Transcript How to Write a Paper Jenny Havens Ozark Christian College Learning Center 1. Know Due Dates and Plan Accordingly * Have a calendar with all of your assignments.

How to Write a
Paper
Jenny Havens
Ozark Christian College
Learning Center
1. Know Due Dates and
Plan Accordingly
* Have a calendar
with all of your
assignments written in
it.
* Always look at least
3 weeks
ahead in your calendar!!!
2. Choose a Topic
*Possible topics will most
likely be found in you
syllabus.
*Always check with your
professor if you want to
research a topic that is not in
your syllabus.
*Choose a topic that
is interesting to
you!!
3. Find Resources
* These can be found in the Library!!
* Check your text books from that
class, they often have information in
them about what you are studying.
* Possible resources include commentaries,
articles from magazines and encyclopedias,
books on your subject or books with a
chapter about your subject, etc.
* If you have a hard time finding resources, ask
your professor or consider changing your topic.
Research your topic and take
notes!!
*This process should take the most
time, so be patient and have fun
learning new information.
The Notebook Methoduse a notebook and write all
of your notes in it.
ProsEverything is
in one place
Cons- hard to organize when
you are ready to write the
paper
The Book Method- sit in
front of your computer with all
of your books around you. As
you find something to use in
your paper, type it on the
computer.
Pros- Doesn’t
involve actually
taking notes,
can take less
time
ConsConfusing,
hard to
organize
Pros: All of your
notes are in one
place, easy to
organize
Cons: Note
taking takes a
long time
*This is the method you will have to use
in Comp. 2 so it would be to your
advantage to learn it now!
Steps for the Note Card Method
1. Put the author’s name and page
number on the top of the card along
with one fact, quote or thought.
Author’s Last Name
Page Number
One fact, quote, or thought per card
2. Always keep track of bibliographical
information in a notebook or on one
note card.
3. Keep note cards for
research, your own thoughts
or questions and for possible
thesis statements.
4. When finished taking notes,
organize cards in stacks of main
topics, introduction and
conclusion. This forms your
outline.
5. Type out notes in the order
you want them. Make sure to
include references and
quotation marks.
6. Add in your own
thoughts and transitions.
7. Write your introduction and
conclusion. Don’t forget your
thesis!!!
8. Proofread and make corrections.
Your final draft should not be your
first draft!!
Tips for Research
1. Photocopy sources
2. Document everything you
photocopy or take notes on.
3. Do not rely on one source or one type
of source. This is not a book report!!!
You should have more than one or two
sources sited within your paper.
When your
research is
finished...
1. Write your thesis statement!!!
What is a thesis statement?
*The thesis statement is
an umbrella. Each section
of you paper should fall
under that umbrella.
Purpose: To summarize your
paper in one clear sentence.
* A clear thesis statement is vital to a
good paper. It lets the reader know
what he is going to read.
* Look in your syllabus for sample thesis statements.
2. Create an outline
*This is just a skeleton of your paper
*Make sure that each point and detail
fits under the umbrella of your
thesis!!
I. Main Point
A. Supporting Detail
B. Supporting Detail
C. Supporting Detail
II. Main Point
A. Supporting Detail
B. Etc.
*Your outline
should have at
least 3 main
points with
supporting
details for each
point.
Tell them what you are
INTRODUCTION
BODY
going to tell
them.
Thesis
Tell
them!!
Tell
CONCLUSION
them what you
have just told them.
Restate Thesis
Write the Body of your
paper first.
*The body contains all of your main
points and supporting details.
*The number of points is set by the
material you want to cover and how
you want to organize it.
Write the Conclusion after you
write the body.
*The conclusion is usually one paragraph.
*Restate your thesis in the conclusion.
*Summarize what you
have just told your
reader in the body.
*Wrap up the
paper with a bang!!
Write the Introduction last.
*The Introduction
should catch the
reader’s attention.
*The Introduction can
be more than one
paragraph.
*Intro should end with your Thesis Statement.
*Thesis = your paper in one
sentence.
You’re not
finished yet!!!
*You read it and look for mistakes.
Then correct them!!
*Have someone else
read it and look for
mistakes.
*A friend that you trust
*An RA
*A tutor from The Learning
Center (make an appointment)
*Rewrite/Make corrections
*Make sure all of the
corrections fit under the
umbrella of your thesis.
*Reread- make sure the paper makes sense!!
*Your final draft should not be your first
draft.
Excellence is the only option when
preparing to serve Jesus!
Common
Mistakes
1. Starting too late
*Always look at least
3 weeks ahead in your
calendar and plan accordingly.
2. Using 1st or 2nd person
*Never use the words I, You, We
or They in a paper unless the
professor assigns an application
section.
*Never speak to the professor in the paper.
3. Using contractions
*Don’t shorten words--use
Do not instead of Don’t and
Is Not instead of isn’t, etc.
4. Shifting verb tense
*Make sure all of your verbs
are in the same tense
5. Putting more than one thought
in a paragraph
*Each paragraph should start with a topic
sentence and each sentence in the paragraph
should fall under that topic sentence.
6. Not using transition sentences
*If one paragraph is about frogs and the
next one is about heaven, tell me how you
got from frogs to heaven.
7. Format, Format, Format!!!
*Get a Term Paper Guide from the
bookstore and follow the format
guidelines.
*Pay close attention to page number
position, margin width, format for
title page, spacing, and headings.
8. Run on sentences or
patterned sentences
*Don’t use run on
sentences even if you
like them because they
can get very long and
tedious for your
professor to read
because they read a lot
of papers.
*Don’t make it sound
like a Dick and Jane
book. Vary the
length and pattern of
your sentences.
9. Not using spell check
*It’s easy, every computer on
campus has it!!
10. Irrelevant sentences or paragraphs
*If it doesn’t
fit under the
umbrella of your
thesis, don’t put
it in the paper.
11. Lack of clarity
*Don’t beat around the
bush. Say what needs to
be said.
*Don’t pad your paper with
fluff. Your professor will
know!!
12. Using personal thoughts without
the support of research
*This is not an opinion
paper. This is a research
paper, everything in it
must be supported by
research.
13. Not giving credit
*You must give credit to the author of all
the quotes and ideas that aren’t your own.
14. Documentation
*Paraphrase: Put the authors’ thoughts in
your own words. This still needs to be
documented because it is not your own
thought.
*A quote is anything, three words or more, that
is not your own. Quotes need to have quotation
marks around them and need to be
documented.
*A quote that is four or more lines long needs
to be indented.
1. Choose a topic
2. Find resources
3. Take notes/research
4. Write thesis
5. Make an outline
6. Write body, conclusion and introduction
7. Proofread and edit
8. Have someone else proofread
9. Edit final copy
10. Watch for the common mistakes