It’s time to write a paper. Here are steps for filling up that blank screen with a winning composition.
The Web is a really useful tool, but so is your school or community library. Not only do libraries store books, they also archive scholarly journals and newspapers-both physically and online-and librarians are trained to help people do research and build bibliographies.
If your work or school schedule prevents you from getting to the library, consider emailing a librarian with questions on your research. He or she can help you locate sources remotely.
Keep track of every source you consult. Find out what format your professor expects for footnotes and citations. Teresa T., a student at Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, North Carolina, says, “When I find a source, I immediately write it down.” You can place reference information at the end of your draft as you write or include it in your outline.
Most papers require a thesis statement, so make your point clearly at the beginning. Also explain how you’ll support it.
Then give detailed examples to support your ideas. Bolster them with reference to your sources, and wrap up with a brief conclusion. “I expand on each point and try to build a watertight case,” suggests Kerr S., a student in a certificate program at Confederation College in Ontario, Canada.
How you write will depend on the subject matter and guidelines provided by your professor.
Humanities papers focus on text analysis, so include quotes from your class materials and readings interspersed with your own ideas.
Scientific assignments usually require quantitative data, maybe in the form of graphs or charts.
Creative writing courses may call for prose-whether autobiographical, fictional, or another form.
Find a way to integrate your unique understanding of the material. With practice, you’ll find your writing personality.
Read the paper out loud to catch mistakes, and ask others for constructive feedback. John Harbord, the director of the Center for Academic Writing at Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, has spent over 25 years working with U.S. and international graduate students. He explains, “Revision is so important. Don’t let the first draft be the last draft.”
Rosemarie is studying communications at Saint Peter’s University in New Jersey.
Professors, instructors, and teaching assistants:
You can always ask your professor to clarify an assignment or to confirm that your paper is headed in the right direction.
Librarians:
These are trained research professionals. They’ll help you get to the right sources, efficiently.
Writing tutors:
Your school likely offers support for academic writing, in the form of a writing center or online services. Use these resources to help structure, revise, and edit papers.
There are a variety of citation formats and style criteria for papers. The following are some of the most commonly used:
Associated Press Stylebook (AP): Used by most journalists as well as in public relations.
Modern Language Association (MLA): This style is most commonly used in the humanities and liberal arts.
American Psychological Association (APA): Business, social sciences, and nursing professors usually expect to see this style.
Chicago Manual of Style (CMS): This is one format you won’t come across often, unless you’re writing for a historical journal, humanities, and some social science publications.
In-depth information about proper citation techniques.
