Creating Contexts: Writing Introductions across Genres (Volume 3)

by Christine B. Feak, John M. Swales

Research article introductions are central to Creating Writing across Genres with the CaRS (creating a research space) model used as a starting point. This volume focuses on introductions for other kinds of texts that are also part of the graduate student writing experience such as course papers and critiques, proposals, and dissertations. This volume represents a revision and expansion of the material on introductions that appeared in English in Today's Research World . The material presented in this volume is appropriate for graduate students and others already working in their chosen academic fields. The material has, in fact, been used with each of these groups in both writing courses and writing workshops. We believe that the material would also be suitable for those wishing to pursue a course of self-study. To target these different possible uses, we have included a variety of topics and tasks that we hope will deepen users’ understanding of how to create a writing context for their work. Tasks range from evaluating text commentaries to open-ended questions and have been designed to generate lively classroom or workshop discussion as well as thoughtful consideration by an individual user.

Genres: Writing

136 pages, Paperback

First published January 31, 2011

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really appreciate how these volumes attempt to cover so much within such slim boundaries and this one, on introductions and conclusions, was really no exception. I will say that given the variety of ways intros and conclusions are written across genres and disciplines in graduate school, I did feel like this volume was spread a bit thinner than the others I’ve read on Abstracts and Literature Reviews. That is, it may have attempted to cover a bit too much terrain at the expense of containing as many specific examples or exegesis as graduate student writers might find helpful. Nonetheless, there’s plenty here that I’ll use in workshops and individual writing consultations with graduate students, and I’d urge any one who is first encountering Swales and Feak through this volume to look at their other books, as well.

[Peb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really helpful. I am amazed that there is a book only for introduction. I used to be stuck on writing introductions in papers or proposals, or unable to efficiently extract information from this section when reading. The book contains mix of easy-to-find notes, discussed examples, exercises and the thickness is not discouraging.