Write it Right!
Research Paper Writing Tips
from The Writer's Place & Tutoring Center, 145 Forcina Hall
There's no magic, but there is a system ... (sks 9/17/06)
þ START EARLY: Plan your time before the due date so that you can
• brainstorm and draft early to give yourself plenty of time (not hours but days, even weeks) to revise what you think and write
• write at least two drafts
BETTER : Draft-Feedback-Revise-Feedback-Revise-Feedback-Revise etc. multiple times.
Wait a day (or more!) between writing draft and revising to:
• sharpen the argument
• gauge the logic
• evaluate the adequacy of support
• confirm that you have actually followed the assignment
• get professor and peer feedback
• edit for correctness
• do a final proofread aloud to check for little errors that make your essay seem careless
þ READ THE ASSIGNMENT ACTIVELY AND CAREFULLY
• Read the assignment multiple times. Underline active verbs that tell what your professor wants you to do.
• Make a list --mentally or in writing--of the components of the assignment.
• If you're not sure what to do, write questions that you can ask your professor during class or office hours.
• Check off each requirement as you write and/or when you revise.
Be sure you understand the task. Look for key words that tell you what to do.
Ñ Note format requirements.
Page range and limits?
Font style and size?
Required citation form (MLA, APA, ASA, Chicago, CBE, etc.)? When in doubt, ask your professor.
Title page needed?
þ KEEP YOUR AUDIENCE IN MIND: Review professor's rubric/grading standards .
• What has your professor said in class about writing this assignment?
• What written comments has s/he made on your previous essays?
• What theories, principles, concepts, key individuals, data, facts, and other information has the professor emphasized during lectures and class discussions?
• What is your professor looking for in papers that are excellent, strong, good, average/adequate?
• What relative weight (points) does your professor give for various characteristics or parts of the paper?
• What are the qualities your professor looks for in an A paper, a B paper, a C paper?
þ RESEARCH: If your assignment involves research, then it is even more important to start early and have a plan so that you have time to research your topic thoroughly, write multiple drafts, and consult with your professor regularly .
• Make sure you understand the assignment and the topic.
• Once you have the topic narrowed down, pick out the "keywords" or "phrases" that you can use during your research to find the proper information:
• E.g. Topic-What roles did women play in the advancement of the French Revolution?
• Keywords/Phrases: women during the French Revolution, the French Revolution, women and the French Revolution
• Before you start actually researching, check to see what types of sources your Professor wants (scholarly journals, websites, primary documents, books, movies, etc.), so that you know what types of sources you need or might work best for you.
• When you begin researching:
• First, check the course texts to find anything that might be relevant.
• Second, go to the TCNJ library website, and using your keywords and phrases, search books for that topic.
• Third, click "Find Articles and More" on the library website and choose the appropriate subject databases (English for English, History for History etc). Then choose a journal and use your keywords and phrases to search for appropriate articles.
• Be cautious when searching for websites. Make sure that they are reliable, scholarly sources. (Wikipedia.org is not a scholarly source).
• When looking for sources, limit it to those in the past ten years, but double check with your Professor to make sure this is appropriate.
• If you find an article or book that our library does not have, they can order it for you through interlibrary loan. All you have to do is fill out an interlibrary loan request. (This normally takes 1-2 weeks, which makes it necessary to start researching early to see if you need to do this).
• When you have found a useful source, make sure that you take down all the appropriate information (title, author, publication information, page numbers) so that you can properly cite it later on.
• Either write down the quotes or information that you plan to use in your paper or make a copy of the source for later reference.
þ PEER REVIEW : If the assignment allows for peer review, go to The Writer's Place for a single session Writing Conference with a trained writing consultant who can help you at any stage of your writing. Or get a friend who doesn't know the subject to read your draft and tell you
• if your writing is understandable
• how effectively your ideas connect
• whether or not your thesis/support/conclusion work coherently together
• where you have errors in grammar/punctuation/word forms etc.
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