General guide lines for writing

 

 

There are some intellectual challenges that all students are faced with when writing. Sometimes these challenges can almost seem like contradictions, particularly when addressing them within a single paper. For example, students are often asked to:

 

Develop a topic based on what has already been said and written but write something new and original.

 

Rely on opinions of experts and authorities on a topic but improve upon and/or disagree with those same opinions.

 

Give credit to researchers who have come before you but make your own significant contribution.

 

Improve your English or fit into a discourse community by building upon what you hear and read but use your own words and your own voice.

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Some things to remember about the writing process.

Writing a paper is a learning process.  You aren’t expected to be an expert on the subject when you start but you are expected to be knowledgeable by the time you finish.  How knowledgeable can generally be judged by the length of the paper - the longer the paper, the more you should have learned.

 

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Where to start

Make sure that you clearly understand the assignment before you begin! Get the assignment in writing and don’t lose it. If there is a scoring rubric get it and read it. Refer to it often during the writing process. (writing a paper is about learning but it’s also about the grade)

 

Figure out what type of paper you are writing.

Ø       An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its component parts, evaluates the issue or idea, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience.

 

Ø       An expository (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience.

 

Ø       An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this claim with specific evidence. The claim could be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.

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Conduct Primary research  [Separate topic- see the research page]

Trusted, verified sources.

 

 

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Create Annotated Bibliographies

See the FHS Library page in handouts for the “how to” for these.

The reason to do annotations is to save you time and reduce aggravation. As you do your primary research you’ll discover a host of related and semi-related sources. It is likely that the focus you had when you started researching will change as you read them. When it’s time to write - will you remember where who said what? Without the annotations you may end up rereading articles and wasting lots of (your) time. Instead, refer to the annotations and decide which ones fit what you want to write. Do annotations even if you are only using one or two sources. There may be a gap between reading and writing, or articles may blur or blend. Annotations are also a great place for you to write down that "killer quote" or phrase so you don’t forget to cite them in the body of the paper.

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Opening salvo: Introduction & thesis statement

The first paragraph is key. It clearly lays out why I should read what follows by answering the following three questions;

 

1.    What is this? Provide general information about the main idea, explaining the situation so the reader can make sense of the topic and the claims you make and support.

 

2.    Why am I reading it? Tell the reader why they should care and keep reading. Your goal is to create a compelling, clear, and convincing essay people will want to read.

 

3.    What is my position? State your thesis – compose a sentence or two stating the position you will support.

 

Your thesis statement should be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence. Don’t be surprised or afraid to change your thesis statement as you do research. As you learn more, it may have to be revised to match your paper.

 

Example of an analytical thesis statement:

An analysis of the pharming techniques reveals one challenge facing producers: isolating genetically modified crops to prevent inadvertent pollination of unmodified crops.

 

The paper that follows should:

• Explain the analysis of pharming techniques
• Explain the challenge facing producers.

 

Example of an expository (explanatory) thesis statement:

The life of the typical pill bug is characterized by time spent feeding, molting, and breeding.

 

The paper that follows should:

• Explain how pillbugs spend their time feeding, molting and breeding.

 

Example of an argumentative thesis statement:

High school graduates should be required to be genetically tested for inherited diseases before entering college in order to maximize their probability of graduation from college.

 

The paper that follows should:

• Present an argument and give evidence to support the claim that students should be genetically tested for inherited diseases.

 

Sample intro paragraphs:

Eggs are delicious in all of their forms: scrambled, sunny side up, hard boiled, and even as an essential to cake batters.(What: it's about eggs)  The American Egg Board has been convincing people that eating one or even two eggs a day is a healthy decision , but this is not the case. (Why: it's about my health) Eating eggs does have its downsides, and one major downfall includes raising the bad cholesterols in our bodies.  (Position: it's bad)

 

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Using your research in the paper without plagiarizing.

 

Paraphrase: Write it in Your Own Words

Paraphrasing is one way to use a text in your own writing without directly quoting source material. Anytime you are taking information from a source that is not your own, you need to must specify where you got that information.

 

A paraphrase is...

·        Your own rendition of essential information and ideas expressed by someone else, presented in a new form.

·        One legitimate way (when accompanied by accurate documentation) to borrow from a source.

·        A more detailed restatement than a summary, which focuses concisely on a single main idea.

 

Paraphrasing is a valuable skill because...

·        It is better than quoting information from an undistinguished passage.

·        It helps you control the temptation to quote too much.

·        The mental process required for successful paraphrasing helps you to grasp the full meaning of the original.

 

6 Steps to Effective Paraphrasing

1.      Reread the original passage until you understand its full meaning.

2.      Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase on a note card.

3.      Jot down a few words below your paraphrase to remind you later how you envision using this material. At the top of the note card, write a key word or phrase to indicate the subject of your paraphrase.

4.      Check your rendition with the original to make sure that your version accurately expresses all the essential information in a new form.

5.      Use quotation marks to identify any unique term or phraseology you have borrowed exactly from the source.

6.      Record the source (including the page) on your note card so that you can credit it easily if you decide to incorporate the material into your paper.

 

Some examples to compare

The original passage:

Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final [research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript should appear as directly quoted matter. Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source materials while taking notes. Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers. 2nd ed. (1976): 46-47.

 

A legitimate paraphrase:

In research papers students often quote excessively, failing to keep quoted material down to a desirable level. Since the problem usually originates during note taking, it is essential to minimize the material recorded verbatim (Lester 46-47).

 

An acceptable summary:

Students should take just a few notes in direct quotation from sources to help minimize the amount of quoted material in a research paper (Lester 46-47).

 

A plagiarized version:

Students often use too many direct quotations when they take notes, resulting in too many of them in the final research paper. In fact, probably only about 10% of the final copy should consist of directly quoted material. So it is important to limit the amount of source material copied while taking notes.

 

 

Bottom line, document any words, ideas, or other productions that originate somewhere outside of you or you risk serious consequences.

 

 

 

 

The above is adapted from the Online Writing lab at PurdueUniversity and conforms to their fair use policy,  http://owl.english.purdue.edu