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EXPERIENCIA RECEPCIONAL
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GUIA DE ESTUDIANTE
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(4 hours a week, 12 credits)
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Brbara Scholes G.

Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................... 4
1. Entry Requirements ............................................................................................................. 4
2. General Procedure ................................................................................................................ 4
3. Rules .................................................................................................................................... 5
3.1 Plagiarism ......................................................................................................................... 7
What is a Trabajo Recepcional? .............................................................................................. 9
What kind of Trabajo Recepcional? ......................................................................................... 10
1. Reporte de investigacin de campo .................................................................................. 11
2.
Reporte por Actividad Profesional: Servicio Social, Prctica Docente o Prctica
Profesional Independiente ..................................................................................................... 12
3. Traduccin comentada ...................................................................................................... 13
4. Monografa ........................................................................................................................ 13
5. Tesina ................................................................................................................................ 13
General Steps for Writing a Trabajo Recepcional ................................................................ 14
Step One: Discover and Define your Topic .............................................................................. 15
Identify a topic that interests you!! ....................................................................................... 15
General Examples of T.R. Topics ......................................................................................... 16
Identify what you want to do ................................................................................................ 18
Step Two: Read as much as you can about your topic ............................................................. 20
Understanding important points: reading critically .............................................................. 22
Make notes ............................................................................................................................ 23
Step Three: Writing the Paper................................................................................................... 24
Title Page .............................................................................................................................. 24
Abstract ................................................................................................................................. 25
Table of Contents / Proposed outline .................................................................................... 26
Introduction (Suggested length: 2-5 pages) .......................................................................... 27
Chapter One: Literature Review (suggested length 7-10 pages) .......................................... 32
Chapter Two: Methodology (suggested length 7-10 pages) ................................................. 35
Chapter Three: Findings (Suggested length: 7-10 pages) ..................................................... 37
Conclusion (Suggested length: 2-5 pages) ............................................................................ 38
Step Four: Edit your writing .................................................................................................... 41
The Presentation of the T.R ..................................................................................................... 42
Appendix One: Agreement format la solictud para la Prrroga ........................................ 43
Appendix Two: Cartas de Compromiso .................................................................................. 44
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Appendix Three: Ficha de Registro de los Trabajos Recepcionales ................................. 47

Appendix Four: Confirmation of readiness to present .......................................................... 48
Appendix Five: Writing Conclusions........................................................................................ 49
Restatement of aims (research) ............................................................................................. 49
Summarising the findings (research) .................................................................................... 49
Suggesting implications ........................................................................................................ 49
Significance of the findings (research contribution) ............................................................. 50
Implications/recommendations for practice or policy .......................................................... 50
Limitations of the current study (research) ........................................................................... 51
Recommendations for further work (research) ..................................................................... 51
Appendix 6: Insight for Writing a Qualitative Research Paper. ........................................... 52
Young-A Lee (2014). ................................................................................................................. 52

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Introduction
This Experiencia Educativa (EE) is a very important course during the last stage of
your studies. The main aim of this experiencia is to guide you to select a topic of
interest and value, as well as organize and structure your Trabajo Recepcional (T.R.);
in other words, your final written paper, in order to accredit the BA in English Language.
During this experiencia, you need to use everything that you have learnt during your
studies; that is, the abilities, competencies and knowledge you have acquired during the
course of your studies. In addition, throughout this EE, you will be expected to learn
how to carry out serious research. This involves getting to know about: research
approaches and methods, field work, data analysis, as well as other basic, but
necessary research characteristics. A summary of the contents included in this EE is
provided for you in this guide.

1. Entry Requirements
In order to enrol on the course Experiencia Recepcional (ER), you need to have
completed 70% of the BA credits including the experiencias (EEs): Introduccin a
la Investigacin; y Lectura y Redaccin de Textos Acadmicos en Ingls.
You have the option of choosing with which teacher you enrol according to either
or all: the teachers lines of investigation and/or investigation projects, and the
course schedule.
It is highly recommended that you also enrol on the course Seminario de
Redaccin para el Trabajo Recepcional with the same teacher; and at the same
time you are enrolled on the ER course.

2. General Procedure
You may either carry out a project with the teacher in charge of this course or
another teacher who has a line of investigation or a project that has been
registered and validated by the Consejo Tecnico;
You may write your final paper (trabajo recepcional) either individually or with a
peer;
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 The final paper should be between 25 to 40 pages long, and written in Arial 12:
spacing 1.5; References in APA format;
All trabajos recepcionales must be written in academic English with a minimal
number of grammar, language and syntactic errors;
The trabajo recepcional, depending on its focus, may either:
Employ one of two research approaches: Qualitative or Quantitative. However, it is
recommended that you adopt a qualitative approach given that there are a larger
number of teachers at the School of Languages who can guide you in your work.
OR
Employ other different methodologies if focused on a literary topic, a translation, or
your internship (Servicio Social). In the case of choosing one of these options, you
must ask for guidance from the teachers who give courses in these areas.
3. Rules
In your first inscripcin you have the option of completing your T.R. in one or two
periods (2nd period is called an extensin), however, this depends on the ER
teachers decision based on whether or not, and to what extent, you have made
progress (usually at least two chapters); and any difficulties you may have faced
during the period. If no progress has been made then the teacher will inform you
that you will have to register in ER in second inscripcin.

If you do not finish your T.R. after one or two periods, but you have 75% of the
final paper finished (that is, the literature review, methodology and the analysis of
the findings), you may ask Consejo Tcnico for a prrroga (you, your ER
teacher, and director(a) must sign this in agreement, see Appendix 1). If
accepted, this means you would have an extra 40 days (weekends & holidays
are not included) from the date of the exam of that period. However, this is not as
long as it may seem, remember that the 40 days include:
15 days for your reader(s) to read your work and decide whether or not it is
ready to be presented;

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 7 days after this for you to correct your work (minor corrections may be
completed after the presentation, when necessary);
7 days notice for the Co-ordinator of the ER & SS academy to schedule the
presentations.
Total: 29 days

Once you have decided on your focus and have a written summary of what you
want to do, you need to request a teacher to be your director(a) *. If this person
accepts then you should submit, his/her written agreement (See Appendix: 2) to
your ER teacher. Your director(a) will decide whether or not s/he would like you
to work also with a co-director(a), if this is the case, the director(a) has the right
to suggest who this may be. When you have finished writing your T.R. a final
reader will be chosen by both these teachers. If the director(a) does not wish to
work with a co-director(a) then s/he needs to name two readers.
* Your director(a) may be the teacher in charge of an ER course, another
teacher at the U.V. who has a line of investigation or a project that has been
registered and validated by the Consejo Tecnico or a teacher from another
educational institution. In the case of a teacher from another higher education
institution, this teacher needs to have at least a BA degree certificate and have
a line of investigation or a project directly related to your area of study. Proof of
this will be requested in order to register your work with the Consejo Tecnico.

N.B Your E.R. teacher needs to have written confirmation signed by the
people involved (See Appendix 2) by the middle of the period in order
to register your work with the Consejo Tecnico. In order to register
your work, please fill in the form in Appendix 3 and send it to your ER
teacher.

When you have finished writing up your T.R. you need to present and defend
your work orally. In order to arrive at this stage, you must:

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 Send your work electronically (or some teachers may request you to print
it out for them) a week before the end of the first or second period at the
latest, to all the teachers involved (ER teacher, director(a), co-director(a)
reader(s)). These teachers have 10 working days to send you and the ER
teacher, their feedback. You then have 5 days to send them back the
corrections. Please highlight these in your work!
If the teachers involved agree that your work is ready for presentation then
you should submit to your E.R. teacher and the ER&SS academy coordinator, their written agreement (See Appendix: 4).The ER&SS academy
co-ordinator will then schedule your presentation.

N.B After the presentation, you need to take into consideration any final feedback
to improve your work before giving in two CDs with the final text to the la
Secretara de Idiomas. S/he will inform you of the date for their submission.
3.1 Plagiarism
(Adopted and adapted (re:16/062015)from
http://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/guidance/skills/plagiarism)
Plagiarism is presenting someone elses work or ideas as your own, with or without their
consent, by incorporating it into your work without full acknowledgement. All published
and unpublished material, whether in manuscript, printed or electronic form, is covered
under this definition. Plagiarism may be intentional or reckless, or unintentional.
Plagiarism is a disciplinary offence.
The necessity to acknowledge others work or ideas applies not only to text, but also to
other media, such as computer code, illustrations, graphs etc. It applies equally to
published text and data drawn from books and journals, and to unpublished text and
data, whether from lectures, theses or other students essays. You must also attribute
text, data, or other resources downloaded from websites.

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The best way of avoiding plagiarism is to learn and employ the principles of good
academic practice from the beginning of your university career. Avoiding plagiarism is
not simply a matter of making sure your references are all correct, or changing enough
words so the examiner will not notice your paraphrase; it is about using your academic
skills to make your work as good as it can be.
Forms of plagiarism
Verbatim (word for word) quotation without clear acknowledgement
Quotations must always be identified as such by the use of either quotation marks or
indentation, and with full referencing of the sources cited. It must always be apparent to
the reader which parts are your own words, and where you have drawn on someone
elses ideas and language.

Cutting and pasting from the Internet without clear acknowledgement

Information derived from the Internet must be adequately referenced and included in the
bibliography. It is important to evaluate carefully all material found on the Internet, as it
is less likely to have been through the same process of scholarly peer review as
published sources.

Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing the work of others by altering a few words and changing their order, or by
closely following the structure of their argument, is plagiarism if you do not give due
acknowledgement to the author whose work you are using. A passing reference to the
original author in your own text may not be enough; you must ensure that you do not
create the misleading impression that the paraphrased wording or the sequence of
ideas are entirely your own. It is better to write a brief summary of the authors overall
argument in your own words, indicating that you are doing so, than to paraphrase
particular sections of his or her writing. This will ensure you have a genuine grasp of the
argument and will avoid the difficulty of paraphrasing without plagiarising. You must also
properly attribute all material you derive from lectures.

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What is a Trabajo Recepcional?

In general, a Trabajo Recepcional (T.R.) is a developed and extended academic
essay. Apart from demonstrating the language level you have attained in speaking and
writing the English Language, the T.R. also demonstrates your power of reasoning it
is not merely a collection of facts and quotations just stuck together with no particular
order. Your T.R. should have an argument of some kind, that is, a line of discussion with
a particular focus and purpose. More specifically, your writing should demonstrate that
you are capable of thinking critically. It should answer a question, or respond to a doubt
and/or problem. It should try to prove and/or show something by developing a line of
inquiry based on reasoning and evidence - using appropriate examples and confirming
quotations from a relevant text or sources that your argument involves. When gathering
and employing this evidence you should be reading and rereading with your focus in
mind while asking yourself:
Is this information relevant to what Im trying to show and prove?
Will it help the reader to understand my focus?

In brief, keep in mind, who this academic writing is for, and why. Do this by considering
the answers to the following questions:

Who are my readers?

Why will they read my essay?

What do they already know about my topic?

What dont they know?

What do I want to communicate to them?

How can I best present that information to them?

How can I make a convincing argument?

The T.R. must be written for people in search of information or an argument they can
engage with for example, a challenging opinion or a set of facts to be absorbed and
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reflected upon. The most important point is that you demonstrate what you have learnt
from this experience. In sum, a final research paper (trabajo recepcional), in general:
Describes an investigation, and its significance;
Demonstrates knowledge of the literature and empirical studies regarding the
topic/issue;
Explains the research methodology and methods;
Presents an analysis and interpretation of the findings;
Includes the implications and limitations of the research, as well as suggestions
of topic/issues for further research.

The following is an example of a general outline that may need to be adapted according
to the specific requirements of each type of study.

Title Page
Abstract
Table of Contents
List of Tables & Figures, and a Glossary (if necessary)
Introduction
Literature Review
Methodology
Analysis, Interpretation & Discussion of the findings
Conclusion
References
Appendices
What kind of Trabajo Recepcional?
There are various kinds of trabajo recepcionales:
Reporte de investigacin de campo,
Reporte por actividad profesional: Servicio Social, Prctica Docente o
Prctica Profesional independiente;
Traduccin Comentada;
Monografa;
Tesina.
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To help you decide, consider the following general characteristics of each:

1. Reporte de investigacin de campo

Nowadays, learning English is not only a choice, but also a necessity. People have to
deal with this language for academic, educational and work purposes. As a result, it has
become more important than ever to explore and examine what happens in the EFL
classroom; which teaching/learning methodology and methods are useful; as well as the
factors and issues that may influence the teaching/learning process, all in particular
contexts. Therefore, this type of investigation, whether it is focused on this university or
on another educational institution, will include a description and an analysis of a
particular topic that may influence and/or have an impact on the teaching/learning
process. The main goal of this research is to contribute to knowledge, and provide a
reflection on a certain issue that may facilitate future decision-making in educational
contexts.

1.1 Research approach

As previously mentioned, the suggested research approach for this report is qualitative
research. In qualitative research, information about peoples beliefs, values, feelings
and motivations conveyed though language and behavior is analyzed. In contrast to
quantitative research, in qualitative research, people are not reduced to single variables,
but represented in their entirety in their every day context (Flick, 2009). Therefore, the
fields of study are not artificial situations in the laboratory, but the practices and
interactions of people in everyday life. In other words, qualitative researchers study
people in their natural settings in a particular time and context. S/he tries to understand
situations in their uniqueness as part of a particular context and the interactions there.
S/he does not attempt to predict what may happen in the future, but to understand the
nature of a particular setting, what it means for participants to be in that setting, what
their lives are like, and what the world looks like in that specific setting from the
participants perceptions.

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In particular, in an interpretive qualitative study, it is believed that meaning is socially

constructed by people, in interaction with their world. Therefore, the purpose of
interpretive qualitative research is to understand the meaning people have attributed to
a certain phenomena they have experienced. That is, how they react and feel when
facing different situations in different contexts. This meaning is mediated through the
researcher as an instrument, the strategy is inductive and the outcome is descriptive.
Also, it is important to point out that data is collected through interviews, observations,
field notes, and perhaps by questionnaires with open-ended questions.
2. Reporte por Actividad Profesional: Servicio Social, Prctica Docente o Prctica
Profesional Independiente
This is a report based on your personal/professional experience during your internship
(Servicio Social), teaching, or translation practice. This report should include (but is not
limited to), a detailed description, in addition to, a critical evaluation and reflection of the
experience/activity.

2.1 Internship (tipo Memoria)

This kind of T.R. includes: an index; introduction; rationale; contextualization; literature
review; description and evaluation of the activities performed; problems and solutions
encountered; a conclusion that includes lessons learnt, recommendations/suggestions
for authorities, teachers and/or students; and reference and appendix sections
(evidence, reports etc.).

2.2 Trabajo educativo prctico

This report will depend on each particular topic area. In general, it is similar to a Tesina
(see below), however, although you need to describe, investigate and perhaps suggest
a way to solve a problem; you do not necessarily need to put a proposal into practice
(unless engaged in a project during Servicio Social, or carrying out action research).
Instead, the TR can end with proposals and/or recommendations based on the
research, and include suggestions for further research needed.

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Within this category you may opt to carry out the following:

Elaboracin comentada de material didctico en apoyo a la docencia, la

traduccin o los estudios literarios

For example: create and/or criticise a study guide; web page; data base; CD, video etc.
This should include an evaluation of the situation in a particular educational context that
prompted this design, as well as its importance/relevance; the criteria and procedure
used during its elaboration, in addition to the rationale for each, based on expert
testimony.

N.B If you criticise materials that are being used in a particular context, then you
should include viable suggestions for improvement based on expert and
student testimony.

3. Traduccin comentada
This should include the translation of a text; an evaluation of its importance; the
contexts (both for its use, and within the text); the criteria and procedure entailed in the
translation, as well as the difficulties encountered, and the decisions taken, during the
translation process based on well known translation theories, strategies and techniques.

4. Monografa
A monograph is an in-depth study of an EFL topic, for example, an: age, author, culture
or genre etc. You have to demonstrate your ability: to select and manage an extensive
and varied bibliography; and to organize arguments and the written presentation of
information and knowledge.
5. Tesina
A tesina is a study that demonstrates your ability: to critically analyze, appraise and
reflect on a particular topic presented by one or more authors; and to organize
arguments and the written presentation of up-to-date information and knowledge.
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General Steps for Writing a Trabajo Recepcional

Writing a T.R. involves a process that takes time!!! It cannot be written in a few weeks!!!!
The basic steps of this process are the following:

1. Identify first an area you are interested in, and then a particular topic on which you
want to concentrate.
(Remember you only have 1 period to do this, so this decision needs to be made
quickly)
2. Decide what kind of T.R. you would like to write.
3. Search all the possible libraries plus the Internet for information about the topic of
your choice.
(If you cant find sufficient information then modify or change your focus. Dont waste
time, there isnt much of it!!)
4. Read as much as you can about your topic and write note cards about what you
read.
(At the beginning this may seem time consuming, but in the end it can, in fact, save
you a lot of time)
5. Write your research proposal, this will not only help you to clarify your ideas, but also
help a would be tutor to understand what you want to do and how you propose to
do it.
(This will form the Introduction to your T.R.)
6. Be prepared to write and rewrite the different sections of your T.R. several times!
However, remember submission dates!!!!

N.B Make sure you keep backup copies of ALL your work - upload them to a
buzon in your e-mail or drop box. (Nowadays with technology, there is no
excuse for losing your work!!!! Dont destroy anything until after your
Presentation!!!)

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Step One: Discover and Define your Topic

Identify a topic that interests you!!
A T.R. is about one specific topic. Identify first an area you are interested in, and then a
particular topic on which you want to concentrate. It is important that it interests you
enough to write about it. However, it will help you if you check and see if your interests
concur with either a Cuerpo Academico (CA), an Academia of a particular Experiencia,
or a teacher who has a registered research project or line of investigation.

One of the purposes of writing an academic report is to discover and examine

something new in a particular context, at a particular point in time; contribute to
knowledge about X; and/or confirm and/or refute what experts have stated it isnt
simply a question of writing about what you already know. Identify something that you
are curious about from one of the main areas of interest on the BA: culture, learning a
language, literature, teaching or translation, and think of questions you would like to find
answers to. These may include questions concerning students and/or teachers feelings
and emotions; students and/or teachers motivation and/or expectancies; students
and/or teachers perceptions of X; analysis of a situation (Case Study), a literary text or
a particular translation. If absolutely nothing interests you at all theres no need to panic;
you can just as easily investigate and write from an opposing point of view. If, for
example, you realize that you are having or have had learning problems in one of your
experiencias, your topic question might be Why is learning X difficult? What is
involved in learning X? Why is X important in learning a language?

N.B Remember you only have 1 period to do this, so this decision needs to be
made quickly! It is NOT possible to write a T.R. in a few weeks!!!!!!!

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General Examples of T.R. Topics

Qualitative Research
Teachers/learners expectations
Teachers/learners feelings about themselves
The emotional dimension of teaching/learning
The usefulness/expectations/relevance of a course/experience: Students and/or
teachers perceptions
Students and/or teachers perceptions of one of the blocks on the MEIF
(usefulness/relevance/problems etc)
Evaluation of BA: Are students/teachers expectations/needs/desires fulfilled?
Evaluation of a strategy/use of materials: (Either one that is being used to teach
something or Action Research);
A particular learning problem: Students and/or teachers perceptions ;
Innovative Teaching Methodologies;
Testing and/or assessment.

Literature:
Analysis of narrative style How is the argument presented?
Archetypal criticism
What cultural pattern does the work include?
What archetypes does it incorporate, modify or even
parody, etc.? Why?
Character(s) analysis
How is/are character(s) developed? Are they realistic,
symbolic, historically-based?
A comparison/contrast of the choices different authors or
characters make in a work.
Historical analysis
How does this text reflect the society of a certain age?
(E.g. The Great Gatsby).
Why was/wasnt this work accepted when it was
published? (E.g. Lady Chatterleys Lover)
What are the sources or historical events that occasioned
a particular work? (E.g. comparing G.B. Shaw's
Pygmalion with the original Greek myth of Pygmalion)
Language analysis
What is the importance of the meta-language used in the
text? (E.g. the use of moon imagery in certain plays,
poems, novels)
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Political analysis

What does the text reveal about the economic and/or

political relationships between classes and groups of
people? etc.

Setting analysis

How does the social, political, or economic context in

which a work was written influence the work?
What is the role of the setting? How does it affect/reflect
the characters, mood, plot, theme and or topic?
A construction or "deconstruction" analysis of a
particular work (E.g. How an underlying racist worldview
in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness may be
discovered)
What is the main theme? How is it developed? Why is it
important? Etc.

Structural analysis

Theme analysis

Translation
Translation problems in a particular text (written or spoken)
Analysis of translation techniques in a particular text (written or spoken)
Translation of proper names in a particular newspaper text or in a fiction
Translation of irony, style or humor, in a particular literary text
Translation

of

specialized

texts

(terminology:

medicine,

archeology,

art,

philosophy, etc.)
Adaptation in a particular literary text
Translation of cultural or/and historical connotations in a particular text
Allusion in translation
Translation of old texts
Translation of childrens literature
Xs theory of translation and its application in a particular target text.
A complex contrastive analysis of a source text and its target text(s) in the same
target language / in different dialects of the same target language
A complex contrastive analysis of a source text and its target text(s) in different
target languages
Translation and censorship. Analysis of a particular text
Translation of dialect or register
Translation pedagogy
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Audiovisual translation

Translation of proper names in a particular film or series

Translation of irony or humor in a particular film or series

Adaptation in a particular film or series

Allusion in audiovisual translation

Analysis of dubbed and subtitled versions of the same film

Language and image in audiovisual translation

Translation of dialect or register

Audiovisual translation pedagogy

Identify what you want to do

N.B. Consider the following!

a) Is the topic too vague or broad, or too narrow? Is it interesting enough? Is there a
controversy to explore, or do you think you can help others understand a
problem/difficulty and/or a situation?
b) Keep an open or critical mind, be objective! Dont just concentrate on your own
opinion; it may be prejudicial to, or otherwise affect, your investigation.
Remember: you are writing a T.R. as a learning experience and you may find
information that is against your opinion or that of others. Counter-arguments can
be useful, so do not forget about them.

c) Instructional verbs such as 'outline', 'interpret', 'assess' give strong clues. For
example: the words below indicate the approach or style expected in a piece of
writing (Taken from University of the West of England http://www.uwe.ac.uk/).

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Account for
Give reasons for; explain why something happens.
Analyse
Examine in very close detail; identify important
points and chief features.
Argue
Provide reasons for or against something, clearly
and in proper order, using or citing evidence to
prove a case.
Assess
Evaluate or judge the importance of something.
Comment on
Identify and write about the main issues, giving
your own responses / observations.
Compare
Examine one thing in relation to another, so that
points of similarity and difference become evident.
Contrast
Set two or more items or arguments in opposition
so as to draw out their differences.
Critically evaluate
Weigh arguments for and against something,
assessing the strength of the evidence on both
sides. Use criteria to guide your assessment of
which opinions, theories, models or items are
preferable.
Criticise
Give your judgements about the good or bad
qualities of theories or opinions, supporting your
decisions with evidence.
Define
Give the exact meaning of.
Describe
Give the main characteristics or features of
something, or outline the main events.
Discuss
Consider something by writing about it from
different points of view; give arguments for and
against; consider the implications of.
Distinguish
Bring out the differences between two items.

Examine
Put the subject 'under the microscope', looking at
it in detail (This may involve critical evaluation).
Explain
Make clear why something happens, or why
something is the way it is.
Illustrate
Make something clear and explicit by giving
examples or evidence.
Interpret
Explain the meaning and significance or data or
other material
Justify
Give evidence which supports an argument or
idea; show why a decision or conclusions were
made (possibly considering objections that others
might make).
Narrate
Say what happened, telling it as a story.
Outline
Give the main points or features, showing the
main structure.
Prove
Show that something is accurate, true and valid by
using facts, documents and other information.
Reconcile
Show how two apparently conflicting things can
appear similar or compatible.
Relate
Show similarities and connections between two or
more things.
Review
Examine and critically evaluate a subject.
Show
Thoroughly explain or prove something.
State
Put something into words clearly and briefly.
Summarise
Give a brief, concise account of the main points of
something (leaving out details and examples).

Enumerate
List and mention items separately in number
order.

To what extent
Consider how far something is true, or contributes
to a final outcome. Also consider ways in which
the proposition is not true.

Evaluate
Assess the worth, importance or usefulness of
something. There will probably be cases to be
made both for and against.

Trace
Follow the order of different stages in an event or
process.

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Step Two: Read as much as you can about your topic

(Reading skills for academic study
Adopted & adapted from http://www.uefap.com/reading/ retrieved (13/07/2015)

Using sources adds value: gives ideas authority, and provides evidence. Part of how
you look intelligent is by:
Using sources correctly;
Deciding which authors to use;
How to work them into your writing;
Deciding when you absolutely have to quote.

Your examiners will be more impressed by your work if you can synthesize several
sources; this means that you draw conclusions and construct your own ideas by putting
the sources together in a new or interesting way. However, avoid Plagiarism by
acknowledging the source somehow in the sentence; if you use the author's exact
words, enclose them in quotation marks, or indent (1.5 each side) passages of more
than two lines (single spaced). Remember it's seldom worthwhile to use long quotations,
quote only when the original words are especially memorable.

Whatever you need to read, it is useful to have a quick look at it all first to get an idea of
the layout of the text and what is included. So first, skim through the text to see what is
included and how it is organized. Your text might not contain all the following parts, but
you can expect to find many of them. Look especially at the following parts:

Title (plus maybe a sub-title): Sometimes, perhaps when you are in the library or
when you are searching on the net, you need to make quick decisions on the basis of
the title. You need to ask yourself whether the text is relevant for your purpose and
what sort of information you expect to get from it.
Details about the author: It is helpful to know about the author, what the author's
academic position is, what experience the author has had, etc.
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Date of publication: This helps you to decide whether or not the book/article is up to
date. It is worth checking whether or not there is a more recent version. (Unless the
author is a recognised expert in his/her field, only references from 2010 onwards
should be cited in your T.R.)
Abstract: An abstract is usually a single paragraph at the beginning of the text. It
normally summarises the different sections of the text and draws attention to the
main conclusions. Reading the abstract will help you to decide whether or not the text
is relevant for your purpose.
Preface, Foreword or Introduction: In the preface, the author explains the purpose,
organisation, method of presentation, and whatever particular features of the book
you should especially notice. Read it carefully. The author is explaining how to get
the most out of the book.
Table of Contents: The contents will give you an overall view of the material in the
book. Looking at this is a quick and easy way to survey the book to see if it includes
the information you need.
Text: The layout of the text can help you. Text books/academic articles are organised
into chapters/sections and these have titles and/or headings. Very often each
chapter/section will start with an introduction of what is in the chapter/section and a
summary at the end.
References list or Bibliography: An alphabetical list of books and articles which have
been referred to is included either at the end of each chapter or at the end of the
book or article. Looking through the list of references will give you some idea of the
author's background.
Index: One of the most important sections of any textbook is the index at the end. This
is a fairly detailed alphabetical listing of all the major people, places, ideas, facts, or
topics that the book contains, with page references. The index can give you
information about the topics covered in the book and the amount of attention paid to
them.
N.B A word of warning: just because something has been published, this is no
guarantee that it is a viable source of information for your T.R.! For example,
blogs, Web pages with no authors or clear reference, and Wikipedia are NOT
recognised as viable academic sites!
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Understanding important points: reading critically

The following questions may be asked to assess any text you are reading:

A) Purpose and background

1. Why are you reading this text? What is your purpose?
2. What type of text is it: research report, essay, textbook, book review?
3. What do you know about the subject of the text?
4. What else has been written on the subject of the text?
5. What controversies exist in this area? How does this text fit in?

B) The author and the text

1. Who is the author? What do you know about the author? What authority does the
author have?
2. Who is the intended audience?
3. What is the author's purpose? Why has the text been written?
4. What is the source of the text? Is it reputable? Who is the publisher?
5. What is the date of publication? Is it appropriate to the argument?
6. What is the writer's attitude towards the topic?
7. What conclusions are drawn?
C) Evidence used
1. Is there a clear distinction between fact and opinion?
2. Is evidence used to support arguments? How good is the evidence? Are all the
points supported?
3. In an experimental study, was the sample size adequate and are the statistics
reliable?
4. Are there any unsupported points? Are they well-known facts or generally
accepted opinions?
5. How does the writer use other texts and other people's ideas?
6. Are the writer's conclusions reasonable in the light of the evidence presented?
7. How do the conclusions relate to other similar research?
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D) Assumptions made
1. What assumptions, if any, has the writer made? Are they valid?
2. What beliefs or values does the writer appear to hold? Are they explicit?
3. Look for emphatic words such as it is obvious, definitely and of course.
4. Look for hedges: possible, might, perhaps.
5. Look for emotional arguments, use of maximisers: completely, absolutely,
entirely, or minimisers: only, just, hardly, simply, merely.
6. Based on the answers to the questions above is this text valid and useful for your
T.R.?
Make notes
(Adapted from Learning Development Services, University of Sunderland, (1999):
Effective learning programme. 2nd ed.)
There are many occasions when you need to make notes. Developing a workable
system can save you time, help you to understand and learn, as well as make your
reading and thinking more effective. Always be clear why youre making notes. This
helps you to be selective and focused. The process of making notes is useful - often
essential - to:

provide a record of information for future use, e.g. revision, writing essays;

aid concentration by making you engage with the material youre reading;

relate your reading to the learning objectives of a given topic or assignment;

improve understanding by choosing whats useful and discarding what you dont
need;

stimulate your brain into thinking about material in critical and creative ways,
prompting new ideas

help with the process of planning and organising the different sections of your TR.

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Step Three: Writing the Paper

The organization of your T.R. will depend on the kind of T.R. you have chosen to carry
out. Consequently, although this section will give you a general idea of what to include,
if you have chosen to base your work on Literature, Servicio Social or Translation, then
you need to come to an agreement with your director(a) concerning the contents and
their organization. One you have both agreed then you should submit an outline of your
T.R. to your ER teacher.

Title Page

UNIVERSIDAD VERACRUZANA
FACULTAD DE IDIOMAS
LICENCIATURA EN LENGUA INGLESA
Ttulo del Trabajo

Trabajo Recepcional en la Modalidad de

(Reporte de investigacin de campo, Reporte por actividad
profesional: Servicio Social, Prctica Docente o Prctica
Profesional independiente; Traduccin Comentada; Elaboracin
de Materiales Comentada en Apoyo a la Docencia; Monografa;
Tesina)
Presentado Por
Nombre Completo del Alumno(a)
Nmero de identificacin:

Nombre del asesor:

Xalapa, Veracruz, Mxico.

Date
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Abstract
(Adapted from http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/presentations_abstracts.html.
(Retrieved 23/07/2015)
An abstract (no more than half a page long) is a concise summary of your research
report that describes the content and scope of the project and identifies its objective(s),
its methodology, its findings and conclusions.

Remember that your abstract is a description of your research project (what you
specifically did) and NOT a description of your topic (whatever you did the project on).
It is easy to get these two types of description confused. Since abstracts are generally
very short, its important that you dont get bogged down in a summary of the entire
background of your topic. As you are writing your abstract, stop at the end of every
sentence

and

make

sure

you

are

summarizing the

project

you

have

undertaken rather than the more general topic.

Despite the fact that abstracts vary somewhat from discipline to discipline, every
abstract should include four main types of information.

It should state the main objective and rationale of your project;

it should outline the methods you used to accomplish your objectives;

it should list the findings;

it should draw conclusions about the implications of your project.

The first few sentences of your abstract should state the issue you set out to
explore and explain your rationale or motivation for pursuing the project. The issue
might be a research question, a gap in critical attention to knowledge, a problem in
teaching/learning/translation etc. The purpose of your study was to understand this
issue in a particular context. The methods section of the abstract should explain how
you went about exploring the issue you identified as your main objective. The findings
section of the abstract should list the findings or outcomes of the work you have done.
The abstract should close with a statement of the implications and contributions to
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its field that this study has made. It should convince readers that the project is
interesting, valuable, and worth investigating further.

When writing the abstract, consider the following:

Avoid jargon. Jargon is the specialized, technical vocabulary that is used for
communicating within a specific field.

Be concise. Dont use three words where you can communicate the same idea
in one. Dont repeat information or go into too much detail. Dont just cut and
paste sentences from your research paper into your abstract; writing that is
appropriate for long papers is often too complicated for abstracts.

Use short, direct sentences.

Vary your sentence structure to avoid

choppiness. Read your abstract aloud, or ask someone else to read it aloud to
you, to see if the abstract is appropriately fluid or too choppy.

Use past tense when describing what you have already done.

Check with a professor in your field to determine whether active or passive

voice is more appropriate for your discipline.

Dont cite sources, figures, or tables, and dont include long quotations. This
type of material takes up too much space and distracts from the overall scope of
your project.

Table of Contents / Proposed outline

This outline is, of course, subject to change as you do more reading and become more
familiar with the topic you are investigating and analysing. The outline is not permanent
until you have finished writing the T.R. when it then converts into your table of contents.
However, if you take care in its preparation, this outline will require only a minimum of
changes later, and the fewer changes, the less time spent in needless reading, notetaking and revising.

When you construct your outline, keep it brief. The titles, headings, and points in your
outline should be short. Use your computer to mark them as Title 1, 2, 3 or 4. Then the
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computer will be able to write and include your table of contents for you, if you go to
referencias and then tabla de contenido. This can be modified by actualizando every
time you add something or make a change.
If your work needs a glossary, a list of tables and/or figures, include these after the table
of contents.

Introduction (Suggested length: 2-5 pages)

The introduction is a section that discusses your research in general; however it is not
labelled as a chapter. The length of the introduction can vary. You do not need to
include any more than is necessary to accomplish the function of the introduction. There
is no rule on what this will consist of as different issues may require something a little
different. For example, you may need to include a definition of some terms in order to
clarify the precise focus of the research. However:
Dont

Blatantly announce your intent for example, In this inquiry, I will analyze .
(Try to think of a more engaging way to convey it);

Dont make an apologetic statement, such as I am not an expert in this subject,

but I will try my best to . (Dont apologize; this starts your work out on a weak
note);

Dont use a dictionary definition. (This device has become dull with overuse);

Dont make a promise that isnt fulfilled in your work. (Unfulfilled promises are often
annoying and confusing).
(Gardner, 1998:243)

DO

contextualise your topic

establish the topic clearly

indicate to your reader how the topic will be dealt with

explain its significance

define any unknown terms

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The order in which these are dealt with may vary, and each can be dealt with in
different ways.
(Taken from http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/writing/education/perspectiveslearning/2.1.xml)

Tips for writing the Introduction

Write one or two paragraphs about the general background of the topic in general,
e.g. writing, learning styles in EFL etc. These paragraphs should expand on the
abstract and summarize the Literature Review. Since these paragraphs need to
include authors and theorists work remember to give sufficient reference as needed
in your text;
After providing a general presentation of the area of study include the general
research context (e.g. TEFL in Mexico; in primary schools, secondary schools etc),
and the particular topic to be studied, and explain why it is important and/or useful;
State what was focused on, where specifically, and, in general, why - this includes:
how this topic relates to your particular research context (particular educational
institution);
What is your work based on?

A new question
New data
A combination of data
A new theory or modification of theory
Evaluating something new
Using a recognized data collection method in a new context
Replicating a previous study to compare the results
Discovering something different from previous research
Filling in a gap in previous research

Remember the entire introduction is the presentation of your topic. This section often
takes the form of persuasion, in that you are convincing others that your topic is
interesting, relevant and important. This form of persuasion, often called academic
argument, follows a predictable pattern in writing. You don't need to spell out all the
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details of your topic in the introduction, but you should give the reader a good idea of
what your topic is. As you do this, avoid writing "I will discuss . . ." or "I intend to argue. "
Write a thesis statement: This is a single sentence that formulates your topic, and
your approach. A good thesis statement is not simply an observation, a question, or a
promise. It needs to include what you intend to do. For example: answer a question?
Clarify a doubt? Provide a different interpretation? Strengthen prior knowledge about
analysis or theory? etc. The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first
section of your introduction.
Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement
A thesis statement is the result of a lengthy thinking process. Formulating a
thesis statement is not the first thing you do. Before you develop an argument on
any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible
relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities),
and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking,
you will probably have a "working thesis," a basic or main idea that you think you
can support with evidence, but that may need adjustment along the way.
Your thesis statement should be specificit should cover only what you will
discuss in your paper and should be supported in your T.R. with specific
evidence.
Your topic may change as you write, so you may need to revise your thesis
statement to reflect exactly what you have discussed in the paper.

How do I know if my thesis is strong?

If there's time, run it by your director(a) to get some feedback. However, even if you do
not have time to get advice elsewhere, you can do some thesis evaluation of your own.
When reviewing your first draft and its working thesis statement, ask yourself the
following:

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 Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague
often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like "good" or
"successful," see if you could be more specific: why is something "good"; what
specifically makes something "successful"?
Does my thesis statement pass the "So what?" test? If a reader's first
response is, "So what?" then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to
connect to a larger issue.
Does my work support my thesis statement specifically and without
wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go
together, one of them has to change. It's o.k. to change your working thesis
statement to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your
paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.
Does my thesis statement pass the "how and why?" test? If a reader's first
response is "how?" or "why?" your thesis may be too open-ended and lack
guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take
on your position right from the beginning.

Rationale
Your motivation/purpose for studying this topic. Why is it important? What caught
your attention, how and why?
How does the topic fit into your general area of study?
How does the topic relate to other peoples research?
Who will this study help?

Objectives
What do you hope to contribute? Write a minimum of three objectives you want to
achieve that are related to your thesis statement, preferably in the form of a paragraph.
(There should be congruence between objectives, methodology and findings).
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Examples:
1) To answer, clarify, prove or disprove, provide, strengthen etc.
2) To employ X theory to understand and analysis X.
3) To achieve a goal, e.g. contribute to existing bibliography on the topic.
Research Questions
What was your main research question?
(The main objective of your research).
What were the research sub-questions?
(In order to answer the main research question what did you need to know? What
questions did you ask whose collective answers helped you to answer the main
question?).
Tips for Writing Good Qualitative Research Questions
By Gavin D. (2011)
Good qualitative research questions fulfil the following criteria:

Single sentence
Specify the research problem: the practical issue that leads to a need for your
study
Include the purpose of the study
Include the central phenomenon
Use qualitative words e.g. explore, understand, discover
Note the participants (if any)
State the research site

Use good qualitative wording for these questions

Begin with words such as how or what;

Tell the reader what you are attempting to discover, generate, explore,
identify, or describe;
Ask what happened? to help craft your description;
Ask what was the meaning to people of what happened? to understand your
results;
Ask what happened over time? to explore the process;
Avoid words such as: relate, influence, impact, effect, cause.

Map of Research Report

(This includes a brief summary of the contents of each of your chapters).
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Chapter One: Literature Review (suggested length 7-10 pages)

(Adopted & adapted from
How to Write a Literature Review: Summarizing Relevant Readings in Your College
Papers. Rockler-Gladen, N. (2008). Retrieved 13/07/2015 from
http://mehs.learningnetworks.com/pages/merhs_teachers/merhs_mbur/asr%20class/fov
1-00097301/how-to-write-a-literature-review.htm)
A literary review is a discussion of the theory, and empirical research that is similar to
yours that add something valuable to your project. It provides crucial background
information for understanding your own research. It also contextualizes your research
within existing research. Literature reviews are located towards the beginning of your
T.R., so that you can refer to the readings discussed in the literature review throughout
the paper especially in the Findings chapter. It is not just a report that summarizes
relevant articles and books one after another. Instead, it is a cohesive account of
important bodies of works and arguments in your discipline, and the articles and books
that are a part of these bodies of work and arguments. The trick is to choose the bodies
of work that are most relevant to your project.

A good literature review must be comprehensive. That is, you need to do your
homework and locate all relevant works. Of course, some bodies of literature are larger
than others, so it might not be possible to cover absolutely everything. However, it's
very important to include works that are considered important by many people in your
field. This is a topic about which your director(a) and E.R. teacher can offer guidance.
The minimum suggested number of texts is ten, however, often is the case that many
more are needed. When you have finished writing this chapter, give it a title other than
Literature Review.

N.B Remember that each chapter needs an introduction and a conclusion. The
introduction summarises what is included in the chapter; the conclusion
summarises the main points that were discussed and provides a link to the
next chapter.
In order for you to be able to collect and organize all the information necessary, identify:

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 The main components, specific concepts, theories, and variables related to the
topic.
Different authors' points of view about the topic (either supporting or refuting
others points of view)
What is known about the problem from other empirical studies (i.e. results of
research, also supporting or refuting others points of view);
Identify issues and debates emerging from the literature;
Explain how it will be useful in your study;
Integrate reading into a summary of what is known and what gaps there may be
in knowledge.

When writing your Literature Review, you need to use words that express relationships
between different items of information. Swales and Feak (1994) provide the following list
of connectors and their meanings (modified to show punctuation).
Table 1: Academic English Connectors and Their Meaning
Subordinators
Sentence Connectors Phrase Linkers
Addition

Furthermore, ...
In addition, ...
Moreover, ...

In addition to..., ...

Adversative

..., although
Although ..., ...
Even though ____, ...
Despite the fact that..

However, ...
Nevertheless, ...

Despite ..., ...

In spite of ..., ...

Cause and Effect

...because...
Since..., ...
..., since ...

Therefore, ...
As a result, ...
Consequently, ...
..., hence...
Thus, ...

Because of...
Due to...
As a result of...

Clarification

Contrast

Illustration

Barbara Scholes G.

In other words, ...

That is, ...
i.e., ...
While ..., ...
..., whereas ...

In contrast, ...
However, ...
On the other hand, ...
Conversely, ...

Unlike ... , ...

For example, ...

For instance, ...
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Intensification

On the contrary, ...

As a matter of fact, ...
In fact, ...

Below is a list of common verbs and expressions students can use to cite the authors'
work.

Table 2: Verbs:
State

Declare

Claim

Maintain

Define

Contend

Remark

Emphasize

Point out

Propose
Observe

Comment
Report

Argue
Imply

Suggest

Assert

Explain

Phrases:

According to _____, ...

In the opinion of _____, ...
_____ expresses the view that...
_____ holds the view that...
As _____ states, ...
As reported by _____, ...

Expressions Referring to Previous Research:

_____'s study shows that ...

_____'s research suggests that ...
_____s results demonstrate that ...
_____s research provides evidence of ...
As shown in ___'s research, ...
(Taken from: Criollo, R. (2003).Teaching TESOL Undergraduates to Organize
and Write Literature Reviews. The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. IX, No. 4, April
http://iteslj.org/)

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Chapter Two: Methodology (suggested length 7-10 pages)

In this section include:
a) Research Design:
Choice of methodology (which, why & how):
What are its characteristics?
Why was it the best option?
How did its characteristics fit in with your research?

b) Data collection methods (which, why & how):

How will you collect your information? E.g. interviews, observations,
questionnaires, note-cards etc.
What are their characteristics?
Why were they the best options?
How did their characteristics fit in with your research?
How will you ensure that your work will be credible?
(Triangulation: data, informants, methods, readings etc.)

c) Data Analysis:
Was there an analysis method and/or theory that helped you to focus your
search? (For example: a type of analysis possibly recommended by an expert)
What are its characteristics?
Why was it the best option?
How did its characteristics fit in with your research?
How did you go about your analysis?
What did you look for? How did you know what to look for?
Did you ask yourself any questions?
How did you verify your findings?

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d) Brief description of the particular research context; the actual institution where
you carried out the investigation; however, do not include the real name of the
educational institution; instead just refer to it as a University, secondary school etc in
Mexico.

Describe

the

school,

the

teaching/learning

conditions,

the

importance/relevance of your topic at this school etc.

e) Participants/Informers
Do not include the real names of the participants/informers in your T.R.;
instead assign each of them a pseudonym;
How many? Why were they chosen? Why were they important?
Who are they? Include age, teaching/learning experience, level, motivation
etc.

f) Description of the data collection and analysis processes

When and where was the field work carried out?
How did you gain access to the educational institution, and the participants?
(Did you use consent forms?)
What did you do, and how and when?

N.B Remember to write an introduction and conclusion for this chapter!

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Chapter Three: Findings (Suggested length: 7-10 pages)

There are two main approaches to writing up the findings of qualitative research:

The first is to simply report key findings under each research sub-question and/or main
theme or category, using appropriate verbatim quotations to illustrate those findings.
This is then accompanied by a linking, separate discussion chapter in which the findings
are discussed in relation to existing research (as in quantitative studies).
The second is to do the same but to incorporate the discussion into the findings chapter
(Taken from Burnard, Gill, Stewart, Treasure & Chadwick (2008).
Analysing and presenting qualitative data. Retrieved 14/07/2015 from
http://www.nature.com/bdj/journal/v204/n8/full/sj.bdj.2008.292.html)
In other words, a typical findings chapter usually comprises the following elements:

Introduction

Scene-setting for the chapter, explaining the general area(s) to be covered

Providing an overview of what is in the chapter

Main section
Describing/summarizing the data
Presenting (extracts from) the data
Interpreting the data, using illustrative examples
Relating themes/findings to the relevant research literature

Conclusion
Concise summary of the main findings

N.B This is the most important and interesting chapter. It cannot be written
quickly, it takes time to organize and write coherently!!

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Conclusion (Suggested length: 2-5 pages)

Your conclusion is your chance to have the last word on the topic. The conclusion
allows you to have the final say on the issues that have been raised in your paper, to
summarize your thoughts, to demonstrate the importance of your ideas, and to propel
your reader to a new view of the subject. The conclusion allows you to consider broader
issues, make new connections, and elaborate on the significance of your findings. It is
also your opportunity to make a good final impression and to end on a positive note.
Your conclusion should make your readers glad they read your paper. Your conclusion
gives your reader something to take away that will help them see things differently or
appreciate your topic in personally and/or professionally relevant ways.

Recapping your main idea

In the conclusion recap your ideas in a clear, summarizing manner. You want your
readers to understand the message you intended to communicate. However, don't insult
your readers by restating at length the ideas they already understand. Strike a balance
according to what you feel your readers need.

Leave a memorable impression

It's not enough just to restate your main ideas -- if you only did that and then ended your
T.R then your conclusion would be flat and boring. You've got to make a graceful exit
from your essay by leaving a memorable impression on the reader. You need to say
something that will continue to simmer in the reader's minds long after he or she has put
down your work. To leave this memorable impression: Include all of the following:
A description of the accomplishment and the importance of the aim(s) of the
research by summarizing the findings;
The implications of these findings for teaching/learning (what is missing? What
action needs to be taken?);
Limitations of this research;
Suggestions for further research;
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 (may also include Personal Reflection).

N.B You should not introduce any totally new ideas in the conclusion; however,
you should not merely repeat everything either.

Strategies for writing an effective conclusion

Play the "So What" Game. If you're stuck and feel like your conclusion isn't
saying anything interesting, ask a friend to read it with you. Whenever you make
a statement from your conclusion, ask the friend to say, "So what?" or "Why
should anybody care?" Then ponder that question and answer it. You can also
use this strategy on your own, asking yourself "So What?" as you develop your
ideas or your draft.

Return to the theme or themes in the introduction. This strategy brings the
reader full circle. For example, if you begin by describing a scenario, you can end
with the same scenario as proof that your inquiry is helpful in creating a new
understanding. You may also refer to the introductory paragraph by using key
words or parallel concepts and images that you also used in the introduction.

Synthesize, don't summarize: Include a brief summary of the paper's main

points, but don't simply repeat things that were in your paper. Instead, show your
reader how the points you made and the support and examples you used fit
together. Pull it all together.

Include a provocative insight or quotation from the research or reading you

did for your paper.

Propose a course of action, a solution to an issue, or questions for further

study. This can redirect your reader's thought process and help her to apply your
info and ideas to her own life or to see the broader implications.

Point to broader implications.

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Strategies to avoid

Beginning with an unnecessary, overused phrase such as "in conclusion," "in

summary," or "in closing." Although these phrases can work in speeches, they
come across as wooden and trite in writing.

Stating the thesis statement for the very first time in the conclusion.

Introducing a new idea or subtopic in your conclusion.

Ending with a rephrased thesis statement without any substantive changes.

Making sentimental, emotional appeals that are out of character with the rest of
an analytical paper.

Including evidence (quotations, statistics, etc.) that should be in the body of the
paper.

Three kinds of ineffective conclusions

1. The "That's My Story and I'm Sticking to It" Conclusion. This conclusion just
restates the thesis statement and is usually painfully short. It does not push the
ideas forward. People write this kind of conclusion when they can't think of
anything else to say.
2. The "America the Beautiful"/"I Am Woman"/"We Shall Overcome" Conclusion.
This kind of conclusion usually draws on emotion to make its appeal, but while
this emotion and even sentimentality may be very heartfelt, it is usually out of
character with the rest of an analytical paper. A more sophisticated commentary,
rather than emotional praise, would be a more fitting tribute to the topic. .
3. The "Grab Bag" Conclusion. This kind of conclusion includes extra information
that the writer found or thought of but couldn't integrate into the main paper. You
may find it hard to leave out details that you discovered after hours of research
and thought, but adding random facts and bits of evidence at the end of an
otherwise-well-organized T.R can just create confusion.
(Adapted from handout B.C)
N.B. Read the list of useful phrases for writing conclusions in Appendix Five
Read the article in Appendix 6: Insight for Writing a Qualitative Research
Paper
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Step Four: Edit your writing

Proofread and polish before sending it to a reader:
Avoid personalization
Citations & other references
Connecting paragraphs
Connectors
Formal versus informal expression
Overuse of the passive voice
Padding & repetition
Plagiarism
Punctuation
Quotations
Register & vocabulary
Run on sentences and fragments
Signposting & Cohesion
Style: font & formats (spacing)

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The Presentation of the T.R

Main Presentation Points
Public speaking can be rewarding and empowering, but also traumatic. It will be
less traumatic if you prepare well.
You are reporting what you did. You want to say it with calm confidence in a way
that is interesting and understandable.
Rehearse the talk as realistically as possible beforehand, time it (20 minutes),
and practice your pronunciation.
Dont just read from papers or cards.
Illustrate your presentation with slides that only contain important points, for
example:
Title of your work (1slide);
Research question(s) (1slide);
Relevant aspects of Literature Review (1slide);
Methodology (1slide);
Methods (1 or 2 slides);
Findings (3 or 4 slides);
Conclusions (3 slides):
Significance & implications of the study
Limitations
Suggestions for future research

N.B Use fonts and colours that can be easily read at a distance;
Dont fill the slides with too much text this makes them difficult to read;
Check there are no spelling mistakes.

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Appendix One: Agreement format la solictud para la Prrroga

H. CONSEJO TECNICO
FACULTAD DE IDIOMAS
PRESENTE
ASUNTO: SOLICITUD DE PRRROGA
(FECHA)

Por medio del presente, yo la C. (nombre de estudiante) matricula (nmero), me dirijo a

ustedes para solicitar, de la manera ms atenta, que me otorgan la prrroga de 40 das
para poder terminar la redaccin de mi trabajo recepcional nombrado: (ttulo del
trabajo)

Les informo que el trabajo ya cuenta con 75% de avance y que mi director(a): (el, la)
(Lic, Maestro(a), Doctor(a)) (nombre completo) y (el, la) maestro(a) de ER (el, la) (Lic,
Maestro(a), Doctor(a)) (nombre completo) estn de acuerdo con esta peticin.

Atentamente
Xalapa-Equez., Ver a (fecha)
(Nombre y firma del estudiante)

Nombre y firma del director(a)

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Nombre y firma del maestro(a) de ER

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Appendix Two: Cartas de Compromiso

ASUNTO: CARTA COMPROMISO

A quien corresponda,

Por medio del presente se hace constar que (el, la) (Lic, Maestro(a), Doctor(a))
(nombre completo) ha aceptado ser (el, la) director(a) del trabajo recepcional
nombrado: (Titulo del TR) presentado por (nombre de estudiante) matrcula (nmero).
El progreso de dicho trabajo recepcional ser asesorado por medio de sesiones
regulares, las cuales quedarn acordadas en funcin de la disponibilidad de ambas
partes y definidas en una calendarizacin del trabajo previamente establecida.

Atentamente
Xalapa, Veracruz a

Director(a)

Barbara Scholes G.

de 201?

Alumno(a)

Pgina 44

ASUNTO: CARTA COMPROMISO

A quien corresponda,

Por medio del presente se hace constar que (el, la) (Lic, Maestro(a), Doctor(a))
(nombre completo) ha aceptado ser el(la) co-director(a) del trabajo recepcional
nombrado: (Titulo del TR) presentado por (nombre de estudiante) matrcula (nmero)
El progreso de dicho trabajo recepcional ser asesorado por medio de sesiones
regulares, las cuales quedarn acordadas en funcin de la disponibilidad de ambas
partes y definidas en una calendarizacin del trabajo previamente establecida.

Atentamente
Xalapa, Veracruz a

Co-director(a) Nombre

Barbara Scholes G.

de 201?

Alumno(a) Nombre

Pgina 45

ASUNTO: CARTA COMPROMISO

A quien corresponda,

Por medio del presente se hace constar que (el, la) (Lic, Maestro(a), Doctor(a))
(nombre completo) ha aceptado ser el(la) lector(a) del trabajo recepcional nombrado:
(Titulo del TR) presentado por (nombre de estudiante) matrcula (nmero).

As mismo, se compromete a leer el trabajo y entregar observaciones en 10 das

hbiles posteriores a la fecha en que se le hace entrega de dicho trabajo, tal como se
establece en la seccin 8 de los Lineamientos Generales Internos para la Experiencia
Recepcional.

Atentamente
Xalapa, Veracruz a

Lector(a) Nombre

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de 201?

Alumno(a) Nombre

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Appendix Three: Ficha de Registro de los Trabajos Recepcionales

Ficha de Registro de Trabajos Recepcionales

Licenciatura en Lengua Inglesa, Plan 2008

Periodo:

Estudiante(s) (No. Nombre del

matrcula)
trabajo

Nombre del Titular de la

ER:

Breve descripcin

Modalidad

Director/
Co-directores
(No. Personal)

Lector (es)
(No.
Personal)

Appendix Four: Confirmation of readiness to present

CONFIRMATION OF STUDENTS(S) READINESS TO PRESENT THEIR T.R
DATE:
E.R TEACHER:
Nombre
y matrcula
del
estudiante(s)

Barbara Scholes G.

Ttulo del
trabajo

Titular
(nombre y firma)

Director

Co-director

Lector(es)

(nombre y firma)

(nombre y firma)

(nombre y firma)

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Appendix Five: Writing Conclusions

Restatement of aims (research)
This study set out to discover ......
The present study was designed to determine the effect of .......
In this investigation, the aim was to assess ......
The purpose of the current study was to determine ......
This project was undertaken to design ...... and evaluate .....
Summarising the findings (research)
This study has shown that ......
These findings suggest that in general ......
One of the more significant findings to emerge from this study is that .....
It was also shown that......
This study has found that generally .......
The following conclusions can be drawn from the present study ......
The relevance of X is clearly supported by the current findings.
This study/research has shown that ......
The second major finding was that ........
The results of this investigation show that .......
The most obvious finding to emerge from this study is that ......
Suggesting implications
The evidence from this study suggests that ......
The findings of this study indicate that ......
The findings of this research support the idea that .......
In general, therefore, it seems that ......
Taken together, these findings suggest that ......
An implication of this is the possibility that ......
The findings of this study suggest that ......

Significance of the findings (research contribution)

The X that was identified therefore assists in our understanding of the role of ......
These findings enhance our understanding of ......
This research may serve as a base for future studies and ......
The current findings add substantially to our understanding of ......
The current findings add to a growing body of literature on ......
The study has gone some way towards enhancing our understanding of ......
The methods used for this X may be applied to other Xs elsewhere in the world.
The present study, however, makes several noteworthy contributions to......
The empirical findings in this study provide a new understanding of
The findings from this study make several contributions to the current literature.
First,
The present study provides additional evidence with respect to
Taken together, these findings suggest a role for X in promoting Y.
The present study confirms previous findings and contributes additional evidence that
suggests .... .
Implications/recommendations for practice or policy
These findings suggest several courses of action for ......
An implication of these findings is that both X and Y should be taken into account when
......
The findings of this study have a number of important implications for future practice.
There is, therefore, a definite need for ......
There are a number of important changes which need to be made.
Another important practical implication is that ......
Moreover, more X should be made available to ......
Other types of X could include : a), b). ......
Unless governments adopt X, Y will not be attained.
A reasonable approach to tackle this issue could be to ......

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Limitations of the current study (research)

Finally, a number of important limitations need to be considered. First, ......
The most important limitation lies in the fact that ......
The current investigation was limited by ......
The current study was unable to analyse ....
The current research was not specifically designed to evaluate factors related to ......
The current study has only examined ......
The project was limited in several ways. First, the project used a convenience sample
that ......
Thirdly, the study did not evaluate the use of ......
The findings in this report are subject to at least three limitations. First, these data apply
only to ..
An issue that was not addressed in this study was whether..
Recommendations for further work (research)
Further work needs to be done to establish whether ......
It is recommended that further research be undertaken in the following areas:
More broadly, research is also needed to determine .....
Further research might explore/investigate ......
Further research in this field/regarding the role of X would be of great help in .......
Further investigation into X is strongly recommended.
It would be interesting to assess the effects of ......
Considerably more work will need to be done to determine ......
It would be interesting to compare experiences of individuals within the same group.
A further study could assess ...
A future study investigating ... would be very interesting..
Future research should therefore concentrate on the investigation of ...

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Appendix 6: Insight for Writing a Qualitative Research Paper.

Young-A Lee (2014).
(Retrieved 20/07/2015 from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/fcsr.12084/full)

Abstract
The purpose of this essay is to describe how to prepare a qualitative research paper.
The essay discusses the crucial components for preparing a qualitative paper. The
topics that are addressed are: sample size, sampling procedure, data collection
procedure, reliability and trustworthiness, data quality, and integrity of qualitative
findings.
Keywords: methodology; qualitative inquiry; reliability; research design
Introduction
Qualitative research helps researchers address issues in a specific context in their
research disciplines. There are a number of research approaches which are included
under the umbrella of qualitative methods. The social science disciplines have different
conventions on best practices in qualitative research. This essay describes the structure
of a qualitative research manuscript which is suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed
journal. Although the essay refers to qualitative research, similar principles can be
applied for quantitative research and for mixed methods which employs a combination
of quantitative and qualitative approaches to provide a better understanding of research
problems than either approach by itself (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007).
Qualitative research is used for addressing how questions rather than how many, for
understanding real life from the perspective of those being studied, and for examining
and articulating processes. Just as quantitative research encompasses many ways to
collect data (e.g., survey and laboratory studies) and to analyze data (e.g., structural
equation modeling, multiple regression, and factor analyses), so does qualitative
research. For example, an individual may choose to collect data using a case or an
ethnographic method. However, when analyzing the data, the individual can continue to
use case or ethnographic methods or even employ grounded theory. Moreover,

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qualitative research can be inductive or deductive, and sometimes, it is a combination of

both inductive and deductive.
Common reasons for rejecting qualitative research papers include: (i) unclear statement
of research question, (ii) unclear structure of the paper, (iii) inconsistency among
theories, methods and data analysis, and (iv) inconsistency in presenting or using the
main concepts. The use of poor methodology is another reason to reject a qualitative
manuscript. Other reasons could be the researcher's inability to present a convincing
defense of the size of the dataset, inability to contextualize the dataset, sample
selection bias, poor data collection, inappropriate explanation of methods and analysis,
and inappropriate conclusions. To help authors and reviewers, I will present
suggestions for preparing or reviewing a qualitative research manuscript for a peerreviewed journal. These points are drawn from my experience as an author, reviewer,
and associate editor.
Fitness of Purpose in a Situational Context
When preparing a qualitative research paper, it is important to start with the question,
Are the methods of the research appropriate to the nature of the questions being
asked. For example, does the researcher want to understand social processes or social
structures? Are the settings, groups, or individuals being examined of a type which
cannot be preselected? In reviewing several qualitative papers, I found that each one
mentioned the following, although not necessarily in the same order: (i) to discuss why
this research is needed; (ii) to be clear on whether the intent is to build new theory or to
elaborate on an existing theory; and (iii) to explain the reason for choosing this
particular context and unit of analysis. The researcher needs to explain what is
motivating the study and why the methods are appropriate. For inductive studies,
articulating the motivation implies that the researcher needs to review the literature to
illustrate a gap in prior research and explain why it is important to fill this gap.
Methodology
All papers must include a methods section that specifies the sample recruitment
strategy, sample size, data collection, and data analysis procedure. Authors of
qualitative papers should discuss whether they are sampling people, events, or cases
and why they are being sampled. In terms of sample size, significance of findings, and
generalizability of findings, there is no formally agreed-upon significance level. There
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is no specific number of interviews or observations that should be conducted in a

qualitative research. How many is enough depends on the question a researcher seeks
to answer. Therefore, it is essential for authors to provide a justification for the sample
size and its limitation. Researchers should remember that the aim of a qualitative study
is not always to predict or to generalize study findings. In a qualitative study, more
attention should be given to the quality of the dataset instead of the size of the sample.
Principles of Selection
The unit(s) of research may be one or a combination of people, events, institutions,
samples of natural behavior, conversations, written and visual material, and so on. The
selection of these units should be theoretically justified (e.g., it should be clear how
respondents were selected). There should be a clear rationale for the source of the data
(e.g., participants, settings, or documents). Consideration should be given to whether
the source of data is unusual in some important way. Limitations of the data such as
non response and refusal to take part should be discussed.
Clarity of the Research Process
There should be a discussion of the access process: (i) how data were collected and
recorded, (ii) who collected the data, (iii) when the data were collected, and (iv) how the
study was explained to participants. Other researchers should be able to replicate the
study using the research process described in the text. An explanation of approval from
the Institutional Review Board should be stated in the methods section. The procedure
for securing informed consent should be provided as well as discussing any ethical
concerns that arose during the research.
Data Analysis
Researchers should describe: (i) how the analysis was conducted, (ii) how themes,
concepts, and categories were generated from the data, and (iii) whether analysis was
computer assisted (and, if so, how). Assurance of analytic rigor such as steps taken to
guard against selectivity in the use of data, triangulation, interrater reliability, expert
checking, and trustworthiness should be explained. The researcher's position should be
stated (e.g. have they examined their own role, possible bias, and influence on the
research). When analyzing the data, some qualitative studies use intercoder reliability
scores that indicate the agreement between coders on the interpretation of data. It is
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common for researchers to discuss the credibility or trustworthiness of the data

interpretation.
Presentation of Findings
The research should be contextualized by: (i) providing relevant information about the
settings and participants, (ii) integrating the phenomena under study into their social
context, and (iii) identifying and discussing any particular or unique influences.
Quotations, field notes, and other data should be identified in a way which enables the
readers to judge the range of evidence being used. Some authors fail to provide the
following: (i) distinctions between the data and their interpretation, (ii) the iteration
between data and explanations of the data (theory generation), (iii) sufficient original
evidence to satisfy the reader of the relationship between the evidence and the
conclusions (validity), and (iv) adequate consideration of cases or evidence which might
refute the conclusions.
Presenting data is critical for assessing whether successful theorizing is plausible. The
data may be in the form of power quotes and proof quotes. Power quotes are the
most compelling bits of data that researchers have. Power quotes illustrate the points
that increase the credibility of research findings. Ideally, authors are able to provide
multiple quotes for each point or argument they are making so that they have proof of
what they are saying. Authors should not expect a quotation to speak for itself. Authors
should think about telling their story in an integrative and holistic way.
It is important for authors and reviewers to be aware of different approaches within
qualitative research. I will include some references for preparing and reviewing
qualitative research (Creswell, 2009; Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007; Denzin &
Lincoln, 2005; Krippendorf, 2004; Marshall & Rossman, 2006; Maxwell, 2005;
Onwuegbuzie & Collins, 2007;
Corbin, 1998; Wolcott, 2001).

Richards, 2005;

Silverman, 2005;

Strauss

&

References
Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research design qualitative, quantitative, and mixed
methods approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc.
Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2007). Designing and conducting mixed
methods research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc.

Barbara Scholes G.

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Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2005). The SAGE handbook of qualitative

research (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc.
Krippendorf, K. (2004). Content analysis: An introduction to its methodology (2nd

ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc.

Marshall, C., & Rossman, G. B. (2006). Designing qualitative research (4th

ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc.

Maxwell, J. A. (2005). Qualitative research design: An interactive approach (2nd

ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc.

Onwuegbuzie, A. J., & Collins, K. M. T. (2007). A typology of mixed methods
sampling designs in social science research. The Qualitative Report, 12(2).
Retrieved

June

12,

2012,

from http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR12-

2/onwuegbuzie2.pdf
Richards, L. (2005). Handling qualitative data: A practical guide. Thousand Oaks,

CA: Sage Publications Inc.

Silverman, D. (2005). Doing qualitative research (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA:

Sage Publications Inc.

Strauss, A., & Corbin,

ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Inc.

Wolcott, H. F. (2001). Writing up qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

J. (1998). Basics

of

qualitative

research (2nd

Publications Inc.

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