| AD1 Academic Writing Spring 2008 : AD1 Academic Writing Spring 2008 Topics, Audience, and Purpose Wendy M. Gough
St. Mary College/Nunoike Gaigo
Senmon Gakko
Nagoya, Japan |
| AD1 Writing Spring 2008Academic Writing : AD1 Writing Spring 2008Academic Writing Topics, Audience, and Purpose This presentation will help you understand the basic principles of Topics, Audience, and Purpose as they relate to writing in the academic setting. Follow the links on the following pages to find more information from the Colorado State University Writing Studio website. |
| Working With Topics : Working With Topics When we think about topics to write on, we must always make choices that appeal to our own interests, curiosity, and current knowledge because when we write about topics that interest us, or we already know something about, the entire writing process becomes easier. http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/processes/topic/ A topic is the main organizing principle of a discussion, either verbal or written. Topics offer us an occasion for speaking or writing and a focus which governs what we say. What is a topic? Topics Tip! |
| Arriving at Topics 1 : Arriving at Topics 1 Your task is to try to develop an interest in what you have been given to write about. In this case, you should try to think of an interesting angle or perspective about the topic. In academic writing, topics are sometimes dictated by the task at hand. You might conduct a lab experiment before you can sit down to write a report or your instructor may simply hand you a topic to explore or to research. |
| Arriving at Topics 2 : Arriving at Topics 2 Sometimes you will have a bit of leeway in choosing topics of your own. You may be asked to find a topic of interest to you that is related to ideas developed in class readings and discussions. Other times, you will be responsible for finding a topic all on your own. |
| The Importance of Choosing Topics : The Importance of Choosing Topics A well chosen writing topic can lead to the types of research questions that fuel your academic interests for years to come. Topics can be seen as occasions for making your writing relevant and meaningful to your own personal and academic concerns. |
| How Purpose and Audience Affect the Choice of Topics : How Purpose and Audience Affect the Choice of Topics Before choosing and narrowing a topic to write about, consider why you are writing and who will read what you write because your writing purpose and audience often dictate the types of topics that are available to you, what you will write about the topic, and how you will write about the topic.
http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/processes/topic/list5.cfm |
| Audience Part 1 : Audience Part 1 Norgarrd (1994) asks writers to think of their writing as a “dynamic exchange between writer and reader” (P. 6). Your reader is your audience and it determines How you state the issue How you present yourself and your opinion and ideas How you make your reader believe in your ideas |
| Audience Part 2 : Audience Part 2 The rhetorical style you use to write the paper, the words you use to explain your ideas, and the kinds of details you give to the reader are all related to your audience. |
| If you are a psychology major writing a paper about a topic discussed in class, you must : If you are a psychology major writing a paper about a topic discussed in class, you must Assume your reader already knows something about the topic and show that you understand the topic in your explanation of the issue You do not need to give a specific, detailed explanation of the topic because the reader is already familiar with it but you should use vocabulary related to the topic You do need to include enough specific details to show your understanding of the topic and its nuances |
| If you are writing the same paper for someone who has never studied psychology, you need to : If you are writing the same paper for someone who has never studied psychology, you need to Assume your reader has no knowledge at all of the topic or of psychology and give a specific, detailed explanation of the topic Use easy to understand examples to help make the ideas clear and highlight important points Use specific vocabulary related to the topic, yet give explanations of any words that would not be common knowledge to someone unfamiliar with the topic |
| Analyzing your Audience : Analyzing your Audience It is essential to analyze your audience before beginning to put your ideas together because your ideas and presentation must be suitable for the needs and interests of the audience if you want them to actively engage in reading your writing. When analyzing your audience, think of the following Is the occasion for writing the paper formal or informal? Is the audience academic or non-academic? Is the audience other professionals or people related to your field/topic? What does the audience already know about the topic? |
| Purpose : Purpose Your purpose is the reason why you are writing the paper. It helps you narrow the topic and decide how you will focus ideas in the paper. You purpose can be any one or a combination of the following To express your feelings To explore an idea To entertain or amuse your readers To inform people or explain an idea To argue for or against an idea in order to persuade others To mediate or negotiate a solution in a tense or difficult situation |