Constructing an academic argument

5
DRAFTING AN ACADEMIC ARGUMENT V. LEQUIRE, APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY

Transcript of Constructing an academic argument

Page 1: Constructing an academic argument

DRAFTING AN ACADEMIC ARGUMENT

V. LEQUIRE, APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY

Page 2: Constructing an academic argument

PLANNING AN ACADEMIC ARGUMENT

• BRAINSTORM FOR IDEAS• CREATE A RESEARCH QUESTION• RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH!• TAKE EFFECTIVE NOTES• TURN YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION INTO A

CLAIM• ORGANIZE YOUR INFORMATION

Page 3: Constructing an academic argument

DRAFTING AN ACADEMIC ARGUMENT• INTRODUCTION• PROVIDE OPENING CONTEXT OR BACKGROUND• STATE THE RESEARCH QUESTION• STATE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TOPIC OR QUESTION• STATE THE CLAIM / THESIS

• CONCLUSION• RESTATE THE CLAIM• POINT OUT A NEW SIGNIFICANCE, A PRACTICAL

APPLICATION, OR NEW RESEARCH• WRITE AN ACADEMIC TITLE

Page 4: Constructing an academic argument

• ESTABLISH A BRIEF CONTEXT OF PRIOR RESEARCH• DRAFT SENTENCES• FOCUS ON THE FIRST SEVEN OR EIGHT WORDS OF A

SENTENCE• AVOID LONG INTRODUCTORY PHRASES AND CLAUSES• MAKE SUBJECTS SHORT AND CONCRETE• AVOID INTERRUPTING SUBJECTS AND VERBS WITH MORE

THAN A WORD OR TWO• PUT KEY ACTIONS IN VERBS, NOT IN NOUNS• PUT INFORMATION FAMILIAR TO READERS AT THE

BEGINNING OF A SENTENCE, NEW INFORMATION AT THE END

• CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD

Page 5: Constructing an academic argument

REVISING AN ACADEMIC ARGUMENT

• CHECK FOR BLIND SPOTS IN THE ARGUMENT• CHECK THE INTRODUCTION, CONCLUSION, AND

CLAIM• CHECK THE PARAGRAPHS• CHECK THE COHERENCY OF THE BODY PARAGRAPHS• PROOFREAD ONE MORE TIME• GIVE IT UP, AND PRINT IT OUT!