What to do

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Understand the Topic Research Note Taking Organizing Notes Organizer Write the Essay Finishing Touches

 Once you get the assignment, make sure you go over it carefully and fully understand what it is you are to do and how you will be marked.

 Also check to see if you are banned from using certain resources or must use certain resources.

 Ask your teacher about any questions you have BEFORE you start so you do not have to redo work.

 Choose your topic  Refine your topic – for example an essay on the history of the NHL is fairly vague and will lose focus quickly, however an essay on the history of the Toronto Maple Leafs is more focused and an essay on the history of the Toronto Maple Leafs of 1960 to 1965 is very focused  Your essay should be focused enough to be interesting and informative but not so focused that you can not find sources for it.

        Now that you have your topic settled you need to find some sources of information.

You might used some of the following: Books – information will be reliable but may be out of date Journals – very detailed information, may be hard to find in high school Newspapers – recent information, may lack details Encyclopaedias – recent information, easy to read, will lack details – good to use to get to know your topic NOT as a primary source – check to see if you can use Wikipedia Database – very specific information, often restricted access – try using the library portal to gain access Web pages – potential very good information but also risk getting biased or even completely false information

 Before we go further a quick test, identify which of the following websites are real and which are fake and if fake what gave it away.

One Four Seven Ten Two Five Eight Eleven Three Six Nine Twelve Thirteen Sixteen Fourteen Seventeen Fifteen Eighteen

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   What the URL can tell you Is it a personal page? Look for a personal name (e.g., jbarker or barker) following a tilde ( ~ ), a percent sign ( % ), or or the words "users," "members," or "people.“ What type of domain is it? Government - .gov, University / Educational - .edu, Non-profit Organization - .org (not guaranteed any more), Company - .com, Canadian - .ca

Is it published by an entity that makes sense?

    2.

Scan the perimeter of the page, looking for answers to these questions: Who wrote the page?

Is the information dated or current?

What are the authors credentials in this subject?

Find this information by looking for links that say "About us," "Philosophy," "Background," "Biography", etc. or if you cannot find any links like these, you can often find this kind of information if you Truncate back the URL. Finally Look for the date "last updated" - usually at the bottom of a web page.

  3.

  Look for indicators of quality information: Where did the author get the information?

If there are links to other pages as sources, are they to reliable sources?

Do the links work?

If reproduced information (from another source), is it complete, not altered, not fake or forged?

  4.

 What do others say?

Look up the title or publisher of the page in a reputable directory that evaluates its contents ( ipl2 , Infomine , About.com

, or a specialized directory you trust). Look up the author's name in Google or Yahoo!

Find out what other web pages link to this page, use alexa.com

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  Does it all add up?

Why was the page put on the web?

Might it be ironic? Satire or parody?

 Is this as credible and useful as the resources (books, journal articles, etc.) available in print or online through the library?

This list has been summarized a complete list of web evaluation can be found at:

UC Berkeley - Teaching Library Internet Workshops

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 Once you have a source that is both relevant and reliable it is time to take notes: Record the source information. This will vary depending on the source but is the information you will need to do an entry for a Reference Page Write your notes, you should have several types: Direct quotations   3.

Stats or other tables copied completely and accurately Summarized information Keep in mind that there is no such thing as to many notes! However if you do not have enough notes it is very hard to write an essay. So if in doubt write it down!

 Once you have all the notes you think you need then it is time to organize.

 Consider the various subtopics that your essay will have – introduction, background, arguments for both sides, conclusion, etc.

 Read over your notes and using several different coloured highlighters (or a letter system if you prefer) place your notes into the various subtopics by colour

 Now it is time to start planning your essay, some teachers might call this power notes, or a concept web. What ever it is called it is more detailed then an outline, think of it as a point form version of your essay.

 This step can be done in a number of different ways – only one of which will be discussed here. Talk to your teacher about other ways of doing an organizer.

 It is suggested but not required that you type all of this on a computer.

 As you move through all of these parts always consider the reader and what this will look like to them when they read it.

 This part is basically an outline:  Start by putting down your subtopics in a logical order  Next consider what categories of information will go in this topic and in what order  Then plan your introduction and conclusion

Title Introduction Background Pro Cat   Major argument 1 Major argument 2  Major argument 3 Pro Dog  Repeat above Analysis Conclusion

 Now it is time to add your notes. This will be easy as you have already decided where they are going.

 Do NOT worry about order yet, particularly if you are typing this.

 Do make sure to include either the source of the notes or something that will lead you back to the source. I suggest numbering each source you use and then just putting that number at the end of each note from that source.

Title Introduction  Attention grabber Background  

Define topic and any relevant terms or issues

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Definition Definition Where do things currently stand?

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Fact Fact Fact

Pro Cat  Major argument 1 

Fact

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Fact Fact

  Major argument 2 

Repeat above

Major argument 3 

Repeat above

Pro Dog 

Repeat above

Analysis Conclusion

 Now that all of your notes are in the proper subtopics put them in the order that you will use them  Next add your thesis statement and if appropriate sub thesis statements  Then look over your essay does any section of it seem to be lacking in information? If so go back and research some more  Finally read over what you have and ask your self, does this make sense? Is there a good flow to this information?

 If something in your organizer does not seem to fit then feel free to cut it out.

Title Introduction   Attention grabber

Thesis Statement

Background   Define topic and any relevant terms or issues  

Definition 1 Definition 2

Where do things currently stand?

  

Fact 1 Fact 2 Fact 3

Pro Cat 

Sub thesis statement

 Major argument 1   

Fact 1 Fact 2 Fact 3

  Major argument 2 

Repeat above

Major argument 3 

Repeat above

Pro Dog 

Repeat above

Analysis 

Strengths of side you oppose

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Weaknesses of side you favour Weaknesses of side you oppose

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Strengths of side you favour

Conclusion  

Restating thesis Opinion on topic

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Support for opinion 1 Support for opinion 2 Support for opinion 3

 With your research and organizer done the majority of the hard work is now over. All that is left is turning your organizer into a properly formatted and well written essay.

 The majority of your time in this step is going to be spent in your segues and your analysis.

 Keep in mind that HOW you say something is often at least as important as WHAT you say. You can have the best ideas ever but if you write them like you were in grade 3 no one will take you seriously.

 This is an essay spelling and grammar are VITAL make sure to check this over carefully do NOT just trust your word processer.

 Do NOT use big words or complicated sentences to impress the reader. This just tends to confuse you and cause problems. Good rule of thumb if you can not define the word do not use it!

 Having said that do NOT dumb down your language.

 Make every attempt to make your every point in your essay clear and to the point.

 This is a formal essay, that means you should be using proper FORMAL English! Do NOT use:  Slang  Text or Web speak  Contractions (ex. Don’t for do not, it’s for it is)   Use with caution abbreviations and make sure that you use the full form the first time you abbreviate. Example: The Office of the Treaty Commissioner (OTC) says that ...

When using people’s names use either their full name or their last name do NOT use just their first name.

 Do NOT use first person (I, we, etc.) outside of your conclusion!

  Do NOT just go right into your essay you need to get the reader’s attention – you do not want them thinking “Do I have to read this?” You could get there attention by:  Telling a brief but interesting story related to the topic  Giving an interesting quote related to the topic  Using some interesting statistics related to the topic  Ask some thought provoking question(s) related to the topic  What ever you do, do NOT be cheesy or try to kiss up to the reader

 Next you need to work your way from what ever you used to get the reader’s attention to your thesis statement. This will take some time and require one or more transition sentences.

 At the end of your paragraph will be your thesis sentence(s) – it might be more than one but try to avoid it and do not be more than two.

    This is where you will clearly and concisely tell the reader what your essay is about.

Make sure that you are specific, one of the most common mistakes people make is to be to vague.

Avoid at all costs statements like: This essay will ...

  I will be talking about ...

An example might be: With regards to the issue of the

oil sands environmental impact a rational person must first understand what the oil sands are and their history in Canada and then examine the case to be made both for and against the oil sands, and only after analyzing all of this may a conclusion be reached.

 This section of your essay contains 4 major parts: 1.

Background – what is your issue and where do things currently stand 2.

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Pro Side – what the people in favour of the issue have to say Con Side – what the people opposed to the issue have to say Analysis – what are the strengths and weakness of both sides arguments

 When looking at each side you must:  Remain impartial – the reader should not know your feelings until the end  Cover both sides equally well  Clearly state what the major arguments for both sides are and explain them

 This is obviously the major portion of your essay and contains all of your relevant facts.

 It is vital that the paragraphs in your essay be tied together, otherwise your essay will lack flow and be hard to read and understand.

 To achieve this the last sentence and first sentence in every paragraph should be transition or segue sentences tying the paragraphs together.

 It is also here that you will analyze the arguments of the two sides of your issue.

 You should not be bringing new information into this paragraph(s) but instead looking at the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments.

 Some things that you might want to consider when analyzing both sides:  Is the information accurate given what I know?

 Do both sides arguments make sense?

 Is it legal?  Will the public support it?

 Does it treat people fairly?

 How would I feel if this logic applied to me?

 What would society be like if everyone acted like this?

 Would this logic work if applied to a similar situation?

 This is a research essay, that means you looked up information that other people collected.  You MUST give them credit for their work otherwise it is plagiarism and you get ZERO.

 Use in-text citations whenever you:  Use a direct quotation.  Use statistics or a specific date.

 Restate, summarize, or paraphrase an idea, theory, or opinion given by another author.  Incorporate facts that are not common knowledge. A general rule of thumb is, if you can find the fact in at least three sources, it is common knowledge.

 In general terms the in text citation goes at the end of the sentence(s) that come from a particular source.

 You may however put an in text citation at the end of a paragraph if ALL of the information came from the same source.

 You may NOT use one in text citation for several paragraphs even if their information comes from the same source.

 You MUST place an in text citation at the end of every direct quotation used.

 Short Quotations:  If you are directly quoting from a work, you will need to include the author, year of publication, and the page number for the reference (preceded by "p."). Page number is NOT required for electronic sources.

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According to Jones (1998), "Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time" (p. 199).

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Jones (1998) found "students often had difficulty using APA style" (p. 199); what implications does this have for teachers?

She stated, "Students often had difficulty using APA style" (Jones, 1998, p. 199), but she did not offer an explanation as to why.

   Long Quotations – 40+ words Start the quotation on a new line, indented 1/2 inch from the left margin, i.e., in the same place you would begin a new paragraph. Type the entire quotation on the new margin, and indent the first line of any subsequent paragraph within the quotation 1/2 inch from the new margin. Maintain double-spacing throughout.

Jones's (1998) study found the following: Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time citing sources. This difficulty could be attributed to the fact that many students failed to purchase a style manual or to ask their teacher for help. (p. 199)

 Paraphrasing, Statistics, or Specific Dates  If you are paraphrasing an idea from another work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication in your in-text reference, but APA guidelines encourage you to also provide the page number (although it is not required.) 

According to Jones (1998), APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners.

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APA style is a difficult citation format for first time learners (Jones, 1998, p. 199).

 This is your opportunity to finally say what you believe about this topic.

 Given everything that you have now learned about both sides of your issue what do you believe and more importantly WHY.

 You need to be thorough, convincing and fit with the analysis you have just done.

 This needs to be much more than just a summary of the issue. It is YOUR interpretation of the issue after looking at both sides and examining MANY sources.

 You will list any books / sources that you cited in your essay  You will list any books / sources that were significant in your research but not cited  You will NOT list books / sources just to flesh out your reference page

 This will be done in APA style  It is recommended but not required that you use the web resource Son of Citation Machine at http://citationmachine.net/ reference page to help you create your     Click on APA Style Choose from the sources that are listed on the left Fill in the blanks and click submit Copy and paste to your reference page

 Your entries must be in alphabetical order  Entries should be single spaced with a blank line in between each entry  Entries should be done in a hanging in dent style – much like this bullet  Entries should NOT be bulleted OR numbered

 A title page will contain the following:   Title of your essay – centred and in top 1/3 of paper (done in a large size) The following goes in the bottom right corner (in normal font and size):  Your name    Teacher’s name Class Due date

Formatting your paper, it should be:   Typed Double Spaced     1” margins all around OR 1” margin top and bottom and 1.25” on left and right sides Times New Roman or similar font Size 12 font Black ink on white paper Do NOT:  Put title on first page that is why you have a title page  Put a header or footer on first page – you may put on the rest of the pages

 Now that you are done your first draft you need to get it ready to hand in.

 Read the essay over yourself – feel free to repeat this step  Have a friend or family member read over your essay – feel free to repeat this step also  Just before you print out your good copy read over the essay one last time

 The following web pages may be able to help you if you run into problems and can not ask your teacher.

 How to Write an Essay http://kimberlychapman.com/essay/essay.html

 Purdue OWL http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/  Evaluating Web Pages http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Inte rnet/Evaluate.html

 Son of Citation Machine http://citationmachine.net/

Now go forth and write.