| Number | 209 |
| Subject | ACADEMIC WRITING III |
| Title | Academic writing III (Compulsory subject) |
| Offered this year |
Yes |
| Instructor |
R.Paul Lege
|
| Format | Lecture |
| Term offered | 1st |
| Open to years | M1 & M2 |
| Schedule | Mon 3 |
| Credit | 2 |
| Room | Seminar Room 905 |
| Course outline |
The object of this course is to provide an atmosphere of open discussion on ways to improve thesis and dissertation writing. In a friendly and open manner the course allows students to see some of the past problems and discuss ways on improving their own skills in academic writing in preparing to complete their own work for a Master's degree at the Law School of Nagoya University. Conducted in English, the course offers a look at various styles and methods used in academic writing. The course introduces to the student the idea of efficiency and clarity in writing. The course is open to graduate students in law school who are interested in the topic; however, it is aimed primarily at the introductory level of academic work. The course is designed to supplement and enhance the Academic Writing courses I & II and will focus on the grammar and structural issues that often plague students at this level. At present, there is no text offered though this is being reviewed and may change soon. Students are advised to become familiar with the Chicago Style Manual which can be referenced through the Internet. |
| Course objective |
To develop improved overall understanding of the structure of a thesis that uses a comparative analysis so that the final research product is more refined. 1) Students will learn to simplify their sentence structures and improve flow of thesis. 2) Students will apply most recent American methods to thesis writing. 3) Students will will gain insight into vairous strategies to style and structure of a researched thesis. |
| Textbooks | Textbook: At present, there is no text available for the class. However, students are strongly recommended to purchase "The Pocket Guide to Chicago Manual of Style. 1st edition. By Robert Perrin (Cengage Learning) ISBN: 978061867236. Furthermore, any form of Thesaurus would also be helpful. Your instructor will provide materials from Basic Steps to Writing Research Papers. David A. Kluge & Mathew Taylor (2007) Cengage Learning. ISBN: 978-4-902902-89-1 {this book is no longer available but several copies are available in the office} Recommended but not required: Writing The Research Paper: A Handbook. 7th ed. Anthony C. Winkler & Jo Ray McCuen-Metherell. (2008). Wadsworth Cengage. ISBN: 978-0-495-79965-8 {This book can be bought on Amazon} Materials will also be distributed in the course during the semester following a variety of sources including but not limited to (students should not buy these books): |
| Additional references |
Students are advised to begin becoming familiar with Chicago Style manuals which can be referenced on-line. It is not recommended to buy such a style book due the cost and because it is too large in its coverage. Many areas could be confusing to the student. Your instructor will be drawing from the following works: Kluge, David A.,& Mathew Taylor. (2007) Basic Steps to Writing Research Papers. Cengage Learning. Putnam, William H. (2006). Legal Research. Delmar Cengage Learning. Putnim, William H. (2010). Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing. 2nd edition. Ragin, Charles C. (1989) The Comparative Method: moving Beyond Qualitative and Quantitative Strategies. University of California Press. Wydick, Richard C. (2002). Plain English for Lawyers. 4th Ed. Durham NC: Carolina Academic Press.recommended. |
| Evaluation | Class participation (included in this is some home exercises) will be critical this class as it leads to a better preparation of student for oral defense. 25% Students will develop their purpose, problem statement and work an abstract 25%, as these are the key anchors to writing a good Master's thesis. Students will develop a five point plan that incorporates the critical elements of their thesis (discussed in course) 25% A final exam will be given covering the essential elements of latter half of course. 25% |
| Prerequisites | The course is designed to complement Academic Writing One and Two in order to improve in overall organization and structure of student writing. There are no special prerequisites needed. The students will be asked to complete some simple exercises to work on writing improvement. |
| Remarks | Time limitations restrict amount of information covered. It is essential that students attend all lessons as missing one can cause confusion in the following lesson. Critical cases of being absent can contact me at: hinadestin@hotmail.com |