Academic Vocabulary – definitions and examples.. advocate: to argue in favour of something eg, as a result of the study findings, the author has advocated the benefits of regular exercise. deduce: to reach a conclusion by thinking carefully about something, eg Sherlock Holmes cleverly deduced that the criminal mastermind was ….. infer: to reach a conclusion indirectly, eg from these results, we can infer that…. complements: when something combines well with something else.. eg, our study findings complement previous research on this topic, because…. comprehensive: covering everything that is relevant, eg. Although previous studies have examined this topic, they have not comprehensively looked at all aspects of it. empirical: based on what is observed, not just theory, eg. Empirical studies show that some forms of alternative medicine may be useful. ambiguous: unclear or open to different interpretations, eg. Unfortunately previous study findings have been ambiguous, leaving no clear direction for future research… deviate: to be different from what is usual or typical, eg. Although these figures deviate from the normal seasonal temperature average….. distort: to give a false impression or view, eg. Figures from the second study group slightly distort the true findings, because…. predominant: the main or biggest number of something, eg the predominant opinion currently is that smoking increases the risk of developing lung cancer. sequence: things that occur in a particular order, eg our subjects were tested initially, then retested in the same sequence to minimise methodological variation. incidence: how often something occurs in a population, eg the incidence of alcohol use in the under 25 population in the UK has dropped over the past decade. Academic Vocabulary from Seminar Two indistinguishable – not able to be identified as different or distinct (from something / someone else)…eg. …our results were indistinguishable from previous studies … conduct – to organise and carry out…eg. Several different experiments were conducted during the course of this research… elicit – to evoke or draw out..eg…our study attempted to elicit information regarding fitness levels in the over fifties age group. observation – the process of closely observing or monitoring something (verb), or a statement based on something that one has seen or observed (noun). ..eg…several important observations were made during the testing procedures… profound – strong or intense…eg.. the findings of this study have a profound effect on our current understanding of nutrition… consist – to be composed or made up of…eg… our experiment consisted of three different stages in a defined sequence. Seminar 6 – How to Stop Yourself Snoring – split into paragraphs activity How to Stop Yourself Snoring Snoring is caused when the airway at the back of the nose and throat becomes partially obstructed. This is usually due to the loosening of the surrounding oropharyngeal muscles, but the reasons why this should occur are varied. The most common are smoking, obesity and the consumption of relaxants such as alcohol and sleeping pills. (Introduction to snoring, common causes / triggers) As with any common ailment, there are a host of "miracle" cures advertised - but you should first try a few simple steps to see if you can halt the snoring before adopting more drastic measures. Lifestyle changes can be the most effective. If you are overweight, a loss of weight will help to reduce the pressure on your neck. You should also stop smoking and try not to drink alcohol at least four hours before you go to bed. Beyond this, try to change your regular sleeping position. Raise the head of your bed with a brick, or tie something uncomfortable into the back of your pyjamas to encourage you to sleep on your side. Both of these will help to alter the angle of your throat as you sleep, and may thus make breathing easier for you. (Suggest simple measures to address eg lifestyle changes like losing weight, quit smoking, reduce alchohol before bed, change sleep position – why these may help). It is also important to keep your nasal passage clear and unblocked. Allergies, colds and hay fever can temporarily cause you to snore; nasal decongestants may help, but you are not advised to use such remedies for long periods. Nasal strips, as worn by sportspeople, have been proven to reduce nasal airway resistance by up to 30 per cent, so consider these as a long-term alternative. (Further suggestion to keep nasal passages clear and how to do this). If this fails, then you may wish to look at the varied snoring aids that are on the market. They range from neck collars that stop your neck tilting, through to mandibular-advancement devices (such as gumshields) which reduce upper airway resistance, and tongue-retaining devices. You can also buy essential-oil products that are added to warm water and infused or consumed before bedtime. They claim to tone up your palate and unblock your nasal passage. (If problem persists, what other measures or aids can be considered to help address the problém, and how they might help). Finally, if your symptoms persist, visit your GP or contact the British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association (01737 557 997) for advice. If you do not, your partner might. (final advice and contact details for further help) (Source:Irving,M.: Esquire, March 1999 in http://www.uefap.com/writing/exercise/parag/paragex1.htm) Seminar 6 – unfinished activities 4.1. Which statements should be referenced when used in academic writing? Why? * Read and discuss the below examples in pairs, then share your comments with the group: 1) Academic environmental scientists and those employed by NGOs arguably give more credence to the supposed human health risks associated with organo-phosphate pesticides than do scientists working for government departments or 'industry' research organisations. - The student writer is offering their own thought. “Arguably” helps to identify this statement as a personal opinion. Some evidence or explanation is expected. 2) Some scholars document the importance of music in old people’s institutions. “We propose the development of a new branch of diagnosis and therapy offering music as a replacement for lost language, and using music to assess type and depth of loss, the progression of loss in disease, and as a prognostic indicator following injury“. - The student is using a direct quote from another source. This quote itself is correctly identified by the use of quotation marks. However, the student needs to provide bibliographic information so that other researchers can verify the source of the quote. (Balch, B.S.J., Báthory-Kitsz, D. (1992, February). Composing a new language. Presented at MedArt International World Congress on Arts and Madicine, New York City, USA). 3) Although the majority of children who were born preterm are nowadays free of a major handicap (i.e. cerebral palsy or mental retardation) 25% to 50% of these infants exhibit milder neuromotor, sensory, cognitive or behavioural deficits. - The student uses statistics and statistics are not common knowledge. They need to be researched. A citation to the original source of this statistic is needed to demonstrate that the information used is valid. 4) The analogy between the philosophical method of Socrates (irony, aporia) and the practical skills of the trickster in Indian mythology are substantial. - The overly sophisticated language used in this sentence strongly suggests that it came from a scholarly source. The student writer needs to indicate the original author of this statement. -If this is a direct quote, the student needs to indicate this by using quotation marks and a citation to the author of the statement. If this is a paraphrase of a sentence from a scholarly work, the student needs to indicate the source of the idea (i.e., the thought pattern) with a citation. Note: This sentence is a direct quote. (Martin Blobel, “Towards an Existentialist Concept of American Cultural Anthropology: On Death, Trickster and Socrates,”Dialectical Anthropology, 23 no. 3 (1998): 331.) 5) To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, as Newton found out, but so many writers forget this and it is so critical and basic to any story. - Every researcher in the field already knows this: equations or known theories need not be followed by a citation eg. Newton in this case. 6) The immortal line "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark" can be used to describe e.g. corruption or a situation in which something is wrong in a country. - This quote from Shakespeare may be considered common knowledge; however if a student was analysing Shakespeare´s Hamlet, it would indeed need a citation. 7) The European Union currently has twenty-seven member states. - Knowledge of an undisputed nature which is very widely held. No need for any citation. 5. Text Types Match the following sentences with the type of text. * Discuss with the group TEXTBOOK JOURNAL ARTICLE MAGAZINE ARTICLE DOCTORAL THESIS a) The text is probably a quality piece of work and can be of great interest to the academic community, however, it is usually not very easy to make it publishable. (doctoral thesis) b) The authors of the text are paid by the publishing company to write about what somebody else is doing in a style suitable for general but targeted audience. (magazine article) c) Its purpose is to distribute highly specific knowledge to experts and students. (journal article) d) It is a publication produced according to the demand of educational institutions. (textbook) e) Its purpose is to make money by supplying a platform to advertisers who want to reach a particular audience. (magazine article, journal article?) f) The text is reviewed before published by a peer review board or a panel of experts that decides which submissions can be identified as trustworthy sources and are acceptable for publication. (journal article) g) This is a long text where the author provides detailed evidence and justification regarding what was or was not done, or considered, in a research project in order to back up the ultimate conclusions that are offered. (doctoral thesis) h) It is a publication used for the formal study of any branch of study. (textbook) (Adapted from: http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/academic/sources/journals/index.html; Robert Q. Pollard Jr. 2005; http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/academic/sources/journals/vs_magazines.htm; http://gradpsych.apags.org/mar06/dissertation.html) 5.1. What is the structure of an academic text? Look at the jumbled contents of a thesis below. What should the correct order of the individual parts of a thesis be? * Discuss in pairs and number in the logical order Title page Methodology Acknowledgments Results Abstract Discussion Table of Contents Conclusion Abbreviations Appendices Introduction References