Lecture with James S: planning your writing

For my research report I need to begin by dividing my word count up into the 3 sections... introduction, main body and conclusion. The largest percentage (80%) goes to the main body. Leaving 20% to be divided between the introduction and conclusion.
With the main body I can split the word count a few ways depending on how much detail I have to write about.

• 4 x 1000 word sections
• 8 x 500
• 16 x 250

I do not and probably shouldn't stick to the exact word count for each paragraph as I may have more/ less to say about each chapter. 

Introduction

The introduction is 10% of the essay, which is one paragraph explaining the essay step-by-step to the reader. 

It may:

• Explain how you interpret the question and define any terms
• Identify issues you will explore
• Outline how you will deal with each issue, in what order and the sources you will use to support this
• Brief statement about what you hope to find

Main Body

WEED

• What about? - have I made it clear what point I am making?
• Evidence - have I provided supporting evidence for my point and/or an alternative review. The evidence needs to be from your reading (or other research)
• Example - do I need to provide an example to illustrate the point I am making?
• Do ask yourself 'so what?' - what do I do with the information I have given? See why your point is important

Conclusion

No new information needs to be added, this is just a summary of the main argument and themes and to include main findings. I need to state general conclusions and why they are significant. The last of the paragraph should link back to the title. 

During the session we were given an image (which I had never seen or heard of before) and given some questions to answer... The aim was to encourage looking, questioning and feeling.

• What it makes you feel
• Whether you like it or not
• What is it about
• What it's title could be
• How colours are used
• What forms, shapes, patterns are there
• If there is a narrative
• What medium/ media have been used

These were my answers. I was unable to answer all however. 

• The image makes me feel calm and at peace
• I do like the image 
• I assume it could be a landscape based on someones memory/ a favourite place
• I predicted the title as Red
• Vibrant colours are used including red and blue, could it be down to infrared?
• Texture, line, 3D, colour
• Narrative: travel? Memory of a place?
• Film

When we are describing an image we need to go into pure detail. The questions that I answered are brief but that is the starting point. I would then need to go on to say why I think they've used film and what I like about the image.