Reading and Writing

Skills
 Today's Topic

Composing
Academic
Writing
 • identify the unique
features, parts and
requirements in writing a
Lesson book review; and
Objectives • write a book review
following the process
approach to writing
 Book Review
A book review describes and evaluates a
work of fiction or nonfiction and offers
the book’s overall purpose, structure, and
style of narration to the unknown
readers. It tells not only what a book is
about, but also how successful it is at
what it is trying to do. It is a sneak peek
at a book, not a summary.
 Book Review
In writing a book review, you
combine your skills of describing
the content of the pages,
analyzing how the book achieved
its purpose, and expressing your
most personal comments,
reactions, and suggestions.
Tips for Writing Book Review
1. Avoid Repetition
2. Be Concise
3. Support your claims
and positions
4. Proofread
Tips for Writing Book Review
1. Avoid Repetition
2. Be Concise
3. Support your claims
and positions
4. Proofread
before you start writing a book review, you have to read the book first and ask yourself these questions:

1. What are the author’s viewpoint

and purpose?
2. What are the author’s main
points?
3. What kind of evidence does the
author use to prove his or her points?
4. How does this book relate to other
books on the same topic?
before you start writing a book review, you have to read the book first and ask yourself these questions:

5. Does the author have the

necessary expertise to write the
book?
6. What are the most appropriate
criteria by which to judge the book?
7. How successful do you think the
author was in carrying out the
overall purposes of the book?
 Book Review
Take this general guideline: the
length of the review depends
upon the length of the book
itself, and a review should not be
less than 100 words. Longer
books usually ask for more than
500 words.
How do you START writing a book review?
1. Identify the book by author, title,
and sometimes publishing information.
2. Specify the type of book (for
example: fiction, nonfiction, biography,
and autobiography). Help your readers
to review with perspective.
3. Mention the book’s theme.
How do you START writing a book review?
4. Include background, if necessary, to
enable reader/s to place the book into
a specific context.
5. You may also use an interesting
quote, an interesting fact, or an
explanation of a concept or term.
What do you DO with the content?
1. For nonfiction books like
biography, history, and the like: pay
primary attention to the major
points (the argument) the author is
putting forth and to the sources the
author has drawn upon to back up
his/her point of view.
What do you DO with the content?
2. For fictional works such as novels,
chick lit, graphic novels, manga: Pay
attention primarily to the novel or
book’s setting, plot, style, characters,
theme/s, use of language and voice.
Caution: Do not give away the story
for no one appreciates a spoiler!
What do you DO with the content?
3. Provide your reactions to the
book.
4. Describe the book.
5. Respond to the author’s
opinions and analyze it.
6. Explore issues the book raises.
How do you DO CONCLUDE?
1. Relate your argument
to other books or
authors.
2. Relate the book to
larger issues.
How do you DO CONCLUDE?
3. Tie together issues
raised in the review.
4. Briefly restate your
main points and your
thesis statement.
How do you DO CONCLUDE?
5. Indicate how well the book has
achieved its goal, what possibilities are
suggested by the book, what the book
has left out, how the book compares to
others on the subject, what specific points
are not convincing, and what personal
experiences you’ve had related to the
subject.
How do you REVISE the draft?
1. Allow time to elapse, at least a
day, before starting your revision.
2. Correct grammatical mistakes
and punctuation as you find them.
3. Read your paper through again
looking for unity, organization,
and logical development.
How do you REVISE the draft?
4. If necessary, do not hesitate
to make major revisions in
your draft.
5. Verify quotations for
accuracy and check the format
and content of references.
Book Review
 Today's Topic

Literature
Review
 Literature Review
(LR) is a type of academic essay that
examines what has already been written
about a topic. As a collection of published
research about your topic by recognized
scholars and researchers, it is a way for
you to examine also what has already
been done regarding your research
question or problem.
 Literature Review
Likewise, it summarizes and
synthesizes the conducted research
driven by guiding principles.
Although it is not a research paper, it
provides background for your
problem and a rationale for your
research (Abadiano 2016, 51-52).
Literature reviews consist of the following components and purposes:

INTRODUCTION
o defines the topic and the scope
being considered
o notes intentional exclusions
o states the general findings of the
review and the availability of the
sources
Literature reviews consist of the following components and purposes:
• MAIN BODY
o Organizes the evaluation of the sources
whether chronologically or thematically
o showcases the critical summary and
evaluation of the research premise,
methodology, and conclusion
o uses grammatical connectors, relational
words or phrases, and transitional devices
Literature reviews consist of the following components and purposes:

CONCLUSION
o summarizes the key findings of
the review
o offers the reviewer’s
justification of the conducted
research
Literature reviews consist of the following components and purposes:

REFERENCES
o reflects the in-text citations
o contains complete and
correct citations
FOUR LITERATURE STRATEGIES
 SUMMARY
This involves concisely describing the
key points or findings of each source.

Example: “Smith (2020) explored the

effects of social media on youth
mental health, finding a significant
correlation between excessive use
and anxiety.”
 ANALYSIS
Analyze individual studies to assess their
strengths, weaknesses, methodologies, and
contributions. Focus on the design, data,
and conclusions of each study to determine
its reliability.
Example: “While Jones (2019) provides
comprehensive data on urban
transportation patterns, the study’s limited
sample size reduces its generalizability.”
 SYNTHESIS
Synthesis involves combining information
from various sources to create a new
understanding of the topic. Rather than
focusing on each source individually,
synthesis looks for patterns, agreements, or
contradictions between studies.
Example: “Several studies (Brown, 2018;
Carter, 2019; Davis, 2020) emphasize the
importance of early literacy, though they
differ on the role of parental involvement.”
 EVALUATION
Evaluation requires critically assessing the
relevance, significance, and credibility of
sources. You determine which studies are
most valuable and why, identifying their
contribution to your field of research.
Example: “Although the randomized
control trial conducted by Lee (2018) is
methodologically sound, its findings are
limited by the short duration of the study.”
 Today's Topic

Research
Report
 Research Report
Research Report is a long, formal essay,
usually five to fifteen pages in length,
which presents the writer’s views and
findings on a chosen subject. However, it is
not just a long composition which follows
the principles of good writing. It is a
scholarly work and not just a collection of
notes lifted from many different sources
and strung together, one after the other.
Components of a Research Report
Title
It reflects the content and
emphasis of the project described
in the report.
Similarly, it should be as short as
possible, including essential key
words.
Components of a Research Report
Abstract
It is an overview of the research study
and is typically two to four paragraphs
in length containing 200-300 words.
Think of it as an executive and
technical summary that gathers the
key elements of the remaining
sections into a few sentences.
Components of a Research Report
Introduction
It provides the key question that the
researcher is attempting to answer and a
review of any literature that is relevant. In
addition, the researcher will provide a
rationale of why the research is important and
will present a hypothesis that attempts to
answer the key question. Lastly, it should
contain a summary of the key question
following the completion of the research.
Components of a Research Report
Methodology
This is arguably the most important section for
two reasons: (1) it allows readers to evaluate
the quality of the research, and (2) it provides
the details by which another researcher may
replicate and validate the findings. Typically,
the information in the methodology section is
arranged in chronological order with the most
important information on top of each section.
Components of a Research Report
Results
In longer research papers, the
results section contains the data
and perhaps a short introduction.
Ideally, the interpretation of the
data and the analysis is reserved
for the discussion section.
Components of a Research Report
Discussion
This section is where the results of the study
are interpreted and evaluated against the
existing body or literature. In addition,
should there be any anomalies found in the
results, this is where the authors point them
out. Finally, it is an attempt to connect the
results to the bigger picture and show how
the results might be applied.
Components of a Research Report
References
This section provides a list of
each author and paper cited in
the research report. Any fact,
idea, or direct quotation used in
the report should be cited and
referenced.
 Today's Topic

Project
Proposal
 Project Proposal
A project proposal is a document that is
written for problem solving, service
provision, event planning, or equipment
selling. Generally, proposals are used to
convince the reader to do what the
proposal suggests, such as buying goods
or services, funding a project, or
implementing a program.
Guidelines in Writing the Proposal
1. Gathering the Data. One of the
characteristics of an effective proposal is
being well- researched. It needs concrete
data to back up its claims so it can
become more credible. You can gather
data from primary and secondary sources
and apply the strategies that you learned
in writing a research paper in the
previous lessons.
Guidelines in Writing the Proposal
2. Organizing the Data. A proposal
becomes more effective if the
information on it is clearly organized.
You can use the parts of the proposal
to guide you in your organization or
use an outline to structure your
discussion more effectively.
Guidelines in Writing the Proposal
3. Writing the Proposal. Fill out the parts
of the proposal with the relevant data.
4. Revising the Proposal. Make sure to
review your proposal for accuracy and
organization before you send it out. A
good proposal will be comprehensive
and will put your organization in the
best light.
Formatting the Project Proposal
1. Introduction. This part provides
the background necessary for
understanding the project, which is
done by telling your reader the
following:
• Rationale - this identifies the
problem to be addressed and shows
the need to solve it.
Formatting the Project Proposal
• Objectives - these reveal what the
project intends to achieve in terms of
results. It also gives the reader an
idea of the intended solution. Good
objectives are SMART (Specific,
Measurable, Attainable, Results-
oriented, and bound within a realistic
Time frame).
Formatting the Project Proposal
• Benefits - these show what the
reader or the target audience can
gain from the proposal, which may
be improvements in processes or
systems, an increase in revenue, or a
change in behavior of the
beneficiaries of the proposal.
Formatting the Project Proposal
2. Project Description. This section gives
specific information about the project
itself.
• Methodology – this entails the
different activities; the project will take
on, including the manpower (i.e., the
people involved and their duties),
resources to be utilized and the
expanded output.
Formatting the Project Proposal
• Schedule - this discusses the task
duration and expected start and end
dates of each activity in the project.
• Budget - this presents an analysis of all
the costs anticipated in the project,
which can be itemized or shown as a
whole, depending on the needs of the
project.
 Today's Topic

Position
Paper
 Position Paper
The position paper is a composition that
highlights an opinion of an author or
specified entity about an issue. As a
debate, it presents one side of an
arguable opinion and persuades the
readers or audience that the author has a
well-founded knowledge about the
issue.
 Position Paper
In writing Center of the University of
Hawaii, stated that in choosing the
issue or problem to be discussed, you
may ask yourself the following
questions as issue criteria to ensure
that you will be able to present a
strong argument:
 Position Paper
1. Is it the actual and real issue?
2. Can you clearly identify two
positions?
3. Are you an advocate of one of
these positions?
4.Is the issue narrow enough to be
manageable?
 Position Paper
After choosing the argument to take, you must present
relevant supporting evidence like:
1. Factual knowledge, which are valid and verifiable
information
2. Statistical inferences, which are conclusions drawn
from data gathered
3. Informed opinions, which are based on knowledge of
the facts and carefully considered principle, and rely on
evidence instead of limited personal experience
4. Personal testimony, which are personal or first-hand
experience of the writer or knowledgeable party
Now, here are the components of a position paper:
I. The Introduction – identifies the issue that
will be discussed and states the author’s
position on that issue.
A. Introduce your topic with background
information
B. Build up your thesis statement which
asserts your position
• Fast food restaurants are bad for our health.
• Fast food packages should contain warning
labels.
Now, here are the components of a position paper:
II. The Body – contains the central
argument and can be further broken up
into sections:
A. Possible objections to your position
(counter argument)
• Whose job is it to determine which
restaurants are bad?
• Such labels would affect the profits of
major corporations
Now, here are the components of a position paper:
B. A discussion of both sides of the issue,
which addresses and refutes arguments
that contradict the author’s position
(your argument)
• It would be difficult and expensive for
any entity to determine which restaurants
should adhere to the policy.
• Nobody wants to see the government
overstepping its boundaries.
Now, here are the components of a position paper:
C. Explain that your position is still the best
one, despite the strength of
counterarguments. This is where you can
work to discredit some of the
counterarguments and support your own.
• Restaurants might improve the standards
of food if warning labels were put into place.
• The role of the government is to keep
citizens safe.
Now, here are the components of a position paper:
III. Conclusion – restating the key points
and when applicable, suggest resolution
to the issue (Thoughtco 2020).
A. restate your position
B. provide Plan of Action