Writing your Research Paper

1. Writing your Research Paper You might need to revisit the PowerPoint from yesterday – it is on my blog.

2. Some of you may feel like this… • But keep plugging (or pugging) away 

3. Review • Review what you have written and your decisions from yesterday. • Continue Writing – find the next section and write • INCLUDE YOUR IN-TEXT CITATIONS as you write. • Required in your draft • A real pain to have to go back and find. • Be CONSCIOUS of what you quote and what you don’t.

4. Balance • You are to use a minimum of 5 sources beyond your read. • Those sources should be used in some degree of balance. • Meaning – of the minimum 5 you are to use all sources in a significant way – but you might use 4 in a balanced way with the last one being for a specific purpose. OR • You have 10 sources and 5-7 are used in a balanced way, but the remaining ones were to fill in pieces of information you need. • How do you check balance? After writing paper, compile list of sources you actually used and then go through them and count how many times you use each. This is what I will do on EACH of your papers • If someone talked to your ex or a friend you have not spent time with in a couple years, how clear a picture would that person get of you. Balance is to tell the whole story and to be sure you have thoroughly checked something out.

5. Depth of Discussion • 7-10 pages should be enough to have a thorough discussion of your topic and your book. • As you write, do not worry if you exceed 10 pages, worry about that when you edit. • As you write, do worry if you are below 6 pages, as that is harder to address without fertilizer.

6. The End is NEAR… • Keep plugging away. • The light is there – • Far away • At the end • Of the Research paper!