A Writing Tutorial
for Graduate Students
by
Cecelia Munzenmaier
Tutorial Definitions Writing Rubric & Comments Example One Example Two Example Three
Definitions of Writing Terms
structure: the basic organization of a paper. Whether short or long, a well-structured paper generally includes a thesis, body, and conclusion.
Logical organization helps
readers see the relationships among the arguments and evidence discussed. A
paper may follow one of several organizational patterns, including cause-effect,
classification, comparison-contrast, definition, problem-solution, and process
description.
thesis: statement that introduces the main idea an essay will develop
The thesis summarizes the most important thing you learned about your topic in one main sentence. A thesis should reflect your position on a subject by taking a stand or making a judgment. A factual statement, such as “Transfer means trainees can apply training on the job,” is not a thesis.
A good thesis limits the scope of the paper by focusing on one main idea. Suppose your assigned topic is “transfer of training,” which could fill several books. Use your thesis to define which aspect of this vast subject you will explore.
For example, if your thesis is “Transfer is the most important variable affecting the return on an investment in training,” you will have to discuss several variables and show why transfer is the one with the greatest impact on ROI.
If your thesis is “To encourage trainees to use what they learn on the job, trainers must think about transfer as they plan, present, and evaluate training,” your focus will be on how the goal of transfer influences the decisions trainers make before, during, and after delivery of training.
• For
advice on developing a thesis statement, see the Writer’s Handbook at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center site <http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/Thesis.html
> or “Using Thesis
Statements” from the University of Toronto
<http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/thesis.html>.
• For help finding something to write about, consult “Tip #4: Description versus Analysis” in York University’s “Tips for Effective Academic Writing” <http://www.yorku.ca/rosir/tips.htm#descrip>.
• For advice on developing introductory
paragraphs, see "Introductions to Research
Papers" (Central European University) <http://www.ceu.hu/writing/intros.htm>
body: main part of the paper, which supports the thesis by presenting arguments and evidence
The arguments should be arranged in an order that readers will find easy to follow. Each paragraph should be linked by transitions, which show the relationships between ideas.
• For advice on developing arguments, consult Wayne C. Booth’s classic The Craft of Research or The Craft of Argument by Williams and Columb, or point your browser to “Arguments” at Writing@CSU <http://writing.colostate.edu/references/documents/argument> or “Writing Academic Papers” at the University of Dartmouth site <http://www.dartmouth.edu/~compose/student/ac_paper/what.html#argument>.
• For help developing ways to answer readers’ objections to your claims, see “Counter-Argument” at Harvard’s Writing Tools site <http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/Counterarg.html>.
conclusion: restate your thesis and help the reader see its implications
One way to write a strong conclusion is to answer a question for your reader: “This is my controlling idea. Why does it matter?” or “What can you do next?”
• For examples of how to write a conclusion, see “Strategies for Writing a Conclusion” at St. Cloud State University <http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/conclude.html>.
• For a
discussion of various strategies you can use to conclude a paper, see “Ending
the Essay: Conclusions” at Harvard’s Writing Center <http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/Conclusions.html>.
argument: a claim supported by evidence
A good thesis should be an arguable statement; that is, reasonable people might agree or disagree with it.
Take the subject of web-based training. One writer might predict that corporations will do more training on the web and less in the classroom, using current industry trends and ROI studies as evidence. Another writer might predict that WBT will never replace classroom instruction, citing high dropout rates and the advantages of face-to-face interaction.
A good case can be made for either position. What determines whether the case is convincing? The quality of the arguments and the reliability of the evidence are what give the body of the paper credibility.
• For advice on developing arguments, consult Wayne C. Booth’s classic The Craft of Research or The Craft of Argument by Williams and Columb, or point your browser to “Writing Academic Papers” at the University of Dartmouth site <http://www.dartmouth.edu/~compose/student/ac_paper/what.html#argument>.
transitions: words, phrases, or paragraphs that show the relationship between ideas
Transitions can be transitional expressions, such as also, then, or in the same way. You can also create links between ideas by repeating words or sentence structure. For example, “A thesis is the controlling idea of your paper. Your thesis should be an arguable statement about which reasonable people might disagree.”
Transitions can be used within paragraphs, between paragraphs, or between sections of a long paper. Within paragraphs, you might connect a general statement and a concrete example with for instance or for example. To signal contrast, you might use however or on the other hand.
Between paragraphs, you might use a transitional expression or a sentence, such as “While web-based training has proven to be cost-effective for large corporations, several critics have pointed out its limitations.”
In a long paper, transition paragraphs may be used to summarize what has just been covered and show how it relates to the next section: “All of these studies found a high dropout rate from online courses. However, experience at several corporations suggests that the completion rate can be improved….”
• For more on using transitions, see “Writing Effective Transitions” at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill site <http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/transitions.html> and “Transitioning: Beware of Velcro” at Harvard’s Writing Center <http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/Transitions.html>
• For an extensive list of various types of transitions, see “Grammar and Style: Transitions” at the University of Wisconsin-Madison site <http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/Transitions.html>.
academic style: a formal, objective style of writing with arguments based on research rather than personal experience
Academic writers use complete sentences, avoid slang and contractions such as can’t and won’t, and write in the third person instead of using first- or second-person pronouns (I, we, our, and you and your).
One of the best ways to develop a sense of academic style is to read papers by well-respected authors in the field. Your professor may also have model papers you can use as a benchmark.
• For a checklist on “How to ensure an academic style,” see the University of Queensland site <http://www.usq.edu.au/opacs/ALSonline/for_students/communication/academic_style.htm>.
• For help with revision, see “Editing the Essay, Parts One and Two” and “Tips on Grammar, Punctuation and Style” at Harvard’s Writing Center <http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/html/about.htm>.