Syllabus

Title
5689 Introduction to Academic Writing
Instructors
Dr. Barbara Schmidt-Unterberger
Type
AG
Weekly hours
1
Language of instruction
Englisch
Registration
02/19/24 to 02/22/24
Registration via LPIS
Notes to the course
Subject(s) Bachelor Programs
Dates
Day Date Time Room
Thursday 04/18/24 11:00 AM - 02:15 PM D3.0.222
Thursday 05/16/24 01:00 PM - 03:00 PM TC.3.06
Thursday 05/23/24 01:00 PM - 03:00 PM TC.4.12
Thursday 06/06/24 01:00 PM - 03:00 PM TC.4.14
Thursday 06/13/24 01:00 PM - 03:00 PM TC.4.14
Contents

The AG Introduction to Academic Writing will focus on academic writing in various disciplines and provides excellent preparation for students intending to start their bachelor's thesis in the current or following semester. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with original research and recognize quality criteria for academic texts. Moreover, students will be introduced to the importance of good academic practice and the consequences of academic fraud within and outside of WU.

In the course of five interactive sessions, the following subjects are covered:

  • Literature search and reference management
  • Academic texts and academic writing
  • Different types of academic writing
  • Good Academic Practice and Plagiarism
  • Knowledge Management and successful thesis writing

Adopting a broad perspective, we will analyse academic texts and discuss good academic practice in different disciplines.

Learning outcomes

After the course students will be able to

  • select relevant sources to use in their thesis
  • apply different reading strategies (i.e. scanning, skimming, goal-directed reading, etc.).
  • summarize and synthesize research outcomes using their own words
  • choose and integrate citations appropriately
  • know different reference systems and apply them appropriately
  • write critical comments, relying on substantive arguments, sound argumentation and relevant examples
  • recognize plagiarism and know how to avoid it in their own work
Attendance requirements

Regular attendance is expected and required. The attendance requirements are met if students are present for at least 80 % of the scheduled sessions.

IMPORTANT: This course takes place on campus! Please inform the instructor if you cannot attend a session.

Teaching/learning method(s)

The course consists of five sessions: The first session comprises a workshop on literature search and reference management. We will then focus on different aspects of academic writing in the following three sessions, which include input from your instructor and interactive group work. The group activities will focus on structural aspects of academic texts and writing techniques. The last session is dedicated to excellent Bachelor theses by WU students that received the WU Talenta award.

Assessment

The course will be graded on a pass/fail basis. In order to pass, students need to participate actively throughout the course and assignments have to be handed in on time. Additionally, students have to submit at least two out of three homework assignments:

  • Formulating a research question
  • Compiling an annotated bibliography
  • Writing a short summary of academic sources
Prerequisites for participation and waiting lists

This course is for students intending to write their bachelor's thesis in the current or following semester.

During the registration period, free places are filled according to the “first-come, first-served” principle. After the end of the registration period, the number of places is increased and students on the waiting list will be registered for the lecture based on their progress in their studies.

If you are registered for the course but cannot participate, please de-register promptly during the registration period in LPIS, so your place becomes available for other students.

Readings

Please log in with your WU account to use all functionalities of read!t. For off-campus access to our licensed electronic resources, remember to activate your VPN connection connection. In case you encounter any technical problems or have questions regarding read!t, please feel free to contact the library at readinglists@wu.ac.at.

Last edited: 2023-11-17



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