Academic Writing (I)2011版英语学术论文

1、English Academic Writing What is academic writing? -Research suggest that compared with many languages, academic texts in English tend to be more explicit about structure and purposes, to be less tolerant of digressions, to be more cautious in making claims, and to use more connectors.,-An academic

2、paper is a published report describing some original research a researcher has done or has in progress. It may also be a formal, of certain length, and well-documented paper, which explores, discusses, or analyses a certain factual or theoretical question. - As a general rule, an academic paper cont

3、ains four descriptive parts: background (or introduction), method, materials, and discussion.,- The creation of an academic paper can be divided into eight stages as shown below 1) Selecting a topic and doing exploratory reading 2) Thesis proposal 3 ) Exploring, gathering and analysing data 4 ) Form

4、ulating thesis 5 ) Organizing data and ideas 6 ) Writing the paper 7 ) Reviewing and revising 8 ) Finalizing the paper,Part One: Overview of Dissertation Writing 1. activities at pre-writing stage: writing a research proposal -selecting a topic -conducting a literature review -choosing appropriate m

5、ethods -formulating thesis statement -writing an outline,2. activities at while-writing stage: draft your dissertation -get down to the task of actually putting your thoughts and ideas on paper 3. activities at post-writing stage: evaluating, revising and editing your first draft.,Part Two: Writing

6、a research proposal -the research proposal/ the initial proposal/ the thesis proposal -a written report of your research plan for the writing of your graduation paper -In planning or designing your research paper you will find it necessary to answer the following questions: What is the general area

7、in which you wish to work on? What courses have you taken, or are you taking, which are relevant to this research?,Have you any specialist background knowledge or experience in your area of interest and, if so, what? What research questions will your degree paper seek to answer? Why do you want to d

8、o research on this topic? What contribution will it make to our understanding of the area and/or what practical use will the findings be, and to whom? Can you identify any particular gaps in your knowledge where you need guidance from your supervisor?,What data do you need? By what data do you expec

9、t to have collected them? Briefly describe your proposed data-gathering and data-analysis methods. These questions indicate that your research topics, research questions, research purposes and research methods are important issues to take into consideration before writing the actual paper,本科毕业论文开题报告

10、（Sample I） 1. 本课题的研究目的及意义 1.1 研究目的 1.2 研究意义 2. 已了解的本课题国内外研究现状 2.1 国外研究现状 2.2 国内研究现状 3. 本课题的研究内容 4. 本课题研究的研究方法、实施方案、进度安排,4.1 研究方法 4.2 实施方案 4.3 进度安排 5. 已查阅的主要参考文献,本科毕业论文开题报告（Sample II） 1拟选题目 2选题依据及研究意义 3选题的研究现状 4拟研究的主要内容和思路 5研究的创新点及重、难点 6研究进程安排 7主要参考文献,本科毕业论文开题报告（Sample III） 1论文题目 2论文选题理由和意义 3立论依据和主要参

11、考文献目录 4研究计划 Here is a checklist for your reference: 1) The research topic What is the problem or subject? What do you want to investigate?,2) Research purposes Why do you want to investigate it? Of what practical or theoretical value is the research? 3) Research Methods How do you plan to do your re

12、search? What analytical tools will you use? What procedures do you intend to follow? 4) Materials What resources do you plan to use? What data do you plan to collect?,5) Bibliography or works cited Is all the literature included which you have read or plan to read? Is the proper format of references

13、 used? 2.1 Choosing a topic examples of the research topics proposed by the previous English major students,中英广告中的文化差异研究 论小说简爱中主人公简爱的双重性格 大学生英语学习动机以及影响动机因素的探究 大学生情感因素对英语学习的影响 中西文化差异对广告翻译的影响 中西思维方式的对比研究以及对翻译的影响 中学英语教材知识体系的对比分析-Go for it教材和Porject English教材 文化差异对中美商务谈判的影响,新课程标准在初中英语教学实践中的执行情况调查 中学英语任务

14、型教学模式实施的现状调查 中学生英语学习动机的激发及其培养以沙洋中学为例 高校专业课双语教学现状分析 以湖北大学生态学和国际市场营销双语教学为例,Topic 1: 英语教学诌议 (应用语言学方向) -Comments: This topic is too broad. There are many subfields in English language teaching (ELT), such as English teaching in the middle school, college English teaching, adult English teaching, the tea

15、ching of English listening, speaking, reading, writing and so on. The title is not indicative of which particular field of ELT you are going to work on. There is a lack of focus there.,“中学英语教学中的情景教学” is a better topic than the original one because it targets at one specific aspect of English teachin

16、g, that is, situational teaching, and it deals with English teaching in the middle school. Thus the topic is narrower and much more focused as well.,Topic 2: 论英语教学法 (应用语言学方向) Comments: This is another example of a broad topic. The topic is too ambitious, attempting to cover too much. As we know, Eng

17、lish teaching methodology includes many methods, such as grammar translation method, direct method, total physical response, suggestopidea, the silent way, the natural approach, communicative approach, and task-based teaching, etc. One paper cannot deal with all of them. Whats more, even if you focu

18、s on one or two methods, you still need to be specific about what you are going to do with it.,“任务型教学在初中大班英语教学中的应用” is a useful topic because the writer researches on a particular teaching method, the task-based teaching method, and on the application of it to the teaching of large classes in junior

19、 middle schools. The reader sees clearly that the paper investigates into the use of the task-based teaching method to solve the problem in English teaching in large classes in junior middle schools.,Topic 3: 大学英语教师应具备的基本素质 (应用语言学方向) Comments: This topic sounds quite subjective. It sounds as though

20、the writer was going to teach readers about the essential qualifications for being a university teacher instead of trying to find and provide evidence to illustrate the point. In academic writing the use of words such “should”, “must”, “ought to” etc. should be avoided because they send the message

21、of subjectivity while academic writing addresses factual and objective orientation.,“合格大学英语教师素质探讨” serves as a more suitable topic in that it is research oriented. It can be predicted that the writer is to conduct a discussion or an analysis on the essential qualifications for being a university tea

22、cher by finding and providing evidence to support his/her arguments.,Topic 4: “翻译理论研究” (翻译方向) Comments: This is a very broad topic again. There are many translation theories. Is it possible for you to study all of them in one research paper? Do you have the knowledge, expertise and time to deal with

23、 it? Practically speaking, you will work on one or two theories as theoretical basis of your research and illustrate your points with sufficient examples from various sources. Then you may discuss the strategies to be used in translation based on the theories.,“习语翻译的异化与归化”is a more useful topic. You

24、 can infer from the title that this research will apply two translation theories, foreignization and domestication, to the translation of idioms. It will discuss the strategies used in translating idioms by adopting these two theories respectively as well as the effect of doing so by providing examp

25、les.,Topic 5: 劳伦斯作品中的男权与女权之我见 (文学方向) Comments: This topic appears too subjective in that the writer puts the emphasis of his/her research on his/her personal opinion on the issue. It seems that this topic can be developed solely from personal experience and therefore does not require research. One o

26、f the important criteria for academic research is the need to seek for facts and evidences as support. A well-documented paper convinces the reader more strongly than otherwise.,“论劳伦斯作品中的男权与女权” is a better choice. This topic gives the message that the writer is exploring the issue of muscular rights

27、 and feminine rights in the works of D. H. Lawrence. It can be inferred that the paper will appeal to authorities and refer to important sources to argue for its positions.,Topic 6: 圣诞节 一个西方人的节日 ( 跨文化研究 ) Comments: This topic does not tell the reader what the research centers on. Actually it can not

28、 reflect anything about Christmas that the writer intends to explore. The sub-title is inappropriate since it is a universal fact and it does not need any research to prove that it is a western holiday. So, this is an inappropriate title without a clear research focus. In other words, it is not a re

29、search oriented topic.,“圣诞节的宗教意义的变迁”is an acceptable improvement over the previous title. From this title the reader can know that the study focuses on the change of Christmas in terms of its religious meaning. It can be inferred that there will be a comparison between the strong religious colour of

30、 Christmas in the past and the less religious and more recreational meaning of Christmas in the modern times. And, of course, an analysis of the reasons for the change is to be expected.,general problems of the English majors in choosing a research topic. -The topics tend to be too broad. -The topic

31、s tend to be too subjective. -In some cases the topics are simply not research oriented. Desirable features of a topic 1)Your topic is interesting to both you and your audience 2)Your topic is broad enough to find several, diverse references.,3)Your topic is narrow enough to be covered in the availa

32、ble space and time. 4)Your topic looks for gaps in the literature of your chosen field. 5)Your topic is an area to be further explored, and of theoretical or practical value.,examples of title translation of graduation papers by the previous English major students Title 1: 中学英语教学中使用的趣味教学 (应用语言学方向) O

33、riginal Translation: On the Usage of Interesting Methods of Teaching English in the Middle School Improved version: On the Use of English Teaching Methods to Motivate Middle School Students,Title 2: 对新高中英语教材的探讨 (应用语言学方向) Original Translation: Evaluating and Adapting Senior English for China Students

34、 Book 1A (2003) Improved version: An Evaluation of the New Version of Textbook Senior English for China,Title 3: 论培养中学生英语学习的兴趣 (应用语言学方向) Original Translation: On Interest Training of Middle School Students in English Learning Improved version: On the Development of Middle School Students Interest in

35、 English Learning,Title 4: 国际商务谈判的策划与运作及其启示 (商务英语方向) Original Translation: Planning and Conducting International Business Negotiations and the Inspiration Improved version: The Plan and Conduction of International Business Negotiations and Its Implications,Title 5: 简爱中的人物塑造 (英语文学方向) Original Transla

36、tion: The Characterization of Jane Eyre Improved version: The Characterization in Jane Eyre,Title 6: 中西文化比较-中西方婚姻家庭观念的异同（跨文化研究） Original Translation: Sino-Western Cultural Contrast -The Same and Different Conceptions of Marriage and Family in China and the West Improved version: Comparison and Contr

37、ast between Chinese and Western Cultures in Conceptions of Marriage and Family,When translating your dissertation titles -pay attention to the choice of nouns and verbs, the proper use of propositions as well as collocations -the conciseness of your meaning -the emphasis of key concepts -the adoptio

38、n of formal and academic expressions,Advice on choosing a topic 1) Consult a course outline or read the course handouts. 2) Browse through previous dissertations of predecessors in your department library, university library or, if available, in the internet. 3) Look through some foreign language re

39、search journals published both in China and abroad. 4) Consult a catalogue in your department library or university library and look under specific topic areas.,5) Skim through indexes for information about a book or a paper, such as the title, authors name, publication year and place. An Index to T

40、heses Accepted for Higher Degrees by Universities 6) Discuss areas of interest with your supervisor, tutor and fellow students. 2.2 Choosing appropriate research methodology,examples of the research methods used by English majors in their graduation papers Example 1: Topic: The Application of Constr

41、uctivism to the Teaching of College English (Applied Linguistics) Research methods: literature analysis, qualitative analysis,Comments: Two things are to be pointed out. Firstly, the two methods employed are both theory-based. The author tried to find ways to solve the problems in college English te

42、aching by summarizing previous researches and by relying on the related theories. However, there is a lack of any practical evidence to support the proposed solutions as there are no data collected by the author himself/herself. Secondly, according to the topic, the application of the theory of cons

43、tructivism is the key to the research, yet the author only focuses on the theory aspect, not the application.,Example 2: Topic: An Investigation of Vocabulary Acquisition of Chinese Primary Students (Second Language Acquisition Studies) Research methods: comprehensive analysis Comments: There are tw

44、o problems. Firstly, the title indicates this is the authors study, however it can hardly be regarded as a study since there are no data from the authors own research. All the materials used for the research are other people researches on the topic, the author only analyses those researches and make

45、s a summary. In this case, it is only a literature review. Secondly, it is inappropriate to term the research method comprehensive analysis. It is literature review or literature study.,Example 3: Topic: On Cooperative Learning in the Teaching of English Writing in Senior Middle School (Applied Ling

46、uistics) Research methods: case study Comments: The use of case study was suitable to know about the use of cooperative learning in the senior middle school, and understand how this teaching method works. However, the description is over-brief. The author has missed out some important details. He/sh

47、e does not tell where the cases are from, in fact, they are simply some anecdotal evidence gained through personal experiences. There is no investigation involved. Again there is a lack of hard data to convince readers of the issue being discussed.,Example 4: Topic: The Wilderness Plot in Emily Bron

48、tes Wuthering Heights (English Literature) Research methods: qualitative analysis, text analysis Comments: It is reasonable to employ qualitative analysis and text analysis methods in doing literature research of this kind. But the problem is that the author relies on literature review of Emily Bron

49、tes Wuthering Heights as the main source of argumentation. By comparing and analyzing other researchers ideas the author finds out a conclusion for his/her own paper.,Example 5: Topic: Differences between Chinese and Western Ways of Thinking and Middle School Students English Writing (Cross-cultural

50、 studies) Research methods: comparative analysis, questionnaire Comments: Judging from the title there are two parts in the research, one is to study the differences between Chinese and Western ways of thinking, the other is to analyse middle school students English writing. In dealing with the firs

51、t part, the,author can use comparative analysis to discuss the representative features of both Chinese and Western ways of thinking, and to find out the differences. In the second part, the author adopts questionnaire survey to find out the impact of different ways of thinking on middle school stude

52、nts writing. However, according to the writers description, there is hardly any mention of the connection between the two parts. Another problem is by using questionnaire survey to find out the impact of different ways of thinking on middle school students writing the author can only get some genera

53、l impression of the issue. Whats more, the ideas are derived from students introspection. As a result, the conclusion is not only impressionistic but also vague.,Example 6: Topic: The Characteristics of Business English and Its Translation (Business English, Translation) Research methods: interpreti

54、ve analysis Comments: It is appropriate to adopt interpretive analysis for this study. In order to achieve successful translation of business English it is necessary to know about the characteristics of business English as well as the relevant theories concerning translation. It is equally important

55、 to use examples to support the arguments or principles. But the author, instead of collecting examples of his/her own, uses examples from other peoples researches. It is always desirable for student writers to have something original for your research, that is, by finding out data of your own. The

56、research may be analyzed qualitatively.,Two types of research: empirical and conceptual research -empirical research includes both quantitative and qualitative ones while conceptual research is mainly qualitative.,-Quantitative research provides data for statistical analysis in order to explore, des

57、cribe and explain phenomena under investigation while qualitative research describes the quality of the research object to facilitate its understanding. -Empirical research 1) investigation carried out by the researcher to seek for evidences in order to answer the explicit research questions 2) rese

58、arch methods of experiments, tests, observations, questionnaires, interviews, case study, etc.,3) collect data relevant to answer the research questions 4) Analyze data, which consists of quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis. 5) in many cases, quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis

59、 go together. These analyses will lead to the findings of the research. See examples 1, 2, 3.,-Conceptual research 1) summarize previous studies 2) review literature in a given area 3) synthesize the research taken by others 4) methods that are qualitative in nature, such as exemplification, text analysis, literature study, comparative analysis, etc. 5) is heuristic research without explicit research questions, instead with the theme in mind 6) to observe, summarize and interpret a certain phenomenon in order to understand it S