From your initial idea through the final paper… © Karen Conerly 2013

Choosing Your Topic  Get instructor’s approval of topic if required  Pick one that interests you  Not too broad a topic – too much to cover  Not too narrow a topic – not enough to cover © Karen Conerly 2013

Finding Sources  Professor specified number of sources and type  Make sure you comply with these specifications  Bring your printed assignment to tutoring, the writing lab, or the library for assistance  Delta College’s Goleman Library  Online Databases and tutorials – free  Reference Librarian to assist you  Library books you can check out  Magazines, periodicals, and other sources  Research Online  Reliable web sites only © Karen Conerly 2013

Studying Gathered Materials  Print your material that you have gathered  As you read, highlight important key points  Prioritize your selected key points  Rewrite key points in your own words © Karen Conerly 2013

Getting Ready to Write  Think about what you learned from your sources  What can your do to capture readers’ interest?  Create a strong thesis statement  Note main points for the body of the paper  Restate your thesis and key points in conclusion © Karen Conerly 2013

Make an Outline or Diagram 1. Introduction Capture the reader’s interest Include a STRONG thesis statement 2. Body of your paper Each paragraph covers one main point Main points go into your outline/diagram 3. Conclusion Restate your thesis Wrap up your most important main points

What Format to Use  Whatever format specified by instructor  American Psychological Association (APA)  Often used by Social Sciences: Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology  Modern Language Association (MLA) Often used for English, Literature, Humanities  Other formats or modifications to these may be made by instructor © Karen Conerly 2013

Know your format and set it up on your computer: 1. Attend another workshop here on APA /MLA 2. Check out the tutorials or more information at: APA / MLA / Setting up for Writing © Karen Conerly 2013

Set your Computer for the Basic Format and Layout  1-inch margins  point font ( Times New Roman or Arial )  Double-spaced  Paragraph indentation is ½ inch, using the Tab key, not the space key  All primary headings within the paper are in bold. © Karen Conerly 2013

Writing the First Draft  Get as early a start as you can  Seek a place where you won’t be disturbed  Keep your outline visible for reference  Use the notes you wrote on key points  Don’t worry too much about format and style  Let your ideas flow into the keyboard  Make notes to yourself where citations will go  Be sure to save your work frequently  Take frequent breaks and walk around © Karen Conerly 2013

Editing  Print the first draft  Go to a comfortable place to read it aloud  Take a pen or pencil with you  Put yourself in the position of a reader  Ask yourself if you find it:  interesting  understandable  Mark changes on your printout © Karen Conerly 2013

Citing Your Sources  Details on when, where, and how to do this are in the APA/MLA workshop, given here, so check the schedule  Make sure you cite anything that is NOT common knowledge, is a quote, or you learned from your research  When in doubt, cite your source © Karen Conerly 2013

Works Cited or Bibliography  After you have written all of your paper, create a new blank page  This page will hold the detailed information required for each source you used and cited  Make sure you inserted an in-text citation for each of your sources listed in Works Cited or Bibliography and each in-text citation has an entry in the Works Cited or Bibliography list © Karen Conerly 2013

Polishing Your Paper  Review spelling and grammar for errors  Don’t rely on the computer’s Spelling and Grammar checker to always be correct  Is the physical layout correct?  Have you inserted in-text citations correctly?  Do you have a correct “Works Cited” page?  Make sure you have an entry on the “Works Cited” page for every in-text citation, and use every entry on the “Works Cited” page in your paper © Karen Conerly 2013

Have Others Read It  Ask other people to review your paper  Find out if they understand it  Ask them to notice any errors  Take it to the Writing Lab in Holt 201  Get an appointment:  Make it a few days before the paper is due © Karen Conerly 2013

Activity  Using the Goleman Library Databases  Pre-writing exercises © Karen Conerly 2013