Academic Writing for Doctoral Students

Learning Outcomes

Competences

At the end of the module/unit the learner will have acquired the responsibility and autonomy to:

• Consider intercultural and/or interdisciplinary differences in academic writing.
• Argue effectively through a selected position and through a specific perspective while remaining in focus of the study undertaken.
• Source, analyse, and synthesize relevant and appropriate scholarly texts expertly, whilst correctly using references and citations without plagiarism.
• Write effectively appropriate to audience, purpose, and genre to communicate own expertise.
• Apply the conventions, language, and principles of academic writing in one’s own field with the expected standards of linguistic ability such as correct punctuation, spelling, grammar, syntax, referencing and citation conventions.
• Produce new insights and original work contributing to the field of Study with scope for dissemination of new knowledge and further research.
• Write a variety of clear, well-structured, extended academic texts for publishing in the field of Business Administration.

Knowledge:

At the end of the module/unit the learner will have been exposed to the following:

1. Consider intercultural and/or interdisciplinary differences in academic writing

• Understand Academic Writing at the doctoral level.
• Identify features, components, and common types of academic writing at the doctoral level.
• Determine the scope of doctoral study; Standards and expectations.
• Structure Arguments – paying attention to the mechanics of supporting an argument.
• Recognise and pay attention to clarity and voice; style and stylistics; register and rhetoric Operate effectively the mechanics of Writing – Writing resources, Word choices and Grammar, Line and focus, Terseness and concise discourse.
• Identify Biased Language and positions.
• Formulate the Research Question.
• Identify Research Gaps.
• Work with Scale: Breadth and depth.
• Structure Content and Flow: Linearity and focus.

2. Argue effectively through a selected position and through a specific perspective while remaining in focus of the study undertaken.

• Analyse Academic Texts as research.
• Source adequate information.
• Locate, evaluate, and use academic sources.
• Identify an author’s main claims and supporting points.
• Distinguish voices and viewpoints.
• Distinguish between examples/illustrations and main points.
• Articulate and assess an author’s thesis, purposes, audiences, contexts, bias, and credibility.
• Draw conclusions about the effectiveness of an author’s writing strategies.
• Support arguments with textual evidence.

3. Source, analyse, and synthesize relevant and appropriate scholarly texts expertly whilst correctly using references and citations without plagiarism.

• Paraphrase, and summarize ideas.
• Retain argument thrust.
• Restate/paraphrase author’s thesis.
• Support an external source through one’s own voice and words.
• Reduce text to main ideas in logical, fluent paragraphs with transitional elements.
• Use appropriate grammar – third person, present tense, and assertive verbs.
• Avoid personal judgment.
• Ascribe ideas to author.
• Reference Academic Texts.
• Document, cite, and reference correctly.
• Signal and integrate basic quotes.
• Apply the identified Reference Style/s correctly : Formatting, Structure and Heading Levels a) Citations: Primary and Second-hand Citations b) Quoting and referencing c) Accurate referencing formats d) Originality and Plagiarism · Avoid plagiarism – institutional policy, procedures, and guidelines
• Submit assignments via online learning platform and anti-plagiarism tools

4. Write effectively appropriate to audience, purpose, and genre to communicate own expertise.

• Effectively apply the Writing Process.
• Write clear and appropriate statements.
• Organise and adapt texts appropriately for genre, purpose, and audience.
• Observe appropriate mechanics, usage, grammar, and spelling.
• Effectively use an Academic Writing Style versus Writing readily understood text.
• Use electronic environments to draft, revise, edit, and share or publish texts.

5. Apply the conventions, language, and principles of academic writing in one’s own field with the expected standards of linguistic ability such as correct punctuation, spelling, grammar, syntax, referencing and citation conventions that meet the standards of a doctoral thesis

• Proofread and edit own work effectively.
• Undrerstanding concepts of Proofreading a) Copyediting b) Correcting drafts c) Reviewing
• Review reports, case studies and literature reviews.
• Write reports and essays.
• Examine Case Studies and the structure of writing a case study.
• Compile a Literature Review.
• Edit and review text – providing constructive feedback.

Designing and reporting Surveys, Interviews, Questionnaires.

• Review the Design of Questionnaires and interviewing Sheets: a). Language and Content b)  Psychology, Design and Structure.
• Define and select purposeful method/s of data collection: Interview, Survey, Questionnaires.
• Formulate Interviews, Questionnaires, and Surveys.
• Collate interview, survey, and questionnaire data.
• Analyse and present data.
• Refer to and quote survey and questionnaire data.
• Reference data

Writing Logic

• Examine Qualitative and Quantitative Discourse and Dialectic.
• Explore different Research Methodologies.

Examine the process of Argumentation

• Logic, Reason and Critical Approaches.
• Thinking Skills and Perspective.
• Position and standing.
• Thrust and direction

6. Produce new insights and original work contributing to the field of study with scope for dissemination of new knowledge and further research

• Understand the structure and mechanics of Writing a Doctoral thesis and Academic Papers.
• Outline components and major sections of a Doctoral Thesis. o General Formatting and Structure: Headings, Parts, Chapters and Sub-Chapters.
• Outline components and major sections of Academic and Research Papers.

Understand the process of pitching an Academic Paper

• Scope, direction, thrust.
• Relevance, value, and contribution.

Understanding the function and structure of Academic Papers for:

• Presentations, Seminars, Symposia.
• Conference Academic Papers for publication

7. Write a variety of clear, well-structured, extended academic texts for publishing in the field of Business Administration.

Produce publishable work.

• Write clear and appropriate statements.
• Organise and adapt texts appropriately for genre, purpose and audience.
• Observe appropriate language mechanics and usage, grammar, and spelling.
• Work within publisher guidelines and templates.
• Focus on topic and balance the discussion.
• Produce originality and new perspectives ensuring temporal relevance to context and contemporary issues.
• Identify scope for future research Examining Journals and other Publications.
• Identify and examine the Journal to be published in.
• Understand Journal requirements and direction.
• Write according to Journal expectations.
• Understand the process of getting a paper published.
• Editing, Editor, Publisher and Copyright Issues.
• Timing issues in publications: waiting for approval and feedback.

Skills:

At the end of the module/unit the learner will have acquired the following skills:

• Produce logical and coherent arguments and evidence to support the claims.
• Use credible and diverse evidence and incorporate sources from others appropriately using advised referencing style.
• Use electronic environments to draft, revise, edit, and share or publish texts.
• Distinguish voices and viewpoints, whilst discriminating between examples/illustrations and main points.
• Assess an author’s thesis, purposes, audiences, contexts, bias, and credibility whilst drawing conclusions about the effectiveness of an author’s writing strategies.
• Paraphrase and summarize text to main ideas in logical, fluent paragraphs with transitional elements.
• Compose clear and appropriate texts according to genre, purpose and audience, whilst observing appropriate language mechanics expected in academic writing.
• Structure and format a Ph.D. Thesis into parts, chapters and sub-chapters using headings correctly.
• Reference, cite and quote correctly.
• Create original work and avoid plagiarizing.
• Devise reporting surveys, interviews, questionnaires.
• Engage in appropriate qualitative and quantitative discourse and dialectic making clear thrust and direction of studies.
• Outline academic and research papers for presentations, seminars, symposia and conferences.
• Produce publications for journals, reviews and dissemination in general.

Judgment Skills and Critical Abilities:

• The learners will be able to evaluate their own work and the work of other.

Module-Specific Communication Skills:

• The learner will be able to communicate effectively through writing by making the right language choices adequate for context, genre and audience.

Module-Specific Digital Skills and Competences:

1. The learner will be able to navigate through the online learning platform to find assignments, discussion boards, literature, tutorials etc.