Academic Writing and Referencing

ICPPD Workshop 14th March 2014

Dr. James Goulding D.Couns.Psych.MSc. Applied Psychology,

BA. Psychology. Dip Counselling & Psychotherapy.

FIITD MIACP

What Is 'Academic Writing'?

Academic Writing vs Simple Description In academic writing, the author covers the

selected topic from an authoritative point of view. What influence did Rogers have on Counselling What significance was his work to

psychotherapy? Why was the influence this great Why was it not greater?

What Is 'Academic Writing'?

academic papers distinguish between different things.

what is known about a topic (via the review of existing sources on the topic)

what new ideas may emerge, or be thought or questioned about the topic, (via the explication of the question to be answered)

Using the author's logically-developed, factually-based 'argumentation'.

Reading an academic text

Reading critically involves evaluating the attempts of others to communicate with and convince their target audience through the development of their argument

Writing critically involves developing your own strong clear argument, in order to communicate with and convince your target audience.

(Wallace and Wray, 2006)

Reading an academic text

Use the sections of the text: abstract, contents, index, sub-headings, graphs, tables, introduction and conclusion

Skim to get the gist of the argument Read with questions in mind Make notes/mind map/ use highlighter Write a summary in your own words Write a brief critical response Keep note of details for citing/referencing

Stylistic Conventions of Academic Writing

Avoid abbreviations and slang.

Don’t use Colloquial English Unless it is appropriate to do so

Writing in the third person. Academic writing must be objective;

the focus is not on the writer, but on the topic and ideas of the paper;

Stylistic Conventions of Academic Writing

Don’t make outlandish or unsubstantiated claims ‘Freud proved the existence of the unconscious beyond all

doubt’.

Use of relatively cautious or 'qualified' language, especially when documenting claims of new knowledge. The evidence of your paper can only be based on what is

currently known about the topic, this evidence may well change as new knowledge emerges

It is useful therefore to consider opposing viewpoints. Or account for contradictory research.

Class Exercise

Why Reference?

There are four main reasons why referencing is important in academic writing: 1. To support your arguments and give credibility to the information you

present in assignments;

2. To enable your tutors to check the accuracy and validity of the evidence presented;

3. To enable your tutors and other interested readers to trace the

sources you cite and to use the same evidence for their own purposes;

4. To avoid the accusation of plagiarism.

Plagiarism!!!Plagiarism tends to be viewed as a form of academic dishonesty

It can be defined as stealing or borrowing from the writings or ideas ofothers and passing them off as your own.

A failure to acknowledge other people’s ideas and statements in an project can therefore be seen as academic fraud.

For this reason it is regarded as a major offence that the all academic institutions take very seriously and has the possibility of a student being disciplined or even expelled from their course.

It is important to understand that not having the intention to cheator not understanding what constituted plagiarism is generally not accepted accepted as a defense.

It is the action and not the intention that constitutes plagiarism.

A Few More Reasons

Remember referencing is also a way of acknowledging the hard workthat goes into the research, preparation, writing and revision of academic texts.

Accurate referencing is also one way of giving indirect thanks to thisinvisible and invaluable effort and achievement.

More pragmatically, it also shows a tutor you have, at least, read someof the sources listed on a reading list!

Lastly, but probably not least from a student perspective, accurate and Intelligent referencing will enhance a good essay and can contribute toMaximizing your marks .

Referencing Styles

MHRA Modern Humanities Research Association Footnotes

OSCOLA Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities Legal

APA American Psychological Association Modified Harvard Style, Social Sciences, Psychology

Harvard Referencing Style (AKA Author-Date or Parenthetical Style)

Harvard Referencing Style

The "author-date" or Harvard method of parenthetical referencing was first used in a paper entitled "the embryogenesis of the garden slug" published by Edward Laurens Mark (1847–1946), in which Mark included the first author-date citation in parentheses on page 194.

It is named after Harvard, though it never became officially affiliated with that university.

Characteristics of the Harvard Referencing Style

The Harvard style involves two distinct tasks in the referencing process:

How you refer to other authors in the body of your text (called in text citation).

How you compile a list of reference sources at the end of your text (called the Reference List).

Bibliography or Reference List?

Bibliography

Is a list of all works

that you have read in

developing your

essay or project,

whether or not they

are eventually cited in

your text.

Reference List

Is a list only of the

works that you have

cited in the text of

your project.

In Text Citation- The Basics

It was also observed that therapists learnt from ending with their clients (Lewis, 2007).

Martin and Schurtman (1985) propose that where a therapist has failed to achieve separation from their own mother, it can result in that therapist being particularly predisposed to experiencing separation anxiety in all separation events including ending therapy with their clients.

In Text Citation- The Basics

This is a position which is not entirely incompatible with the premise that endings activate unresolved issues of attachment and loss (Joyce et al, 2007).

Curtis (2002) suggests a valid indicator that ending in psychodynamic therapy is appropriate when the client is able to ‘‘tolerate feeling without acting’’ (p.352)

Writing the Reference List

Book Author’s last name, First and Second Initial.

(Year). Title italic. Publication location: Publishing company

Example Smith, J. (2003). Qualitative psychology: A

practical guide to research methods. London: Sage

Writing the Reference List

Journal Article AUTHOR’S LAST NAME, First and Second Initial.

(Year) 'Article title'. Journal title, Volume number (Part): page numbers.

Example Aldwin, C., & Revenson, T. (1987). Does coping help? A

re-examination of the relationship between coping and mental health. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53, 337–348.

Writing the Reference List

Electronic article AUTHOR’S LAST NAME, First and Second Initial. (Year) Article

title. Journal title, Date of publication, Volume(issue), page numbers. Available from: <internet address> [Accessed date].

Example Aldwin, C., & Revenson, T. (1987). Does coping help? A re-

examination of the relationship between coping and mental health. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53, 337–348. Available from  http://psychology.about.com/od/loveand attraction/a/attachment01.htm [Accessed: 14 March 2014].

Class Exercise

Digital Object Identifier-DOI

Doi:10.1037/033-3204.40.1/2.94

A method of easily identifying an online source.

Used by APA and others instead of available at, and accessed on…

Not Currently used in the Harvard System

Interesting Claims

38% of those receiving grief counselling were worse off after therapy

grief therapy is effective, producing clinically meaningful gains in grief and depression symptoms that are maintained over time.

In planned endings therapists have the opportunity to work through their emotional response to ending alongside clients

Interesting Claims

38% of those receiving grief counselling were worse off after therapy (Neimeyer, 2000)

grief therapy is effective, producing clinically meaningful gains in grief and depression symptoms that are maintained over time. (Hoyt, Del Re, & Larson, 2013).

In planned endings therapists have the opportunity to work through their emotional response to ending alongside clients (Goulding, 2012)

Online Harvard Generator

Resources

http://www.harvardgenerator.com/references/electronic-journal-article

http://www.ucd.ie/t4cms/Guide69.pdf

https://www.tcd.ie/Library/assets/pdf/Academic%20Style%20Guides.pdf

james@midlandspsychology.ie

Questions