ACA-401: International Academic and Professional Paper Writing

Note: ACA-401 is currently the course code for academic writing at the master’s level. It is also used in an alternative form for certain PhD students under the name Research Methods and Strategy, using only specific course periods and supplemental material. If you have any questions on the applicable version of the course, please contact the Admissions officer for coordination.

This course offers a review of the basics of proper English writing based on two required textbooks. This course can be used at any level, including the master’s level, to ensure that the student’s writing skills are on the level required for the academic program being pursued.

As part of this course, students must understand the requirements and techniques associated with writing academic papers in an international context. As a result, the course covers the differences between the US and UK English (spelling and punctuation). The course also discusses proper citations, plagiarism, logical flow in writing, etc. A very useful resource for this course is Write Source 2000. It is a comprehensive 540-page textbook, originally designed for high school students, but it has also proven to be an invaluable resource for students at the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as for working professionals.

Turabian’s manual for writers provides comprehensive, detailed, superior guidance to writers of research papers. It has been revised to conform with the Chicago Manual of Style. From “Parts of the Paper” (including the niceties of copyrights and dedications) to “Sample Layouts,” everything to do with format is covered. Mechanics of style (abbreviations to quotations) are reviewed, there’s help on tables and illustrations, and chapters on bibliographies, parenthetical references, note-taking, and citations. There are suggestions for manuscript preparation, hints on word-processing software, and formatting for research papers’ more complex features. It provides quick, accessible, reliable answers to your questions of structure, scholarly propriety, and academic style. This book is recommended, but EUCLID also provides as a substitute a series of PDFs that deal with the Chicago Rule of Style.

• Credit value: 2 (US standard) | 3 to 4 (ECTS standard)
• Indicative duration (full time): 4-6 weeks
• Indicative duration (part-time): 5-8 weeks
• Certificate: Yes

This course is based on standard EUCLID methodology. Students may refer to the following resources:

Academic Guidelines (HQ version)
Academic Guidelines (most recent version even if unofficial)
Student Orientation Guidelines (most recent version even if unofficial)
Zotero instructions for EUCLID students
Grammarly instructions for EUCLID students

At the end of this course, the student will be able to:

• use a mandated Word template
• use Word styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, Normal, Quote)
• understand the rules of US spelling and punctuation placement
• understand the rules of UK spelling and punctuation placement
• properly use various approved rules of style
• avoid plagiarism
• use structure and logical flow
• know how to write a EUCLID response paper
• know how to create a EUCLID quiz
• write academic assignments at the graduate and post-graduate level

Course material is provided in the form of embedded videos, audio MP3s, and/or downloadable PDFs. Participation in the forum is optional but may be helpful to students. Past Q&A in particular may answer current and common questions.

 

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