The Mechanics of Writing
Name: Emisha Ravani
Paper: 209:Research Methodology
Roll no: 07
Enrollment no: 4069206420210031
Email id: emisharavani3459@gmail.com
Batch: 2021-2023(M.A. Sem 4)
Submitted to: S. B. Gardi Department of English, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University
Introduction
Research methodology is the systematic and structured approach to conducting research. It refers to the techniques, procedures, and rules that researchers use to design, carry out, and analyze their studies. Research methodology involves defining the research problem, developing a research plan, selecting appropriate data collection methods, analyzing the data, and drawing conclusions. The methodology used in research may vary depending on the nature of the research problem, the research questions or hypotheses, and the type of data that is being collected. Common research methodologies include qualitative research, quantitative research, mixed-methods research, case study research, action research, and experimental research. In addition to selecting an appropriate methodology, researchers must also consider ethical considerations when conducting research, such as obtaining informed consent from participants, maintaining confidentiality, and minimizing harm or discomfort to participants.
The mechanics of writing refer to the technical aspects of writing, such as spelling, punctuation, grammar, capitalization, and formatting. These mechanics are important because they help ensure that writing is clear, concise, and easy to understand.Mastering the mechanics of writing is essential for effective communication, whether it's for academic or professional purposes. It helps convey ideas more clearly and accurately, and can make a significant difference in how well a piece of writing is received and understood by its intended audience.
What is Research?
“Investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of such new or revised theories or laws.”
“The collecting of information about a particular subject.”
“Careful or diligent search.”
What is Research Methodology?
“A body of methods, rules, and postulates employed by a discipline : a particular procedure or set of procedures”
“The analysis of the principles or procedures of inquiry in a particular field”
Writing mechanics refer to the set of rules and conventions that govern the technical aspects of writing, such as spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and abbreviations. While it can be challenging to organize your main points, one helpful solution is to create a preliminary draft of your ideas before starting to write. Additionally, some writing resources group topics related to organization and usage under the umbrella of mechanics. In essence, the fundamentals of writing mechanics are essential for both students and writers alike.
"Teachers using a traditional, product-oriented approach tend to focus on the formal mechanical and technical aspects of writing while paying little attention to the individual writer's communicative purposes. Thus with this approach there is a danger that, for many children, writing will become an exercise in formal mechanics divorced from personal content and intentions."
Spelling
Consistency in spelling, including hyphenation, is necessary, except for quoted material, which should be reproduced exactly as it appears in the original. Please refer to §9 for guidance on selecting and using a dictionary.
1. Word division: It is preferable to avoid dividing words at the end of a line. However, if necessary, North American practice is to divide words according to pronunciation (e.g., "rep-re-sent"), while British practice is to divide according to word derivation (e.g., "re-pre-sent"). Other languages have their own rules for dividing words. For example, French usually divides on a vowel (e.g., "ho-me-rique"; in English, "Ho-mer-ic"). If you are unsure, consult a dictionary.
2. Accents: When quoting, reproduce all accents exactly as they appear in the original. Note that in French, capital letters are not always accented when followed by lowercase letters (e.g., always "école," but "Ecole" is acceptable). While it is never wrong to place an accent over a capital letter that would require one if it were lowercase, the practice of French printers varies when words appear entirely in capital letters. À, É, È, Ù, and capital letters bearing a circumflex are often accented, but often not. When transcribing words that appear in all capitals and changing them to lowercase, insert the necessary accents.
3. Dieresis: For German words, use the dieresis (ä, ö, ü) instead of "e" with umlauts, even for initial capitals (e.g., "Über"). However, observe common usage for names (e.g., Götz, but Goethe).
4. Digraphs: A digraph is a combination of two letters that represents only one sound (e.g., "th," "oa" in "broad"). In many languages, some digraphs appear united in print (æ, œ, ß). They may be transcribed in typescript without any connection between them (e.g., ae, oe, ss). In North American English, the digraph ae has been almost completely abandoned in favor of the letter "e" alone. Therefore, "encyclopedia" and "archeology" (instead of "encyclopaedia" and "archaeology"), as well as "esthetic" and "medieval," are now the norm.
Punctuation
Punctuation is primarily used to ensure clarity and readability in writing. While there are some optional practices, consistency is crucial in avoiding confusion. The following remarks focus on punctuation conventions in research papers. For more detailed discussions, refer to standard handbooks of composition.
1. Apostrophes are used for contractions (which are rarely acceptable in scholarly writing) and possessives. Monosyllabic proper names ending in a sibilant sound (s, z, sh, zh, ch, j) form their possessive by adding an apostrophe and another s (e.g., Keats's poems, Marx's theories), except for names in classical literature (e.g., Mars' wrath). For words with more than one syllable ending in a sibilant, only an apostrophe is added (e.g., Hopkins' poems, Cervantes' novellas), except for names ending in a sibilant and a final e (e.g., Horace's odes). The possessive of a name ending with a silent s is formed by adding an apostrophe and another s (e.g., Camus's novels).
2. Colons introduce examples, explanations, or elaborations of what has just been said. They are commonly used to introduce quotations (see §§ 14b, 14c, and 14f), and their usage in documentation and bibliography can be found in §§ 31c, 31h, and 41c. Always leave one space after a colon.
3. Commas are usually required between items in a series (e.g., blood, sweat, and tears), between coordinate adjectives (e.g., an absorbing, frightening account), before coordinating conjunctions that join independent clauses, around parenthetical elements, and after fairly long phrases or clauses preceding the main clause of a sentence. They are also conventional in dates (e.g., January 1, 1980), names (e.g., W. K. Wimsatt, Jr., and Walter J. Ong, S.J.), and addresses (e.g., Brooklyn, New York). A comma and a dash should not be used together in modern English usage. If a comma is required (as it is here), it should follow a closing parenthesis, but it should never precede an opening parenthesis. Refer to §§ 31, 33, 35, and 41 for the usage of commas in documentation and bibliography, and to §14f for commas with quotation marks.
dashes should only be used sparingly and have specific legitimate uses, such as to set off parenthetical elements with multiple commas or before a summarizing appositive.
Exclamation marks should be used sparingly in scholarly writing.
Hyphens are used to form certain types of compound words, such as compound adjectives and joining prefixes to capitalized words, and en dashes are used to connect numbers indicating a range.
Italics should be used with caution and not overly used for emphasis, but are used for foreign words used in English text and linguistic examples.
Parentheses are used to enclose parenthetical remarks and some items in documentation.
Periods end sentences and are placed within parentheses when the parenthetical element is independent.
Quotation marks are used to enclose words to which attention is being directed and single quotation marks are used for definitions or translations that appear without intervening punctuation.
Semicolons are used to separate items in a series and between independent clauses that are not joined by a coordinating conjunction.
Slashes are used to separate lines of poetry and elements of dates, enclose phonemic transcription, and occasionally separate alternative words.
Square brackets are used for unavoidable parentheses within a parenthesis, interpolations in a quotation or incomplete data, and phonetic transcription.
Capitalization
1. English. Capitalize the first letter of the first word, the last word, and all principal words in English titles, including divisions of works such as chapters, but excluding articles, prepositions (except as adverbs), conjunctions, and "to" in infinitives. The initial definite article is typically not considered part of the title when referencing magazines or newspapers (e.g., Washington Post). "Series" and "edition" are capitalized only when part of an exact title (e.g., the Norton Critical Edition). Capitalize titles like Preface, Introduction, and Appendix when they refer to a specific work or when formally cited in notes and bibliographies. Abbreviate and capitalize a noun followed by a numeral indicating place in a sequence (e.g., Vol. II of 3 vols., Pl. 4, No. 20, Act V, Ch. iii, Version A), but do not capitalize col., fol., l., n., p., or sig. (see §48 for the meanings of these and other abbreviations). Never capitalize entire words in titles cited in text or notes.
2. French. In French prose or verse, do not capitalize subject pronoun je 'I', months or days of the week, names of languages and adjectives derived from proper nouns, or titles of people or places, unless they begin a sentence or line of verse. In titles of books, stories, poems, chapters, and the like, capitalize the first word and all proper nouns. If the first word is an article, capitalize the first noun and any preceding adjectives. In titles of series and periodicals, capitalize all major words.
Abbreviations
An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase, such as "D.C." for "District of Columbia."
Mechanics in writing encompasses several aspects such as spelling, usage, hyphenation, and the use of italics. It also includes conventions like when to capitalize words and how to abbreviate them. In essence, mechanics is a set of rules to follow while writing.
Conclusion
The importunateness of mechanics in writing cannot be overstated. Mechanics, which includes spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and abbreviation rules, provides a framework for clear and effective communication. Without proper mechanics, writing can be confusing, difficult to understand, and may even convey a message that is unintentionally different from what the writer intended. Mechanics help ensure that the intended message is conveyed accurately and effectively to the reader, and it can significantly improve the quality and impact of the writing. Therefore, mastering the mechanics of writing is essential for effective communication in various fields, including academics, business, and everyday life.
Works Cited
“Mechanics of Writing - Keir Armstrong.” Carleton University, https://carleton.ca/keirarmstrong/learning-resources/essay-guidelines/mechanics-of-writing/. Accessed 28 March 2023.
“Methodology Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster, 24 March 2023, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/methodology. Accessed 28 March 2023.
Nordquist, Richard. "The Mechanics of Writing Composition." ThoughtCo, Jul. 19, 2020, thoughtco.com/mechanics-composition-term-1691304.
“Research Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster, 24 March 2023, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/research. Accessed 28 March 2023.
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