The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Independent Learning Centre

Publishing Research Papers Series

Having worked in the National University of Singapore on critical thinking, professional communication and academic writing at all levels for more than 20 years, both Susan Lopez-Nerney and Paul Nerney currently design and run writing workshops for graduate degree candidates and post-doctoral Ph.D. holders from various Asian countries, such as the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Japan, China, Korea and India. They also work as freelance editors for academic institutes and publishing houses. Susan and Paul can be reached at slopeznerney@gmail.com and pnerney@gmail.com respectively.

Constructing your research paper around an argument: A gateway to publication

Date	24 April 2018 (Tuesday)
Time	2:30pm-4:15pm
Speaker	Paul Nerney
Venue	Seminar Room 2, Wu Chung Multimedia Library
Registration	To secure a seat, register now.
Workshop Description	One task of journal editors is to decide whether a submitted manuscript clearly argues how its research findings lead to a new understanding of a research topic. A "yes" increases a manuscript’s chances of being peer reviewed. A “no” means the manuscript will probably be rejected. This workshop describes three sets of planning strategies for developing arguments in a research paper: (1) formulating a research topic, problem, and answer; (2) sequencing claims about the research answer to bring readers step-by-step to a new understanding of the topic; and (3) developing reasons and evidence from research findings. In addition, participants will do structured analyses of selected arguments from a published research paper.
Speaker's Bio	Paul Nerney designed, administered, and taught language, writing, and critical thinking courses for the University Scholars Programme, the University residential college academic curriculum, and the Centre for English Language Communication, National University of Singapore for 32 years. (Email: pnerney@gmail.com)
Event Photos

Salient features of (publishable) academic English

Date	25 April 2018 (Wednesday)
Time	2:30pm-4:15pm
Speaker	Susan Lopez-Nerney
Venue	Seminar Room 2, Wu Chung Multimedia Library
Registration	To secure a seat, register now.
Workshop Description	Tips on how to produce successful, i.e. publishable, research papers in English abound. The sheer number of tips can confuse writers hoping to break into publication. This workshop presents the most salient features of the language of publishable research papers. The exercises will help writers identify these features, understand how and why they work, and most of all, learn to replicate these features in their own writing. During this workshop, participants will analyse and discuss these features and learn with other writers who are working towards the same goal — publication of their work.
Speaker's Bio	Susan Lopez-Nerney designed, administered, and taught language and writing courses as well as professional communication in the Centre for English Language Communication, National University of Singapore at the undergraduate and graduate school levels from June 1992 to June 2013. (Email: slopeznerney@gmail.com)
Event Photos

Inspirations

「外物之味，久則可厭；讀書之味，愈久愈深。」

——（宋）程頤
「書就是風。讀了很多書，大風就來了。你像風箏，順勢而起，便往天空遠處飛去，讀越多，風越大；飛得越高，看得越遠。」

——台灣資深編輯傅月庵
「書山有路勤為徑，學海無涯苦作舟。」
「立身以立學為先，立學以讀書為本。」

——（宋）朱熹
「善讀者日攻、日掃。攻則直透重圍，掃則了無一物。」

——（清）鄭燮
「（任何一個人，都必須養成自學的習慣，即使是今天在學校的學生，也要養成自學的習慣，因為遲早總要離開學校的！）自學，就是一種獨立學習，獨立思考的能力。行路，還是要靠行路人自己。」

——數學家華羅庚
「敏而好學，不恥下問。」

——《論語
「喜愛讀書，就等於把生活中寂寞無聊的時光換成巨大享受的時刻。」

——孟德斯鳩
「讀書應自己思索，自己做主。」

——魯迅
「善學者盡其理，善行者究其難。」

——荀子
「人若志趣不遠，心不在焉，雖學無成。」

——（宋）張載
「不要把學問看做是用來裝飾的王冠，也不要把學問看做是用來擠奶的奶牛。」

——托爾斯泰
「遠行要假良朋，數數清於耳目；住止必須擇伴，時時聞於未聞。故雲：「生我者父母，成我者朋友。」親附善者，如霧露中行，雖不濕衣，時時有潤。」

——《溈山大圓禪師警策》
「寫作可以使一天中，工作的二、三小時，化為更有意味的二、三小時。」

——王文興
「寫作，最終是一連串允許你以某些特定方式來表達自己的過程。去創造。去跳躍。去飛翔。去掉落。去發現你自己獨樹一格的敘述方式和堅持；也就是讓你找到內在的自由。」

——Susan Sontag
「有時候我想，天堂一定是一場永不疲倦的閱讀。」

——Virginia Woolf