Departmental Seminar
This presentation focuses on two key components of academic writing: developing effective research questions and constructing strong academic arguments. A research question serves as the central focus of a research project and guides the research and writing process. A well-formulated research question helps writers narrow their focus and develop a clear and arguable thesis. The presentation highlights that an effective research question should be clear, focused, concise, researchable, and open to debate. It also outlines key steps in developing a research question, including selecting a general topic of interest, conducting preliminary research, narrowing the topic, and generating open-ended questions.
The second part of the presentation explores the concept of academic argumentation. An academic argument is defined as a clear claim supported by logical reasoning and credible evidence with the aim of persuading an academic audience. Key components such as claims, reasons, evidence, counterarguments, and rebuttals are discussed. The presentation also introduces strategies for integrating sources, developing paragraphs, and maintaining coherence and cohesion in academic writing.