Benjamin L. Stewart

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tagsmodule, archive
subjectThesis Seminar

22 min read

Thesis Seminar Module 1: Identifying Your Research Problem

Thesis Seminar: Week 1 RecapThesis Seminar: Week 1 Recap - Notes

Video Archive

ELT Cast 130: Thesis Seminar Recap Week 1ELT Cast 130: Thesis Seminar Recap Week 1 - Notes

Thesis Seminar: Week 1Thesis Seminar: Week 1 - Notes

🧭 Week 1 Recap Notes

Lesson 1.1: Orientation & Teams Setup

  • Syllabus and course guidelines review

  • Microsoft Teams setup and navigation

  • Introduction to Notion workspace

  • Students renamed Word documents and reviewed key course materials (syllabus, calendar, guidelines)

Lesson 1.2: Research Problem Refinement & Academic Integrity

  • Title feedback session with group discussions on refining research problems

  • Key guidance: narrowing topics to specific language skills, focusing on observable actions rather than perceptions, and finding replicable studies

  • Required reading focus: Plagiarism policy, GenAI policy, and foundational resources on identifying researchable problems

  • Action items: Begin securing school/participant permissions, complete Week 1 Task, and start Reflection 1

Lesson 1.3: Improving Originality Scores

  • Video instruction on paragraph structure and citation guidelines

  • Introduction paragraph structure (≈200 words): hook → context development → thesis statement

  • Body paragraph requirements: 5-8 sentences (140-180 words) with topic sentences, evidence sentences with parenthetical citations, analysis sentences, and linking/summarizing sentences

  • Originality tips: Avoid all AI and grammar checkers during drafting, ensure analysis sentences are original ideas, distinguish between evidence and analysis

Lesson 1.4: Research Writing Fundamentals

  • Messaging protocol in Microsoft Word

  • Reviews of: outlining literature reviews, AI capabilities and limitations, parenthetical vs. narrative referencing, research questions for qualitative studies, and argument development

  • Finalization of problem statements and thesis statement/skeleton outlines

  • Introduction to online journals and databases

  • Individual student consultations

Lesson 1.5: Task Completion

  • Final reminder to complete TS Reflection 1 and Thesis Seminar Week 1 Task

Overarching Themes

Throughout these lessons, emphasis was placed on academic integrity, systematic literature searching, precise problem framing, and structured writing that maintains originality while synthesizing scholarly sources.

🎯 Understanding

Instructors will understand that…

  • A researchable problem in applied linguistics/SLA must be narrow enough to study qualitatively, with clear boundaries around context, participants, and phenomena.

  • A strong problem statement articulates not only what is unknown but also why it matters—showing the gap between current knowledge and what practitioners or researchers need to know.

  • A working thesis statement with 2–4 key points serves as a provisional roadmap, where each key point becomes a section heading that organizes the literature review and signals the argument’s structure.

  • Systematic literature search using databases (e.g., ERIC, JSTOR, Google Scholar) and deliberate search strategies (Boolean operators, filtering by peer-review, date range, etc.) is essential to building a credible and comprehensive review.

  • A research matrix is a living tool that tracks sources, organizes emerging themes, and allows the writer to see patterns, gaps, and connections across the literature—supporting both analysis and writing.

🎯 Language Objective

Students will be able to…

  • Describe a researchable problem using precise academic language that specifies the context, population, and phenomenon under investigation.

  • Justify the significance of a research problem by explaining gaps in current knowledge using phrases like “little is known about,” “few studies have examined,” and “there is limited research on.”

  • Draft a working thesis statement with 2–4 parallel key points using noun phrases or gerunds that signal the organizational structure of the literature review.

  • Formulate Boolean search queries combining keywords, synonyms, and related terms (AND, OR, NOT) to retrieve relevant peer-reviewed sources.

  • Synthesize information from multiple sources in a research matrix, using comparative language (“whereas,” “similarly,” “in contrast”) to show relationships between studies.

🎯 Vocabulary

Research design & scope

  • Researchable problem — a focused question or issue that can be systematically investigated

  • Qualitative study — research that explores phenomena through non-numerical data (interviews, observations, documents) - Qualitative Systemic Literature Review

  • Unit of analysis — the entity being studied (e.g., individual teachers, classroom interactions, curriculum materials)

  • Gap in the literature — an area where current research is insufficient, contradictory, or absent

Problem framing

  • Problem Statement — a concise description of the issue to be addressed, including context, significance, and what is unknown

  • Thesis statement — a sentence that presents the main argument and organizational structure of the paper, typically with 2–4 key points

  • Thesis statement and skeleton outline — a preliminary structure showing section headings derived from thesis statement key points

Literature search & sources

  • Boolean operators — logical connectors (AND, OR, NOT) used to combine or exclude search terms

  • Peer-reviewed — scholarly articles that have been evaluated by experts before publication

  • Database — an organized collection of academic sources (e.g., ERIC, JSTOR, Google Scholar)

  • Seminal study — a foundational or highly influential piece of research in a field

  • Recent literature — current research, typically from within the last five years.

Analysis & writing

  • Research matrix — a table or spreadsheet that tracks sources and organizes key information (author, year, methods, findings, themes)

  • Synthesis — combining information from multiple sources to identify patterns, relationships, or new insights - For more, see How to Synthesize information.

  • Citation — a reference to a source, following a style guide (e.g., APA)

  • Parenthetical reference — an in-text citation that includes author and year in parentheses - See Parenthetical Vs. Narrative Citations

🎯 Lesson Sequence

  • Lesson 1.1

    Orientation & Teams Setup

    1. Whole group - Review syllabus, workload schedule, and course guidelines (all available in Microsoft Teams).

    2. My group - Tour of Microsoft Teams

      💡 Use code 5maffuq to enter Teams for the first time.

      1. Enter Microsoft Teams (Thesis Seminar) and rename one of the Word documents in the Thesis papers.

      2. Find (and review) Thesis Seminar Syllabus 2026_LH_JA_B.pdf, Thesis Seminar Class Calendar 2026.pdf, and Thesis Seminar Course Guidelines 2026.pdf.

      3. Add to your Word document anything you want me to look at, which can include the literature review you wrote last semester in Academic Writing.

    3. Notion Tour

  • Lesson 1.2

    Research Problem Refinement & Academic Integrity

    1. Review the Thesis Seminar tutorship schedule 2025.xlsx to make sure you have a schedule that suits you for the semester. If not, let me know.

    2. Review From General to Researchable: Identifying Research Problems in Applied Linguistics.

    • Title feedback - Group

      💡 Have you found at least one study that you can replicate? I would. 🙂

      • How do English teachers use counseling strategies to engage students with ADHD in the EFL class? What would engagement look like? What language skill(s) are you considering?

      • Vigotsky and the ZPD — How do English teachers implement tutorship among students in high school? What language skill(s) are you considering?

      • How do teachers use music as a teaching tool with young learners? What language skill(s) are you considering?

      • Contextualization–personalization–emotion generation — How do teachers generate positive emotions to make learning meaningful? What language skill(s) are you considering?

      • The use of technology to overcome obstacles to learn grammar — What is the role of technology to promote the use of grammar in an inductive way?

      • How do teachers use GBL to increase students’ motivation? — How does GBl (face‑to‑face/online) enhance students motivation in their English class? What language skill(s) are you considering?

      • What specific types of differentiated activities are most effective for improving speaking with beginner‑level learners?

      • What are the perks English teachers have in a rural school? — How do they deal with their teaching the subject? What problem are you considering?

      • How do teachers perceive the use of AI to plan their classes and materials? How do English language teachers use…

      • How does awareness or lack of awareness of MBTI personality types shape teacher’s approaches to student participation and behavior? What does it mean to “shape a teacher’s approach”? What consider focusing on a specific behavior or type of particaption… probably not both.

      • Teachers’ perceptions about the importance of EFL writing skills - Consider something that you can observe (measure). Instead of perceptions, consider a topic on a specifical aspect that relates to the writing skill.

      • How is socioemotional development affected by teacher’s attitude in Telebachillerato comunitario contexts. Socioemotional development of the teacher or student?

      • How does gamification enhance grammar? Consider a different verb than “enhance” so that you focus more on teaching than on learning.

      • English teachers’ experiences in disruptive context. Let’s discuss to tease out “teacher experiences” and “disruptive context” to be more specific.

      • How do teachers use music in their classes? What language skill(s) are you considering?

      • How do teachers use GBL to increase students’ motivation? — How do GBL (face to face/online) enhance students’ motivation in their English class?

      • How do teachers use formative assessment in daily lessons in EFL classroom? What language skill(s) are you considering?

      • Teachers’ attitudes inform students’ socioemotional development.

      • Students do not have enough support from their parents to encourage them to practice. Consider what will be feasible for your study. Observing what students do at home could be challenging.

      • How does teaching English through culture impacts students? Focus more on teaching than on learning and try to be more specific.

      • How to teach English to children with dyslexia? What language skill(s) are you considering?

      • Teaching English to children with ADHD. Teachers’ experiences in the area. What language skill(s) are you considering?

    • Required reading:

      • Review Rubrics (in Teams) for the final written thesis and oral defense.

      • Review ELT Plagiarism Policy 2024.pdf & Plagiarism: The copycat crime in academia and beyond.

      • Review my GenAI Policy.

      • If you need to improve your originality score, refer to ELT Cast 126: How to increase one’s originality score when writing an academic text.

      • Consider using Zotero to manage citations and references.

      • Part I: Crafting a Literature Review for a Thesis Paper

      • Module 1: Foundations - Identifying Your Research Problem and Building Your Thesis

      • Researching topics related to applied linguistics

      • Narrowing Down a Topic

      • Review open access (OA) journals below as needed.

    • What to do this week…

      • Review tutoring schedule for the semester. See me if changes are required. The idea is to maintain the same tutoring schedule throughout the entire semester, so please consider any other obligations that you might have.

      • Begin searching schools, teachers, students, etc. and getting permission - refer to Formats in Teams.

      • Complete Thesis Seminar Week 1 Task.

      • Complete TS Reflection 1 between Wednesday to Sunday.

    Open Access Journals

    • How to choose a quality Open-Access (OA) journal

      1) Start with scope & audience fit

      • Why it matters. Even reputable journals reject solid work that doesn’t match their remit.

      • How to check (2–3 minutes). Open the journal’s Aims & Scope and skim 2–3 recent articles; make sure they actually publish on your topic (e.g., TESOL/TEFL, teacher education, CALL). This is judgment‑based and doesn’t require an external source.

      2) Verify OA signals in a trusted directory (DOAJ)

      Example (what good looks like): DOAJ records typically display “No APC,” a CC license, and named preservation services right on the journal page. [journalsinsights.com]

      3) Understand the OA model (Diamond vs. APC‑funded)

      • Diamond OA (💎) = free for both authors and readers; typically society/university‑run and aligned with equity goals in UNESCO’s open‑science guidance. academia.edu(https://www.academia.edu/105544470/Profile_Issues_in_Teachers_and_apos_Professional_Development)

      • APC‑funded OA (💰) = free to read, but authors (or their institutions/funders) pay an Article Processing Charge; reputable publishers post fees and waiver policies up front (e.g., SpringerOpen shows the current APC, transformative‑agreement coverage, and waiver routes on the journal’s “How to publish” page).

      4) Confirm peer‑review, ethics, and governance

      • Why it matters. Quality journals disclose double‑blind peer review (or the model used), editorial policies, and governance (editorial board with verifiable affiliations). Many of these transparency points are part of the information DOAJ requests/records for listed journals. journalsinsights.com(https://journalsinsights.com/predatory-journals-list)

      • How to check (2 minutes). Look for a Peer‑review policy page, Ethics or Publication policies, and an Editorial board with institutional affiliations you can verify on university pages. (If these are missing or vague, that’s a red flag—see §8.)

      5) Check indexing/discoverability

      • Why it matters. Inclusion in DOAJ is the baseline for OA quality; discipline indexes (e.g., ERIC/Scopus/ESCI) improve visibility, but the first stop is still DOAJ because it surfaces fees, license, and archiving in one place. journalsinsights.com(https://journalsinsights.com/predatory-journals-list)

      • How to check (1 minute). Confirm the DOAJ record; if it’s absent, you’ll need stronger evidence from the publisher about fees, licensing, and archiving. journalsinsights.com(https://journalsinsights.com/predatory-journals-list)

      6) Inspect the license & author rights

      7) Fees & waivers (if APC‑funded)

      • Why it matters. Reputable APC journals state the price, VAT handling, discounts/waivers, and institutional read‑and‑publish coverage right on their site. For instance, Language Testing in Asia lists the exact APC and explains agreement coverage and waiver policies on its “How to publish” page.

      • How to check (1 minute). Find the APC table and waiver policy on the journal/publisher page; if you can’t, treat that as cautionary.

      8) Common red flags

      • Unclear or hidden APCs, requests for payment before review, or “publish in 1–2 weeks” promises. These contradict the transparency and quality items DOAJ emphasizes. journalsinsights.com(https://journalsinsights.com/predatory-journals-list)

      • No DOAJ record, no stated license, or no archiving info. Again, DOAJ surfaces these fundamentals; their absence on the site is a warning. journalsinsights.com(https://journalsinsights.com/predatory-journals-list)

      • Editorial board without verifiable affiliations; generic or copy‑pasted scopes/policies. (You can often catch this by cross‑checking names on university pages—no external source needed.)

      9) A 10‑minute vetting workflow

      1. Find the DOAJ record → confirm fees, license, and archiving in one view. journalsinsights.com(https://journalsinsights.com/predatory-journals-list)

      2. Open two recent articles → skim methods/ethics sections for quality and fit (TESOL/TEFL, teacher ed, CALL, etc.).

      3. Check the peer‑review/ethics page → look for double‑blind (or specified) review, plagiarism checks, and COI policies; journals listed in DOAJ are expected to show these elements on site. journalsinsights.com(https://journalsinsights.com/predatory-journals-list)

      4. If APC‑funded, verify price + waivers on the publisher page (e.g., Springer’s OA journals document the current APC, agreements, and waivers).

      5. Send a 2–3 sentence “fit” query to the editor and evaluate the professionalism and clarity of the reply.

      10) Two quick illustrations

      • APC‑funded example (transparent): Language Testing in Asia (SpringerOpen) publishes the current APC, mentions institution agreements, and points to waiver support—the basics you want to see for paid OA.

      • Diamond OA example (no fees): DOAJ records frequently show “No APC,” the CC license, and archiving at a glance; that’s the pattern to prefer when students need cost‑free routes. journalsinsights.com(https://journalsinsights.com/predatory-journals-list)

      11) Why this approach works (what the sources say)

      A concise rule of thumb

      “If a journal has a DOAJ record with clear license, archiving, and (if relevant) APC/waiver info—and the recent articles match your topic and quality bar—you’re likely in safe territory.” [journalsinsights.com]

    Below is a vetted, field‑relevant list of reputable, peer‑reviewed, free‑to‑read journals across applied linguistics, TESOL/TEFL, language assessment, CALL/CAL, corpus & discourse studies, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, documentation, and computational/applied NLP. I prioritized journals that are fully Open Access (diamond or gold OA) and well indexed (e.g., DOAJ, Scopus, Web of Science, OLH/LSA/AAACL, SpringerOpen, MDPI, Ubiquity/White Rose), avoiding paywalled/hybrid titles.

    How I verified access: I checked each journal’s official site and/or an authoritative directory (e.g., DOAJ; publisher pages such as OLH, LSA, SpringerOpen, MIT Press). Where relevant, I cite those sources inline. For general landscape/context, see the Open‑Access in Linguistics overview and the DOAJ linguistics index. [open-access.network], [assets.ebsco.com]

    Open‑access journals (name • scope in one line • URL)

    A. Second/Foreign Language Learning & Teaching, Teacher Education, Language Policy

    1. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching (SSLLT) — SLA and instructed L2 learning/teaching; high‑impact, diamond OA. https://pressto.amu.edu.pl/ssllt/ pressto.amu.edu.pl(https://pressto.amu.edu.pl/ssllt/index)

    2. Language Learning & Technology (LLT) — CALL/CAL, L2 pedagogy & technology; diamond OA since 1997. https://www.lltjournal.org/ lltjournal.org(https://www.lltjournal.org/)

    3. TESL‑EJ — Teaching English as a second/foreign language; research & practice; diamond OA. https://tesl‑ej.org/ tesl-ej.org(https://tesl-ej.org/wordpress/about/)

    4. Reading in a Foreign Language (RFL) — L2 reading research & pedagogy; diamond OA. https://nflrc.hawaii.edu/rfl/ nflrc.hawaii.edu(https://nflrc.hawaii.edu/rfl/)

    5. CALL‑EJ — Computer‑assisted language learning research & practice; OA. http://callej.org/ old.callej.org(https://old.callej.org/about.html)

    6. Asian‑Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education — Open research on L2/FL education; SpringerOpen. https://link.springer.com/journal/40862 link.springer.com(https://link.springer.com/journal/40862)

    7. Language Testing in Asia — Language assessment (IELTS/TOEFL and local assessments); SpringerOpen. https://link.springer.com/journal/40468 link.springer.com(https://link.springer.com/journal/40468)

    8. Canadian Journal of Applied Linguistics (CJAL/RCLA) — Bilingual OA journal on applied linguistics with teaching/learning implications. https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/CJAL journals.lib.unb.ca(https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/CJAL/about)

    9. Apples – Journal of Applied Language Studies — Applied linguistics in society, multilingualism, language education; diamond OA. https://apples.journal.fi/ apples.journal.fi(https://apples.journal.fi/)

    10. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics (IJAL) — Broad applied linguistics, L2 pedagogy; OA. https://ijal.upi.edu/ ijal.upi.edu(https://ijal.upi.edu/index.php/ijal/)

    11. Iranian Journal of Language Teaching Research (IJLTR) — L2 teaching/learning; diamond OA. https://ijltr.urmia.ac.ir/ ijltr.urmia.ac.ir(https://ijltr.urmia.ac.ir/?qt-mainquicktab=2)

    12. Journal of the European Second Language Association (JESLA) — EuroSLA research; diamond OA (Ubiquity/White Rose). https://euroslajournal.org/ euroslajournal.org(https://euroslajournal.org/)

    13. HOW (Colombia) — English language teacher education and classroom research; OA. https://www.howjournalcolombia.org/ howjournal…lombia.org(https://www.howjournalcolombia.org/index.php/how)

    14. PROFILE: Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development — ELT teacher development & classroom research; diamond OA. https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/profile doaj.org(https://doaj.org/toc/2256-5760)

    15. Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal (CALJ) — Applied linguistics for ELT/ESP; diamond OA. http://www.scielo.org.co/scielo.php?script=sci_serial&pid=0123-4641 Colombian…e - SciELO(http://scielo.org.co/scielo.php?script=sci_serial&pid=0123-4641&lng=en)

    16. Íkala, Revista de Lenguaje y Cultura — Language, linguistics, translation, and L2 teaching‑learning; diamond OA. https://revistas.udea.edu.co/index.php/ikala revistas.udea.edu.co(https://revistas.udea.edu.co/index.php/ikala)

    17. GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies — Language/linguistics & literature; OA (APC for authors, free to read for learners). https://ejournal.ukm.my/gema ejournal.ukm.my(https://ejournal.ukm.my/gema)

    18. Language Teaching in Asia (SpringerOpen title now continued as) Language Testing in Asia — see #7 for current OA assessment venue. link.springer.com(https://link.springer.com/journal/40468)

    19. Language Education and Asia‑Pacific teacher development (category pointer) — for OA options in this space, SpringerOpen’s portfolio offers several titles in Education/L2 pedagogy (filter by “Open access” on Springer site). link.springer.com(https://link.springer.com/brands/springer/journals), link.springer.com(https://link.springer.com/subjects/applied-linguistics)

    B. Computer‑Assisted Language Learning (CALL), EdTech & Corpora

    1. Language Learning & Technology — see #2. lltjournal.org(https://www.lltjournal.org/)

    2. CALL‑EJ — see #5. old.callej.org(https://old.callej.org/about.html)

    3. Language Learning & Technology’s publisher hub (NFLRC) — also hosts OA journals Second Language Research & Practice and Language Documentation & Conservation (see #35). https://opensubmissions.org/ opensubmissions.org(https://opensubmissions.org/)

    4. Technology in Language Teaching & Learning (TLTL) — Open Access journal focused on tech integration in L2 teaching. https://submissions.castledown.com/index.php/tltl submission…ledown.com(https://submissions.castledown.com/index.php/tltl)

    5. Asian‑Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education — frequent CALL/CAL content (OA). https://link.springer.com/journal/40862 link.springer.com(https://link.springer.com/journal/40862)

    C. Language Assessment / Testing

    1. Language Testing in Asia — see #7. link.springer.com(https://link.springer.com/journal/40468)

    2. (Use) OASIS for accessible summaries of assessment studies (curation aid for your students). https://oasis-database.org (context page in OA‑network). open-access.network(https://open-access.network/en/information/subject-specific-open-access/linguistics)

    D. Discourse, Pragmatics, Sociolinguistics (applied‑relevant)

    1. Semantics & Pragmatics (LSA) — formal semantics/pragmatics with applied cross‑overs; diamond OA. https://semprag.org/ semprag.org(https://semprag.org/index.php/sp/about)

    2. Glossa: A Journal of General Linguistics (OLH) — general linguistics with applied‑relevant articles (syntax/semantics/pragmatics, discourse); diamond OA. https://www.glossa‑journal.org/ glossa-journal.org(https://www.glossa-journal.org/)

    3. Open Linguistics (De Gruyter/Brill) — broad linguistics, including applied; OA. https://www.degruyterbrill.com/journal/key/opli/html degruyterbrill.com(https://www.degruyterbrill.com/journal/key/opli/html)

    4. Dialogue & Discourse — OA journal on discourse/dialogue (use Open‑access.network page as index pointer). https://open‑access.network/en/… (discipline overview). open-access.network(https://open-access.network/en/information/subject-specific-open-access/linguistics)

    E. Corpus, ESP/EAP, Academic/Professional Communication (OA options)

    1. JESLA — see #12 (many corpus‑based SLA papers). euroslajournal.org(https://euroslajournal.org/)

    2. Asian‑Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education — see #6. link.springer.com(https://link.springer.com/journal/40862)

    3. Journal of Open Humanities Data (JOHD) — publishes reusable linguistic/corpus datasets and data papers useful for applied projects. https://openhumanitiesdata.metajnl.com/ openhumani…etajnl.com(https://openhumanitiesdata.metajnl.com/)

    F. Psycholinguistics / Lab Phonology / Pronunciation (applied interfaces)

    1. Frontiers in Language Sciences — open access, with sections on bilingualism/psycholinguistics; suitable for applied cognition of L2. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/language‑sciences frontiersin.org(https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/language-sciences)

    2. Laboratory Phonology (Association for Laboratory Phonology / OLH) — phonetics‑phonology with acquisition/pronunciation interfaces; diamond OA. https://www.journal‑labphon.org/ journal-labphon.org(https://www.journal-labphon.org/)

    G. Language Documentation, Revitalization, Sociocultural & Multilingual Education

    1. Language Documentation & Conservation (LD&C) — methods, revitalization, community‑engaged work; diamond OA. https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/handle/10125/31213 (via NFLRC submissions hub) opensubmissions.org(https://opensubmissions.org/)

    2. Íkala — see #16 (multilingual HE contexts; teacher ed). revistas.udea.edu.co(https://revistas.udea.edu.co/index.php/ikala)

    H. Journals from Latin America and the Global South (teacher‑education & classroom research centered; OA)

    1. HOW (Colombia) — see #13. howjournal…lombia.org(https://www.howjournalcolombia.org/index.php/how)

    2. PROFILE — see #14. doaj.org(https://doaj.org/toc/2256-5760)

    3. Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal — see #15. Colombian…e - SciELO(http://scielo.org.co/scielo.php?script=sci_serial&pid=0123-4641&lng=en)

    I. General / Theoretical but OA (often publish applied‑adjacent research your students can use)

    1. Glossa — see #28. glossa-journal.org(https://www.glossa-journal.org/)

    2. Open Linguistics — see #29. degruyterbrill.com(https://www.degruyterbrill.com/journal/key/opli/html)

    3. Semantics & Pragmatics — see #27. semprag.org(https://semprag.org/index.php/sp/about)

    J. Computational & Data‑Intensive (useful for corpus‑/NLP‑informed applied projects)

    1. Transactions of the Association for Computational Linguistics (TACL) — ACL’s diamond OA flagship; many pedagogy‑adjacent NLP studies (e.g., automated writing feedback, L2 data modeling). https://direct.mit.edu/tacl direct.mit.edu(https://direct.mit.edu/tacl)

    2. Computational Linguistics (MIT Press) — LSA’s flagship journal; free to read online; occasional applied/NLP‑for‑education work. https://direct.mit.edu/coli direct.mit.edu(https://direct.mit.edu/coli)

    Additional reputable OA venues you can mine (by category)

    Below are thematic clusters with at least one solid OA anchor that opens to many free articles in your area; each is a legitimate “front door” for topic‑driven exploration:

    Why I didn’t include “big‑name” applied journals like Applied Linguistics, System, Language Teaching Research, TESOL Quarterly, etc.

    Most of these are hybrid or subscription‑based, meaning students will hit paywalls without institutional access. When they do offer OA articles, it’s sporadic and author‑fee dependent. To keep this list practical for your learners, I prioritized journals that are reliably free to read in full. The open‑access state of the field is summarized here: https://open‑access.network/en/information/subject‑specific‑open‑access/linguistics (and DOAJ’s linguistics index). open-access.network(https://open-access.network/en/information/subject-specific-open-access/linguistics), assets.ebsco.com(https://assets.ebsco.com/m/c071880ca398a40/original/Jan-Szczepanski-Open-Access-Journals-Linguistics.pdf)

  • Lesson 1.3

    Improving Originality Scores: Paragraph Structure & Citation Guidelines

    Thesis Seminar: Increasing Originally Scores and Extended OutlinesThesis Seminar: Increasing Originally Scores and Extended Outlines - Notes

    💡

    For those wanted to increase your originality score, review ELT Cast 126: How to increase one’s originality score when writing an academic text, UAA language departmental plagiarism policy 2024, and my GenAI Policy.

    Review approximate counts from Thesis Seminar Course Guidelines 2026.pdf.

    • Introduction Paragraph - 200 words

      • Begin with a hook (one sentence)

        • Famous quote,

        • Impactful fact or statistic, which requires a citation, or

        • Essential question

      • Develop the context of the problem with at least one citation

        💡 It is not necessary to answer of the questions below, but answer some.

        • What is the problem?

        • How is it a problem?

        • When is it a problem?

        • With whom is it a problem?

        • Where is it a problem?

        • Etc.

      • Conclude with a Thesis statement (one sentence): Transition (see Types of transitions), topic, claim, connector, two-to-four key points.

        Example: Because English language learners often get distracted by technology, English language teachers should use cell phones in class because they allow learners to interact with classmates outside of class, they allow learners to connect with outside experts, and they allow teachers to provide more timely feedback.

      • Part I: Crafting a Literature Review for a Thesis Paper - 2,250 words

      • Transitional Paragraph - 50 words

    How can I increase my originality score?

    💡

    You should answer, “yes”, to the following questions:

    • Did you avoid all forms of technology when it comes to writing your text: GenAI and any grammar checkers like Grammarly, Word Editor, etc.?

    • Does each body paragraph (i.e., not the introduction paragraph, transitional paragraph, and conclusion paragraph) have five-to-eight sentences, between 140-180 words (approximately)?

    • Does each body paragraph begin with a topic sentence? See Topic sentence-heading-thesis alignment and Sentences that pack a punch: The difference between a topic sentence and thesis statement.

    • Does each body paragraph include at least one evidence sentence that follows immediately after the topic sentence? - See The M.E.A.L. Plan: A Comprehensive Approach to Paragraph Development.

    • Does each evidence sentence contain a parenthetical citation (see Parenthetical Vs. Narrative Citations)?

    • Is each evidence sentence specific enough? In other words, does each evidence sentence offer a specific detail, example, fact, or statistic?

    • Does each body paragraph contain analysis sentences that link the evidence (i.e., detail, example, fact, or statistic) to the topic sentence? Does the analysis sentence offer a comment, explanation, etc?

    • Are the topic sentences, analysis sentences, and linking sentences original ideas?

    • Does each body paragraph conclude with either a linking sentence or a summarizing sentence?

    • Tip 1: Sometimes, students will mistake an analysis sentence for an evidence sentence. This can negatively affect one’s originality score as well.

    • Tip 2: Do not worry about grammatical mistakes. Rely on human feedback from your tutor and others to help correct errors in grammar.

    Complete tasks for this week

    1. Thesis Seminar Week 1 Task

    2. TS Reflection 1

  • Lesson 1.4

    • How to message me in Microsoft Word (at symbol + “Benjamin Lee Stewart”).

      • @Benjamin Lee Stewart

    • Review How to outline a literature review.

    • Review Understanding the Capabilities and Limitations of AI in Academic Writing (ELT Cast 120).

    • Review A guide to recent, seminal, and parenthetical referencing in academic writing.

    • Students review on their own How to write good research questions for a qualitative study.

    • Student review of Developing an argument.

    • Finalize Problem statement and Thesis Statement And Skeleton Outline

    • Review Online journals and databases to find peer-reviewed journal articles for your thesis paper.

    • Reminder of 📝TS Task for Week 1 and weekly reflections (Week 1 reflection) in Microsoft Teams.

    • Meet with students individually as time permits: Jessica, Dany, Yamilka, etc.

  • Lesson 1.5

    • Complete TS Reflection 1 and Thesis Seminar Week 1 Task.

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