Session 6 Writing It Up

1. Session 6Writing It Up 主讲人：冉源懋

2. Content: Writing Choices More Writing Tips Criteria for Evaluating Writing Texts

3. The writing you produce depends on the choices you make about how to construct the piece, for whom to write it ,and a number of other issues.

4. 1.Decisions about Your Argument What is an argument? The argument in a paper ,chapter, or article is the point of view that the writer takes on the issue.

5. There are many types of arguments. Thesis Theme Topic What’s the Difference ?

6. A thesis is a proposition you put forth and then argue ,and can be born out of a comparison of what your research has revealed and what the professional literature says about the subject . e.g. Researchers have taken the position that … Our research has revealed another dimension…

7. A theme is some concept or theory that emerges from your data, takes the overly combative tone of the thesis ,although it shares some of the “big idea” quality. e.g. The “teacher’s pet principle” Diagnosis of the third part

8. A topic is pervasive in your notes , but it is more a unit of a particular aspect of what you were studying than an idea about it. e.g. What is a good teacher? Communication on a Hospital Ward

9. 2. Decisions about Your Presence in the Text In the last 15 years there has been a shift in preference of pronouns authors use to refer to themselves when writing qualitative research reports for academic journal or as scholarly manuscripts.

10. The move has been from the less personal “we” or “the researcher” to the familiar “I”. Why? First ,the use of “I” is more honest and direct. Second , the use of “the researcher” connotes an objectivity that does not really exist.

11. 3. Decision about Your Audience How much should I write about methods? How details should my review of the literature be? How specific should I make my argument? What style should I write in? ……

12. 4. Decisions about Disciplines When you write your study ,your vocabulary ,way of considering the issue , and other concerns can ether be done in a way that a specific discipline , such as sociology or anthropology ,would approach it , or you can draw from a number of disciplines to frame your article.

13. 5. Decisions about the Introduction The introduction usually begins with the general background needed to understand the importance of the focus. techniques you used ,time and length of study , the number of settings and subjects, the nature of the data

14. Advices: On the first page of any manuscript you write,directly and succinctly tell the reader what you are writing about. A good way to start ba paper is to tell a brief story from your research that captures the essence of what the paper is about or something central to what you are studying.

15. 6.Decisions about the Core of the Paper and Strategies for Communicating Evidence Cores have sections——parts that have headings and directly related to the focus of the piece. reading over looking for patterns categorizing

16. Different types of coding categories : kinds of subcategory coding systems , such as steps in , ways to ,results of ,places where , uses of ,and characteristics …

17. Each section in the middle should have structured in a way similar to the entire manuscript: Each should have a beginning，middle，and an end.

18. The beginning tells you what the section contains ; The middle provides what the introduction promised; The end ,is a conclusion , summaries what was in thesection

19. 7. Decision about the Conclusion What choices do you have? A call for further research

20. (1)Call It a Draft First , try to come up with a focus , then begins an outline of the core. Second , try writing a section.

21. (2)Style of Presentation more formal or traditional ways of organizing a presentation more informal and nontraditional mode of writing.

22. (3)Overwriting Go through your draft looking for words and sentences that can be eliminated without changing the meaning or that through elimination will make meaning clearer.(Beeker,1986)

23. (4)“Yes .But …?” Present alternative points or views and discuss why the one you choose was more consistent with the data . If there are subjects with a minority point of view that you did not discuss , mention them.

24. (5)Keep It Simple Up Front Do not give the reader too much complex and /or detailed information too soon.

25. (6)Whose Perspective Are You Writing From? It is crucial when you are writing to make clear whose perspective you are writing from——theiror yours.

26. (7)Jargon and Code Jargon refers to a highly specialized or technical language.(e.g. subject positions, symbolic interaction) .And what in one situation is jargon ,in another is a kind of code.

27. (8)On Giving Voice In the last 15 years , the expression “giving voice” has become to be associated with qualitative research , comes from feminist and other literature movement and refers to empowering people who have not had a chance to tell about their lives to speak out so as to bring about social change.

28. General Advice Try to write in the active rather than passive voice; The dictionary and thesaurus are important tools; Try to get into writing groups or have a writing partner who reads your work with an eye for construction; Reading well-writing qualitative articles or books.

29. 1.Is It Convince? 2.is the Author in Control of the Writing ? 3.Does It Makes a Contribution?

30. In the last decades , promoted by postmodern debate and the work of scholars in the field of cultural studies and literary criticism , social scientists have begun to study the texts they produce to understand more about “knowledge” production.

31. 8. Questions and Assignments What decisions need I make before I can frame writing? What are the criteria for a good qualitative writing? Develop a preliminary proposal for feedback and discussion.

32. References Denzin. N.K. & Giardino, M. Eds. (2006). Qualitative inquiry and the conservative challenge, pp. 193-214. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press. Li, L. (2008). Constructing teacher’s professional identity in China and Canada：Life stories in context. Saarbuecken, Germany: VDM Verlag Dr. Müller Aktiengesellschaft & Co. KG. Lincoln, Y.S. (2010). What a long, strange trip it's been, Twenty-five years of qualitative and new paradigm research. Qualitative Inquiry, 16(1), 3-9. Locke. L. F., Spirduso. W. W. & Silverman. S. J. (1993). Proposals that work. Newbury Park, London, New Delhi: Sage Publications, pp. 66-95, 119-129.