Daniel’s Response to Swales & Feak (Unit Four)

Daniel’s Response to Swales & Feak (Unit Four)
Throughout Swale’s article, the importance of being able to read and interpret data as critically and objectively as possible has been emphasized. To be able to show the art for a good writing, candidates for MA theses or doctoral dissertation are expected to learn to be “confidentially uncertain” (Swales & Feak, 1994, p86) whatever they write. Considering the likely inconvenience of the audiences in the academic fields when they are exposed to academic writings written in an inappropriate way, keeping the commentary rules for data can never be too emphasized.

With regard to a way of offering a good data documentary, Swales & Feak article suggests that a good data documentary should use present tense consistently to make it a formal written text, with some exceptional cases for other tenses (Swales & Feak, 1994, p80). And when using voices, the more natural combination of both passive and active voices should be able to be used. (Swales & Feak, 1994, p80)

Concerning vital elements for the data commentary, location elements or summary statements are to be mentioned fist of all. Writers’ ability to use verbs appropriately in both indicative and informative summaries needs to be enhanced. The second part to consider is highlighting of statements. Here is the place where theses writers can show off their good judgment and intelligence in relation to the topic. To be accepted as a professional writer, they should be able to draw out regularities and appropriate claims based on the evidence, if possible, rather than just their own idea. (Swales & Feak, 1994, p95) Apart from that, they also need to be critical and confidently uncertain so that they can maintain distance, express probability, use generalization. Lastly, discussions of implications, problems, exceptions can also be added.

Although the actions to take to be a good MA thesis writer are not likely to be easy, strenuous efforts to maintain a right strength of claim for the data (Swales & Feak, 1994, p77) should be made, not only for the theses writer who are to present himself or herself as a professional in the academic field but also for the audiences who are expected to read it with critical point of view. And at the same time, objective and critical viewpoints from the thesis writer’s side are also required to make his or her claim for the data more persuasive and acceptable, thoroughly based on relevant and legitimate evidence or rationale.