Academic conventions for generating knowledge
Taking into account that academic writing involves the ability to generate knowledge through the act of composing, it is important to state that this process requires the use of specific conventions for the purpose of knowledge transforming (Grabe & Kaplan, 1996; cited in Pintos & Crimi, 2010). “[A] general academic register, a formal style, a proficiency in language use, the ability to integrate information from other sources, and the types of genres academic writing deals with” (as cited in Pintos & Crimi, 2010, p.10) are considered to be essential for operating into academic settings. According to Reid (2001), the way in which information is presented, argued and supported is emphasized over the content to be transmitted and shared in the community (cited in Pintos & Crimi, 2010).
Throughout Myles’ (2002) article, academic conventions have probably been applied according to the formal requirements that characterize discourse communities. The use of quotations has been incorporated for citing the author’s exact words in order to support the writer’s claims. Not only does Myles (2002) make use of direct quotes to state the author’s original meaning, but also paraphrases to express others’ ideas in a newly legitimated mood avoiding plagiarism. In addition, ellipses, which indicate that part of the original text has been omitted within a quotation, have been included in Myles’ (2002) article. The use of insertions into the original quote has been worked out by this author when changing a lower-case letter from the original quotation to an upper-case letter in the incorporation by means of square brackets.
In view of the fact that introductory phrases are placed inside the first sentence in paragraph organization, since they contain the source and state the main idea (cited in Pintos & Crimi, 2010), Myles (2002) has worked out structures such as the authors’ last name, the year of publication between brackets and the reporting verbs. Considering that “introductory phrases are a type of in-text citations” (as cited in Pintos & Crimi, 2010, p. 21), Myles (2002) has developed paraphrased in-text citations which include dates listed in different forms. As an example, she has included either the author’s last name followed by the date between parentheses in the signal phrase, or the authors’ last name together with the year of publication between brackets at the end. However, when Myles (2002) has cited the author’s own words through the use of direct quotations, she has integrated quotes into her work by specifying both the author’s last name, the year of publication, and page number between brackets after closing them.
On account that “academic writing is a type of writing that involves composing for knowledge transforming” (Grabe & Kaplan, 1996; as cited in Pintos & Crimi, 2010, p.10), the purpose of Myles’ (2002) article seems to be concerned with enhancing the audience to explore, reflect and clarify important notions regarding the process of academic writing in the field of education. The author makes reference to the nature of errors, the learners’ language skills and strategies in native language as well as social and cognitive factors which affect the development of writing in the second language. Besides, the complexity of teaching this skill is clearly expressed, since “the ability to write well is not a naturally acquire skill; it is usually learnt or culturally transmitted as a set of practices in formal instructional setting or other environments” (Myles, 2002, p.1).
After reading and analyzing Myles’ (2002) article, it has been possible to work not only on its content, but also on its structure. Identifying the article’s purpose and its audience allow us to explore and reflect about its intended meaning. What is more, the possibility of transforming the text through the act of composing provides us with the opportunity to communicate knowledge by means of academic as well as technical uses. As Swales (1990) portrays “academic writing and its genres articulates in which a discourse community operates” (as cited in Pintos & Crimi, 2010, p.10), allowing its members to shared highly specialized conventions for constructing and sharing knowledge. Consequently, presenting and supporting information through the use of specific genres and styles provides us with the necessary tools to succeed in academic scenarios.
References
Myles, J. (2002). Second language writing and research: The writing process and error analysis in student texts. TESEL-EJ, 6, (2). Queen’s University. Retrieved November 2010, from
Pintos, V., & Crimi, Y. (2010). Unit 3: Academic writing. Universidad CAECE, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Retrieved November 2010, from
Dear María Eugenia,
ResponderEliminarYour blog is very academic and professional. Great job!!!
Warmest,
Yanina