class: center, middle, inverse, title-slide .title[ # How to Write a B+ Paper in a Weekend ] .subtitle[ ## Public Policy Analysis: Perspectives and Methods (30700953) ] .author[ ### Yue HU ] --- ## Overview "How to write a B+ paper in a weekend" 1. Material advice 1. Structure advice 1. Writing advice 1. Wording advice --- class: normal, center, middle *The Goal* An .red[above-B+] paper as a course assignment -- A qualified paper to show your .red[competent] -- A paper for your teacher will .red[not hate] you --- class: inverse, bottom # Material Advice ## > 1 w --- ## Preparation (BEFORE the Weekend) Finishing literature review -- Finishing the analysis -- Reading the syllabus/rubric (or wherever has the concrete requirements) -- .center[.normal[ That's it! Ready to fly? ]] --- class: inverse, bottom # Structure Advice ## 1 ~ 3 hrs --- ## Opening a new document in Word, or take a blank sheet -- Writing down the "creative" point (you think) of the paper -- Start writing the outline: - Figures and tables -- - Bullet points of each section -- .pull-right[ - Basic frame + Introduction + Literature Review + Theory + Method and Data + Analysis and Results + Discussion and Conclusion + Reference ] --- class: inverse, bottom # Writing Advice ## 0.5 ~ 1 d --- ## The Efficient Order of Writing -- *Method and Data* .center[Setup the terms and names] -- *Analysis and Results* .center[Setup the major findings] -- *Conclusion* .center[ Why it's a done job Using the bullet points or numbering, if necessary ] -- *Introduction* .center[Showing the findings! You are not writing a novel!] -- *Reference* --- ## Method and Data Starting from the easiest section -- - Detailed to be replicable - Lean (.red[NOT] copy) on *good* papers - See what similar papers do and copy that (not plagiarism, of course) ??? Refer to Dr. Lucy Foulkes (Pyschology, UCL) writing workshop --- ## Analysis and Results - Literature: What we already know -- - Theory: Your idea to solve the problem -- - Hypotheses/research focus - Naming them (and referring to them since the intro) - **Help your readers!** --- ## Conclusion Summary: What you've done and found -- Implications: Interpretations with links back to predictions and past research -- Limitations & future directions -- .pull-right[<img src = "images/write_vision.jpg" height = 300>] --- ## Introduction Start broad at the beginning - What general phenomenon/puzzle/theory do you focus on? -- More specification about your study -- Generalizations and implications -- .pull-left[.center[.large[The single most important section!]]] .pull-right[<img src = "images/write_hourglass.gif">] ??? Some research ends in a half way --- class: small ## Rubric (Full Scores: 100) .pull-left[ *Introduction (10')* - `topic`: Why the topic is important in theory (2') - `importance`: Why this research is important for the topic (3') - `highlights`: Research findings (5') *Literature & Theory (10')* - `lit`: What we already know from the literature (3') - `puzzle`: What we don't know yet (2') - `theory`: Theory and hypotheses of the "don't know" (5') *Design (10')* - `strategy`: Research plan corresponding to the questions (5') - `data`: Data sources (1') - `measure`: Measurements (4') ] .pull-right[ *Results (30')* - `evidence`: Empirics in a proper way (10') - `inference`: Inferences from the empirics (10') - `interpretation`: Substantive significance in the real-life (10') *Summary and discussion (20')* - `summary`: A succinct paragraph of the findings (5) - `implication`: Implications for understanding/application (10') - `limitation`: Limitations of the study (5') *Format (20')* - `csl`: APSR format reference >10 (10') - `word`: 3000~5000(10') ] --- ## Tips - One thing a paragraph -- - First sentence leading the paragraph - The single point you are making here -- - Short sentence is great. > Poor faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words? He thinks I don't know the ten-dollar words. I know them all right. But there are .red[older and simpler and better] words, and those are the ones I use. --- Ernest Hemingway ??? William Faulkner (Nobel rewarder) saying his language was too simple --- class: large, center, middle ## Important Points -- No procrastinate! -- No editing and correcting! -- No more readings! --- class: center ## You Made It! Almost.... Please clean your language -- .pull-left[ .right[<img src = "images/write_styles.jpg" height = 400>] ] .pull-right[ .left[<img src = "images/write_elementOfStyle.jpg" height = 400>] ] ??? Strunk, William Jr. 1999. The Elements of Style. 4th edition. Boston: Pearson. Williams, Joseph, and Joseph Bizup. 2014. Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace. 5th edition. Boston: Pearson. --- class: inverse, bottom # Wording Advice ## 3 hrs ~ 0.5 d --- ## Clarity + Make main characters subjects. -- + Make important actions verbs + Reduce nominalization of verbs. ??? e.g., globalization -- + When to use nominalization: + As a short subject refers to a previous sentence + As a motivation ("the fact that" sb. does sth). + As the object of the verb + A concept so familiar to your readers ??? + The nominalization as a short subject refers to a previous sentence (e.g., these arguments, this decision.) + The nominalization refers to "the fact that" sb. does sth. + A nominalization names what would be the OBJECT of the verb, the "what" or "whom" of the verb. + A nominalization refers to a concept so familiar to your readers that to them, it is a virtual character --- ## Coherence + Underline the .red[first five or six words] in every sentence, and check if they constitute a relatively .red[small set] of related ideas and if they name the most important characters. -- + Use the .red[topic as the subject], and put them at the beginning of the sentences. -- + .red[Don't vary] the subjects of the sentences frequently ??? Change a little only when the same words for the same topic were times used in the same positions of sentences. -- + .red[Don't overuse] "and, also, moreover, another, and so on", words that simply "Here's one more thing." -- + .red[Don't use] "but, however, therefore, or consequently" too frequently. --- ## Elegence * Revise long sentence + Get to the subject of the main clause quickly + Get to the verb and object quickly + Avoid sprawls (which, that, who + is/was) + Drop "although" with a long clause + Drop "since" with a long clause -- * Balance + with coordination (and, or, nor, but, and yet) + without coordination but with similarly structure in each clause. -- * Climactic Emphasis: leave heavy words at the end + Heavy: n. > a./ad. > prep. --- Even you know everything above, you are still far from a good academic writer <video width="1000" height="500" controls> <source src="https://link.jscdn.cn/1drv/aHR0cHM6Ly8xZHJ2Lm1zL3YvcyFBcnR0dk83MHdLSU8xSE1XcENra2RIVXJlZGxOP2U9MXdMZXV2.mp4" type="video/mp4"> </video> --- <video width="1000" height="500" controls> <source src="https://link.jscdn.cn/1drv/aHR0cHM6Ly8xZHJ2Lm1zL3YvcyFBcnR0dk83MHdLSU8xSFJ1dDRqbnI2Z3g2Rk5xP2U9Zm5jQ2J0.mp4" type="video/mp4"> </video> -- .center[Sounds better, right? Why (do you really know)? How?] --- class: inverse, bottom ## Next Episode: # Writing a Paper that Is Publishable 1. *What* and *why* you are doing wrong things in professional writings 1. Everything can get better/correct with a tiny yet crucial *mindset* changing 1. How to *practice* to be a good expert writer --- class: middle ## Final Point .pull-left[<img src = "images/write_foulkes.jpg">] .pull-right[ .bg-black.golden.ba.shadow-5.ph4.mt3[ If your supervisor covers your work in tracked changes & comments, it's a sign .red[they care]. Being edited feels personal and painful (I hate it!), but it’s the best way you become a better writer. If they send you back something with no edits, that’s when you should worry. .tr[ --- Lucy Foulkes (2022) ] ] ] ??? psychologist and honorary lecturer at UCL