Samples of written work

How to Draft an Academic Paper

ana.lacerda@mail.utoronto.ca — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 16:02:34 +0000

How to Draft an Academic Paper ana.lacerda@ma… Tue, 07/16/2024 - 12:02

Skills Categories:

Academic writing, English language

Skills Keywords:

Grammar, Literature reviews, Samples of written work, Vocabulary, Writing process

This Resource Page will help you:

Learn the steps in drafting an academic paper or standalone literature review.

Roadmap presenting the fours steps to prepare a literature review or academic paper and indicating you are now in step 4, part 1, writing the draft.

Introduction

Note: the instructions on this page focus on the following types of academic papers: research papers and standalone literature reviews.

Drafting an academic paper involves three main steps:

Understanding the general structure of the text genre (e.g., research paper, literature review, etc.)
Creating an outline
Drafting/writing the paper

We will look at each of these stages in detail.

Step 1: Understand the Structure of Academic Papers

Research Papers

These papers typically focus on the results of original research. This is their structure:

Introduction

Here you give the background information on your topic, include a problem statement, briefly contextualize your topic in the literature, and outline your objective/thesis statement/research questions.

To learn more, check How to Write Introductions.

Literature Review

This is sometimes included in the Introduction for academic journal articles. Here you review the relevant literature on the topic before eventually identifying a gap that your study aims to fill.

To learn more, check What is a Literature Review? and How to Prepare a Literature Review.

Methods

Here you give details on your research design, participants, data collection procedures, data analysis techniques, etc. (i.e. how you conducted your research).

Findings/Results

This is where you share the findings of your research, often organized into themes. In more quantitative papers, you will find tables and charts in this section, while qualitative studies will have a lot of participants’ quotes in this section.

Discussion

In this section, you generally zoom out to discuss the meaning of the findings altogether, their connections to the previous literature, and the ultimate answers to your research questions. This section will take on a more narrative style than the numbers and charts found in the quantitative Results section and more analysis of participants' perspectives in qualitative texts.

Conclusion

Finally, you summarize the key points and then discuss larger implications in the Conclusion. This is where writers often include the study’s limitations, areas for future research, and recommendations for practice.

To learn more, check How to Write Conclusions.

Standalone Literature Reviews

These papers are based on secondary sources. The entire paper is a literature review and the data is the literature itself. This is their structure:

Introduction

Much like in Academic Papers, give the reader an overview of the topic and the rationale or objective of the Literature Review, ending with the research questions. If you need to give more background information than there is room for in the Intro, you can create separate background sections to follow the Intro.

To learn more, check How to Write Introductions.

Methods

Because the entire paper is a Literature Review, we don’t need a separate Literature Review section here. Thus, jump straight to the Methods, including information on the retrieval of relevant studies (databases, key words), inclusion and exclusion criteria (limits on date of publication, topic, text type, etc.), and then briefly introduce the studies that you did include and the categories that you will use to organize them in your Literature Review.

Findings/Results

This section looks like the Literature Review section of the Academic Paper, except here the literature IS your data. You can, again, organize this section by theme and outline the focus, methods, and results of each study before comparing, contrasting, integrating, and critiquing them.

Discussion

Zoom out and look at your ‘findings’ all together. How have they answered your research questions? What are the similarities that you found in the literature? Any unresolved debates? Any remaining gaps and areas for future research? You will continue to do comparison, contrast, synthesis and critique here, but now across all your themes instead of one-by-one.

Conclusion

Quickly highlight the key takeaways from your Literature Review before focusing on larger implications, recommendations, predictions, etc. You can also discuss the limitations of your own Literature Review here (as opposed to the limitations of the literature in general, which fits into the Discussion above).

To learn more, check How to Write Conclusions.

To learn more about Literature Reviews, check What is a Literature Review? and How to Prepare a Literature Review.

Other Types of Academic Papers

Here are some Resource Pages of other text types that you will probably find in your courses at С��Ƶ, so take a look for their specific organizational patterns:

Step 2: Create an Outline

Always start with an outline before drafting your paper – it will make your drafting and revising phases much easier.

Beyond just creating an outline for the main sections of your paper (described in the section above), try to develop a more detailed outline that shows different sub-headings, points, and supporting arguments within each section.

Consult your outline continually during the writing process and check it again at the completion of a rough draft to make sure you included all relevant and important points. At the same time, keep in mind that your outline will evolve during the writing process as you read more, come up with new ideas, and drop old ones, so some flexibility with your outline is also advised.

Here is an example of a detailed outline of a research paper.

Step 3: Draft / Write

In the drafting/writing process, the order that you write in depends on you.

Some people like to start at the beginning (Intro) and then write in the same order as the outline until the Conclusion. Others prefer starting with the main findings and then writing out from there, jumping around to write different sections and sometimes even ending with the Introduction once all the details are filled in. Try experimenting with different approaches to see which writing sequence works best for you.

The following Resource Pages give some guidance on the writing process, starting with the most basic level of the paragraph:

Next, these Resource Pages can help you draft different sections of your paper, from Introductions to Literature Reviews to Conclusions.

When zooming in on specific sections or paragraphs of your paper, these Resource Pages describe more mechanical aspects such as communicating directly to your readers, using transitions, attending to flow, and bringing out your own voice in the writing:

Beyond your own voice, these last Resource Pages give instruction on how to integrate other articles and texts into your writing as well as how to use APA style:

Example of a Standalone Literature Review

Literature Review (student sample) (366.38 KB, PDF)

This is a full literature review paper written by an С��Ƶ student on the topic of Computer-mediated Communication (CMC) and Written Corrective Feedback (WCF) in Writing Centers (WC). Throughout the paper, you will find several annotations. Yellow annotations refer to the structure of the paper, its content and how ideas are developed. Purple annotations refer to writing elements and language elements (e.g., paragraphs, paraphrases, summaries, quotes, stance and voice, cohesion, etc.).

Help & Additional Resources

Related Resource Pages on ASH

On Campus Services

Assignment Samples & Examples

sitesuper — Mon, 01 May 2023 20:25:22 +0000

Assignment Samples & Examples sitesuper Mon, 05/01/2023 - 16:25

Skills Keywords:

Samples of written work

Here you can find the complete list of all the student assignment samples as well as practical tools and examples that are hyperlinked as PDF, Word or Excel files across Resource Pages.

Assignment Samples

Literature Review (student sample) (366.38 KB, PDF)

This assignment sample is hyperlinked in the following Resource Pages:

Experiential Reflection (student sample) (98.25 KB, PDF)

This is an experiential reflection assignment written by С��Ƶ student Hongyu Chen about their observations of a Mandarin language class and language teaching methodologies.

This assignment sample is available the following Resource Pages:

Annotated Bibliography (student sample) (54.13 KB, PDF)

These are two examples of annotated bibliographies with slightly different structures.

These examples are illustrated and hyperlinked in the following Resource Page:

Research Proposal (Student Sample) (110.27 KB, PDF)

This is a research proposal paper written by an С��Ƶ student on the relationships between textual production, student collaboration and social networking sites. Hover over the highlighted parts to find annotations and comments about the structure and content of this research proposal.

This assignment sample is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page:

How to Write a Research Proposal Paper

Assignment Instructions & Rubrics

Assignment Instructions (sample with student notes) (675.79 KB, PDF)

This is a set of instructions for a final paper with notes written by an С��Ƶ student. The notes show you the process of understanding and planning the assignment on the student’s part.

This sample is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page:

How to Understand & Plan Assignments

Annotated Bibliography Rubric (sample) (133.88 KB, PDF)

This is a rubric for an Annotated Bibliography assignment that shows the professor’s expectations and evaluation criteria. Students can use these evaluation criteria as guidelines when working on the assignment.

This rubric is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page:

How to Understand & Plan Assignments

Quantitative Research Proposal (Instructor's Guidelines) (222.05 KB, PDF)

These are detailed guidelines on how to prepare a quantitative research proposal. Adapted from the course APD2293 “Interpretation of Educational Research”.

These guidelines are hyperlinked in the following Resource Page:

How to Write a Research Proposal Paper

Useful Tools to Plan Assignments

Assignment Plan (template) (20.04 KB, Word)

Download this template and use it when planning your work for an assignment.

This template is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page:

How to Understand & Plan Assignments

Research Proposal (student's preliminary notes) (91.11 KB, PDF)

This is an example of how to start planning and thinking about your research proposal assignment. You will find a student’s notes and ideas about their research proposal topic - "Perspectives on Textual Production, Student Collaboration, and Social Networking Sites”.

This example is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page:

How to Write a Research Proposal Paper

Useful Tools to Search & Organize Sources

Literature Search Plan (template) (595.84 KB, Word)

Download this template and use it to brainstorm keywords for core concepts and related terms when searching sources for your assignment.

This template is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page:

How to Find Sources for Assignments

Tracking your Searches (template) (18.97 KB, Word)

Download this template and use it to keep track of your library searches when looking for sources for your assignment. At the top, you’ll find an example of how to use the template.

This template is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page:

How to Find Sources for Assignments

Organizing Bibliographic Information of Sources (template) (16.46 KB, application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet)

Download this template spreadsheet and use it to record and organize the bibliographic information of the sources you found. It will help you keep track of the sources collected. At the top, you’ll find an example of how to use this spreadsheet.

This template is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page:

How to Organize Literature

Organizing Notes about Sources (template) (17.25 KB, application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet)

Download this template spreadsheet and use it to record and organize the key information of the sources you found + your notes about the relevant points from each source after reading them. It will help you when you analyze your sources and need to develop ideas for your assignment. At the top, you’ll find an example of how to use this spreadsheet.

This template is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page:

How to Organize Literature

Useful Tools to Analyze Sources & Develop your Ideas

The examples and templates below are linked in the following Resource Page:

How to Analyze Literature and Develop Ideas for my Literature Review

Analyzing Sources (example) (18.96 KB, application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet)

Download this spreadsheet for an example of how you can summarize findings and record your analysis for each source you’ve read. The research topic in this example is assessment practices of online mathematics and statistics courses at the undergraduate level, with a focus on students’ and instructors’ perspectives. You can first browse the overall information of the example sources and pay attention to the final two columns for findings and critical analysis.

Organizing your Ideas: Table (example) (21.06 KB, Word)

This is an example of how to use a table to organize your ideas and visualize the connections among them. These will become the points to include in your assignment.

Organizing your Ideas: Concept Map (example) (21.38 KB, Word)

This is an example of how to use a concept map to organize your ideas and visualize the connections among them. These will become the points to include in your assignment.

Organizing your Ideas: Matrix (example) (81.5 KB, PDF)

This is an example of how to use a literature review matrix to organize your ideas and visualize the connections among them. These will become the points to include in your assignment.

Organizing your Ideas: Outline (example) (22.86 KB, Word)

This is an example of how to use an outline to organize your ideas and visualize the connections among them. These will become the points to include in your assignment.

Writing Strategies

Paragraph Structure (example) (14.85 KB, Word)

For users with accessibility needs: this example shows a well-structured paragraph featuring three main elements: a topic sentence, supporting statements and a conclusion or transition sentence.

You can find this example as an image in the following Resource Page:

What are Paragraphs

Paragraph Structure using Sandwich Strategy (example) (61.78 KB, PDF)

For users with accessibility needs: this example shows the structure of a paragraph using the sandwich strategy.

You can find this example as an image in the following Resource Page:

How to Write Paragraphs

Using Different Voices in a Paragraph (example) (14.01 KB, Word)

For users with accessibility needs: this example shows how different voices are used within a paragraph.

You can find this example as an image in the following Resource Page:

What are Stance & Voice and How to Apply them in Academic Writing

Stance & Voice Paragraph (example) (76.27 KB, PDF)

This example with annotations shows how a student writer takes a stance and shifts between voices in a paragraph about Mathematics programs.

This example is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page:

What are Stance & Voice and How to Apply them in Academic Writing

Reverse outline (example) (48.14 KB, PDF)

This example with annotations shows how a student revised a paper section by identifying the key points to make sure they flow logically.

This example is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page:

Revising, Editing & Proofreading

Editing for Concision (example) (84.5 KB, PDF)

This example shows how to use concision strategies in a paragraph.

This example is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page:

Revising, Editing & Proofreading

Editing, revising and proofreading a paper (student sample) (91.3 KB, PDF)

This example with annotations shows how a student revised, edited and proofread the introduction paragraph of a paper on language policies in Beijing.

This example is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page:

Revising, Editing & Proofreading

Learning Strategies

Note-taking in class (student sample) (62.71 KB, PDF)

This sample shows a student’s notes during a lecture about the topic “Assessments in online mathematics courses in the post-secondary context”.

This sample is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page:

How to Take Notes in Class

Note-taking in class (student sample - expanded version) (67.21 KB, PDF)

This sample shows how a student reviewed, consolidated and organized their notes after class. These notes refer to a lecture about the topic “Assessments in online mathematics courses in the post-secondary context”.

This sample is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page:

How to Take Notes in Class

Cornell Note-taking method (student sample) (61.6 KB, PDF)

This sample shows a student’s notes of an academic article using the Cornell system.

This sample is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page:

How to Take Notes of Readings

Outlining Note-taking method (student sample) (83.69 KB, PDF)

This sample shows a student’s notes of an academic article using the outline method.

This sample is hyperlinked in the following Resource Page:

How to Take Notes of Readings

Mind Map Note-taking method (student sample) (179.66 KB, PDF)

For users with accessibility needs: this sample shows a student’s notes of an academic article using the mindmap method.

You can find this example as an image in the following Resource Page:

How to Take Notes of Readings

Samples of written work

How to Draft an Academic Paper

Table of Contents

This Resource Page will help you:

Introduction

Step 1: Understand the Structure of Academic Papers

Research Papers

Standalone Literature Reviews

Other Types of Academic Papers

Step 2: Create an Outline

Step 3: Draft / Write

Example of a Standalone Literature Review

Help & Additional Resources

Related Resource Pages on ASH

On Campus Services

Assignment Samples & Examples

Table of Contents

Assignment Samples

Assignment Instructions & Rubrics

Useful Tools to Plan Assignments

Useful Tools to Search & Organize Sources

Useful Tools to Analyze Sources & Develop your Ideas

Writing Strategies

Learning Strategies