Building a Successful Paper

A Common ComplaintStudent writers don’t plan. They just sit

down and start writing.

Prewriting Gives you a Head Start!It involves:

PlanningOrganizing

And leads into:Drafting

Prewriting BenefitsPlanning and organizing before you start

writing doesn’t add work; it redistributes work.

Yes, it will take longer to start writing, but…

It will take less time to write the paper, and…

Your paper will be much better!

Planning

Assess the writing situationForm a research questionResearch your topic from multiple viewpointsDraft a working thesis

Assess the WritingSituation

Before writing, all authors assess their situations.Here, we consider what we call a rhetorical

triangle:

Now, you’rethe author!

So you need to think about these things.Subject

What am I writing about?What do I already know about this?What different points of view exist?

PurposeWhat am I hoping to accomplish?Do I want to inform, persuade, analyze, etc.?

AudienceWho are you targeting with this paper?What assumptions can you make about this audience?

Form a ResearchQuestion

First, make sure you understand what your assignment asks.Read very carefully!

Next, form a basic question that will guide your research.

Should the government adopt a single-payer healthcare system?

Are student/teacher conferences worth the time and inconvenience?

Research YourTopicPay attention to your assignment’s source

requirements.Use the tools at your disposal.

LibraryInternetInterviews

Consider multiple points of view!

Draft a Working Thesis

Your thesis should:Answer your research question.Show where you stand on the issue.Show your audience where the paper will go.

The success of single-payer healthcare systems in other nations suggests that America would benefit by adopting one as well.

Student success begins at home, and the relationship between teachers and parents built in conferences is essential to fostering a home environment that is beneficial to education.

OrganizingAn outline is a great way to organize.When organizing, break your paper down

into three main parts:IntroBodyConclusion

OutlineYou’ve seen these before.Thesis at the top.Each Roman numeral

provides a main line of reasoning.

Each subheading is support for that line of reasoning.

ExampleThesis: The success of single-payer healthcare systems in

other nations suggest that America would benefit by adopting one as well.

I. Health care in SwitzerlandI. Example from Jones articleII. Quote from Swiss doctorIII. Quote from EU official

II. Health care in CanadaI. Example from JonesII. Quote from Prime Minister

III. Objections to PlanI. Quote from Sarah PalinII. Quote from Obama refuting Palin

DraftingYour outline is like a skeleton…Put some meat on those bones!

Plan an IntroductionA good introduction should:

Grab the reader’s attentionGive background information and history,

enough to get the reader up to speed on the issue This includes major points of view

Introduce your thesis

Body ParagraphsEach paragraph should contribute to

supporting your thesis.Either by using sources to confirm your

claims…Or by refuting claims that dispute your thesis.

Open paragraphs with a topic sentence (similar to Roman numeral bullet from outline).

Support with quotes, paraphrases, and summaries from research.

ConclusionA good conclusion reiterates main ideas; it

doesn’t repeat them.Emphasize your thesis.Remind us of key arguments.Close by returning to grabber to bring

paper full circle.

If you plan well…Writing the paper is as simple as elaborating

on your outline!All you have to do is connect your main points.

Saves time.Better organized.Won’t leave anything out.

But what if…You have to write a very long paper?

TimePlan early, start early.

Your Working Thesis

“I don’t know what I think until I see what I say.”

Start with an Observation…“Many college

students work full time.”

Convert it to an Announcement…“In this paper I

want to write about the fact that many college students work full time.”

Pose a Question or Questions…“Why do so many college students have to

work full time? Does this affect their grades?”

Your paper will answer the question(s)!

Begin to sculpt support

At first...

THERE WILL BE CHAOS!

Find ways to organize data.Maps

GlossParagraphs

Color Code

Too much information?Cut off a limb!

Too little information?Thanksgiving Dinner

Draft, supporting with quotes, paraphrases, and summaries.

Avoid over-quoting and strings of direct quotes.Use your own voice.Paraphrase and summarize.Think conversation.

Complete a rough draft.It doesn’t have to be pretty!

Now, time for revision.Revision = RE-VISION

Narrow your thesis.

Now you can see what you say!

Thesis is like a mini-outline.“Because many students work full time,

they are unable to keep up their grade point averages, some with a 2.0 and under, so they risk future job opportunities because employers see poor grades on college transcripts.”

Reverse OutlineLogical organization?Supports thesis?

Read for clarity.Will another reader understand each step of

your argument?Are their logical transitions between

sentences, paragraphs, and sections?

Read out loud.

ProofreadFind another reader to help.

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