what your instructors wish they knew when they were writing essays…

WHAT YOUR WHAT YOUR INSTRUCTORSINSTRUCTORS wish they knewwish they knewwhen they werewhen they werewriting essays…writing essays…

7 Steps to a Better Essay7 Steps to a Better Essay

1. Plan your time2. Conceptualize your topic3. Research your ideas4. Organize your thoughts5. Write your masterpiece 6. Proofread your work7. Remember your academic

integrity

1. Plan your time1. Plan your time

• We’ve been there, done that…• Plan at the beginning of the

semester• Count back from the due date…• Lateness is an insult• If you want an extension

– Come early– Come prepared

Are you a procrastinator?• Create a ‘fail-safe’ environment

– Unplug the TV/internet, take the phone off the hook

• Create your own ‘time pressures’– Work better under pressure? Set short-term

goals.• e.g. a paragraph every 30 minutes

• Break down the task…– Finish the assignment piece by piece

• Tell someone your personal deadlines– Parents, friends, prof, or TA

1. Plan your time1. Plan your time

2. Conceptualize your topic2. Conceptualize your topic• Remember Lincoln:

– “If I had 8 hours to cut down a tree, I’d spend 6 hours sharpening the axe.”

• See your instructor– Make yourself known– Suggest a topic– Ask for research sources

• Personalize your topic – set yourself apart

• What’s been written on the topic?– Preliminary research

• Narrow your focus• Significance of your research

2. Conceptualize your topic2. Conceptualize your topic

What are we looking for?• Proof that you’ve researched

and understood the material• Proof of your ability to

apply this knowledge beyond what you’ve read and heard

2. Conceptualize your topic2. Conceptualize your topic

3. Research Your Ideas3. Research Your Ideas

• Someone’s thought of this before you

• Get your sources early• Where to start?

– Professor (TA)– Bibliographies

• Where to end?– Bibliojump!

• NEVER read a book front to back• Look for both sides of a debate• Keep track of your sources• Keep your notes


What is an academic source?• Author’s credentials and

expertise• Date of publication• Publisher• Purpose• Intended audience


PROS• Prelim research• Conference

papers• Bibliographies• Gov’t statistics• Periodicals

CONS• Un-refereed

– Biased– Untested

• Opinion-based• Pre-plagiarized• Impermanent

Why (not) use the Internet?


• Remember you’re an undergrad– Worry about analyzing not

philosophizing

• Webbing– Where does this topic fit into

the broader research area?

• Outlining

4. Organize Your Thoughts4. Organize Your Thoughts

Introduction• “Hook!” (significance & relevance)• Take the reader form their reality to

yours• Make the most of your first impression

– Stylistic and mechanical errors can be fatal• Lay out the road map of your paper

– Yes, you should give everything away in the first paragraph

– “In this essay, I will prove”• Clear and confident thesis statement

4. Organize Your Thoughts4. Organize Your Thoughts

4. Organize your thoughts4. Organize your thoughts

Thesis statement• A guide for your reader• A map for yourself• There is seldom a “right” or “wrong”

answer– Only strong or weak thesis statements

• Narrow enough to “prove”• Broad enough to matter• Take a stand

– Be clear and concise

Thesis statement• Not an observation, but an assertion

– Weak: “Martin engineered cutbacks in 1995.”– Strong: “Martin’s 1995 cutbacks were

detrimental to Chretien’s war against poverty.”

• Not an announcement, but a strong stand– Weak: “This paper will prove how Harper’s tax

plan would Americanize Canada.” – Strong: “Harper’s plans for our fiscal future

strongly resemble tax proposals of GWB.”


Thesis statement

• Not broad, but narrow– Weak: “The NDP faced many challenges in

2006.”– Strong: “Two main factors – the

competitiveness of the campaign and the perceived weakness of the leader – contributed to the New Democratic failure in 2006 general election.”


Thesis statement

• Not vague but specific– Weak: “The Senate should be abolished.”– Strong: “Due to a lack of efficiency,

efficacy, legitimacy, and relevance, the Canadian Senate ought to be abolished.”


Body of the paper• Literature review is an asset

– What debates surround your topic?

• Discuss opposing viewpoints– And explain why they are unconvincing

• Discuss the “side” that you support– Explain, correct and expand the ideas of

others

• Make sure your argument flows logically

• Stay on topic


Conclusion• The last word…

– Last thing your instructor reads before grading

• Close the circle– Restate your thesis– Summarize your evidence

• Don’t leave the reader asking “so what?!”– Proclaim the significance of the paper


Your goal before writing• The 30-second “bus stop”

version – Your argument will evolve while

writing, but it is essential to have an argument prior to the first draft


• “Hook” your reader– Prof is marking dozens of papers

• Thesis, thesis, thesis– Keep your entire paper focused

• Each paragraph is a mini-argument– Be sure to have an opening &

concluding sentences (mini-thesis)

5. Write your masterpiece5. Write your masterpiece

http://www.realestatehow.com/uploaded_images/writing-for-the-internet-714048.jpg

• Style Counts– Use academic articles as models

• Size matters– We know the font size, spacing

and margin tricks

• Keep a copy of your paper


Got writer’s block?• Type with the screen turned off

– Don’t worry about the language, get the ideas down first

• Write out of order– Many people write the introduction

last• Talk through it

– Use a tape recorder, tell a friend…


Citations• Always over-cite, but never over-quote

– proof of research and analysis• Allan suggests / indicates / shows / reveals /

supports / attests to / demonstrates / underscores / highlights…

• use only as much as you need ( […] )

• Long quotations must be inset• Use consistent , proper citation format• Don’t pad your bibliography


Threading an argument• Logic and flow are crucial• Organization is vital

– Headings add clarity– Read your introduction and conclusion

together

• Sentence variety is an asset


• Take a break• Before editing, restate your thesis

– Did your paper answer the research question?

• Read on screen and on paper– Typos = lack of respect

• Read it aloud for flow• Peer Proofread

– With others in the class– With (other) clueless people– Consider a proof-reading group

• Review comments from previous papers

6. Proofread your work6. Proofread your work

• Turn on the grammar and spell checker– Subject-verb agreement– Consistent verb-tense– Then/than, which/that, ;/:– Run on sentences & fragments

• Use gender neutral language – He or she (not he/she)– Beware of they and them– Alternate between masculine and feminine

• Run-away paragraphs• Clichés


Presentation• Take pride in your work

– “This essay is important to me…”

• Fancy covers annoy, not impress• Devise a creative title

– Not “Term Paper”

• Margins and spacing are for us• Headers and page numbers


• You are part of the academic process– University scholarship is about sharing and creating

ideas

• You are part of the university community – You have responsibilities– Professors have greater duties and more tools

• If you can find it, we can find it (in half the time)

• It is your responsibility to know the rules– Including peer collaborations– When in doubt ASK!

• It is your responsibility to know the penalties– Academic dishonesty costs you more than an “F”

7. Academic Integrity7. Academic Integrity

Tips to avoid plagiarism• Use quotation marks

– Even when using short phrases

• Citation is not a sign of weakness– Cite when you’re directly quoting a source– Cite when you’re borrowing ideas to support an

argument– Cite when you’re borrowing/adapting tables, charts,

stats– Cite when material is not “common knowledge”– Rule of thumb: Did I know this before I took this course?

• Take detailed notes when researching– useful proof

7. Academic Integrity7. Academic Integrity

WHAT YOUR WHAT YOUR INSTRUCTORSINSTRUCTORS wish they knewwish they knewwhen they werewhen they werewriting essays…writing essays…

what your instructors wish they knew when they were writing essays…

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