Academic Writing

Year 2

Elaine McCarthy
Outline

Research & Planning

Writing
Proofing
Referencing
Time management
Stress management

Contemporary Art Archive 2 by

Lyndall Jones
 Essay
Part One
Lectures
750 words (25%)
Part Two
Elective
2,000 words (75%)
Due 16th of December
 Learning Outcomes
Important to consider the Learning Outcomes as these are the
grading criteria your lecturers will use to correct your work.

Research
Analysis
Communication

Need to demonstrate that you have come to the class and

engaged with the ideas presented.
 Essay Question
Key words
Understand directive words Glossary
www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/writing/writing-resources/essay-
terms

What is your topic?

Who is your audience?
What is your aim?
Active Research
 Reading
SQ3R - www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dhcSP_Myjg
 Plan
Get sequence of ideas in place
Keep research and writing focused
Identify what is relevant and what isnt
Helps build an argument
Evenly distribute word count
Reduce stress
How do I do this?
-Bullet points, Mind Maps, doodles, talking it out
 Break it down !
Introduction 200 words
Point 1 400 words
Point 2 400 words
Point 3 400 words
Point 4 400 words
Conclusion 200 words
Total 2,000 words

Remember this is an example.

Adjust your plan to fit in all your key points.
 Essay Construction
Your conclusion is the roof of your
argument. It seals your essay.

The body contains the main

themes. Like the rooms of a house,
they are connected but each has a
different purpose.

The introduction is the first layer

References form the foundation

 Paragraph Structure
Each paragraph
Introduce
Backup with evidence
Summarise
 Write
Get started!
Follow your structure
Refer back to the research question
Workspace: consistent, comfortable & organised
Refine and reassess later
 Academic Writing
Express yourself clearly
Correct spelling, grammar, punctuation
Non descriptive
Minimal use of I, my, me
Offers and argument or critique
Academic writing is not about:
-long complicated words/sentences
-original ideas that no one has ever written about
-sweeping statements
Education is not the filling of a pail,
but the lighting of a fire.

W. B. Yeats

Or Plutarch
 Being Critical
Put forward a question or argument
Explore and evaluate
Examine limitations/shortcomings/weaknesses
Reference experts
Make a constructive suggestion
Remember be respectful, this is not about slating
another persons work/ideas/methods
Struggling? Have a chat with classmates about your
topic. You will soon find you have an opinion or
stance to take.
 Key Phrases: Introduction
The objective of this essay is
The essay will focus on.
This essay will aim to answer the
question
This essay will attempt to examine
This essay will explore
 Key Phrases: Main Body
It is argued that
It is proposed that
The authors posit that
The authors assert that
In addition,.
Furthermore,
Significantly
 Conclusion
In conclusion,
All things considered
Rule: Never bring in new information
unless making a point about future
directions in the discussed topic
Academic Phrasebook
www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk
 Proof and Edit
What to look for:
Relevant to topic?
Back up points - bring in expert opinions?
Spelling, Grammar & Punctuation
Formatting
Referencing
Strategies: Spell-Check, text to speech, swap
with a friend, print out and doodle
 Remember
Use UK spelling rather than US spelling e.g. colour rather than
color
Use font size 12
Double space your writing
Dont over rely on quotes
Reference
NCAD Referencing System
Harvard Style
 Why Reference?
Credit your sources
Demonstrate readings
Bring in experts opinions
Strengthen your argument
Avoid plagiarism accidental or not
Professional integrity
 Plagiarism

MARK AIRS/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

Need to cite and reference all information that is not your intellectual property. This
includes paraphrased information, i.e. information you have put in your own words.
 Trustworthy Source?
Credible
Academic writing: use of correct spelling,
grammar and proper terminology
Recently dated
Use websites for your own understanding and
then reference academic sources
No Wikipedia !!!
 Reliable Evidence and Sources
NCAD Library
www.ncad.ie/library

NCAD Online Journals

capitadiscovery.co.uk/ncad/

NIVAL
www.nival.ie

Google Scholar
scholar.google.com
Donald Judd (1987) Complete writings, 1975 - 1986 Eindhoven: Van
Abbemuseum.
 Things to note
The authors name
The year it was
published
The title
Who published it
Where it was
published
Pages you used
It takes a great deal of
time and thought to
install work carefully. This
should not always be
thrown away.

From: Donald Judd

(1987) Complete writings, 1975-
1986. Eindhoven: Van
Abbemuseum p. 111
Quote
It takes a great deal of time and thought to install
work carefully. This should not always be thrown
away. Most art is fragile and some should be placed
and never moved again (Judd, 1987, p. 35).

Paraphrasing
Judd placed a great importance on the curation of
work, remarking that this process should take a
large amount of time and thought to be done
correctly (1987, p. 35).
 Citations in the Text
Author
Year
Page Number
(Smith, 1990, p. 25)
Image courtesy of introvertspring.com

Two authors (Smith and Blake, 2000, p.7)

More than three authors (Smith et al. 1999, p.100)
 Artwork
Include only when referred to in the text.
Piet Mondrians work Broadway Boogie Woogie (1942-143) (Fig. 2)

Fig. 2 Piet Mondrian Broadway Boogie Woogie (1942-43) Oil on canvas, The Museum of
Modern Art, New York
 Bibliography
List ALL material consulted
Placed at the end of your essay
List it alphabetically by authors name
Citation software Zotero
www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8SfO4N2OMc
 Bibliography - Book
Author (or editor), (year of publication
in parenthesis), Title in Italics. Place of
publication: publisher.
Poyner, R. (1998) Design without Boundaries. London: Booth-
Clibborn Editions.
 Bibliography
Chapter with Different Authors
Author, year (in parenthesis), title of chapter or essay
then write in followed by name & initial of
editor/overall author, title in italics. Place of
publication: publisher, page number(s).

Smith, P. J. (1997) British Art in the 1980s and 1990s in Murphy,

B. (ed), Art from Britain. Sidney: Museum of Contemporary Art,
pp. 147-159.
 Bibliography
Web Resource
Author/ editors name, (year in parenthesis),
Title in Italics. Place of Publication: Publisher (if
ascertainable). Available from: URL (Accessed:
date)

Holland, M. (2004) Guide to Citing Internet Sources. Poole:

Bournemouth University. Available at:
http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk.library/using/guide_to_citing
_internet_sources.html (Accessed: 4 November 2004)
 Bibliography
Journal Article
Author, (year of publication), title of article,
title of journal in italics, volume number (part
number), page numbers of article.

Dawes, J. and Rowley, J. (1998) 'Enhancing the

customer experience: contributions from information
technology', Management Decision, 36(5), pp. 350-
357
 Bibliography
Film
Title of film (Year of Distribution)
Director [Material designation]. Place of
distribution: Distribution Company.

Macbeth (1948) Directed by Orson Welles

[Film]. USA: Republic Pictures
 Some Exceptions
No page number (just leave it out!)
Anonymous work - use title of work (Treasures of Art,
1990, p.84)
No author or year (website) - use title as author and n.d.
for year
If no main author (video or film) use the title
Exact year unknown (ca. 1750) or (n. d.)
More than one publication - use letters to distinguish
and list chronologically in bibliography (Smith, 1988a,
p.1)
 Where to Find the Guidelines?
NCAD Website Visual Culture
www.ncad.ie/students/student-academic-information/visual-culture-
programme-information/
 Common Writing Mistakes
Did not specify essay question at start
No clear introduction
Poor structure
Overly descriptive
Written in the first person I, my
Misuse or absence of punctuation
Poor referencing
 Fuchsia Macaree

Where are you wasting your time ?

 Perfectionism is a form of procrastination
What is making you strive towards perfectionism?
Remember ideals are directions, not absolutes
Focus on your end goal and dont obsess over the fine
detail
 Time Management
Organise: notes, workspace, emails
The Organised Student
theorganisedstudent.tumblr.com/printables
Prioritise with to do lists
Timetabling
Colour code
 Stay Focused
Pomodoro Principle
25 mins of work and 5 mins break (x3)
20 min break
Timers - Tomato Timer - tomato-timer.com
Limit Distractions - Cold Turkey - getcoldturkey.com
S.M.A.R.T. Goals
 Example
Specific Begin introduction
Measurable I will write 200 words
Attainable I can manage 200 words
Relevant Working towards deadline
Time-orientated Tonight 6-9pm
 Stress Management
Stress and the brain
http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-stress-affects-your-brain-madhumita-
murgia

Exercise
Social Support
Meditation: Mindfulness
Free Meditation Downloads
The Free Mindfulness Project www.freemindfulness.org
UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Centre
http://marc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=22
Questions?
 Need Help?

Opening Hours: 9am-5pm Monday to Friday

Email: learningsupport@staff.ncad.ie