The CIPQ Guide: Academic Writing
The Cambridge International Project Qualification (CIPQ) is an essay-based academic project where candidates engage in in-depth research for a topic of choice. This issue addresses the main aspect of academic research — academic writing.
You have finally finished reading your articles — what do you do now? With all the information you have obtained, it is understandable to not know where to begin in terms of writing. Truthfully, this part was one of the most agonising parts of the CIPQ for me. I had no previous experience in true academic writing, thus I struggled to adapt to writing more objectively and concisely.
It may also be difficult to frame your arguments at this point. You may feel overwhelmed by the sea of thoughts and ideas in your head. Having experienced the same, I assure you that it is normal and you will eventually figure it out. So, take a deep breath and read on as I take you through what you should do next.
Prewriting
Before you start, you must prepare a solid foundation to work on. There are three tasks you should complete: creating a research log, synchronising Zotero, and adjusting your essay plan.
Research Log
A research log is a record of every activity carried out for your research. Having a detailed and regularly-updated log is a way to demonstrate that your work is original, and not relying on the works of others.
Your research log should be in a table format, recording the date, time, location, and description of the activities carried out. Be as specific as possible and log every action done onto the list by keeping your log open at all times. As you attend briefings, track down everything you have learned.
Note down every online search, including the direct quotes of search queries that yielded results and those that did not. You can prevent redundancies and save precious time with this practice. Every search session should be logged with the following details: a clear intention of the search session, a formal citation of the paper(s) gathered, and a explanation of its usefulness.
Crucially, you must extract quotes from the paper onto your log. Having direct quotes in your log helps organise the evidence you intend to cite in your paper, which enhances efficiency as you do not need to re-read entire papers in your writing stage. I recommend quoting directly from the paper and adding your own paraphrasing and analysis in another column.
Hence, reading research articles based on the perspectives of your research ensures an organised research log. For instance, I read my articles in the order of: (1) the background of my topic, (2) the environment, (3) social and safety aspects, and (4) the economy. This ensures I can easily refer to my research log during my writing stage.
Zotero Synchronisation
As mentioned in my previous issue, Zotero is a helpful research assistant for the organisation of your project. However, there are instances where online indexing fails, due to either a lack of the paper in their database, or an unreadable PDF which occurs frequently with old, photo-scanned articles. Before you start writing, make sure you clear up any discrepancies in indexing by manually inputting the article information. Your writing process will flow smoother with a complete citation database.
You should also integrate the software into your writing tool. I personally only recommend two software: Google Docs and Microsoft Word. Both enable Zotero to be natively plugged in, whereby you can easily access it with an additional tab.
Essay plan
Your research essay should follow this default structure: background → introduction → perspectives/arguments → conclusion → limitation → reflection. Having said that, you should also make a detailed plan for the presentation of your arguments, as the the flow of your essay hinges upon it. You can seek advice from your supervisor on ways to organise your sections.
I structured my CIPQ essay as follows: introduction of perspective 1 → arguments for → arguments against; introduction of perspective 2 → arguments for → arguments against; introduction of perspective 3 → arguments for → arguments against. Another popular structure is: Arguments for → first, second, third perspective; Arguments against → first, second, third perspective. Depending on the topic, presenting both sides of the argument consecutively highlights your point clearly as the opposite arguments are directly contrasted.
If you require a clear visualisation of your points and their connections, consider using websites that create visual knowledge maps, such as Research Rabbit, Connected Paper, and LitMaps.
Writing
In academic writing, especially for scientific papers, concision is vital. A succinct research essay allows facts to be at centre stage, not the unnecessary fluff. This is harder than it sounds. I struggled with this even if I had written factual essays in high school. To put it plainly, a research paper is not a narrative, so do not get caught up with creating a storytelling flow in your essay.
That being said, essays should still have discourse markers. There are a plethora of markers you can use; though aim for one-worded ones like furthermore, moreover, additionally, crucially, importantly, and essentially.
When citing sources, avoid the use of absolute language. In many cases, nothing is 100% certain, especially when citing sources without its complete details. Hence, replace words like must, is/are, and has/have with words like may and seem.
Your CIPQ essay is factual and impersonal, so refrain from using personal pronouns. The topic of your research should be the subject in your sentences. That said, avoid overusing the passive voice in your writing. While passive sentences are useful in cases where the subject is known, overusing it is a mistake. I highly recommend writing primarily in an active voice, with an occasional use of passive sentences. Active writing keeps your sentences short and concise.
Analysis
In terms of analysis, the general structure goes this way: present your point/argument, elaborate if necessary, reference an example, then analyse how it relates to your main point. For instance, my research was on cars and whether cities should ban them through pedestrianisation. I started with a point about issues private vehicles produce, then cite evidence for analysis. After that, I evaluated the policy of banning by with references to various case studies.
Paraphrasing and citation styles
Paraphrasing is a trait to hone during your CIPQ to avoid plagiarism. Even though there are websites that help with paraphrasing, you should not rely on them excessively. The tip I can offer is to change sentence structures and use a thesaurus for synonyms. As for citations, different disciplines utilise various citation styles, but you have the freedom to choose for the CIPQ. I went for the APA style based on my supervisor’s recommendation. Zotero should automatically do all of this for you.
TL;DR Distillation
In summary, academic writing can seem daunting, but is manageable with correct preparation. Creating a detailed and regularly-updated research log, keeping Zotero synchronised, and having a clear essay plan set you up for a successful writing experience. In writing, the use of active voice and succinct writing elevate your analysis by highlighting facts over fillers. It is wise to paraphrase, and let Zotero handle the rest of the citations for you.
Resources
- The University of York’s Practical Guide to Academic Writing (highly recommended):
https://subjectguides.york.ac.uk/academic-writing
Disclaimer: Any information given is based on the author’s own experience; the author’s views are personal and do not represent the opinions of any other entity. Every effort has been taken to ensure resource links and information provided in this article are up to the date of publishing and comply with fair use standards.
