READING AND

WRITING SKILLS
ROSELYN E. LAZALITA
WEEK 5 &6
 HOUSE RULES

• RESPECT ONE ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW

• LISTEN ATTENTIVELY
• USE YOUR CP ONLY FOR TAKING PICTURES OF
THE PPT.
 REVIEW

• DETERMINING TEXTUAL EVIDENCE

• Textual evidence is information gathered
from the text that supports your assertion
or counterclaim about the text. It refers to
any proof of an argument, a claim, a
counterclaim, an assertion cited in the text
leading to a conclusion.
 • REFERENCING
• PARAPHRASING
TYPES OF
• SUMMARIZING
TEXTUAL
EVIDENCE • QUOTING
 LEARNING COMPTENCIES

• Identify the unique features of and requirements

in composing texts that are useful across
academic discipline:
 a. Book Review or Article Critique;

b. Literature Review;
ACADEMIC
c. Research Report;
WRITING
d. Project Proposal; and

e. Position Paper.
 Features and
Requirements of an
Academic Pape
PRETEST
Directions: Use a separate sheet of paper
for your answers. Identify which
academic paper do the following
descriptions belong to. Write the letter of
the correct answer. Choose from the pool
of choices in the box below.
A. Literature Review D. Book/Article
Review
B. Research E. Project Proposal

C. Position Paper
• 1. It includes arguments and evidence to
support a one-position statement.
• It gives essential information or provides an
evaluation or critical analysis of a book or
an article.
• 3. The document is used to present the
general plan and justification to pursue a
project.
• 4. Integrated analysis and synthesis paper of
scholarly articles related to your proposed
statement.
• 5. The systematic investigation into and
study of materials and sources to establish
facts and reach new conclusions.
 Types Academic Paper

• 1. Book Review or Article Critique.

• One of the basic school requirements is writing a
book review or an article critique. A book review
or an article critique gives essential
information about a book (fiction or
nonfiction) or an article (e.g., from the
newspaper, magazines, academic journals) and
provides an evaluation or a critical analysis of
it.
2. Literature Review
• Integrated analysis and synthesis of
scholarly articles related to the topics or
issues included in your written thesis,
dissertation, or journal article. It is used to
describe critically, summarize, and evaluate
the updated information from sources like
academic books, journal articles, research
resources, and government articles.
3. Research Report
• Research is “the systematic investigation
into and study of materials and sources to
establish facts and reach new conclusions
(Google).” The key to a good research report
is the phrase “systematic investigation.”
Thus, researchers follow certain processes to
reach valid conclusions and discoveries.
4. Project Proposal
• A Project Proposal sometimes referred to as
‘Terms of Reference’, is a document used to
present the general plan and justification to
pursue a project. It is usually two to four pages
in length. The purpose of writing a project
proposal is to serve as a guide, to get funding,
to convince people to participate, and to serve as
a reference for evaluating the project.
5. Position Paper
• A position paper, also known as the
point of view paper, is used to claim a
one-sided position on a specific issue.
This type of paper is used in
academics, law, and politics and is
usually one to one and-a-half pages in
length.
It contains factual arguments to support
the one-sided claim or position
statement, but this will not limit the
paper to present just only the strength
but also the weakness of the position
statement.
Before writing a paper, one must
determine the unique features and
requirements in composing an
academic text. Below are the
requirements needed and features of each
type of academic paper.
1. Book Review or
Article Critique
Before writing a book review or an
article critique, you are required to
do the following:
 Read the Material

• Before you can begin writing a book review or an

article critique, you have to read and understand
the material first.
• The material that you will review or critique
would require you to read actively,
intelligently, and critically. You have to go
beyond the content ofthe material.
• As you read, take down notes. Write down
the following elements which will be useful
in your review or critique: title; genre; for a
book: theme(s),characters, mood, and tone;
• for an article: main ideas or arguments,
and presentation of ideas; author’s
writing style and language; and author’s
purpose.
• Formulate questions about the content. These
questions may be about concepts that you do not
fully understand or you want to elaborate on later
on in your analysis.
• Read the material more than once for an
in-depth understanding of what the
author is trying to convey.
Write the Review or Critique
Paper
• Your paper should give an informed
analysis of the material. It should be more
than just a summary of the book or article.
• Be mindful of the structure of your review
or critique. Like all essays, a book review or
an article critique has an introduction,
body, and conclusion.
The Structure and Features of a Book
Review and an Article Critique
1. Introduction
2. Body
3. Conclusion
 Introduction
• a. Know the context or information in which the
material was written—author’s background
(i.e., life, culture, and beliefs); and social,
economic, or political conditions in which the
material was produced.
b. Mention the title of the material, year or
date of publication, and author’s name.
• c. If writing an article critique, state the
main argument or author’s purpose of the
material.
• d. Come up with a thesis statement that will
indicate what your evaluation of the material will
be. If you are doing a book review, is it a positive,
negative, or mixed review? If you are writing an
article critique, are you for or against the main
argument?
• e. Briefly summarize the book or the main
points of the article.
 Body

• This is the analysis and evaluation part of

the review or critique paper. Here are some
questions that can help in your critical
evaluation of the material.
 When writing a book review:

• a. What are the setting, theme(s), plot,

characterization, and other significant literary
devices used by the author?
• b. How do these elements contribute to
the overall meaning of the book?
c. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the
book?
d. What significant human experience and
relationships can you relate to in light of your
personal experience? c. What are the strengths
and weaknesses of the book?
e. How is the book similar to and/or
different from other books in the same
genre?
f. Is the book informative, entertaining, or
meaningful? Would you recommend it to
others? Why or why not?
 When writing an article critique:

a. Are the ideas presented clear and

convincing? What pieces of evidence are used
to support the author’s ideas? Are they valid
or accurate?
b. Is the purpose of the paper achieved? If
yes, how? If no, why not?
c. What is the overall structure of the article?
Are the ideas logically organized and
adequately developed?
d. What are the strengths and weaknesses of
the article?
e. What further issues does the article raise?
• f. Does the article contribute to your
knowledge or understanding of a particular
concept or topic? How is it helpful to other
works in its discipline or to works of a
related topic?
 Conclusion

• This is a summary of your overall

evaluation of the material. You may include
here the main reasons stated in the body
paragraphs, why you agree or disagree with
the author.
• After writing the review or critique, do not
forget to cite the references you used for
your paper. Follow The American
Psychological Association referencing style
(or APA as it is more commonly known).
 PERFORMANCE TASK-1

• Activity 2: Analyze the following text very

carefully. Then, complete the table that
follows.
 GROUP WORK

I WILL CHOOSE YOUR GROUP. THE GROUP HAS 4

MEMBERS ONLY INCLUDING THE LEADERS.
EACH LEADER WILL RECEIVE A COPY OF YOUR
PERFORMANCE TASK-1
2. Literature Review
The Structure and Features of a Literature
Review
• After collecting the information from different
sources, decide on the structure of the literature
review. It can either be a chronological or
thematic literature review.
• Chronological Literature Review is a type
of review where the information is
arranged sequentially in the progression of
time. It is best used for historiographical
papers and research methodology that
focuses more on how the ideas have
developed over time.
• Thematic Literature Review is a type of review
that defines or describes theory of categories
significant to your research. It can be compared
to an inverted pyramid that focuses on broad to
specific topics and ends with a synthesis. It is
considered more essential as compared to the
Chronological Literature Review.
• Moreover, the focus of this lesson is on
how to write a literature review
specifically a thematic literature review.
This type of literature review can be
compared to an inverted triangle mounted
to a support base.
Research Report
Before writing a research report, you are required
to use the following skills that you have mastered
from your previous lessons:
• writing skills;
• obtaining of information; and
• posing convincing arguments.
The Structure and Features of a
Research Report
 Parts of a Research Report
Title Page
contains an informative title that describes the content of the paper,
the name of author/s, addresses or affiliations, and date of submission.
Examples of an informative title are the following:
a. Effects of Facebook on the Academic Achievement of first Year
Students
b. Development and Validation of a Software for Detecting Plagiarism
 Abstract
contains the summary of the research findings and
conclusions. It briefly presents the context of the study,
research questions or objectives, methodology, major
findings, conclusions, and sometimes implications. An
abstract does not contain any citation or a great deal of
statistical results. Its length ranges from 100 to 250 words.
 Introduction
explains the current state of the field and
identifies research gaps. It is also the part
where the research focus is presented by
addressing the identified gaps in the topic. It
puts the research topic in context. It is usually
three to five paragraphs long.
 Literature Review

contains the summary and synthesis of all available

sources directly related to the study. In a research
report, the literature review is divided into two
sections: related concepts and related studies.
 Methodology
• describes how the experiments or tests in the research
were conducted. It presents the context within which
the study was conducted, the participants, the
instruments used, data gathering procedure, and the
data analysis. In discussing the context of the study and
the participants, the number and the demographic
profiles of the participants are explained as well as the
place where the study was conducted.
 Results
factually describes the data gathered and the tables and
graphs that summarize the collected data. Along with the
tables and graphs are their respective interpretations.
The flow of the results section should follow the flow of
the research questions/problems/objectives. It is
expected that for each research problem or objective,
corresponding results are presented.
 Discussion

provides an explanation of all the results in relation

to the previous studies presented in the literature
review.
• In this section, the research problems or objectives, as
well as the major findings, are restated in the first
paragraph. The succeeding paragraphs should explain
whether the study supports or rejects the previous
findings and explain the reasons for this. New findings
uncovered in the research should also be stated. Similar
to the flow of the results, the discussion part follows the
flow of the research problems or objectives.
 Conclusion

contains the restatement of the major

findings, the limitations of the study, the
recommendations, and the implications.
Note that in some cases, the conclusion is
integrated into the discussion.
 References

contains the different sources used in the study.

These may be academic books, journals, and other
online sources. Its format depends on the school,
teacher, or field of study.
Project Proposal
Before writing a project proposal, you are required to
have key knowledge of the following:
• intended project to achieve; and
• writing any proposed project needed to be achieved.
 The Structure and Features of a Research
Report
A project proposal is usually composed of the
following parts, but it does not necessarily mean
all parts must be included in your project proposal.
A cover letter can also be attached to the project
proposal.
 Project Description
Project Description contains necessary information
such as project title, type of project, project
proponents, number of beneficiaries, location of
beneficiaries, date of implementation, area of
project implementation, budget requirement, and
budget requested.
I. Background/Situational Analysis
II. Project Objectives
III. Expected Output or Outcome of the
Project
IV. Risk Management Plan
V. Project Organization and Staffing
VI. Project Work Plan
VII. Detailed Budget Requirement
VIII. Signatories
Position Paper
Before writing a book review or an article critique, you are
required to do the following:
• identify the issue to be discussed. The issue must be
interesting, valid, and specific. The issue must also have two
identifiable positions or sides – either in favor or against the
claim or position statement;
• research both positions and collate the arguments,
scholarly articles, and in-depth studies from academic books
and journals; and
• after performing thorough research on a
certain issue and its arguments, you need to
choose the position or side you want to
support. Remember that this type of paper
requires you to take only one side of an
argument –either in favor or against the issue.
The Structure and Features of a Position
Paper
 The Introduction

Write the specific issue, together with its

importance and effect on society. End the
introductory paragraph with your position statement
or your stand on the issue. Keep in mind that you
could take only one side of the argument.
 Explanation:

The purpose of writing the introduction is to give

the reader an overview of the issue and to arouse
their interest to read your paper. In this example, the
writer states a brief background on the position
statement or claims that will be the focus of this
position paper.
 The Content
The content may have several paragraphs. It may begin with
short background information or a discussion of arguments on
both sides of the issue. In each paragraph, write an explanation
or observation to clarify the portion of the position statement,
followed by the supporting evidence. Evidence that can be used
is primary source quotation, interviews with field experts, a
recommendation from scholarly articles and position papers,
historical dates or events, and statistical data.
 The End Statement
In the last part of writing the paper,
summarize and reinforce the concepts and
facts presented without repeating the
introduction and its content. It is also optional
to include the procedure used to deal with the
issue and your suggested possible solution or
recommendation.