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Using your Lit Review in your Final Report

Using your Lit Review in your Final Report. Structure of your Report Drawing conclusions from your sources for your argumentation. Remember:. Your Final Report is based on, and oriented towards, your Thesis Statement Your Revised Thesis Statement is the focus, and the starting point

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Using your Lit Review in your Final Report

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  1. Using your Lit Review in your Final Report Structure of your Report Drawing conclusions from your sources for your argumentation

  2. Remember: • Your Final Report is based on, and oriented towards, your Thesis Statement • Your Revised Thesis Statement is the focus, and the starting point • Use your Lit Review to support / argue against your Thesis Statement • Your Lit Review can also be used, for example, to give background information, define terms, point out other areas that need research

  3. Therefore • Startbyexamining/revisingyourThesisStatement on thebasis of whatyoulearnt in your Lit Review • BreakdownyourThesisStatement into sub-topics. • UseMindmapping/ Your Lit Reviewgroupings … • Structureyour Report, and createsubheadings on thebasis of yourThesisStatement.

  4. BUT • Youshouldalsouseconventional, genericheadings: • Table of Contents • Introduction • Conclusions • ReferenceList ThetopicorientedHeadingsbelong in theBody of yourpaper.

  5. To (re)organize your sources • Ask yourself • “What does this source do for my argument? • “Where does it belong in the structure of claim – data – warrant – counterclaim – rebuttal? • What aspect of content does it support/explain/elaborate • Or is it background? • Does it belong in my Introduction / Conclusions? • The bulk of your writing should be analytical, and argumentation oriented.

  6. Recommended structure for your report 1)Introduction: General to specificstructure • General statement(s) aboutyourtopic / Background Whatmany/someresearchershavestudied / General trend(s) / Whathasbeenargued/said / … b) Whatyou, however, argue c) BRIEFLY: Whyyouarguethat d) Whatyouwilldo in thispaper(metatext), and howyourpaper is organized Length: ½ - 1 page

  7. OR • You can choose a different order: - What you argue - BRIEFLY: Why you argue that - However, What many/some researchers have done / General trend(s) / What other have argued/said. General statement(s) about your topic / Background - What you will do in this paper (metatext), and how your paper is organized

  8. Then (2) in the BODY of your text, EITHER … a) Explainyourthesis/claimin enoughdetail, and illustrate (ifappropriate), withsupportingevidence for it (fromliterature) - describe, analyse, illustrate, explain, givefactualdetail, defineterms, givesupportfromsources(length: 3-5 pages) b) Introduceyourcounterclaim/anotherperspective / omission / approach on theissue • Examinetheliterature on thatargument / omission / approach. (length 1 - 2 pages)

  9. OR do it the other way round, if it works for you • Introduceyourcounterclaim/anotherperspective / omission / approach on theissue • Examinetheliterature on thatargument / omission / approach. (length 1 - 2 pages) • Explainyourthesis/claim in enoughdetail, and illustrate (ifappropriate), withsupportingevidence for it (fromliterature) - describe, analyse, illustrate, explain, givefactualdetail (length: 3-5 pages)

  10. 3) Finally, • Write yourConclusionssection (1-3 pages) • Summarizetheargument/debatebriefly • DrawyourconclusionsreyourThesisStatement • Discussyourconclusions • For example: • Arethereotherissuesthantheoneshereconsidered? Whatarethelimitations of thisstudy (ie sourcesaremostlyfairlyold)? • Can yougeneralizeanythingfromthisdiscussion?

  11. Do NOT • simply repeat the factual details from your source; choose what is most appropriate • attempt to summarise / paraphrase all the information • Include unnecessary summaries of articles • Pick and choose from among the information in your sources • claim more than is reasonable or defensible DO • be cautious and critical when you generalize • be confident about the strength of your claim • HEDGE, if necessary!!

  12. HEDGING • Being deliberately vague

  13. Modifying your claimQualifying your Comparisons Your source gives the following figures: Girls: 56% - Boys: 35% Compare the following: Fifty-six percent of girls reported restrictions on going out late at night as opposed to 35% of boys. • More girls reported restrictions on going out at night than did boys. • Fewer boys reported restrictions … • Twenty-one percent more girls reported …

  14. Be confidently uncertain! • “It is important for students to learn to be confidently uncertain.” (John Skelton, University of Aston, personal communication, 1988)

  15. How to be confidently uncertain? • Use an appropriate modal auxiliary. • Distance yourself from the claim. • Point out that the data used is ‘soft’. • If appropriate, make your generalization vague. • Point out exceptions. • Use weaker verbs.

  16. Weakening / Increasing Probability: Language focus: 1) Put modal auxiliaries to work! “Smith (2013) suggests that sleeping 7-9 hours each day results in better academic performance.” “Sleeping 7-9 hours each day results in better academic performance (Smith 2013).” • “ … mayresult…” • “… might / could result”

  17. Weakening probability: (2) Distancing yourself from the claim “The factory has benefited from the recent technological upgrade.” Smith (2013) points out that the factory … seems/appears to have benefited… It seems that the factory has benefited… … would seem to indicate that the factory has benefited …

  18. Weakening probability: (3) Show that the data are “soft”: “… different employees react to the same situations differently” Based on the limited dataavailable… Some studieshave pointed out that … According to the pilot study … Based on an informal survey of nine departmental managers, …

  19. Weakening probability: (4) Vague generalization • Children living in poverty tend to have a history of health problems. • In many parts of the world children living in poverty have health problems. • It is a well known fact that children living in poverty frequently have health problems.

  20. Weakening probability: (5) Point out exceptions • “With the exception of / Apart from / …” • Except for a small number of countries such as Sweden, Japan and Thailand, student loan schemes are almost exclusively reserved for higher education.”

  21. Weakening probability: (6) Use weaker verbs • Contribute to >< lead to • Suggest >< show • Question >< challenge • Assume >< show • Influence >< distort

  22. Are the writers of the following “confidently uncertain”? A) “According to simulation studies, in some circumstances the use of seat belts may reduce certain types of physical injuries in car accidents.” B) “It could be concluded that evidence seems to suggest that at least certain villagers might not have traded their pottery with others outside the community.” (an anthropology study) Don’t overdo hedging!

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