introduction to scholarship: building academic skills for tertiary study offers a practical, skills-based approach to developing the basic academic and critical thinking skills required to succeed in the tertiary environment.

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Cover Title Copyright Table of contents About the author Foreword Preface How to use this book Chapter 1 Engaging in academic study 1.1 Introduction 1.1.1 Making the leap from school to university 1.1.2 Values, attitudes and skills for tertiary studies 1.1.3 Learning styles 1.1.4 Metacognition 1.2 Conclusion References Chapter 2 Reading and referencing skills 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Academic texts: Purpose and structure 2.2.1 Types of academic texts 2.2.2 Reading purposes 2.3 Purpose-based reading strategies 2.3.1 Light-reading 2.3.2 Scanning 2.3.3 Skimming 2.3.4 Intensive reading 2.3.5 Study reading 2.4 Why we need to reference 2.5 Methods for referencing 2.5.1 In-text referencing 2.5.2 Bibliographic referencing 2.6 Conclusion References Chapter 3 Planning your assignments 3.1 Introduction 3.2 A six-step process for assignment-writing 3.3 Topic analysis 3.4 Mind the (knowledge) gap 3.5 Work your Google-Fu 3.6 Build your skeleton 3.7 Write your draft 3.8 Revise – Edit – Revise 3.9 Conclusion References Chapter 4 Audience, purpose and style 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Identifying the purpose of your task 4.3 Analysing your audience 4.4 Facts, theories, opinions and objectivity 4.4.1 Fact vs. theory 4.4.2 Opinion 4.4.3 Objectivity and subjectivity 4.5 Writing styles and formality 4.6 Improving readability 4.7 Conclusion References Chapter 5 Work your ‘Google-Fu’ 5.1 Introduction 5.2 But first, a little context 5.3 Cyberethics 5.3.1 User privacy 5.3.2 Search-engine bias 5.3.3 Freedom of expression – within reason 5.3.4 Digital divide 5.3.5 Intellectual property 5.4 White-belt ‘Google-Fu’ 5.4.1 Developing search phrases 5.4.2 Using basic Boolean logic with search phrases 5.4.3 Using reading skills to filter and evaluate the credibility of returned results 5.4.4 Refining your search 5.5 Black-belt ‘Google-Fu’ 5.5.1 Easter eggs – a bit of fun 5.5.2 Advanced tips for searching 5.6 Conclusion References Chapter 6 Paragraphs, paraphrases and summaries 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Writing paragraphs 6.2.1 First things first … Paragraph architecture 6.2.2 Connecting ideas in and between paragraphs 6.3 Paraphrasing to represent another author’s ideas 6.3.1 A method for paraphrasing 6.3.2 Tips for paraphrasing 6.4 Writing summaries 6.4.1 Features of a summary 6.4.2 Précis and abstracts 6.4.3 Summary-writing technique 6.5 Conclusion References Chapter 7 Critical analysis and argumentation 7.1 Introduction 7.2 So just what is the ‘truth’ anyway? 7.3 Critical thinking and cognitive dissonance 7.4 A step-by-step method for evaluating evidence 7.5 Recognising cognitive bias and logical fallacies 7.6 Conclusion References Chapter 8 Problems, persuasion and argument 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Understanding problems 8.2.1 Complex problems and modelling 8.2.2 A practical example of modelling in action . 8.3 Sound arguments 8.3.1 The Toulmin argument structure 8.3.2 Using rhetorical strategies for persuasion 8.4 Checking your argument 8.5 Conclusion References Chapter 9 Working with graphic devices 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Common graphic devices 9.2.1 Functions of graphic devices 9.2.2 Tables 9.2.3 Graphs 9.2.4 Charts 9.3 Detecting and avoiding bias in graphic devices 9.4 Generating graphic devices using software 9.5 Evaluating graphic devices 9.6 Conclusion References Chapter 10 Polishing your writing 10.1 Introduction 10.2 First … take a break 10.3 Next step … Revise 10.4 Then … edit 10.4.1 Sentence function 10.4.2 Before-and-after sentences 10.4.3 Evaluating every sentence 10.5 And finally … proofread 10.6 Conclusion References Chapter 11 Oral presentations 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Preparing for oral presentations 11.3 Developing effective PowerPoint™ slides 11.4 Dealing with nerves 11.5 Delivering your presentation 11.5.1 Use cue cards 11.5.2 Non-verbal behaviour 11.6 Conclusion References Chapter 12 Examination skills 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Dealing with stress and anxiety 12.3 Time management 12.3.1 Developing a realistic study schedule 12.4 Study tips 12.5 Dealing with different types of questions 12.6 Conclusion References Index