Overview
Introduction to Scholarly Writing
Scholarly writing in the health disciplines requires more than simply putting your ideas onto paper. It is a process, a path you lead the reader down to arrive at your conclusion. If that path is rocky or difficult to follow, the reader may give up and never reach the end. However, if the path is smooth and interesting, the reader will enjoy the journey. In Module One we will discuss how to make your writing smooth and interesting.
Effective writing skills are essential, whether you are working to advance your career or improving upon the professionalism in your current healthcare practice. This course is designed to ensure your success in academic writing at the baccalaureate level and beyond. In this first module you will learn the importance of word choice, and the difference between everyday informal language and the formal tone of academic writing. The tone is more serious in academic writing. Common slang and colloquialisms are avoided, as are the use of contractions. While some sentences may be more complex to promote fluency, most of the sentences are simple. Technical terms are appropriate, but should be explained and kept to a minimum. Appropriate sentence structure should always be used. That means when proof-reading your assignment be sure to check punctuation, verb tense, subject-verb agreement, and clarity in the sentence. Also, you should avoid incomplete or run-on sentences.
A problem many students face is developing a logical flow of ideas. Some questions to ask include the following: What is my objective? Is each main point clearly related to that objective? When selecting sources, have I taken into account my readers and their level of expertise? Have I arranged the material so as to lead my readers from one thought to the next with no gaps that they cannot easily bridge? Some examples of logical organization include topical arrangement, cause and effect, problem and solution, or chronological order. When adding sources to your essay, only add what is relevant. A particular experience may seem interesting, but if it is not relevant to your topic it detracts from your message.
In this module, it is important to understand the first three stages of this process. Stage one is to understand the task. It is helpful to pick out the key verbs in the assignment, so you know exactly what is expected of you. In stage two you begin gathering data. Ask yourself these three questions: What is the assignment? What do I know about the subject? What do I need to know to begin writing? The answers to these questions will help you to focus your research. Stage three is invention. Once your topic is chosen and narrowed, you can use one of the invention strategies in the textbook to plan your paper before you begin drafting.
To effectively communicate, ideas must flow in a cohesive manner. Brainstorming is the way to generate ideas for writing an engaging essay, creating a dynamic video, developing an informative PowerPoint, or any other type of project. Free thinking idea generation can come in a wide variety of formats, from utilizing software mind maps, creating a list of ideas, to simply using a thought bubbles on paper.
One of the key ways to ensure a logical flow of ideas when writing is to create an outline. Creating an outlining allows you to organize the ideas in a logical manner before committing to writing. This creates a plan for how to proceed with the project or writing.
If you have an electronic textbook, also called an e-text, has many features that a physical book does not have. The system can read the book to you, any highlights and notes taken while you read are easily found in within the notebook icon, and the magnifying glass allows you to search words and phrases throughout the entire textbook. One way to utilize the highlighting and notetaking tools are to pre-read your discussion question(s) and assignment and highlight topics which are related. Additionally, all good readers question their readings. As you read, create notes that question the text. And finally, readers who find connections to their own lives within the text are more apt to take their learning to long-term memory. Create notes which connect information to your own life.
Assignment (2 parts)
Part 1: An important behavior of successful students pertains to establishing a weekly study schedule. This may sound overly elementary, but, to the contrary, high-performing college students know exactly every hour of their day/week and how they will use their time. As part of this week’s assignment, please complete the attached ‘study calendar’ and describe how you will use it in a Word document to prepare for this and next week’s assignments. That is, what exactly will you do tomorrow, this weekend, next Monday to breakdown your work into manageable pieces at the right pace? What are your most ideal times in the upcoming week, based on your calendar template, when will you have blocks of extended time to work on your Aspen courses and weekly assignments? It is best to make those days/times “significant and protected time,” time when there are no interruptions and you can totally focus on getting your school work done. Hold preciously to these time blocks for school work. If so, you will produce higher quality work and be less stressed as you earn your degree at Aspen. Utilize the Study Calendar found in the Writing Center for this process.
Part 2: To work on narrowing down your topic chosen in the discussion board, choose an Invention Strategy (clustering, listing, freewriting, or outlining) to brainstorm the subject you narrowed down.
Complete the Invention Strategy you choose and attach your strategy work either in the same document of part 1 or submit as a separate file
Conclusion paragraph: Answer these questions in a well-developed paragraph discussion. Which strategy did you chose, and why? How the strategy worked for you? Will you use it again in the future? (place into the Part 1 document labeled Part 2).
Assignment Expectations
Length: Part 1 can be a list or a paragraph; Part 2 is the invention strategy work and conclusion paragraph answering the questions
Structure: Place all parts in one document if possible clearly marking them to show which part is being addressed; copy of invention strategy work can be uploaded as a separate picture/document or placed in the same document as a picture or list
