I agree with John, and would point out that another way to deal with the problem is simply to click away anything with an irrelevant header when you check your mail. I followed this discussion with great interest at the beginning, then had a couple of intense days when I siimply had to hit the 'delete' button.  It just takes a second.

This discussion hasn't been frivolous or personal; it's been about a topic which many (most? all?) writing teachers are concerned with, and lots of people have clearly found it fruitful.  Those who don't, don't have to follow it. Those who can't stand to receive incoming e-mails that aren't of direct and immediate relevance to them probably shouldn't subscribe to an e-mail list. (But it would be greatly appreciated if those of you who *don't* want to subscribe any more could send a command to the server to unsubscribe, rather than sending tetchy-sounding mails to the whole list!)

Cheers,

Diane


Diane Pecorari

Reader in English Linguistics
Coordinator, English Studies
School of Education, Culture and Communication
Mälardalen University

Box 883
721 23 Västerås

+46 21 151702

http://www.mdh.se/ihu/personal/dpi/
________________________________________
From: European Association for the Teaching of Academic Writing - discussions [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Harbord [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 19 February 2010 09:50
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: The purpose of academic citation: a request for help

If I may respond to Martin Davies suggestion as a former list organiser,
when the EATAW list was hosted in Copenhagen, we had the same discussion
about mailboxes being flooded and we set up the EATAW-discuss list as a
second, discussion list. The list was never really much used, some
people posted official announcements there that should have been posted
to the main list and most people continued posting their discussion
topics to the main list. By the time we moved the list to the UK
recently, the board members were unanimous that the experiment of two
lists had been a failure.

One easy way to deal with mail from lists is to set up a rule (nearly
all mail programmes let you do this) that diverts EATAW mails into a
folder set up for that purpose. I do this with wcenter, the US writing
centers list which generates about 40 mails a day at times - I can then
leave them, read them at my leisure, and delete all those which are on a
thread I'm not interested in without opening them and they don't
interfere with my incoming mail.

Hope this helps,

John

>>> Martin Davies <[log in to unmask]> 18/2/10 23:26 >>>
Not everyone wishes to read these essentially personal exchanges
between individuals. However, some of us don’t want to leave the list
either as it does have some useful announcements.

The list organisers might wish to adopt the practice of routinely
moving conversational topics to a website forum as done for the AALL
list: http://aall.org.au/forum

Topics start on an email list and are quickly migrated to the Forum
leaving the list for announcements and other useful things.
When a topic is migrated to the forum the list manager notifies members
with a link to the topic.

____________________

Dr Martin Davies I Acting Director, Teaching and Learning Unit I
Business and Economics I University of Melbourne
Level 6, 198 Berkeley Street, Parkville 3010 I
P: 8344 5727 I F: 8344 8597 I M: 042 574 6523
Institutional 'web: http://tlu.ecom.unimelb.edu.au/
Personal 'web: http://tlu.ecom.unimelb.edu.au/about_us/martin.html
http://unimelb.academia.edu/MartinDavies

Associate Editor: Higher Education Research and Development
Guest Editor: Critical Thinking in Higher Education (due for
publication in 2010)
____________________

-----Original Message-----
From: European Association for the Teaching of Academic Writing -
discussions [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Linda
McCloud-Bondoc
Sent: Friday, 19 February 2010 3:43 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: The purpose of academic citation: a request for help

Hi Russ,

I'd agree with part of your statement. For students, an additional
purpose is to learn about all the other reasons mentioned here, and in
effect, be socialized into the community of researchers in a particular
discipline. Of course, students who don't learn those norms tend to get
poor grades, so in that sense, I think you're right.

Linda McCloud-Bondoc
Write Site Coordinator
Office of the Vice President Academic

Athabasca University
1 University Drive
Athabasca, AB.
Canada T9S 3A3
1-866-603-9521

----- Original Message -----
From: "Russell Kent" <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2010 4:38:10 AM GMT -07:00 US/Canada
Mountain
Subject: Re: The purpose of academic citation: a request for help

Surely, the purpose of citation depends on whether you are a student or
not.

If you are a student, then the purpose of citation is so the professor
does not fail your paper.

If you are not a student, then all the previous reasons are valid.

Cheers,

Russ Kent

-----Original Message-----
From: European Association for the Teaching of Academic Writing -
discussions [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
[log in to unmask]
Sent: 18 February 2010 10:06
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: The purpose of academic citation: a request for help

Hi,
This was one of the issues that I stuided during my PhD Dissertation,
within the framework of genre analysis. I am  quoting a few paragraphs
from my dissertation below. I hope it will help you.

"Citations serve multiple purposes in scientific texts that contain
unique
works such as research papers. These purposes include, but are not
limited
to connecting new information to information that already exists in
the
field, structuring of new information by the interaction of the writer
and
reader, recognition of novelty of the information (Berkenkotter and
Huckin, 1995; Hyland, 1999), putting forth the attitude of the new
information towards the old (Charles, 2006). Citations, because of
such
functions, are viewed as one of the founding components of academic
texts.
In other words, citation is ‘sine qua non’ in the genre of
scientific text
(Bazerman, 1988; Swales, 1990; Berkenkotter and Huckin, 1995; Hyland,
1999; 2000; Charles, 2006).

Using citations to refer to former texts in a new text, that is; to
‘explicitly’ put inter-text relationships into code (Fairclough
1992),
helps justify the new information in the practices of research
society.
Therefore new information conveyed via a new text becomes dependent on
contextual information.

Explicit references to certain texts, which demonstrate how prior
studies
are described and perceived, are accepted by many to be significant
clues
as to how writers structure the information using this particular
communicative method in the course of academic communication.  Writers
in
search of a position in the field for their work and the information
they
will present often resort to discourse-oriented functions such as
contextualising, starting field-based discussions and informativity.
These
functions are coded in the surface structure of the text by the use of
citations. These discourse functions are in fact society and
information-oriented tools to implicate the existence of the writer in
the
surface structure of the text."

<<Fidan, Özden (2008)GENRE ANALYSIS OF INTRODUCTION SECTIONS IN
STUDENTS’
RESEARCH ARTICLES IN THE FIELD OF LINGUISTICS IN TURKEY, Unpublished
Doctoral Thesis>>

Hello Gavin,
> Â
> This is an issue I touch upon in my undergraduate academic writing
> course. What I usually tell my students is that the purpose of
academic
> citation is to avoid plagiarism and draw the line between the
writer's
> original ideas and those borrowed from othersor the "not" question I
would
> say the purpose is not to decorate a paper with lots of expert names
> whether or not they are relevant to one's paper.
> Â
> Good luck with your book.
> When it is published I would like to have a look at it.
> Â
> Assoc. Prof. Elif Demirel
> Blacksea Technical University
> English Language and Literature Department
> [log in to unmask]
> Â
> Â
> Â
> Â
>
>
>
> --- On Sun, 2/14/10, Curry, Mary Jane <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
>
> From: Curry, Mary Jane <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: The purpose of academic citation: a request for help
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Sunday, February 14, 2010, 6:08 PM
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Can the replies go privately to Gavin please?
> Â
>
> Mary Jane Curry
> Associate Professor, Language Education
> Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education & Human Development
> PO Box 270425, Dewey Hall 1-160G
> University of Rochester
> Rochester, NY 14627
> 585.273.5934
> FAX 585.473.7598
> www.rochester.edu/warner/faculty
> Â
>
>
>
>
> From: European Association for the Teaching of Academic Writing -
> discussions [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Millie Baker
> Sent: Saturday, February 13, 2010 12:33 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: The purpose of academic citation: a request for help
> Â
>
> Hello Gavin,
> thanks for asking - I enjoyed thinking about this. I'm still usure
how to
> approach the 'not' question, though, so I'm leaving that out for
now.
> The purpose of academic citation is to make visible one's position
within
> and relationship to a discourse, to draw on the energy of other
people's
> work and reflect back, in its mirror, one's own contribution.
> Millie
> Â
>
> Â
>
>
>
>
> Von: "Fairbairn, Gavin"
> Gesendet: 13.02.2010 13:41:13
> An: [log in to unmask]
> Betreff: The purpose of academic citation: a request for help
>
> Â
>
> Â
>
> Â
> Dear colleagues,
> Â
> Â
> I am currently completing work on the third edition of my book with
Chris
> Winch, Reading, Writing and Reasoning: a guide for students, and
working
> on the section about academic citation. Thinking about how one can
best
> state, as simply as possible, the purpose of academic citation, I
have
> been asking colleagues from a range of academic disciplines, for
their
> views, which are surprisingly diverse. Then it occurred to me that
it
> would be interesting to gather some views from EATAW members, to see
> whether their views are also varied. I would therefore, be grateful
if you
> would tell me what you think.
> Â
> Â
> If you are willing to help me in this way, please complete the
following
> two statements:
> Â
> Â
> ·        The purpose of academic citation isâ€|
> Â
> Â
> ·        The purpose of academic citation isn’tâ€|
> Â
> Â
> Having done so, please send them back to me at
[log in to unmask],
> rather than circulating your view to everyone on the list. It would
be
> interesting, at the same time, if you also shared your disciplinary
> background, because it would be helpful in reflecting on whether
this
> makes a difference to views of the place of citation in academic
writing.
> Â
> Â
> Â Â  My expectation is that most people will complete these
statements in
> the space of one sentence, but if you want to write more, please feel
free
> to do so.
> Â
> Â
> Â Â  After a couple of weeks I shall collate the responses I receive
(if I
> receive any) and mail them round to everyone who has been willing to
help
> me in this way, and has managed to find a few minutes to do so. Of
course,
> I shan’t be identifying who said what, either in the collated list,
or
> if I decide to use what you say, in anything else I write.
> Â
> Â
> Â
> Â Â  With grateful thanks, in anticipation.
> Â
> Â
> Â
> Â Â  Best wishes,
> Â
> Â
> Â
> Â
> Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  Gavin J. Fairbairn
> Â
> Â
>
> Â
>
> Â
>
>
> Gavin J. Fairbairn
> Professor of Ethics and Language
> Leeds Metropolitan University
> The Grange
> Headingley Campus
> Beckett Park
> Leeds Met University
> LS6 3QS
> Â
> Â
>
> Â
>
>
>
>
> From: European Association for the Teaching of Academic Writing -
> discussions on behalf of Zulfiqar Ahmed Qureshi
> Sent: Tue 09/02/2010 00:11
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Writing conferences as a method of feedback on academic
> writing
>
>
> Â
>
> Â
>
> Thx for this Fiona - great to here from Australia - I didn't realise
that
> EATAW reached that far!
> Â
>
> Â
> Â
>
> May I ask - what's the no. 1/2 journal out there for EFL/EAP research
by
> the way?
> Â
>
> Â
> Â
>
> Z
>
>
> Â
>
> Mr Zulfi Qureshi
> Senior Lecturer in English Language
> Course Leader for International Foundation Programme
> Tel: +44 (0) 1772 89 3677
> E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
>
>>>> Fiona Henderson 07/02/10 2:59 AM >>>
>
> Dear Zulfi,
> Â
>
>
> Â Â
> Â
>
> I'll start this to see if it creates an Australian conversation for
you.Â
> Â
>
>
> Â Â
> Â
>
> I would say many of us here use spoken feedback as well as written
> commentary in one to one writing conferences.  For me, it would
mostly be
> doing one or more of three things.  Often I will commence a f2f by
asking
> the student to outline his/her overall document plan, often I will
ask a
> student to explain orally a particular paragraph and the point that
is
> being made (as I cannot understand the written version) and often as
part
> of the paraphrasing process, I will ask them to orally give me the
> writer's idea.Â
> Â
>
>
> Â Â
> Â
>
> Of course there is also spoken interaction as part of the process of
> clarifying any written commentary.
> Â
>
>
> Â Â
> Â
>
> Regards,
> Â
>
> Fiona
> Â
>
> Fiona Henderson
> Â
>
> Lecturer
> Â
>
> Language and Learning Portfolio
> Â
>
> Victoria University
> Â
>
> Australia
> Â
>
> ph 61 3 9919 4972
> Â
>
> http://vuoffshoresotlresearch.wikispaces.com/Â
> Â
>
> http://tls.vu.edu.au/altc/studentresources.cfm
> Â
>
> Â
> Â
>
> Â
>
>
>
>
> From: European Association for the Teaching of Academic Writing -
> discussions [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Zulfiqar
Ahmed
> Qureshi
> Sent: Sunday, 7 February 2010 12:44 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Writing conferences as a method of feedback on academic
writing
>
>
> Â
>
> Â
>
> Dear colleagues,
> Â
>
> Â
> Â
>
> I am currently investigating the use of spoken feedback with
international
> students in one to one writing conferences on their academic essay
drafts
> (on a foundation/pre-UG course) and wish to ask the following of you
all:
> Â
>
> Â
> Â
>
> 1) How many of you use such conferences with your EFL sts to discuss
essay
> writing drafts? Is it a common feature of feedback methods employed
by
> UK/European universities on such courses (in addition to the default
> 'written commentary')?
> Â
>
> Â
> Â
>
> 2) Does anyone know of any studies conducted at UK/European
universities
> on this area as most are US based.
> Â
>
> Â
> Â
>
> Many thanks for any help/responses you may be able to offer.
> Â
>
> Â
> Â
>
> Zulfi
> Â
>
> Mr Zulfi Qureshi
> Senior Lecturer in English Language
> Course Leader for International Foundation Programme
> Tel: +44 (0) 1772 89 3677
> E-mail: [log in to unmask]
> Â
>
> This email, including any attachment, is intended solely for the use
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> the intended recipient. It is confidential and may contain personal
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not
> the intended recipient any use, disclosure, reproduction or storage
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