The Art of Writing – Academic Texts 4018-KONW101
The course is devoted to the creative process in academic writing, critical reviews of sources and academic texts, developing the skills to write different types of academic texts by learning – in theory and practice – the stages involved in producing such texts: finding an appropriate topic, gathering the necessary materials, verification, choosing the best structure, planning the text, defining the focus, and finally editing consecutive versions of the text according to relevant formal requirements. Ethical aspects of text writing will also be discussed (respect for sources, other people’s texts and audiences, including respect for intellectual property), as well as the ability to accept criticism and take advantage of it to improve a text, the ability to offer constructive criticism to others. Apart from texts by the participants, selected academic texts will be analysed and assessed.
Considering required attendance (30 hours), studying the required reading, and editing 3 academic texts, students will have to devote approx. 60 hours to achieving the learning outcomes.
Type of course
Learning outcomes
Knowledge. Students will expand their knowledge on:
- communication and language conditioning
- language as the main expression and medium of a given culture
- the theory of writing and reading academic texts, such as abstracts, peer reviews, scientific papers, research project descriptions
- the ethics of writing academic texts
- the right attitude to sources, texts and audiences, including respecting intellectual property rights
Skills. Students will be able to:
- find a promising topic for an academic text
- write a correct, logical, coherent and attractive academic text
- prepare a written and oral presentation in Polish, on cultural studies issues, accounting for the different needs of the potential audience
- make use of the search tools that are the most important for cultural studies, especially internet databases and periodicals, when writing and reading academic texts
- analyse, criticize and evaluate academic texts, their own and other authors’
Social competences. Students will:
- understand the need for working in a multi- and interdisciplinary group, and for consultation with representatives of other fields
- be able to work in a group both as a moderator and as someone completing a set task
- understand the principles of tolerance and cultural and individual differences, acquire the skills to offer constructive analyses and evaluations of the work of their peers and to take advantage of the remarks and advice of the teacher and fellow students
- understand the needs of the audience of academic texts: adjusting the topic and means of describing the progress and results of research
- reinforce and promote the habit of courteous exchanges of views and listening to the views and advice of others – necessary for effective work in a team.
Assessment criteria
Writing a proper academic text.
Understanding the needs of the audience of an academic text: adjusting the topic accordingly, and the way the progress and results of a research project are described.
The right attitude to sources, texts, and audiences, including respecting intellectual property rights.
Based on tests checking comprehension of the main concepts discussed during the interactive lectures (10%), taking part in the analysis, critical review, and assessment of one’s own texts, texts by other students, and other selected texts, preparing texts for correction within deadlines (30%), and based on final texts submitted at the end of the course: an abstract and two other academic texts of the student’s choice, such as a review, a paper, a research project (3 x 20% = 60%).
Attendance is checked on the basis of comprehension tests taken in class (two such tests may be missed).
Bibliography
Eco, Umberto. Jak napisać pracę dyplomową: Poradnik dla humanistów. Przekład i aneks Grażyna Jurkowlaniec. Warszawa: WUW, 2007.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6 wyd. Washington: APA, 2009.
The Chicago Manual of Style, 16 wyd. Chicago: Chicago University Press, 2010.
Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. 3 wyd. New York: Modern Language Association of America, 2008.
Zestaw tekstów przygotowany przez prowadzącego
Additional information
Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: