Becoming an Academic Writer: 50 Exercises for Paced, Productive, and Powerful Writing / Edition 2

by Patricia Goodson

Overview

With its friendly, step-by-step format, the third edition of Becoming an Academic Writer helps readers improve their writing by engaging in deep, deliberate, and daily practice. Author Patricia Goodson designed this book for anyone in an academic setting who must write to survive, from new graduate students to senior faculty. Featuring 50 exercises, this practical and flexible self-paced guide is organized so readers can either work through the exercises in order, or focus on the specific areas where they need additional practice. The third edition features an expanded unit on how to manage the reading required for any writing project – a strategy to help writers avoid getting bogged down in this crucial step. Updated material, alongside testimonials from students and readers, new appendices on topics such as processing reviewer feedback, and new “Research Shows” boxes help readers address important hurdles to developing a lower-stress, sustainable writing habit.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781483376257
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	04/01/2016
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	296
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Patricia Goodson is professor of health education in the Department of Health & Kinesiology at Texas A&M University (TAMU). She obtained a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics (from Universidade Estadual de Campinas) and a master’s in Philosophy of Education (from Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas) in Brazil; a master’s in General Theological Studies (from Covenant Theological Seminary) and a Ph D in Health Education (from the University of Texas at Austin) in the United States. At TAMU, she has taught mostly graduate-level courses such as Health Behavior Theory, Health Research Methods, Health Program Evaluation, Health Education Ethics, and Advanced Health Behavior Theory. In 2007, while acting as associate dean for Graduate Program Development, she created and implemented a college-wide writing support service for graduate students, based on the POWER model described in this book. Currently, as director of the College of Education and Human Development’s Writing Initiative (POWER Services), she offers Basic and Advanced Writing Studios for graduate students in the college, on a regular basis, and occasionally teaches writing workshops for faculty at Texas A&M and other universities. Dr. Goodson has won several department-, college-, and university- level awards for her teaching and research. In 2012 she was awarded the title of Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence at Texas A&M University—one of the highest teaching awards at that university. Also in 2012, she became the university’s sole nominee for the Piper Professor Award, a state-level recognition for teaching. While she considers mentoring graduate students the most fulfilling part of her career, a couple of research interests vie for her attention. Her research focuses on topics such as sexual health of adults and adolescents, the history of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and public health genomics. She has published extensively in high-impact journals, has reviewed for several prestigious publications, and has served as book review editor for The Journal of Sex Research. One of her intellectual passions is theory, and her “other” book presents a critique of health education’s current use of theory in both research and practice.

Table of Contents

Chapter One: Get Ready to Practice
The POWER Model
Practicing Academic Writing
Part I: Practice Becoming a Productive Academic Writer
Chapter Two: Establish and Maintain the “Write” Habit
Think About It . . .
Seeing Yourself as a Writer
EXERCISE 1—Schedule Your Writing Sessions
EXERCISE 2—Increase Your Writing Time in No Time
EXERCISE 3—Write Quickly, Edit Slowly
EXERCISE 4—Organize Messy Drafts
EXERCISE 5—Keep and Share a Writing Log
EXERCISE 6—Read About Writing
EXERCISE 7—Document Your Writing Projects
EXERCISE 8—Write to Learn (Anything, Including How to Write)
Chapter Three: Practice Building Academic Vocabulary
Think About It...
EXERCISE 9—Increase Your Vocabulary One Word at a Time
EXERCISE 10—Use New Academic Words
EXERCISE 11—Build Your Own Professional Dictionary/Glossary
Chapter Four: Polish the Grammar
Think About It...
EXERCISE 12—Learn From the Masters
EXERCISE 13—Identify Patterns of Problems
EXERCISE 14—Practice Grammar Rules
EXERCISE 15—Copy
Chapter Five: Get Feedback
Think About It...
EXERCISE 16—Get Feedback on Early Drafts
EXERCISE 17—Get Feedback on Middle Drafts
EXERCISE 18—Get Feedback on Final Drafts
EXERCISE 19—Get Feedback Regularly
EXERCISE 20—Schedule Reading Appointments
Chapter Six: Edit and Proofread
Think About It...
EXERCISE 21—Tighten the Paragraphs
EXERCISE 22—Make It Flow: Organize
EXERCISE 23—Clear Out the Clutter
EXERCISE 24—Use a Thesaurus and a Reverse Dictionary
EXERCISE 25—Pay Attention to Word Placement
EXERCISE 26—Cut It in Half
EXERCISE 27—Read Aloud
EXERCISE 28—Copyedit: Proofread Line by Line
Part II: Practice Writing Sections of Journal Articles, Research Reports, and Grant
Chapter Seven: Exercises for Writing Introductions, Purpose Statements, or Specific Aims Sections
Think About It...
EXERCISE 29—Map
EXERCISE 30—Dump
EXERCISE 31—Craft the Purpose Statement
EXERCISE 32—Develop the Rationale
EXERCISE 33—Present the Literature Review
EXERCISE 34—Lay Out the Theoretical Framework
EXERCISE 35—Check It
Chapter Eight: Exercises for Writing the Methods Section
Think About It...
EXERCISE 36—Practice Describing
EXERCISE 37—Describe the Research Design
EXERCISE 38—Describe the Sample
EXERCISE 39—Describe the Measures
EXERCISE 40—Describe Data Collection and Data Management Procedures
EXERCISE 41—Describe the Data Analysis
Chapter Nine: Exercises for Writing the Results/Findings Section
Think About It...
EXERCISE 42—Picture the Findings
EXERCISE 43—Describe the Most Important Findings
EXERCISE 44—Summarize the Least Important Findings
Chapter Ten: Exercises for Writing the Discussion or Conclusion Section
Think About It...
EXERCISE 45—Question the Results/Findings
EXERCISE 46—Connect the Dots: Other Research
EXERCISE 47—Connect the Dots: Relevant Theory
EXERCISE 48—Guide Your Reader Into the Future
EXERCISE 49—Confess Limitations
Chapter Eleven: Exercise for Writing Abstracts
Think About It...
EXERCISE 50—Write an Abstract in 20 Minutes

Editorial Reviews

"The integration of the practical experience, research base, and theory provides all the elements necessary for an academic writing course. As addressed throughout the text, academic writing is challenging and often frustrating. Pat Goodson’s informal yet informed voice throughout provides needed encouragement for the frustrated academic writer."

Erin Mc Tigue

"The number one strength of the book is Goodson’s voice and the clarity with which she writes. My students appreciated her straightforward approach and could relate to the book.

Tracy R. Nichols

PRAISE FOR THE PREVIOUS EDITION

“This book makes the reader want to write! I found myself reaching for my calendar and penciling in writing sessions for the rest of my week after reading the first chapter. The techniques and exercises are effective and easy to implement; they fit with any writing project, in any stage of the writing process.

H. Elisabeth Ellington

"The integration of the practical experience, research base, and theory provides all the elements necessary for an academic writing course. As addressed throughout the text, academic writing is challenging and often frustrating. Pat Goodson’s informal yet informed voice throughout provides needed encouragement for the frustrated academic writer."

Erin McTigue

"I like the way that it sets up students for success if they are patient enough to read carefully and work through the exercises."

Anne Hardgrove

"Practical, accessible, useful, empathic"

Dr. Amanda O. Latz

"Students loved it and found it very useful. Everyone I've recommended it to has found it to be useful."

Brenda C. Barnes

"The major strength of this text are the exercises. The exercises are practical, doable, and relevant to the new, developing, and
experienced writer. They make the often overwhelming task of academic writing, palatable and approachable."

C. Casey Ozaki

"The key advice is sound. The collection of other writers' advice is excellent. The author brings together a lot of good advice. I found
myself taking notes from chunks of the book for my lecture discussion."

Joseph Graf

"It is suitable for a flipped teaching approach, [and emphasizes] internalizing the writing process and developing an identity as a
writer."

Charles Duquette

"It has a lot of GREAT writing advice that helps students to break through writing blocks, helps them think through their ideas, and helps
them write about it in a powerful way."

Holly Brewer

"The strength of this text is the practical exercises."

Lize A.E. Booysen. Gradute School of Leadership and Change

"[This text] encourages the development of identity as a writer and writing as a practice, provides several practical tips and guidance for practices that will develop strengths as a writer, [and] maintains an accessible tone. No one will feel that this book is too lofty for them to use it."

Vanessa Dennen

“The practical nature of the book is a strength, with the series of exercises which would be useful for novice writers at the undergraduate or graduate level.”

Carol A. Kochhar-Bryant

“I was impressed by how much the author was able to bring in scholarly research on writing.”

Tanya Maria Golash-Boza

"I enjoyed this book! Each chapter eases smoothly into the next and the writer continues to provide readers with inspiration and pragmatic information.”

Nathalie Kuroiwa-Lewis

“The author’s way of breaking down our practices of writing with exercises and examples will benefit not only my students and their journeys in writing but mine as well.”

Jennifer Smith Lapointe

“This book is likely to inspire writing groups of all kinds of academic writers. I can see ABDs following this program to successful completion of a doctoral thesis and the subsequent necessary articles written from the thesis.”

Laura Huntoon