Hello all,
Everyone is different when they approach academic writing. It's extremely different from creative and even other types of non-fiction writing styles. It's generally accepted that before any words can be written, the author needs to do their research and gather all relevant information and context before opening up a document and starting the writing process. The tab "Research Suggestions" gives a couple of different methods for how to approach researching a topic for an academic essay. Once the information is gathered, most people get stuck trying to start the writing process. There are several schools of thought on this as well. Some like to start from the beginning and work their way to the end. Others prefer to start with a thesis statement, move to the analysis, and end by writing the introduction and conclusion paragraphs. The "Writing Methods" tab will give some suggestions on how to approach writing and organizing paragraphs and papers. Finally comes the citation and editing stage. Once you've written your paper, it's important you make sure you cite your sources to avoid plagiarism. I personally like to record my citations during the research phase (because nothing is more annoying than losing a source!) -- but like I said, everyone is different! In the citation page, I include information about recording citations and making sure they are the correct format. Before you submit, you have to make sure your grammar and spelling are correct. Those are the WORST points to have off your grade, because they are the easiest corrections to make! Spending just 5 minutes with a grammar tool and using spell-check can bring your grade up more than you think!
Writing papers can be difficult. This guide can help you approach your papers in a way that makes the process less daunting. I am also available for anyone who would like help or suggestions for writing A+ papers. My contact information is on the left side of the screen. Please feel free to contact me if you need assistance!
Sincerely,
Casey Burgess (she/her)
Director of Library Services
