Methodological Guide

for Academic Writing, Essays, Theses, Internship Reports

Syriaque CINE, Ph.D., SMM, Syriaque CINE, Ph.D. SMM

• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9781662460203
• eBook ISBN: 9781662460210

Beginning students often find it very difficult to plan their homework, structure them, and write them correctly. Likewise, many graduating students face serious methodological problems in writing their final papers, theses, and internship reports.

This methodological guide aims to meet the expectations of students and fill these various gaps. It presents in a substantial way the rules that apply to the writing of essays, scientific assignments, final papers, theses, and internship reports. It also presents the rules relating to the evaluation of theses, internship reports, and their defense.

Chapter 1

Elements of Structuring Scientific Work

After the start of the academic year, work begins with the end of the welcoming rites for the students. Alongside the concepts to be learned from teachers, in written materials and personal and collective experiences, daily learning is largely ensured by the continual writing of homework. The latter is subject to university production rules that students must start learning at the beginning of their training.

From the start of the academic year, some universities give new students the procedural documents governing the written production. They are often available on their websites. This chapter intends to present certain elements that aim to assist in shaping the form and structure of academic work. They are mainly inspired and taken from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, seventh edition (2020), commonly referred to as APA. These elements include the cover page, the process of developing a topic, and the structuring of an academic text. In the event that writing procedure manuals do not exist in some universities, their managers and faculty may agree to use them. This decision will facilitate the harmonization of written production procedures.

1.1 The Cover Page and Its Elements

The cover page is the envelope that hides an assignment, a dissertation, a thesis, etc. Its structure is shaped according to rules accepted by scientific communities. It contains a set of information that is chosen and placed in a logical order according to the agreement of members of academic institutions. In this regard, the university procedure manuals indicate them and choose the order in which they should be placed. Students are required to use those given by the universities where they are being trained. This methodological guide presents those proposed by the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, seventh edition (p. 30):

• Subject or title of the assignment
• Name of the student(s)
• Name of the university, including that of the student’s department
• Course number and name (example: ASGE 6225, Boards of Education)
• Teacher’s first and last name
• Homework submission date

This information relating to the cover page must be centered. The student takes care to correctly write the name of the professor with his academic title. From his first assignment, the student must start to develop the good habit of presenting the cover page correctly;

1.2 Subjects of Work in the Human Sciences

University studies place students in the position of dealing with subjects of various nature. But despite this diversity, many of the rules governing their treatment are similar. However, we limit ourselves here to the treatment of those concerning the human sciences by considering the process of their elaboration and the link existing between them and their content.

1.2.1 Choice of Concepts in the Development of Subjects

The subject usually arises from a theme that is likely to generate many other subjects. Its development according to a given orientation intends either to communicate information on a phenomenon or to collect it. Depending on the objective pursued, it uses a basic concept that is surrounded with satellite concepts. Their judicious association leads to the elaboration of the subject.

The subject mus...

Table of contents

• List of Tables
• Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• University-Written Production
• Elements of Structuring Scientific Work
• Elements of Composition of Scientific Work
• Essay Considerations
• Theoretical Considerations on Essay
• Practical Considerations on Essay
• Fundamental Research
• The Research
• The Research Project
• Thesis and Final Papers
• Basic Elements of a Thesis/Dissertation Quantitative Fundamental Research
• Introduction and Formulation of the Problem
• Literature Review
• Methodological Framework
• Presentation of the Results
• Analysis, Interpretation of Results, and Conclusion
• Writing and Supporting Procedures for Thesis/Dissertation
• Internship and the Internship Report
• The Internship
• The Mission, the Subject, and the Internship Project
• The Unfolding of the Internship
• Internship Report
• Structural Elements of the Internship Report and Its Defense
• Bibliography