海外的教授學(xué)者們通常會(huì)規(guī)范寫作標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，制定如何撰寫碩博士essay與學(xué)術(shù)文章以及格式要求。學(xué)術(shù)界所評(píng)定的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)植基于以何種撰寫方式會(huì)被認(rèn)可，何種撰寫方式則會(huì)被拒絕。

　　The community of scholars has rules that govern how dissertations,theses and other academic papers are composed and formatted.Academic convention has established what is acceptable and what is not.

　　Organize and group the material and outline the paper分類資料并勾勒essay大綱

　　At this point,the author of an academic paper should have chosen a subject and thesis and thoroughly researched it.The author also should have determined what format is required for the paper by the assigning professor,and made certain that enough information has been gathered to satisfy citation requirements.Now it is time to create the structure of the paper.

　　在這個(gè)準(zhǔn)備階段，作者應(yīng)已選定研究主題，根據(jù)研究論點(diǎn)搜集許多相關(guān)資料，并且作者也應(yīng)已確定指導(dǎo)教授要求的essay格式，妥善準(zhǔn)備證明與證據(jù)。一切準(zhǔn)備就緒后，現(xiàn)在就讓我們進(jìn)入essay的架構(gòu)。

　　An academic paper is built around the thesis.Every point made in the paper should support the argument voiced in the thesis.Every statement should be a brick in the argument's foundation.Every assertion should,directly or indirectly,lead the reader to the conclusion summarized in the thesis.(Conversely,if a point has the potential to lead a reader astray,it should be discarded.)

　　essay是根據(jù)論點(diǎn)來(lái)架構(gòu)內(nèi)容，每一個(gè)論點(diǎn)背后皆需要有支持理論的證據(jù)，也就是說(shuō)，每個(gè)引據(jù)、每個(gè)證明，就像是磚塊需一層層堆砌起來(lái)，才能穩(wěn)固論點(diǎn)存在的基礎(chǔ)。每一項(xiàng)研究主張都應(yīng)該以直接或間接的方式，逐步、清楚的引導(dǎo)讀者進(jìn)入essay總結(jié)(相反的，若是論點(diǎn)的發(fā)展將可能誤導(dǎo)讀者、迷失essay重點(diǎn)，作者就應(yīng)當(dāng)機(jī)立斷，舍棄這個(gè)方向)。

　　The collected material should be organized,a process that probably began during the collection stage.The material should be arranged by function—for example,introductory material near the top of the list.It also should be grouped according to sub-topic or supporting evidence.This grouping process will reveal any areas of argumentation that are weak and need more research.

　　所有收集的資料都要進(jìn)入整理過(guò)程。資料根據(jù)不同功能進(jìn)行分類。例如，介紹、敘述方面的資料，就應(yīng)放置于資料庫(kù)的最前面。進(jìn)而，作者可以次主題或不同的支持論證進(jìn)行第二層分類。這樣分群分類的過(guò)程，將有助于掌控現(xiàn)有資訊，是否那些論證薄弱，或者那些方面需要加入更多資訊。

　　Next comes the outlining of the paper.While the grouped material might suggest an outline,a set of facts can be employed in more than one way.A paper on Copernicus,for example,might chronologically relate his solar system studies,or it might juxtapose his various discoveries with the misconceptions of his peers.Facts are not malleable,but they are moveable.

　　接下來(lái)進(jìn)入勾勒essay綱要。從分類的資訊所引導(dǎo)出來(lái)的脈絡(luò)來(lái)看，或許已透露出大綱的輪廓。然而，同樣的事實(shí)論據(jù)卻可應(yīng)用于不同的需求與情境。舉例來(lái)說(shuō)，同樣是以哥白尼的研究為主題，有的人會(huì)以時(shí)間順序與他的太陽(yáng)運(yùn)行學(xué)說(shuō)為研究方向;有的人也可能以不同于那個(gè)時(shí)代的觀點(diǎn)與角度切入研究。所以，事實(shí)盡管無(wú)法改變，它卻可在你的essay中隨需求調(diào)整合適的位置。

　　A professor may suggest a structure for a paper,but usually only in general terms.The content of the paper,as a result of research,ultimately decides the most effective structure.This might be a narrative approach.Or it could be a side-by-side comparison,or a sequential presentation of evidence.In every case,the goal is to assemble the facts into a convincing final argument.

　　指導(dǎo)教授或許會(huì)要求essay的架構(gòu)，但通常指的是大方向的essay結(jié)構(gòu)。事實(shí)上，essay內(nèi)容將因研究方向的不同，而產(chǎn)生獨(dú)特的架構(gòu)組合。不論是以敘述的手法表現(xiàn)，或是集合所有論點(diǎn)進(jìn)行比較，或是一系列論據(jù)的呈現(xiàn)等等，在每一件essay作品中，首重目的在于有效整合論據(jù)并提出令人信服的論點(diǎn)。

　　Before writing begins,purposefully evaluate the chosen outline.Ask questions.Does it function convincingly?Does it stay on course in support of the thesis?Is it logical and comprehendible?Does it sail from introduction to conclusion without running aground somewhere?Can it be strengthened by alteration,or addition?Be sure.The outline becomes the blueprint for the paper.

　　在撰寫essay之前，仔細(xì)檢視確定好的綱要，好好回答下列的問(wèn)題：這樣的內(nèi)容鋪陳具有說(shuō)服力嗎?這些論據(jù)有成功的佐證論點(diǎn)嗎?內(nèi)容符合邏輯且容易了解嗎?從介紹到結(jié)論的閱讀過(guò)程中，有正確引導(dǎo)讀者、不使讀者迷失困惑嗎?essay是否還有再加強(qiáng)或再修改的空間與必要?一定要確實(shí)檢視上列問(wèn)題。別忘了，綱要是essay寫作成功的重要藍(lán)圖。