L3: Academic

Writing
REMINDER: Check the notes area of each slide for additional information.
 L3: Academic Writing

1. Book Review and Article Critique

2. Literature Review
3. Research Report
4. Project Proposal
5. Position Paper
 Read the following situation:

● Romina was asked by her teacher to evaluate the book she used for her research paper. She
was afraid; she felt that she was not credible enough to accomplish the task. Nevertheless,
she was able to write a review. She realized that writing a review is not simply about being
a qualified expert. More than merely completing the task, writing a review is also about
learning and applying knowledge.

Similar to Romina, there may be times when you feel that, as a student writer, you are not
yet fully-equipped with the skills and authority to evaluate the work of professionals.
However, it is not as hard as you think.
 1

Book Review or
Article Critique
 Book Review or Article Critique
Book Review or Article Critique  a specialized form of academic writing in which a reviewer
evaluates the contribution to knowledge of scholarly works such as academic books and journal articles.
 usually ranges from 250 to 750 words and is not simply a summary.
 It is a critical assessment, analysis, or evaluation of a work.

However, take care not to equate the word "critique" to cynicism and pessimism.

A book review or article critique is different from a movie review that you see in newspapers. Although movie
reviews involve the analysis of one's work, they are written for a general audience and primarily aim to offer a
persuasive opinion. An academic book review or article critique, on the other hand, addresses a more
specific audience and usually offers a critical response to a published scholarly work.

Moreover, book reviews must not be mistaken for book reports. Book reports focus on describing the plot,
characters, or idea of a certain work. Book and article reviewers do not just share mere opinions; rather, they
use both proofs and logical reasoning to substantiate their opinions. They process ideas and theories,
revisit and extend ideas in a specific field of study, and present analytical responses.
 Structure of a Book Review or Article Critique

1 3
INTRODUCTION (around 5% of the paper) REVIEW/CRITIQUE (in no particular order)
• Title of the book/article (around 75% of the paper)
• Writer’s name • Appropriateness of methodology to support
• Writer’s thesis statement the arguments
• Theoretical soundness
• Soundness of explanation in relation to other

2
SUMMARY (around 10% of the paper) available information and experts
• Writer's objective or purpose • Sufficiency of explanation
• Methods used (if applicable) • Other perspectives in explaining the concepts
• Major findings or claims and ideas
• Coherence of ideas

4
CONCLUSION (around 10% of the paper)
Overall impression of the work
Scholarly value of the reviewed article/book
Benefits to the intended audience
Suggestion for future directions
When writing a book review or article critique, make sure to ask the following :
1. What is the topic of the book or article?
2. What is its purpose?
3. Who are its intended readers?
4. Does the writer explicitly state his/her thesis statement?
5. What theoretical assumptions (i.e., a scientific/logical explanation without evidence)are mentioned in the book
or article? Are they explicitly discussed?
6. What are the contributions of the book or article to the field (e.g., language, psychology)it is situated in?
7. What problems and issues are discussed in the book or article?
8. What kinds of information (e.g., observation, survey, statistics, historical accounts) are presented in the book or
article? How are they used to support the arguments or thesis?
9. Are there other ways of supporting the arguments or thesis aside from the information used in the book or
article? Is the author silent about these alternative ways of explanation?
10. What is your overall reaction to the work?
Guidelines in Writing a Book Review or Article Critique
The following are some guidelines to help you write a book review or an article critique.
1. Read the article or book to be reviewed carefully to get its main concept.
2. Reread it to get the arguments being presented.
3. Relate the content of the article or book to what you already know about the topic. This will make you more
engaged with the article or book.
4. Focus on discussing how the book treats the topic and not the topic itself. Start your sentences with phrases
such as "This book presents..." and "The author argues...“
5. Situate your review. This means that your analysis should be anchored on the theories presented by the book
or article writer.
6. Examine whether the findings are adequately supported or not.
7. Analyze the type of analysis the writer used (e.g., quantitative, qualitative, case study)and how it supports the
arguments and claims.
8. Suggest some ways on how the writer can improve his/her reasoning or explanation.
Guidelines in Writing a Book Review or Article Critique
9. Discuss how the same topic is explained from another perspective. Compare the writer's explanation of the
topic to another expert from the same field of study.
10. Point out other conclusions or interpretations that the writer missed out. Present other ideas that need to be
examined.
11. Examine the connections between ideas and how they affect the conclusions and findings.
12. Show your reaction to the writer's ideas and present an explanation. You can either agree or disagree with the
ideas, as long as you can sufficiently support your stand.
13. Suggest some alternative methods and processes of reasoning that would result in a more conclusive
interpretation.

Completing a book review or article critique means that you can pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of
an article or book and that you can identify different perspectives. This task also equips you with more
skills to engage in a discussion with an expert and makes you a part of the community of scholars.
 2

Literature Review
 Literature Review
When preparing a major research paper, you will be exposed to a wealth of information from
various scholarly sources. If you are not equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge in processing
the information, a struggle in selecting, reviewing, and consolidating the references will ensue. Moreover,
you might suffer from information overload. This is precisely why it is important for you to learn how to
make a literature review.

Literature Review  a type of academic writing that provides an overview of a specific topic.
 It surveys scholarly work such as academic books (but not textbooks), computerized
databases, conference proceedings, dissertations/theses, empirical studies, government
reports, historical records, journal articles, monographs, and statistical handbooks.
 critically analyzes the relationship among different scholarly works and the current work.
 can be written as a stand-alone paper or as part of a research paper explaining a theoretical
framework and related studies.
 Unlike an annotated bibliography which presents a summary of a book or article, a literature
review combines both summary and synthesis (i.e., linking different sources).
 Literature Review
Annotated Bibliography Book Review Literature Review

Summarizes the references and Evaluates a book. Reviews a significant number of

explains how important they are scholarly work to identify what is
in addressing the research known and not known about a
questions. topic.

Doing a literature review will test your ability to seek literature efficiently and identify useful scholarly work.
It will also test your ability to evaluate studies for their validity and reliability. Hence, writing a literature
review involves research, critical appraisal, and writing. Everything else included, a student may take 40
hours to finish a well-written literature review.
 Literature Review

Functions of a Literature Review

This type of review has the following roles.

 Justifies a research question, method, or theoretical and conceptual framework

 Establishes the relevance of the topic
 Provides necessary information to better understand a specific topic or study
 Shows reviewers familiarity and mastery of the topic
 Establishes the niche of the study
 Resolves conflict among contradictory studies
 Structure of Literature Review
Introduction
• Purpose for writing the literature review and Conclusion
the importance of the topic being reviewed • Restatement of the main argument or thesis
• Scope of the review • Main agreements and disagreements in the
• Criteria used for selecting the literature literature
• Organizational pattern of the review • If stand-alone paper: conclusions,
implications, and direction for future studies
Body • If part of a thesis or research paper: linking of
• Historical background the literature review to the research questions
• Relevant theories • Overall perspective on the topic
• Relationship between and among the studies,
and how each study advanced a theory
• Strengths and weaknesses of each paper
• Various viewpoints on the topic
Guidelines in Writing a Literature Review:
Writing a literature review is composed of three distinct parts-literature search, evaluation and analysis of articles,
and writing the literature review-all of which are discussed below.

LITERATURE SEARCH
1. Review the documentation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago) that you will adopt and be familiar with its format in
relation to writing a literature review.
2. Choose and focus on a topic that you will explain.
3. Determine the kind and number of sources you will be using. Will your literature review be exclusive to articles or
will it include other documents? Will you focus on experimental studies or will you also include theoretical papers
that explain a theory?
4. Survey the available online databases relevant to your topic. These include Proquest, ScienceDirect, JSTOR, or
Google Scholar. As much as possible, include only the references published by top journals and publishers.
Guidelines in Writing a Literature Review:

LITERATURE SEARCH
5. Use relevant keywords when searching for scholarly documents or articles. For example, if your topic is about
the impact of Facebook-based e-portfolios on the writing skills of ESL learners, your possible keywords are
Facebook, ESL writing, e-portfolio, portfolio assessment, Facebook-based e-portfolio, and social networking
sites.
6. Always include landmark studies or papers (i.e., studies which had remarkably changed the field) related to your
topic.
7. Always evaluate the sources for coverage and currency. Include only those articles directly related to your topic.
Guidelines in Writing a Literature Review:
EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS OF ARTICLES
Once you have identified and obtained the articles for your review, analyze them before writing the actual literature
review. To do this, you may apply the following steps.
1. Skim the articles and read their abstract.
2. Group the articles and other documents according to their categories.
3. Take down notes. Focus on the research questions, methodology used, major findings and their explanations,
and conclusion.
4. Summarize the details using a concept map. In this way, you will see the relationship, similarities, and
differences among the articles.
5. Write a synthesis of the references you have read before writing the actual literature review.
6. Create an outline. You may look for other literature reviews to serve as models for writing the outline.
Guidelines in Writing a Literature Review:
WRITING THE LITERATURE REVIEW
Once all the materials are ready and you have a clear outline of the ideas you want to express, you may now start
the actual writing process.
1. State clearly your thesis or main argument and be guided by it accordingly. Below is an example of a thesis
statement for a literature review.

Because of Facebook's popularity, many educators have explored its educational use in the tertiary level.

2. If you say that no studies have been conducted on one aspect of your topic, justify it.
3. Direct the readers to other related literature reviews that cover items which you do not intend to cover. You may
use the citation format "(see Author, year)" or follow the format prescribed by your chosen documentation style.
4. Never treat a literature review as a series of annotated bibliography.
Guidelines in Writing a Literature Review:
WRITING THE LITERATURE REVIEW
5. Use headings and subheadings to classify the parts of your topic. For each topic heading, analyze the
differences among studies and look for gaps. Note that each paragraph should focus on one aspect of the topic.
6. Use effective transitions to make your review easier to read and understand.
7. The body of the literature review can be organized thematically, methodologically, or chronologically.
8. Use direct quotations sparingly.
9. Clarify important definitions.
 3

Research Report
 Research Report
Research Report  is an expanded paper that presents interpretations and analysis of a phenomenon
based on experience and previous information so that readers can better a understand it.
 It is a laborious work produced through formal investigation and scientific inquiry

PARTS OF A RESEARCH PAPER:

1. Title page - contains an informative title that describes the content of the paper, the name of authors,
addresses or affiliations, and date of submission. Examples of an informative title are the following:
a. Effects of Facebook on the Academic Achievement of First Year Students
b. Development and Validation of a Software for Detecting Plagiarism
2. Abstract - contains the summary of the research findings and conclusions. It briefly presents the context
of the study, research questions or objectives, methodology. major findings, conclusions, and
sometimes implications. An abstract does not contain any citation or a great deal of statistical
results. Its length ranges from 100 to 250 words.
3. Introduction - explains the current state of the field and identifies research gaps. It is also the part where
the research focus is presented by addressing the identified gaps in the topic. It puts the research
topic in context. It is usually three to five paragraphs long
 Research Report
PARTS OF A RESEARCH PAPER:
4. Literature Review - contains the summary and synthesis of all available sources directly related to the
study. In a research report, the literature review is divided into two sections: related concepts
and
related studies.
5. Methodology - describes how the experiments or tests in the research were conducted. It presents the
context within which the study was conducted, the participants, the instruments used, data
gathering procedure, and the data analysis.

In discussing the context of the study and the participants, the number and the
demographic profiles of the participants are explained as well as the place where the study was
conducted. The discussion of the instrument used presents the tools in gathering data, These tools
may be in the form of a questionnaire, interview, focus group discussion survey, and tests, among
others. All of the instruments used should be described in detail, along with the explanation of how
they were validated. The data gathering section presents the details on how the data were collected while
the data analysis section presents how the data were analyzed, either qualitatively (coding
scheme) or quantitatively (statistical tools).The past tense is used in writing the methodology.
 Research Report
PARTS OF A RESEARCH PAPER:
6. Results - factually describes the data gathered and the tables and graphs that summarize the collected
data, Along with the tables and graphs are their respective interpretations.

7. Discussion - provides an explanation of all the results in relation to the previous studies presented in the
literature review. In this section, the research problems or objectives, as well as the major
findings, are restated in the first paragraph.

8. Conclusion - contains the restatement of the major findings, the limitations of the study, the
recommendations, and the implications. Note that in some cases, the conclusion is integrated into the
discussion.

9. References - contains the different sources used in the study. These may be academic books, journals,
and other online sources. Its format depends on the school, teacher, or field of study.
 Steps in Writing a Research Report
Writing a research report may seem like a daunting task, but if you break down the process into
small steps, you will be able to accomplish it effectively. The stages of writing a research report also follow
the basic writing process, with a few additions to accommodate and address the different parts of the report.

1. Select and narrow down the topic. Use any of your preferred prewriting activities to generate ideas.
2. Conduct a preliminary research by gathering the initial references.
3. Formulate the thesis statement and research questions. A good thesis statement effectively guides and
controls the flow of your paper.
4. Prepare a preliminary outline. Use the preliminary outline as a guide for this stage.
5. Gather additional references.
6. Prepare the prefinal outline.
7. Prepare your instruments, such as your questionnaire. Check the next slide for some guidelines in
preparing a survey instrument.
 Steps in Writing a Research Report
8. Implement the instrument and gather the data.
9. Analyze the collected data and interpret it through tables and graphs.
10. Write the methodology and results sections.
11. Write the introduction and literature review.
12. Write the discussion. Be sure to link the literature.
13. Write the conclusion review to the discussion section
14. Prepare the reference list. Be sure to list all the items cited in the body of your paper. It is useful to keep
a
separate word document or physical notebook where you can list your references as you come across
them to make sure you do not leave anything out when you have to prepare the reference list.
15. Edit and format your paper. Observe the proper mechanics.
 Guidelines in Writing a Research Report
Now that you are aware of the steps in writing a research report, follow the writing guidelines below to
ensure that your report is well-written
1. Fifty to seventy-five percent of the paper should be devoted to results and discussion.
2. Be sure to cite all your sources whether they are paraphrased or directly quoted.
3. As with the previous types of written works, use direct quotations sparingly, paraphrase as much as
possible.
4. Strictly follow the required documentation style.
 Guidelines in Writing a Research Report
5. Topics should be relevant interesting, current, and manageable in terms of resources, skills needed, and
time. They should not be too sensitive and too controversial.
6. Research questions should directly address the given topic or thesis statement.
Example:
Title: Effect of Facebook on the Academic Performance of Senior High School Students
Thesis statement: Facebook has an effect on the academic performance of senior high school
students.
Research questions:
(1) Does exposure to Facebook affect students' performance during examinations?
(2) Does exposure to Facebook affect students' attention span during class activities?
(3) Does exposure to Facebook affect students' participation in curricular activities?
 4

Project Proposal
 Project Proposal
Project Proposal a highly persuasive and informative document that aims to address a particular
problem or issue
 It is a bid or offer to initiate a project for an individual or a group; usually ranges from 1,000 to
to 2,500 words depending on the complexity of the project being proposed.

A good project proposal specifies the following:

 goals and objectives that the project wants to accomplish;

 project plan that details how the set goals and objectives will be accomplished;
 financial, human (e.g., experts, consultants), and technical (e.g., equipment and facilities)
resources useful in implementing the project; and
 budget that specifies how much money is needed and for what purpose it will be spent.
 Types of Project Proposal:
1. Solicited internal 3. Solicited external
-used when the target reader is within the -used when the target reader is not within the
organization organization
-responds to a specific request within the -responds to a specific request from someone who
organization
-problem has been identified within the organization is not within the company
and the decision to solve it has been made -problem has been identified and the decision to
solve it has been made
2. Unsolicited internal 4. Unsolicited external
-used when the target reader is within the -used when the target reader is not within the
organization organization
-it s a self-initiated proposal that no one asked for -self-initiated proposal that no one asked for
-target reader has not yet identified that a problem -target reader has not yet identified that a problem
exists within the organization; hence, no decision exists; hence, no decision has been made to
has been made to solve the problem solve the problem

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 Project Proposal
PARTS OF A PROJECT PROPOSAL:
1. Cover Letter- introduces the proposal to the reader
- states the general proposal title, date the proposal was requested (if solicited), general purpose
and scope of the proposal, and acknowledgement of people who have contributed to the
completion of the proposal.
- includes the highlights of the proposal and directs the readers to these highlights
2. Title Page – includes the project title that is concise and informative
- includes the lead organization, place and date of project, client’s or donor’s name, proponent’s
name, and the department or organization he/she represents, and date of submission.

3. Abstract of Executive Summary – includes the objectives, implanting organization, major project
activities, and total project cost
-usually composed of 200 to 250 words and highlights only major points; some abstracts may be
longer depending on the culture of the funding agency
- uses paragraph format

33
 Project Proposal
PARTS OF A PROJECT PROPOSAL:
4. Context of the Proposal – describes the socio-economic, cultural, and political background in which the
proposal is situated
- presents data collected from other sources that are relevant to the planning stage

5. Project Justification – provides a rationale for the project

- includes a problem statement that specifies the problem addressed by the project
- points out why the problem is an issue that requires immediate attention
- specifies the target group’s needs that arise from the adverse effect of the described problem
- presents the approach or strategy that will be used to address the problem
- describes the capability of the implementing organization or group by stating its track record
Note: When writing this section, justify why your organization or group is the best group to implement this.

6. Personnel Involved – lists the people involved in the project, their corresponding roles, and their
summary of qualifications

34
 Project Proposal
PARTS OF A PROJECT PROPOSAL:
7. Project Implementation– divided into 2:
activity plan – specifies the schedule of activities
resource plan – specifies the items needed to implement the project
Project Implementation describes the activities and resource allocation in detail, as well as the
person in charge of executing the activities. It also indicates the time and place of activities.

8. Budget – presents the expected income and expenses over a specified time period
- itemizes the budget

9. Monitoring & Evaluation – specifies when and how the team will monitor the progress of the project
- specifies the method for monitoring and evaluation
- specifies the personnel in charge of monitoring and evaluation

10. Reporting Scheme – specifies the schedule for reporting the finances and progress of the project

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 Project Proposal
PARTS OF A PROJECT PROPOSAL:
11. Conclusion – briefly describes the project, the problem it addresses, and its benefits to all stakeholders
through a summary
- directs readers ack to the good features of the project
- urges readers to contact the proponent to work out the details of the project proposal

12. References – lists all the references used in drafting the project proposal using the format required by
the funding agency

36
 Guidelines in Preparing for a Project Proposal:
1. Decide what the problem is and prepare a rough idea on how this problem can be addressed.
2. Develop or select a framework that will help you organize your ideas systematically.
3. Identify your specific activities, outputs, resources, and methodologies.
4. Build your project proposal team and appoint a project leader who is responsible for coordinating
activities and communicating with the funding agency.
5. Identify the organization that will probably fund your project. These can be government agencies, non-
governmental organizations, private companies and foundations, and international funding agencies.

37
 Guidelines in Preparing for a Project Proposal:
6. Hold an initial meeting with your team to discuss the plans in preparing the project proposal.
7. Allot sufficient time for planning.
8. Involve all the team members by assigning specific responsibilities to them.
9. Be realistic with your project proposal. Make sure that your objectives and activities are within the
given
time and resources.
10. Contact the funding agency if some items and requirements are not clear to you.
11. Always put yourself in the shoes of the receiver of the project proposal.

38
 Guidelines in Writing a Project Proposal:
1. The title page must be unnumbered, but it is considered page i; the back page of the title page is
unnumbered as well; but it is considered page ii. The abstract, which follows after the title page, is
considered page 1 and must already be numbered.
2. Do not use abbreviations in the title page.
3. Attach the curriculum vitae of the personnel who are part of the team.
4. In the project implementation section, use a Gantt chart for presenting the timeframe.
5. Write the abstract only after you have completed the report.
6. Study other successful proposals that are similar to yours.
7. Be factual but use technical terms sparingly.
8. Choose a reader-friendly format.
9. Use action words to make your proposal more dynamic.

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 5

Position Paper
 Position Paper
Position Paper is a type of academic writing that presents one's stand or viewpoint on a particular
issue. The main objective of writing a position paper is to take part in a larger debate by stating
your arguments and proposed course of action.

PARTS OF A POSITION PAPER:

1. Introduction - Uses a lead that grabs the attention of readers.
- Defines the issue and provide a thorough background.
- Provides a general statement of your position through a thesis statement.

2. Body - States your main arguments and provide sufficient evidence (e.g., statistics, interviews with experts,
and testimonies) for each argument.
- Provides counterarguments against possible weaknesses of your arguments.

3. Conclusion - Restates your position and main arguments.

- Suggests a course of action.
- Explains why your position is better than any other position.
- Ends with a powerful closing statement (e.g., a quotation, a challenge, or a question).
 Position Paper
CHOOSING AN ISSUE:

1. The issue should be debatable. You cannot take any position if the topic is not debatable.
2. The issue should be current and relevant.
3. The issue should be written in a question form and answerable by yes or no.
4. The issue should be specific and manageable.
 Guidelines in Writing a Position Paper:
1. Begin the writing process with an in-depth research about the issue at hand.
2. Be aware of the various positions about the issue and explain and analyze them objectively.
3. Reflect on your position and identify its weaknesses.
4. Establish your credibility by citing reliable sources.
5. Present a unique way of approaching the issue.
6. Limit your position paper to two pages.
7. Analyze your target readers and align your arguments to their beliefs, needs, interests, and motivations.
8. Summarize the other side's counterarguments and refute them with evidence.
 Guidelines in Writing a Position Paper:
9. Define unfamiliar terms at first mention.
10. Use an active voice as much as possible. This will make your tone dynamic and firm.
11. Arrange your evidence logically using an inductive or deductive approach.
12. Check your paper for fallacies and revise accordingly.
13. Use ethical, logical, and emotional appeals. Ethical appeals relate to your credibility and competence as
writer; logical appeal refers to the rational approach in developing an argument; emotional appeals pertain
to feelings evoked during arguments. Make sure to check your appeals to ensure that they are not
fallacious.