Disciplin

Academic Discipline

An academic discipline or field of study is a branch of knowledge that is taught and researched as part of higher education.

How many Academic Disciplines are there?

Are there even more specific disciplines within these main categories?

• Arts

• Humanities

• Social Sciences

• Sciences

• Technology

1.1 Performing arts; 1.2 Visual arts

2.1 Geography; 2.2 History; 2.3 Languages and literature; 2.4 Philosophy

3.1 Economics; 3.2 Law; 3.3 Political science; 3.4 Psychology; 3.5 Sociology

4.1 Biology; 4.2 Chemistry; 4.3 Earth and space sciences; 4.4 Mathematics;4.5 Physics

5.1 Agronomy; 5.2 Computer science; 5.3 Engineering; 5.4 Medicine

Scope/Lens

Methodology

Aka, "Conceptual Framework"

A methodology offers the theoretical underpinning for understanding which method or best practices can be applied to specific case, for example, to calculate a specific result.

Scope refers to parameters that prevent researchers from pursuing further research. Sometimes this scope limits a researcher to exploring just one discipline, while others are expected to consider multiple disciplines.

How broad or narrow is your scope? Did you seek research from one or many disciplines?

Lens is usually discipline specific, but it always involves examining your topic/evidence from a a conventional perspective (i.e. aesthetic, cultural, economic, social, etc. see lenses of philosophical inquiry)

UTEP Library --

Discipline Specific Databases

• Topic

• Discipline

• http://libraryweb.utep.edu/

Through what perspective are you examine your evidence? What "type" of issue is your topic (social; gender; economic; political; cultural; etc.)

Bonus question: Through what lens does your WIT text explore the subject of food & the Newgrange winter solstice?

Academic Writing

How to Integrate Evidence

Questions that Shape Evidence Integration

Evidence

"...evidence should be sandwiched effectively within the writers ideas" (WIT p.269

"...the material academic writers draw from to advance their arguments" or answer research questions (WIT, p. 270)

EX: The WIT textbook suggests that "the sandwich concept enables evidence to be nested between layers of bread," but fails to mention what that "bread" is (p.269) .

Bonus question: What is the purpose of evidence?

• Is your evidence effective?
• Did you explicate evidence sufficiently?
• Is evidence appropriately located?
• Is there an appropriate amount of evidence?
• Is your evidence credible?
• Is your evidence current/
• Is your integration balanced?

1. material for analysis; 2. support; 3. offering a counterpoint or contrasting view.

1. Quotations (APA)

1.2 Block quotations

2. Summary

3. Paraphrase

4. Visual Evidence*

5. Data **

6. Personal Evidence

More important than the evidence you are quoting is your introduction--the first layer of "bread--and explanation of the quote--the final layer of "bread." A firm understanding of "bread" is necessary if you want to incorporate evidence effectively.

Bonus Question: According to your WIT text, how can you integrate evidence effectively?

1. Use evidence accurately

2. Select evidence appropriately

3. Analyze evidence sufficiently

4. Distinguish evidence from opinion

5. Contextualize evidence

6. Relate evidence to writing purpose

7. Attend to discipline and context

8. Vary evidence appropriately

9. Manage ratio between evidence, explication, and argument

10. Ensure credibility

Synthesis

TO BEGIN SYNTHESIZING

What is the point of examining two or more texts that write differently about the same topic?

Think about Methodologies

How do the sources speak to each other?

Where are there, or aren’t there, information gaps?

How do the sources speak to your specific argument or research question?

One product of synthesis is uncovering the most effective method or best practices that can be applied to your specific topic. You can also gauge the success of a source's objectives or goal. You may even discover whether a certain study can be replicated or if its conclusions are valid.

Remember, when you synthesize, you are not just compiling information. You are organizing that information around a specific argument or question, and this work—your own intellectual work—is central to research writing.