Academic Writing

Year 1

Martina Raftery &

Colette Fahy

Outline

The Question
Research & Planning
Writing
Proofing
Referencing
Time management

Stress management

Contemporary Art Archive 2 by

Lyndall Jones

Review Essay
70% of LPP Module
800 - 1,000 words
Due 9.30am Friday
15th of December
Where Hard copy to
be submitted to the
Year One box

What am I being asked

to do?
Review an exhibition in detail
Contextualise the artwork from a social,
cultural and historical perspective
Detailed description, and explore the context
and techniques employed
Short bibliography (at least 5 sources)

Essay Question
Key words
Understand directive words
http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/writing/writi
ng-resources/essay-terms
What is your topic?
Who is your audience?
What is your aim?

Learning Outcomes
Research
Analysis
Communication

Active Research

Reading
SQ3R

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dhcSP_Myjg

Plan
Get sequence of ideas in place
Keep research and writing focused
Identify what is relevant and what isnt
Helps build an argument
Evenly distribute word count
Reduce stress

Break it down !
Introduction 100 words
Point 1 250 words
Point 2 250 words
Point 3 250 words
Conclusion 100 words
Total

Remember this is an example.

Adjust your plan to fit in all your key points.

950 words

Essay Construction
Your conclusion is the roof of
your argument. It seals your
essay.
The body contains the main
themes. Like the rooms of a
house, they are connected
but each has a different
purpose.
The introduction is the first
layer
References form the

Paragraph Structure
Each paragraph
Introduce
Backup with evidence
Summarise

Write
Get started!
Follow your structure
Refer back to the research question
Workspace: consistent, comfortable &
organised
Refine and reassess later

Academic
Writing
Express yourself clearly
Correct spelling, grammar, punctuation
Non descriptive
Minimal use of I, my, me
Offers an argument or critique

Academic writing is
not about:
Long complicated words/sentences
Sweeping statements
Revolutionary original ideas
Opinion pieces

Education is not the filling of a pail,

but the lighting of a fire.
W.B.Yeats
Or Plutarch

Being Critical
Put forward a question or argument
Explore and evaluate
Limitations/shortcomings/weaknesses
Reference experts
Make a constructive suggestion
Remember be respectful

Art Review
Describe visual facts
Evaluate
Interpret
Please see writing a review guidelines on
website https://lppncad.wordpress.com/

Struggling?
Have a chat with classmates
about your topic. You will
soon find you have an opinion
or stance to take.

Key Phrases:
Introduction
The objective of this essay is
The essay will focus on.
This essay will aim to answer the
question
This essay will attempt to
examine
This essay will explore

Key Phrases: Main Body

It is argued that
It is proposed that
The authors posit that
The authors assert that
In addition,.
Furthermore,
Significantly

Conclusion
In conclusion,
All things considered
Rule: Never bring in new information
unless making a point about future
directions in the discussed topic
Academic Phrasebank:
http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/

Proof and Edit

Relevant to topic?
Back up points - bring in expert opinions?
Spelling, Grammar & Punctuation
Formatting
Referencing
Strategies: Spell-Check, text to speech, swap
with a friend, print out and doodle

Remember
Use UK spelling rather than US spelling
e.g. colour rather than color
Double space your writing
Dont over rely on quotes
Use font size 12
Reference

NCAD Referencing
System
Harvard Style

Why Reference?
Credit your sources
Demonstrate readings
Bring in experts opinions
Strengthen your argument
Avoid plagiarism accidental or
not

Plagiarism

Need to cite and reference all information that is not

your intellectual property. This includes paraphrased
information, i.e. information you have put in your own
words.
NCAD Plagiarism Policy http://www.ncad.ie/staff/policiesprocedures-regulations/

Trustworthy
Source?
Credible
Academic writing: use of correct spelling,
grammar and proper terminology
Recently dated
Use websites for your own understanding and
then reference academic sources
No Wikipedia

Reliable Evidence and

Sources

NCAD Library

http://www.ncad.ie/library/visitus/

NCAD Online
Journals
http://capitadiscovery.co.uk/ncad
/

NIVAL
http://www.nival.ie/

Google Scholar
https://scholar.google.com/

Searching the Library

Catalogue and Online
Journals

Donald Judd (1987)Complete writings, 1975 - 1986

Eindhoven: Van Abbemuseum.

Things to note
The authors name
The year it was
published
The title
Who published it
Where it was published
Pages you used

It takes a great deal of

time and thought to
install work carefully.
This should not always
be thrown away.
From: Donald Judd
(1987)Complete
writings, 19751986.Eindhoven: Van
Abbemuseum p. 111

Quote
To directly use another's
work/words and acknowledge
the source
Rule
Short quotations (less than 3 lines) in
inverted commas within the text
Long quotations (over 3 lines) indented in a
separate paragraph with no inverted
commas

Paraphrase
To express anothers
work/words in your own words
and acknowledge the source
Rule
Never use quotation marks
Always cite

Quote
It takes a great deal of time and
thought to install work carefully. This
should not always be thrown away.Most
art is fragile and some should be placed
and never moved again (Judd, 1987, p.
35).
Paraphrasing
Judd placed a great importance on the
curation of work, remarking that this
process should take a large amount of
time and thought to be done correctly
(1987, p. 35).

Citations in the Text

Author
Year
Page Number
(Smith, 1990, p. 25)
Image courtesy of
introvertspring.com

Two authors (Smith and Blake, 2000, p.7)

More than three authors (Smith et al. 1999,
p.100)

Artwork
Includeonlywhenreferredtointhetext
PietMondriansworkBroadway Boogie Woogie (1942-143) (Fig.2)

Fig. 2 Piet Mondrian Broadway Boogie Woogie(1942-43) Oil on canvas,

The Museum of Modern Art, New York

Bibliography
List ALL material consulted
Placed at the end of your essay
List it alphabetically by authors
name

Citation software Zotero

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8SfO4N2OMc

Bibliography - Book
Author/editors name), (year of
publication in parenthesis), Title in
Italics. Place of publication:
publisher.
Poyner, R. (1998) Design without Boundaries.
London: Booth-Clibborn Editions.

Bibliography
Chapter with Different
Authors

Author, (year in parenthesis),

title of chapter or essay then
write in followed by name & initial
of editor/overall author, Title in
Italics. Place of publication:
publisher, page number(s).
Smith, P. J. (1997) British Art in the 1980s
and 1990s in Murphy, B. (ed), Art from
Britain. Sidney: Museum of Contemporary

Bibliography
Web Resource
Author/ editors name, (year in
parenthesis), Title in Italics.
Place of Publication: Publisher (if
ascertainable). Available from:
URL (Accessed: date)
Holland, M. (2004) Guide to Citing Internet
Sources. Poole: Bournemouth University.
Available at:
http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk.library/usin
g/guide_to_citing_internet_sources.html
(Accessed: 4 November 2004)

Bibliography
Journal Article
Author, (year of publication),
title of article, title of journal in
italics, volume number (part
number), page numbers of
article.
Dawes, J. and Rowley, J. (1998) 'Enhancing
the customer experience: contributions
from information technology',
Management Decision, 36(5), pp. 350-357

Bibliography
Film
Title of film (year of
distribution) Director
[Material designation].
Place of distribution:
Distribution Company.
Macbeth (1948) Directed by
Orson Welles [Film]. USA:
Republic Pictures

Where to Find the

Guidelines?
www.ncad.ie/students/student-academic-information/visualculture-programme-information/

Common
Mistakes

Did not answer question

No clear introduction
Poor structure
Overly descriptive
Written in the first person I, my
Misuse or absence of punctuation
Poor referencing

Where are you wasting

Fuchsia
Macaree

What is making you strive towards

perfectionism?
Ideals are directions, not absolutes
Focus on your end goal and dont obsess over
detail
Delegate you cannot do everything.
(especially important when working within

Time Management
Organise: notes, workspace, emails
The Organised Student
theorganisedstudent.tumblr.com/printables
Prioritise with to do lists
Timetabling
Colour code

Stay Focused
Pomodoro Principle -Tomato Timer
http://tomato-timer.com/
25 mins of work and 5 mins break (x3)
20 min break
Limit Distractions
Website blocker - Cold Turkey
http://getcoldturkey.com/

S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Example
Specific Begin introduction
Measurable I will write 100 words
Attainable I can manage 100 words
Relevant Working towards deadline
Time-orientated Tonight 7-9pm

Stress Management
Exercise
Social Support
Meditation: Mindfulness
Free Meditation Downloads
http://www.freemindfulness.org/
http://marc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=22

Questions?

Need Help?

Opening Hours: 9am-5pm Monday to

Friday
Email: learningsupport@staff.ncad.i
e