Your paper is about how you use Academic Writing and Nonacademic Writing is related to Communication Studies. In terms of content I think you have a good idea of the general themes you want to talk about in your piece, such as explaining the different parts of a piece (analyzing material, reading,critiquing others and your own material. I think this is your strongest point in your second paragraphs, and I think that sentence is a better descriptor of your University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill source, than writing, "it explains how to write papers in the field".
As I already stated, you have a good idea for subjects in your piece such as how to write in communications, the importance of clear communication specially, types of writings, and non-academic papers. However, you don’t really elaborate on this topics and their significance. One great advice I’ve been given from professionals from both Psychology, and Creative Writing is to always assume the reader has no idea what you are talking about. Sometimes we understand a subject so well that we don’t realize that what’s obvious to us can be confusing for others. In the second paragraph you are talking about the effects of lack of “obvious analysis”. In mine I may be analyzing a poem and what symbolism mean, or maybe a journalist will analyze the latest speech of a political figure, and what it may mean, a mathematician might analyses formulas. What is an “obvious analysis” in your field? Why does lack of analysis negatively affect a piece of literature? Later you quote Ms. Stephanie Spalding on how academic writing in communications is “very informational and beneficial” on a technical level: What makes it informational and beneficial compared to non academics in the field? How do you or Ms. Spalding benefit from Academic Writing? What is the “technical level” in communications? Elaborating doesn’t only help me understand your argument, but it also makes it stronger so that I can understand your perspective and form my opinion over your argument (in this case to agree with you). Giving examples of a good paper could also strengthen greatly your argument. For example, when talking about journalism and communications maybe you can refer to two papers in the field and explain how are they different in terms of writing, and how are they intertwined. You also compare it to scientific papers to communications; how does science use academic writing differently to communications?
Finally I suggest breaking the second paragraph into three, the third paragraph starting with the sentence of Professor Benjamin Walker, since I felt from there to everything after that changes the theme. Doing this will also make your paragraphs flow better. When you write “Finally the last specific example of academic writing ….” that should also be a separate paragraph too. The quote by Claude Sionis is good too but I think you should give a little bit more detail on the two papers he is comparing. Furthermore,I found it very hard to locate your thesis in your introduction, and also to connect it to the rest of your paper, maybe instead of centering on Ms. Spalding you can talk about how hers and your particular interests differ from other nonacademic/academic fields in terms of writing.
Hi Hannah,
ReplyDeleteYour paper is about how you use Academic Writing and Nonacademic Writing is related to Communication Studies. In terms of content I think you have a good idea of the general themes you want to talk about in your piece, such as explaining the different parts of a piece (analyzing material, reading,critiquing others and your own material. I think this is your strongest point in your second paragraphs, and I think that sentence is a better descriptor of your University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill source, than writing, "it explains how to write papers in the field".
As I already stated, you have a good idea for subjects in your piece such as how to write in communications, the importance of clear communication specially, types of writings, and non-academic papers. However, you don’t really elaborate on this topics and their significance. One great advice I’ve been given from professionals from both Psychology, and Creative Writing is to always assume the reader has no idea what you are talking about. Sometimes we understand a subject so well that we don’t realize that what’s obvious to us can be confusing for others. In the second paragraph you are talking about the effects of lack of “obvious analysis”. In mine I may be analyzing a poem and what symbolism mean, or maybe a journalist will analyze the latest speech of a political figure, and what it may mean, a mathematician might analyses formulas. What is an “obvious analysis” in your field? Why does lack of analysis negatively affect a piece of literature? Later you quote Ms. Stephanie Spalding on how academic writing in communications is “very informational and beneficial” on a technical level: What makes it informational and beneficial compared to non academics in the field? How do you or Ms. Spalding benefit from Academic Writing? What is the “technical level” in communications? Elaborating doesn’t only help me understand your argument, but it also makes it stronger so that I can understand your perspective and form my opinion over your argument (in this case to agree with you). Giving examples of a good paper could also strengthen greatly your argument. For example, when talking about journalism and communications maybe you can refer to two papers in the field and explain how are they different in terms of writing, and how are they intertwined. You also compare it to scientific papers to communications; how does science use academic writing differently to communications?
Finally I suggest breaking the second paragraph into three, the third paragraph starting with the sentence of Professor Benjamin Walker, since I felt from there to everything after that changes the theme. Doing this will also make your paragraphs flow better. When you write “Finally the last specific example of academic writing ….” that should also be a separate paragraph too. The quote by Claude Sionis is good too but I think you should give a little bit more detail on the two papers he is comparing. Furthermore,I found it very hard to locate your thesis in your introduction, and also to connect it to the rest of your paper, maybe instead of centering on Ms. Spalding you can talk about how hers and your particular interests differ from other nonacademic/academic fields in terms of writing.