin.
Palmerston North, New
Zealand: Dunmore Press.
USAcity, state
initials
Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates.
Check title of book in library catalogue and/or Google if
city of publication is not clear from the book itself
Australiacity plus
state OR
country
Milton, Qld: McGraw-Hill.
Milton, Australia: McGraw-Hill.
WEB PAGE REFERENCE
Statistics New Zealand. (2009). Mapping trends in the Auckland region. Retrieved from http://www.stats.govt.nz/Publications/PopulationStatistics/mapping-trends-in-the-auckland-region.aspx.
author’s name (or organisation that owns the web site)
Year (if it’s missing put (n.d.)
Retrieved from followed by full internet address
Title of page (in italics)
REFERENCING
SOFTWARE
Endnote ($36 from library – and make sure you go to a
tutorial)
http://tinyurl.com/endnoteguide
http://www.zotero.org/
Free Programmes to download (but you’ll need to learn
how to use them, through online tutorials etc)
Use the references tab in the toolbar
Microsoft Word 2007 +
Click ‘insert citation’ + add new sourceTake care with names (Hamel, Gary) and type of source
http://www.mendeley.com
Task 2: Write end of text references and in-text
citations for the following journal article
Author: Mason DurieYear of Publication: 2000Article: Public health strategies for Māori.Journal Name: Health Education & BehaviourVolume: 27Issue: 3Start page: 288End page: 295doi: Not provided
Durie, M. (2000). Public health strategies for Māori. Health Education & Behaviour, 27(3), 288-295.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Durie, 2000).
According to Durie (2000), xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As Mundell (2002, p. 4) argued, “If it’s right for Europe to scrap its national
currencies, why is it wrong for other countries to do the same thing?”
1) Only quote definitions:
Quotations
And, as in the above examples, copy as few words as possible and
put these inside “…..” after your own introductory phrase.
2) ..... or really memorable phrases:
The concept of comparative advantage states that “everyone does best
when each concentrates on the activity for which he or she is relatively
most productive” (Frank & Bernanke, 2001, p. 23).
PART 3: USING SOURCES IN
YOUR WRITING
On the next slide is an extract from an article about how leaders communicate with team members.
Let’s see how we can summarise the main points, so that this can be part of an essay about effective leadership in Social Work
Summarising
90% of the time, when you use ideas from your reading, you’ll need to summarise these in your own words. This four-step process is the most effective way to do this:
a) highlight the relevant information
b) turn this into brief notes
c) close the original text
d) expand your notes into one or more linked sentences
Bakhtin … differentiates between monologic and dialogic ways of talking. Monologism is based on a single authority who is unresponsive to how his/her voice is being received, advocates a particular view or ideology, manages meanings and impressions, and aims to get a common understanding of his/her pre-established view or vision. Bakhtin criticized the oppressive nature of monologic discourse, suggesting that it rules out diverse meanings, silencing and marginalizing other voices. Dialogism means talking with people not to them, understanding that meaning emerges in specific moments of responsive conversation between people, and that everything that is said is in relationship to ‘others’: other people, other ideas, other conversations. Talking with means all views are shared and considered – cross/back and forth dialogue (p. 1434)
Cunliffe, A. L., & Eriksen, M. (2011). Relational leadership. Human
Relations 64, 1425-1449. doi: 10.1177/0018726711418388
Bakhtin … differentiates between monologic and dialogic ways of talking. Monologism is based on a single authority who is unresponsive to how his/her voice is being received, advocates a particular view or ideology, manages meanings and impressions, and aims to get a common understanding of his/her pre-established view or vision. Bakhtin criticized the oppressive nature of monologicdiscourse, suggesting that it rules out diverse meanings, silencing and marginalizing other voices. Dialogism means talking with people not to them, understanding that meaning emerges in specific moments of responsive conversation between people, and that everything that is said is in relationship to ‘others’: other people, other ideas, other conversations. Talking with means all views are shared and considered – cross/back and forth dialogue
Monologic talking: Single authority; imposes particular view; silences or
marginalises other voices
Dialogic talking: with, not to, people; meaning emerges (not pre-established);
all views shared and considered
STEP 1: Highlight relevant information
STEP 2: Take the information out and put into brief notes
Bakhtin distinguished between two forms of talking. In monologiccommunication, the speaker sees him or herself as a single authority and seeks to impose their view on others through talking to them, silencing or marginalising any other voices. Dialogic talking, on the other hand, means talking with people, allowing new meanings to emerge from the sharing and consideration of views (Cunliffe & Eriksen, 2011).
STEP 3: Close the original book or screen – so all
you have in front of you is your notes
STEP 4: Expand your notes into one or more linked
sentences
Monologic talking: Single authority; imposes particular view; silences or
marginalises other voices
Dialogic talking: with, not to, people; meaning emerges (not pre-established);
all views shared and considered
A strengths-based model can be a suitable approach to social work practice with migrants, families and communities (Sisnerous et al., 2008). This approach is focused on the strengths, possibility and resilience of individuals and their families, rather than addressing their deficits and weaknesses (Saleebey, 2006). For Korean migrants, the transnational community is a vital source of strength, opportunities, resilience and belonging. To meet the needs of migrants and their families, it is important for practitioners to work with groups, organisations and other institutions at the community level (Berg-Weger, 2010). This community-level social work practice, based on the strengths-based approach, can be extended to macro practice in the transnational context within which Korean clients are positioned. The roles of social work practitioners with migrant communities can range from empowering clients and their families, to utilising the community’s own resources, and to promoting the participation and inclusion of migrant clients in their host society. (p. 38)
Task 2: Write a summary of this text using your
own words in three or four sentences.
Hong-Jae, P., & Anglem, J. (2012). The 'transnationality' of Koreans, Korean families and
Korean communities in Aotearoa New Zealand--implications for social work
practice. Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work Review, 24(1), 31-40.
A strengths-based model can be a suitable approach to social work practice with migrants, families and communities (Sisnerous et al., 2008). This approach is focused on the strengths, possibility and resilience of individuals and their families, rather than addressing their deficits and weaknesses (Saleebey, 2006). For Korean migrants, the transnational community is a vital source of strength, opportunities, resilience and belonging. To meet the needs of migrants and their families, it is important for practitioners to work with groups, organisations and other institutions at the community level (Berg-Weger, 2010). This community-level social work practice, based on the strengths-based approach, can be extended to macro practice in the transnational context within which Korean clients are positioned. The roles of social work practitioners with migrant communities can range from empowering clients and their families, to utilising the community’s own resources, and to promoting the participation and inclusion of migrant clients in their host society. (p. 38)
1. Highlight main points
• SWs can use a strengths-based approach with migrants
• Focus on resilience, ops, belonging
• Work with groups + insts at comm level
• empower clients, use comm res, promote incl + part.
2. Make brief notes
Social workers in New Zealand / Aotearoa are recommended to adopt a strengths-based approach to working with migrants. This approach involves working with community organisations and building on existing strengths, such as resilience and a sense of belonging. Using these community resources, social workers can both empower individual clients and promote broader social inclusion and participation (Hong-Jae, & Anglem, 2012).
3. Expand these notes into linked sentences
PART 4: PARAGRAPH
STRUCTURE
Unity
The paragraph should focus on ONE claim about ONE topic
Coherence
Each sentence in the paragraph should build explicitly on the one before
Development
The paragraph’s claim must be developed through logical argument, supported by relevant evidence
PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE PARAGRAPHS
EXAMPLE of a WELL-
STRUCTURED PARAGRAPH
Another barrier to elimination of the Monarchy is the lack of analternative concept of State power. This difficulty is said to explain whyAustralians, less attached to the Monarchy than New Zealanders (Singh,2010), voted against change in the referendum a decade ago (Campbell,1999). According to Julia Gillard, a recent Australian Premier, the issuewas no longer even on the agenda (Behan, 2011). In the meantime, likeNew Zealand, Canada etc, Australia continues to be governed accordingto the authority of the ‘Crown’ as the executive branch of Government;an authority inherited from the colonial power, Britain (Radley &Foreman, 2003). Republicanism has traditionally replaced this ‘top-down’authority with a concept of power of the people. However, this ‘people-power’ concept has been criticised for suppressing diversity and bi-culturalism in favour of ‘One Nation’ (Brown, 2003) and would clearly beespecially problematic for New Zealand, where the Treaty Principlesuphold partnership, protection and participation (Massey University,2009). If Australia, where indigenous rights and biculturalism have beenless prominent, has struggled to develop an alternative to the power ofthe Crown, how much more difficult would such a process be in NewZealand, where national identity is a complex and central political issue?
TASK 4: IDENTIFY PROBLEMS
WITH PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
The political challenge of becoming a republic needs to be considered.Firstly, Australians voted by 55% to 45% against becoming a republic inthe national referendum held on November 6th 1999, with only the Stateof Victoria giving a narrow majority in favour of the change (Campbell,1999) and New Zealanders are more attached to the Monarchy thanAustralians (Singh, 2010). Secondly, like New Zealand, Canada etc,Australia continues to be governed according to the authority of the‘Crown’ as the executive branch of Government, an authority inheritedfrom the colonial power, Britain (Radley & Foreman, 2003). In NewZealand, the current Governor General is Sir Jerry Mataparae (NewZealand Government, n.d.). Thirdly, Brown (2003) points out thatRepublicanism has traditionally replaced ‘top-down’ authority with aconcept of a generalised power of the people and that diversity andbiculturalism are ignored. However, in New Zealand, the Treaty Principlesuphold partnership, protection and participation (Massey University,2009). Therefore, it is even harder for New Zealand to abolish theMonarchy than it was for Australia, where indigenous rights andbiculturalism have been less prominent. According to a recent AustralianPremier, Julia Gillard, the issue was no longer even on the agenda(Behan, 2011).
UNITY
… is weak: it introduces the topic (vaguely) but makes no claim about it.
Topic sentence in the BAD ‘Republic’ Paragraph
Topic sentence in the Improved ‘Republic’ Paragraph
Another barrier to the elimination of the Monarchy is the lack of an alternative concept of State power.
The political challenge of becoming a republic needs to be considered.
… is strong: it introduces the topic more precisely and makes a specific claim about it.
Because the original topic sentence was so vague, the paragraph includes too much irrelevant detail
* Facts are only worth including if they make any difference to the claim made in the topic sentence
... the current Governor General is Sir Jerry Mataparae
Australians voted by 55% to 45% against becoming a republic in the national referendum held on November 6th 1999, with only the State of Victoria giving a narrow majority in favour of the change ...
TECHNIQUES FOR
GREATER COHERENCE
Coherence can be achieved by creating language
bridges from one sentence to another. This allows the claim to be supported and developed as the paragraph goes on. This can be done by:
Repetition and Variation of topic vocabulary: keeps the focus on the same topic
Back-reference devices: Using ‘this’ / ‘these’
/ ‘such’ etc means that each sentence builds on the one before, helping your argument move forward
Sentence adverbials: Words or phrases like
‘Moreover’ or ‘On the other hand’ highlight important steps in the argument – but should not be used too much or too loosely.
3. EVALUATION OF
PARAGRAPH COHERENCE
Improved ‘Republic’ Paragraph
Another barrier to elimination of the Monarchy is the lack of an alternative concept of State power. This difficulty is said to explain why Australians, less attached to the Monarchy than New Zealanders (Singh, 2010), voted against change in a referendum a decade ago (Campbell, 1999).
The clear back-reference and the omission of irrelevant details makes it more coherent and easy to follow.
The political challenge of becoming a republic needs to be considered. Firstly, Australians voted by 55% to 45% against becoming a republic in the national referendum held on November 6th 1999, with only the State of Victoria giving a narrow majority in favour of the change (Campbell, 1999). On the other hand, Australians are less attached to the Monarchy than New Zealanders (Singh, 2010).
BAD ‘Republic’ Paragraph
Each sentence seems to set off in a new direction, so it’s hard to follow the argument
PARAGRAPH COHERENCE
…. uses linking words in a desperate attempt to cover up the lack of real coherence
BAD‘Republic’ Paragraph
Firstly, ........ On the other hand, ....... Secondly, ...... Thirdly, .....However, ....... Therefore, ......
Improved ‘Republic’ Paragraph
…. uses just a couple of linking words strategically – to highlight important ‘moves’
... the issue is no longer even on the agenda (Behan, 2011). In the meantime, like New Zealand, Canada etc, Australia continues to be
governed according to the authority of the ‘Crown’ .... Republicanism has traditionally replaced this ‘top-down’ authority with a concept of
power of the people. However, this ‘people-power’ concept has been criticised ......