Writing introductions

FV11A8900 Academic Writing in English

Basic structure (IMRaD)

Literature review

Data collection

Data analysis

Image source: http://sana.tkk.fi/awe accessed 7.9.10

Intro: Create-a-Research-Space model (CaRS)

Exercise 1

• 2 introductions

• Find the 3 basic moves of the CaRS model.

Exercise 2

• Switch the article you brought to class with the person sitting next to you.

• Read through the article to see if you can indicate the 3 moves in the CaRS model.

• Show your neighbour if/how the authors make the 3 basic moves in the introduction.

• Spend a few minutes talking about the paper’s topic and why it was chosen as the ’reference’ paper for this class.

Exercise 3

• Look at your sample of writing that you brought.

• Does it have an introduction? If not, why?• Does the intro follow CARS? If not, re-work

it.• If it follows CARS, does it have the

academic writing features mentioned in chapter 1.1 of the textbook? If not, re-work it.

Homework 1/3

• Go to http://sana.tkk.fi/awe/style/reporting/sections/intros/index.html

• Read through the more specific details of CaRS – different sub-moves.

• Practice using the exercises. There are 3 of them and they each take about 20 min.

Homework 2/3

• Also at the AWE website, read about ’abstracts’

• http://sana.tkk.fi/awe/style/reporting/sections/abstracts/index.html

• Think about the differences between abstracts and introductions

Homework 3/3

• Continue working on paper topic.– Consider what the title might be. A two-part

title (title:subtitle) helps to keep your topic specific (narrow).

– Brainstorming – mind map, outline, free writing

– Topic should be confirmed week 4.