Welcome back! Fall 2013 Edition

jjpacres / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND

Welcome back students (or just welcome, if you're a new MALS or ASGC student)! Now that you've survived your first week of classes, perhaps you've had time to look through those course syllabi and start getting an idea of all the different types of writing you'll be doing this semester. Once your head has stopped spinning at the thought of all that reading and writing (you can do it!!), check out the following links to help you get your semester of academic writing off to a great start.

MALS Online Writing Assistance
The MALS Writing Center has lots of online assistance available to help you with the writing process. Besides calling on your trusty writing consultant, don't forget to check out www.malswritingcenter.info for information on specific types of graduate-level writing, to Turabian style tips, to what to make of your professor's comments on your papers.

Writing Strategies
These posts from the blog Explorations of Style feature the author's "five key strategies for improving academic writing," which I think are a great to place to start, or just review, your academic writing habits: Reverse Outlines, Paragraphs, Transitions, Verbs, and Subjects.

Make Yourself Clear
Clear writing can be difficult to achieve, especially if you're new to graduate-level writing and all the concepts and ideas you'll need to communicate in your papers. Learn how to be concise in this handout from UNC's Writing Center, and read my thoughts on the topic in this previous blog post on sentence clarity.

Mini Resource Roundup: Writing Tips

I really enjoy reading the blog Explorations of Style, by Rachael Cayley, for all of the author's wonderful insights on writing. Because she works with graduate student writers, the topics she tackles in her blog often tie directly to the types of writing conundrums MALS students face. Which is why I've decided to share three of her recent posts here today!

Voice
I think most of us are familiar with voice in literature—if you have a favorite novelist, you could probably identify a sample of his or her writing without a name attached because it just sounds like that author. Many graduate student writers struggle with making their own voices heard among all the research they're citing as evidence. Check out this Explorations of Style post to learn about how to include your own voice in your academic writing.

Parallelism
Most of us have seen this marked on our papers at one time or another. This can be a tricky mistake to spot and fix in your own writing, but parallel structure in lists is so important for clarity. Here, Cayley offers three ways to fix a rather complex sentence that lacks parallel construction.

But of course!
In this post, Cayley illustrates how using phrases like "of course" can clarify your writing, but she also offers alternatives for when saying "of course" might make you sound rather, ahem, too sure of yourself.

Resource Roundup: End-of-semester Miscellaneous Edition

Nenyaki / Foter.com / CC BY-ND

This edition of the Resource Roundup features a variety of unrelated writing topics, which might be just right for you if you're feeling a little scattered at the end of the semester. There should be something in here to help you push through those last few papers—enjoy!

Punctuation
There is no more confusing punctuation mark than the humble comma, except for, perhaps, its cousin the semicolon. Used inappropriately, these tiny marks can completely obscure or change the meaning of your sentence. Learn about how to use commas here (be sure to check out the additional pages from the lefthand sidebar), and more about semicolons here.

Interdisciplinarity
If you have a few free minutes (or if you don't, but can't bear to type another word), have a listen to this interview with all-around interdisciplinary guy Edward Tufte. He has some interesting things to say about asking questions (food for thought for researchers and writers), and some great insights on taking a multi-disciplinary approach to life and learning.

Writing Groups
I know, I know—it's the end of the semester and the last thing on your mind is joining a writing group. And you don't even have time for one during the semester. Still, I encourage you to check out these two links (here and here) with info on the benefits of writing groups, and consider that a summer-time writing group might just be a great way to stay in practice over the break, improve last semester's seminar papers, and even get started on material that could later be used in your thesis or project support paper. Just something to think about!

Tips for seminar papers 
Sometimes graduate student writers seem hesitant to take a clear stance in their papers. Remember that a seminar paper is (in most cases) a paper that presents the writer's argument, research and sources that support that argument, and evidence that the writer argues against. Don't be afraid to clearly state your claim! After all, the purpose of your writing the paper is to add to the academic discussion about your topic, so you should be saying something different and new that other researchers have not explicitly said before. Here are some tips for addressing your audience, making an argument, and more about seminar papers.

As always, please get in touch if you'd like additional assistance with these or any other topics as you finish up your writing assignments for the semester! ~ Lahla

Writing tips: Sentence clarity

Make your writing clear as a bell!

cogdogblog / Foter.com / CC BY-SA

In my work as your MALS Writing Consultant, I have come across a few writing errors that almost all writers seem to make at some point. I'd like to tackle those on the blog occasionally, and give you some tips about how to avoid them. Here, I bring you two errors that are major culprits in the muddling of otherwise good writing, and sure to get your papers marked "CLARIFY!"

• The dreaded "this"—The word "this" certainly has its place in the English language, but 

often its use leads to ambiguity in graduate level writing. Think about how you use "this" in speech. For example, at a restaurant you might say, "I'll have this sandwich," while pointing at a menu item so the waiter can see which sandwich you're talking about. If he can't see where you're pointing, "this" is a meaningless indicator. The same is true in writing. 

When you refer to an idea from a previous sentence with the word "this," you must tell your reader what "this" is. It's especially important to do so in graduate-level, interdisciplinary writing, because the concepts presented in the sentence to which "this" refers may be quite complex and encompass several ideas. 

If you write a sentence that says, "This is important because . . ." I may have no idea what is important. So, saying something as simple as "This area of interdisciplinary study is important because. . ." can help your reader say, "Oh yeah, she was just talking about a certain area of interdisciplinary study, and this sentence is going to tell me more about it." 

• Beware long, convoluted sentences—For interdisciplinary writers who are consulting multiple types of sources from multiple disciplines to come to new conclusions, it can be hard be brief. Sure, many of your sentences are going to be long and complex—complex sentences linking multiple concepts are a mark of advanced writing—but they must be coherent. 

Read sections of your paper aloud to help you identify overly complicated sentences (they'll usually sound that way when you hear them). Remember that it’s your job as a writer to distill the information from sources and your own conclusions into something your reader can understand. Sometimes you can fix really long sentences by simply breaking them into multiple sentences, but sometimes a long, confusing sentence is the result of really not understanding your source material. Check in with yourself to make sure you understand the concept, then try writing the simplest sentence possible ("Interdisciplinarity involves multiple disciplines."), and elaborate from there.

Your trusty writing consultant can help you identify these writing problems and give you more feedback on solving them—just contact me for a consultation!

Happy writing,

~Lahla

Resource Roundup: Research Edition

Research is a little more streamlined these days...

starmanseries / Foter.com / CC BY

In one of my previous posts, I gave you some pointers on getting started with the writing process, which were probably only helpful IF you had already done all your research. So, what if you're having trouble finding the sources to help you make your argument (and to argue against)? Here are some basic tips for getting started with the research process (in the form of our Resource Roundup):

Library Love

• ETSU's Charles C. Sherrod Library provides this valuable link, with tutorials on how to get started with library searches. Even if you're a pro at searching databases and the stacks, viewing some of these tutorials could give you just the refresher course you need to get the most out of your queries.

• From how to determine the physical location of a book in the library to how to vet a Web source, this "How do I..." page on the Sherrod Library site has answers to important research questions. Be sure to check out the "Find Refereed Journals" link, which has tips for determining what counts as a scholarly or refereed journal and a list of databases and search tips specific to them.

• Don't forget about the public library! The Johnson City Public Library has two resources that I think can be particularly useful to MALS students (and of course, you may find more):

The Tennessee Room houses regional and state historical materials, as well as Tennessee geneaology materials. You can find census and other data here, as well. (Primary sources!!)

Whether you're doing research about grant-giving organizations, or looking for a grant to complete your research project, the JCPL's Foundation Center Cooperating Collection is a wonderful (free) resource.

General Internet and Other Research Tips

• Don't get stuck on the terminology you've created or have gotten used to using. Think of synonyms, other terminology that has shown up in your research, and even the opposite of the topic you're researching. Get help with synonyms and antonyms on sites like thesaurus.com.

 • Google Scholar now offers anyone with an Internet connection access to peer-reviewed articles. You can also search for legal documents. Of course, you'll want to double check to make sure anything you find here meets the requirements for scholarly research (check this list), and ensure all citation information is available and accurate.

• Check the bibliographies of sources you've already found! If you're reading something crucial to your topic, chances are the writer of that work has consulted other works that will also be useful to you.

Keep It Together

• Manage your research and make a good plan for staying organized with this information.

• If you need further help with the research process (brainstorming search terms, developing a plan, etc.), please contact me for a consultation!

• Do you have tips for streamlining the research process, or have favorite resources that yield great results? Share them on our Facebook page!

Resource Roundup for Friday, March 1

Image from office.microsoft.com

Every now and then I’ll post a Resource Roundup here on the blog. It will feature links to articles, podcasts, and other sources useful or interesting to MALS students in your writing and research, plus tips for your current writing assignments. Here’s the first installment:

Writing mechanics tips

• Having trouble with sentence clarity? This handout from the Purdue Online Writing Center (OWL) can help. (Includes help with passive voice, parallel constructions, and transitions.) 

• For help deciphering your prof's comments on your papers, check out this MALS Writing Center link, as well as this Purdue OWL link for fixing the problems. 

• Eek! You're at the library and your copy of Turabian is at home. This quick guide comes to the rescue in a pinch. 

Good links

• Here's another argument (and some tips) for developing strong writing skills.

• This article talks about the benefits of the undergrad on-campus experience, but I think being on campus and getting involved is important for grad students, too. (Join a writing group! Check in with your writing consultant! Go to the library!) 

• Virginia Tech offers an interdisciplinary doctoral program called ASPECT. 

• This blog post poses some interesting questions about interdisciplinary research in the sciences—it reminded me of the topics some of you are covering in Joe Moran's Interdisciplinarity. What are your answers to the author's questions?

Ready, set, WRITE!

Image from http://office.microsoft.com/

Whether you’re a natural procrastinator or someone who likes to get the work finished a week ahead of time, there are always those times when you just can’t get started. If you’re like me (a terrible procrastinator, or, as I prefer to say, one who works best on a deadline), you’re always thinking, “I’ll start...later!” No matter your stage in your graduate writing career, getting started on your writing assignment—from an article summary to a thesis—can be the hardest part of the process.

You’re watching the clock tick, beginning to panic, thinking, “Time is running out!” And yet, you cannot seem to put the proverbial pen to paper. Maybe you don’t know where to start because you’re confused by the assignment, or you haven’t written an academic paper in a while, or the task at hand just seems too big and daunting.

My approach to the can’t-get-started conundrum is to just do SOMETHING. Anything. I always liked to start my papers by putting together my works cited page first. (Of course, this requires having already done your research, but that is a topic for another post!) You have to have a works cited page, so you’re doing important work, but it doesn’t require you to analyze and create complex sentences. It does, however, require you to sit at the computer and start typing, which is a great place to be—especially if you were previously banging your head against the wall and, well, doing nothing. 

Once I drag myself to the computer, I find that I’m literally in a position to keep going. I also like to do an outline (in pencil) to sketch out my thoughts and see how they link together. There are all kinds of “getting started” exercises out there (several good ones are here on the Writing Center Web site, and more about the writing process here)—just find the one that works for you and BEGIN!

Of course, MALS students can always contact me for help getting started on an assignment, or finishing up, or any point in between!

Happy writing!
~Lahla

His, hers, and theirs: Let's come to some (pronoun) agreement

Hello! I'm Lahla Deakins, your new MALS Writing Consultant. I am a 2008 graduate of the MALS program, and am very excited to get to read your interdisciplinary research! In addition to my work as your trusty writing consultant, I have a small business in Knoxville, where I teach pottery lessons and sell my own pottery. But enough about me! Let's talk grammar, shall we?

I know, I know—grammar can seem a dry topic, but don't click away from this post just yet. I'm willing to bet that many of you have scratched your heads over the same grammar rule I've been pondering. Until recently, I hadn't questioned this rule at all—once I learned it, it really stuck with me, and I took comfort in this certainty: 

Don't use a plural pronoun with a singular antecedent!

In other words... 

NEVER: "Someone left their plate on the table." 

ALWAYS: "Someone left his or her plate on the table." 

Sure, if you are speaking this sentence aloud to your family members, one of whom has failed to deliver a plate to the dishwasher after dinner, you're probably not going to use the latter sentence. But when you are writing (probably not to your family members), you won't want to use "their" (which is plural) to refer to "someone" (which is singular)! Now, I have certainly caught myself typing "their" when I should have typed "one's" or "his or her," but I usually catch the mistake in my proofreading. 

Or is it a mistake? 

Since I've lately come across a few examples of pronoun disagreement, I went in search of a grammar blog post or some other online resource to illustrate the rule. But lo and behold, I found many (many!) grammar and language blog posts and web sites in FAVOR of the singular "they" or "their"! Why? It seems that many of these bloggers feel it's time for a shift in grammar rules to reflect the way people really use "they" and "their." This one argues that since we wouldn't say "his or her" in regular speech, we shouldn't have to write it, either. And of course, there is the argument that "they" offers a gender-neutral option that is more concise than "he or she."

But I'm not going to direct you to any more sources in favor of the singular "they" for two reasons:

1) I went right to one of the most important sources (for MALS students, anyway!), Dr. LeRoy-Frazier. When I asked for her thoughts on the use of the singular "they," she sent me an e-mail that read, in part, "NO NO NO NO NO!!!!" Do you really need a better reason to stick with traditional pronoun agreement in your academic writing? You can find the rule illustrated here on the Purdue Online Writing Lab, or check out this Grammar Girl post to learn how to either re-write your sentence to avoid the problem, or just fix it. Also, Paul Brians' web site on usage errors has this helpful entry on the topic.

2) Why should we ignore a grammar rule in our academic writing simply because we don't use it in regular speech? We say all kinds of things that we wouldn't write down in an assignment and hand in to a professor! So what if, "When someone writes a blog post about grammar, he or she should be sure of the rule about which he or she writes," sounds a little stuffy when read aloud? I want to sound much smarter in my academic writing than I do when I chat on the phone with my friend. 

Of course, as MALS students and interdisciplinary writers, we want our writing to be thoughtful and inclusive, and certainly not sexist. Dr. LeRoy-Frazier shares this bit of wisdom on the topic: "I understand that some see [the singular 'they'] as a means of negotiating the tricky matter of gender-neutral reference, but it’s quite inelegant. If we stretch ourselves a bit, we can always find ways to preserve the grammaticality of a sentence without resorting to the 'universal he'—by using 's/he,' for example, or by alternating references to 'she' and 'he.'"  

So, there's no need to make every ambiguous subject a "he," no need to throw out a perfectly good grammar rule, and no reason at all why you shouldn't sound smart in your academic writing! 

Do you have questions about a particular aspect of writing or research? Please share them with me! Until then, happy writing! 

~Lahla