VCSEwiki:Blank page

Step 1 - Readings
In any area of interest, you have to develop understanding of the context of your work. In this course, please read the provided texts that introduce these disciplinary views on Globalisation (see Globalisation 2008/2009 Themes). While you browse the themes, concentrate on basic terms and principles, and on the themes you are most interested in.

For better understanding of your readings, follow our reading manual
 * you can analyse the text - write a summary of each paragraph on the margin of the page
 * then you can write a short summary of the whole text (see an example at the bottom of the The nature of globalisation. Global actors and driving forces).

Step 2 - Prewriting
Outline your own ideas about the broad issue and try to identify your own interest in the area.

Use the prewriting techniques if you are not sure how to start with brainstorming.

Step 3 - Work with resources
Summarize or evaluate what other scholars have written on your topic.


 * You should start with literature review whenever you start writing.
 * Write an annotation of each resource before developing your own ideas - that will help you with your own text!
 * You can use the annotations in the Introduction of your article.

Step 4 - Selection of your "research topic"
The theme you are going to write about is relevant to a specific discourse (economy, sociology,... - our texts provide brief summary of the globalisation problem from the disciplinary points of view). Your topic can be included in some theme of the Globalisation.

"Research question"
Formulate your "Research" question in the area of your interest.

Outline the title of the article, under this heading briefly describe the theme you are going to explore. You can write it on the relevant Globalisation page (make an internal link from some VCSE theme - see Editing rules), or create a completely new page (see also Starting a new Page in Technical instructions)
 * Now you have your own page with "your research topic" and you will continue work on your article directly there.
 * Follow instructions for writing.

Thesis statement
"The thesis sentence is typically that ONE sentence in the paper that asserts, controls, and structures the entire argument." (Dartmouth Writing Program). What is the relationship between a research questions and thesis statement? Your research question needs to be "answered" - the thesis statement is the "answer".There may be several potential  answers to your question, but you need to choose one for the focus of your  essay. Your thesis statement will be something your need to try to "prove" in your essay. During previous weeks you have been drawing on your own opinions, and last week your explored your area of interest in the literature. Some of you have already started to define your opinions and have made them clear in your  wiki page, and this week this process needs to be completed by everyone. Your research question and thesis statement will need to be made explicit in the  introduction to your essay. Eventually, your research question and thesis statement will be used to define your essay title, but this does not have to be  done until a later stage. During this week identify your question and "answer" (thesis statement) and write these on your wiki page. You can read more about how to do this in the task section below this introductory section.

Step 5 - Drafting your essay
When writing any text for this VCSE Wiki, look at the required Structure of the page - it will help you to structure your own writing product.
 * You can start with drafting your introduction. It will probably change after you have developed the whole article, but it would be useful for you to describe your  problem and define basic terms at this stage. Use  description  of a good introduction in the online materials of Writing at  Dartmouth program.
 * Draft a “map” of your essay. It could be an outline of your future article, or simple description of your ideas – clearly explain the starting  point of your thoughts, and where your thoughts will probably end.

Everyone works in a different order: you might start working on short annotations of paragraphs in the planned “body” of your text, and after that  write your introduction and few words about conclusion. This is up to you – you may even change this “workplan” in further stages.

Support for this assignment you can find in the following tables which will help you structure your work, at http://jalt.org/pansig/2005/HTML/Hayashi.htm


 * Unedited Sample Student Essay Map
 * Peer Editing for Introduction
 * Development Patterns for Academic Essays

Step 6 - Developing your article
Concentrate on the content, and consider the structure & organizationof the text]]

In the working outline of the text ask questions about it:
 * is it logical?
 * does it support my thesis?
 * is it structured with respect to the used argumentation? etc.

Then write paragraphs and provide evidence for the ideas (expressed as topic sentences) they include. You will have to revise the text for coherence immediately after the first draft is ready – otherwise it might not make sense.

And finally, look once more at your introduction, and formulate the conclusion. Write an annotation and abstract, look at the title (does it still express the core of your article?) Improve the list of references.

Do not forget to sign your text at the end! You can also use materials of the [|University of Kansas Writing Center] – especially the section about Drafting.

Step 7 - Revision of the text
See Revision of the text: upgrade your text according to the quality criteria. You can start with the text analysis!

Peer review
Peer review process is a basis for mutual evaluation.