Assignment 209 - Research Methodology

 Assignment 209 - Research Methodology

Academic Information

• Name: Insiyafatema Alvani

• Roll No: 11

• Semester: 4 (Batch 2022-24)

• Paper No: 209

• Paper code: 22416

• Paper name: Research Methodology

• Topic: Spelling, Punctuation, and Mechanics of Writing in Academic writing

• Submitted to: Smt. S.B. Gardi, Department of English, MKBU

• Email Address: insiyafatemaalvani@gmail.com

• Submission Date: 26th April 2024

Spelling, Punctuation, and Mechanics of Writing in Academic writing

What is Academic Writing?

Academic writing has a formal tone and uses the third-person perspective. It focuses clearly on the research problem and uses deductive reasoning. It's important for researchers to remain impersonal and objective, relying on evidence rather than personal feelings. Academic writing needs to be well-organized and structured, with each paragraph contributing to the overall argument. It's similar to scientific writing in that it requires precision and accuracy. Academic writing in English follows a linear structure, with one central theme guiding the argument. The main goal is to inform, not entertain, and it follows the standard rules of the language. There are different types of academic writing, depending on the discipline and the intended audience. Despite these differences, academic writing always explores theories, causes, and alternative explanations while maintaining a specific tone and adhering to grammar and punctuation rules.

Mechanics of writing:

The aim of written communication is to seize your reader's attention and convey your message with clarity. Ultimately, when you express yourself through writing, you're guiding the reader to comprehend your viewpoint on a subject. Effective written communication possesses specific qualities that enhance its impact. By integrating these elements into your writing, you can amplify the potency of your work.

Mechanics in writing theory encompasses usage, spelling, hyphenation, and the use of italics. Essentially, mechanics refers to a set of conventions - guidelines on how to abbreviate words, when to capitalize letters, and so on. The goal of following the mechanics of writing is to make the written work precise and grammatically correct. It provides standards for things like proper abbreviations, capitalization rules, hyphenation of certain words or phrases, and when to use italics or other formatting. By adhering to these established mechanics, writing becomes clear, consistent, and error-free in terms of fundamental writing rules and formatting norms. The mechanics act as a structured foundation that allows writers to convey their ideas in a polished, technically accurate way that follows accepted language conventions.

Spelling:

Consistency in spelling, including hyphenation, is essential. However, for quoted material, adhere strictly to the original. Refer to §9 for dictionary selection and usage guidance.

1. Word Division: It is preferable to avoid dividing words at the end of a line.Avoid dividing words at the line's end whenever possible. In North American practice, divide based on pronunciation (e.g., "rep-re-sent"). British convention prefers division according to word derivation (e.g., "re-pre-sent"). Refer to dictionaries for other languages. For instance, French divides on vowels (e.g., "ho-me-rique" becomes "Ho-mer-ic" in English).

2. Accents: When quoting, reproduce accents exactly as they appear in the original. In French, capital letters may lack accents when followed by lowercase letters (e.g., "école," but "Ecole" is also acceptable). If transcribing all caps to lowercase, add necessary accents (e.g., À, É, È, Ù, circumflex-bearing capitals).

3. Dieresis: For German words, use dieresis (ä, ö, ü) instead of "e" with umlauts, even for initial capitals (e.g., "Über"). Respect common usage for names (e.g., Götz, but Goethe).

4. Digraphs: A digraph represents a single sound with two letters (e.g., "th," "oa" in "broad"). In some languages, digraphs appear connected in print (æ, œ, ß). In typescript, transcribe without connection (e.g., ae, oe, ss). In North American English, "ae" is often replaced by "e" (e.g., "encyclopedia," "archeology," "esthetic," "medieval").

Watch this video for better understanding

Punctuation:

The main goal of punctuation is to make your writing clear and easy to read. While there are some rules you have to follow, like using periods and commas correctly, how you use punctuation can also reflect your personal style. However, it's important to be consistent. You shouldn't switch between different styles in similar situations. These guidelines are particularly important when writing research papers. If you need more detailed information about punctuation, you can find it in standard books about writing.

Apostrophes:

Apostrophes show contractions, which are rarely used in academic writing. They also show possession for singular nouns by adding 's for one-syllable names ending in s, z, etc. sounds but just ' for multiple-syllable names. Names ending in a silent s add 's to show possession.  

• Show contractions (can't, won't) - rarely used in academic writing

• Show possession for singular nouns (Keats's poems, Marx's theories)

• Add ' for multiple-syllable names ending in s, z, etc. sounds (Hopkins' poems)

• Add 's for names ending in silent s (Camus's novels)

Colons (:)

Colons introduce examples, explanations or additional information. They are often used before quotations. One space should be left after a colon.

•  The instructions were clear: read the entire passage first.

Commas (,)

Commas are used between items in a list, between adjectives describing the same noun, before conjunctions joining independent clauses, around parenthetical phrases, and in dates and addresses. A comma is never used before an opening parenthesis.

• Used between items in a list (blood, sweat, and tears)

• Used in dates (January 1, 1980) and addresses (Brooklyn, New York)

Em Dashes (—)

Em dashes are typed with no spaces before or after. They are used around parenthetical statements with internal commas and before a summarizing phrase.  

•  Her interests—reading, traveling, and photography—kept her busy.

Exclamation Marks (!)

Exclamation marks should be used sparingly in academic writing.

• Overconsumption and pollution continue to deplete the ozone layer!

Hyphens (-)

Hyphens join compound adjectives before a noun, join prefixes to capitalized words, and join co-equal nouns. They are not used for one-word compounds.

• Join compound adjectives before a noun (well-established policy)

• Join prefixes to capitalized words (post-Renaissance)  

• Join co-equal nouns (poet-priest)

Italics

Italics are used for titles, linguistic examples, and foreign words, but not for anglicized foreign words.  Italics should be avoided for overuse of emphasis.

• She studied Spanish vocabulary from the textbook Español Esencial.

Parentheses ()  

Parentheses enclose parenthetical remarks and are used in referencing styles.  

• Thekaleidoscope's colors (red, blue, and yellow) were vibrant.

Periods (.)

Periods end sentences, are used after abbreviations and initials, and are placed inside parentheses if the whole sentence is parenthetical.

• Dr. Jansen published extensively on glioblastoma multiforme. His latest findings suggest new therapeutic pathways.

Quotation Marks ("")

Quotation marks enclose words referred to as the words themselves but do not enclose linguistic examples, which use italics. Single quotes are used for definitions/translations.  

• The term "codex" refers to ancient manuscript books.   

Semicolons (;)

Semicolons separate list items with internal commas, join independent clauses without a conjunction, and are used before conjunctions if the clause has internal commas.

• Climate change impacts agriculture; sustainable practices must be adopted.  

Slashes (/)

Slashes separate lines of poetry, are part of date formats, and show alternative terms. 

• Part of dates (11/25/2016)

• Show alternative terms (and/or)

Square Brackets []

Square brackets enclose editors' notes in quotations, missing data, and phonetic transcriptions.

Capitalization:

English: Capitalize the first letter of the first word, the last word, and all principal words in titles, including divisions like chapters. However, exclude articles, prepositions (except as adverbs), conjunctions, and "to" in infinitives. The initial definite article is often not considered part of the title when referencing magazines or newspapers (e.g., Washington Post). "Series" and "edition" are capitalized only when part of an exact title (e.g., the Norton Critical Edition). Titles like Preface, Introduction, and Appendix are capitalized when referring to a specific work or formally cited. Nouns followed by a numeral indicating place in a sequence are abbreviated and capitalized (e.g., Vol. II of 3 vols., Pl. 4, No. 20, Act V, Ch. iii, Version A). Do not capitalize col., fol., l., n., p., or sig.

French: In French prose or verse, avoid capitalizing the subject pronoun "je" (I), months or days of the week, names of languages, adjectives derived from proper nouns, or titles of people or places, unless they start a sentence or line of verse. For titles of books, stories, poems, chapters, etc., capitalize the first word and all proper nouns. If the first word is an article, capitalize the first noun and any preceding adjectives. In titles of series and periodicals, capitalize all major words.

Quotations:

Quotations, regardless of their length, must faithfully replicate the original source in terms of spelling, capitalization, and internal punctuation. Any deviations, such as italicization for emphasis or modernized spelling, should be clearly indicated either within the quotation itself using square brackets, or in a note accompanying the quotation. This fidelity to the original ensures accuracy and integrity in scholarly writing. Quotations are a vital aspect of scholarly writing, demanding precision and fidelity to the original source. They should accurately reflect the spelling, capitalization, and punctuation of the original text, with any exceptions clearly indicated. 

Poetry

When incorporating verse quotations, single-line or partial-line excerpts should seamlessly integrate into the text within quotation marks. Longer verse passages are set apart from the main text, indented and triple-spaced, to preserve the original spatial arrangement.

Prose

Prose quotations of up to four lines should be included within double quotation marks, while longer passages are displayed in block format, indented and triple-spaced. The indentation and spacing should accurately mirror the original source.

Ellipsis

Ellipses are employed to signify omitted material, ensuring fairness to the original author and grammatical clarity. Any interpolations or writer's comments within quotations should be enclosed in square brackets.

Interpolations

Comments or clarifications made by the writer within quotations should be enclosed in square brackets, not parentheses. The use of "sic" (meaning "thus" or "so") should be sparing and placed within square brackets, without quotation marks or an exclamation point. This is to signal to readers that any apparent errors in spelling or logic within the quotation are accurate representations of the original text. Unless explicitly stated otherwise (e.g., by "emphasis added"), readers should assume that any italicized words in the quotation were also italicized in the original source.

Punctuating quotations

Quotations set off from the text require no quotation marks; internal punctuation should be reproduced exactly as in the original.When quoting material set off from the main text, such as dialogue or excerpts, quotation marks are not necessary. The internal punctuation of the quotation should be reproduced exactly as it appears in the original source. When integrating quotations into the text, use double quotation marks to enclose the quoted material. For quotations within quotations, use single quotation marks.  For example:

• The professor in the novel confessed that he found it impossible to teach the 'To be or not to be' speech because he was himself terrified by its implications.

Regarding punctuation placement:

- Commas and periods should be placed inside closing quotation marks unless they are part of a parenthetical or bracketed reference.

- If a quotation ends with both single and double quotation marks, the comma or period is placed within both sets of marks.

- All other punctuation goes outside quotation marks, unless it is part of the quoted material itself.

Names of Persons:

Names of persons vary widely across cultures and historical contexts, so it's important to exercise good judgment when dealing with them. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind:

1. Titles: Formal titles like Mr., Mrs., Miss, Dr., or Professor are typically omitted in references to both living and deceased persons. However, there are conventions regarding the usage of titles with certain names. For example, the poet Henry Howard, earl of Surrey, is usually referred to as Surrey, not Howard. But some titled persons, like Benjamin Disraeli, first earl of Beaconsfield, are commonly called by their names without titles.

2. Authors' Names: Simplified names of famous authors are often used, such as Vergil for Publius Vergilius Maro or Dante for Dante Alighieri. Pseudonyms should be treated as ordinary names. For example:

   - George Sand (Amandine-Aurore-Lucie Dupin)

   - George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans)

   - Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

   - Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle)

   - Novalis (Friedrich von Hardenberg)

3. Dutch and German Names: Dutch "van," "van der," "van den," and German "von" are usually not used with the last name alone, except in some cases like Van Gogh or Von Braun. German names with umlauts (ä, ö, ü) are often alphabetized as if spelled out (ae, oe, ue).

4. French Names: French "de" alone following a given name is generally not used with the last name alone. However, when "de" is combined with the definite article, it should be used with the last name (e.g., "Des Périers"). A hyphen is commonly used between French given names.

5.Italian Names: Italian names from the Renaissance period are often alphabetized by the first name. Modern Italian names may include "da," "de," "del," "della," or "di" with the last name.

6. Spanish Names: Spanish "de" is usually not used with the last name alone. When "de" is combined with the definite article "el" to form "del," it should be used with the last name. Spanish surnames often include both paternal and maternal names, alphabetized by the paternal name.

7. Oriental Names: In Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese cultures, surnames come before given names. However, it's essential to follow the preferences of Oriental persons regarding the order and usage of their names, even if it differs from standard practice.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, mastering writing mechanics is crucial for clear, precise, and polished academic work. Following conventions ensures accurate communication, while attention to details enhances readability and credibility. Faithfully representing source material is paramount, as is understanding cultural naming customs. With mastery of these elements, writers can focus on developing strong arguments. The goal is to strike a balance between technical correctness and effective communication. By mastering these fundamental elements of the craft, writers can focus on developing strong arguments and analyses rather than being hindered by mechanical errors. Ultimately, a command of writing mechanics is an essential skill for scholars across disciplines. It enables ideas to be articulated with clarity and sophistication, facilitating academic discourse at the highest levels. Writing mechanics are indispensable for academic discourse, deserving dedicated study and adherence.

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Works Cited:

Armstrong, Keir. “Mechanics of Writing - Keir Armstrong.” Carleton University, https://carleton.ca/keirarmstrong/learning-resources/essay-guidelines/mechanics-of-writing/. Accessed 26 April 2024.

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Modern Language Association of America, 2009. Accessed 26 April 2024.