Writing a GreatAcademic Paper

-Writing Process -Higher Order Concerns-Lower Order Concerns-Integrating Research

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WHAT’S YOUR WRITING PROCESS?

1. Pre-writing

2. Writing

3. Re-writing* Revision* Editing * Proofreading

Writing is (can be) a MESSY process

STEP I:READING

• Close reading of the text

• Making meaning: • summarize• evaluate• organize• respond• analyze • synthesize • reflect

STEP II:Higher Order Concerns

• Content• Focus • Thesis • Main Ideas

• Organization• Structure• Arrangement• Strong topic sentences transition between ideas

• Stance• Voice• Genre, Audience, Purpose

STEP III: Lower Order Concerns

• Sentence Fluency• Sentence variation

• Diction• Word choice• Level of formality

• Conventions• Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation

EVALUATING SOURCES

• Why is this important?• Entering the academic conversation• Avoiding plagiarism

• Using scholarly sources• Start with the library databases• “Journal of . . .”• Peer reviewed

• .gov, .edu• Google scholar• Often you can find these for free through the library

End of Part One(But just the beginning)

DOCUMENTING SOURCES

From Highlights Magazine:

DOCUMENTING SOURCES

INFORMAL DOCUMENTATION

• Track all sources as you research• Document informally as you go. Save that file.

FORMAL DOCUMENTATION:

• Find the closest possible match to your original source• Hacker• Purdue OWL• Library website• etc.

• Play the Highlights game • references/works cited page

INTEGRATING

SOURCES

Diagnostic 1:It is important to understand what importing food to schools

costs in excessive packaging along with all of the transportation based pollutants we are creating. A statistic taken from Eco Evaluator states that, “in the US alone, food consumption is projected to increase by as much as 20% by the year 2020. And that “food transportation in the form of truck, air, and sea shipping has created one of the most significant environmental impacts because it has caused rapid increases in the volume of greenhouse gas emissions.”(Eco, 2009) The costs of these prepackaged foods that are delivered in containers to be reheated and then served are not beneficial in any way to Oregon’s children.

Works Cited

"Buy Local, Local Food Is Sustainable - The Issues – Sustainable Table." Sustainabletable. 2011. Web. 23 June 2011. <http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/eatlocal/>.

Diagnostic 2:

Should there be a law prohibiting spanking as a means of discipline? Probably not. Promoting an absolute ban on spanking could be counterproductive, according to Dr. Lawrence Diller. “Just as Prohibition could not end drinking, it may be impossible to stop parents from spanking their children . . . The more society disapproves and tries to make it illegal, the farther such corporal punishment will be driven underground, making it even more inappropriate when used” (Diller 44). This makes a good deal of sense to me, and I really do get that to abolish spanking could have serious repercussions. However, you don’t have to be an abolitionist to strive for healthier ways to discipline children than beating them into submission.

Works Cited

Diller, Lawrence. “The Truth About Spanking: Promoting a Ban is Counter

Productive.” National Review 21 April 2008, Web. 20 June 2011

QUESTION:

What are both of these passages doing right?

PEE Structure

1. POINT

2. EVIDENCE

3. EXPLANATION

POINT

• Introduces your idea in your own words.

POINT:

EVIDENCE

2. uses a quote to provide evidence for your point, OR provides a counter argument

EVIDENCE:

EXPLANATION3. follows up the quote with an explanation of how it

supports your point, e.g. what it means, why it’s significant, or why you disagree

EXPLANATION:

Your quote:

You found this quote on page 23 in an article written by George Smith:

“Men are better equipped to handle physically demanding jobs such as construction or the military.”

Let’s say you disagree, and you want to argue this point.

PWhat’s the point?

Step 1: State the author’s point in your own words:

George Smith argues that women should not work in jobs that are physically demanding.

Some argue that women should not work in jobs that are physically demanding.

EWhat’s the evidence?

Step 2. Integrate the quote into a sentence that sets up the quote in your own words:

• According to Smith, “men are better equipped to handle physically demanding jobs such as construction or the military” (23).

• Men are much “better equipped to handle physically demanding jobs such as construction or the military” (Smith 23).

• Some believe women are not as well “equipped to handle physically demanding jobs such as construction or the military” (Smith 23) as men.

EWhat does it mean?

Step 3. Explain the meaning and significance of the quote in your own words

…showing why it is important to your point.

Despite Smith’s claim that women cannot do the same work as men, there is a wealth of evidence that shows this is not true. Many women have successfully worked in physically demanding jobs and done as well as or better than men.

PEE:

Some argue that women should not work in jobs that are physically demanding. According to men’s rights advocate George Smith, “men are better equipped to handle physically demanding jobs such as construction or the military” (23). Despite Smith’s claim that women cannot do the same work as men, there is a wealth of evidence that shows this is not true. Many women have successfully worked in physically demanding jobs and done as well as or better than men.

NOTE:

NO FREESTANDING QUOTES!

Your quote must be integrated into a sentence

that begins with your own words.

Integrating quotes• According to Smith, “men are better equipped . . .”

• Men’s rights advocate George Smith claims that “men are better equipped . . . “

• Smith has argued that “men are . . . “

• Some believe “men are . . . “

• In a 1992 article entitled “Men At Work,” author and advocate George Smith writes, “Clearly, men are better equipped . . .”

• Despite numerous studies showing that women easily keep pace with men in nearly every profession, Smith maintains that “men are better equipped . . .”

• Smith states: “Men are better equipped . . .”

FULL CITATION INFO

• Appears on the last page:

• Works Cited (MLA) or • the References (APA) or • the bibliography (Chicago Style)

Don’t forget to use PEE in your paper!

POINT:

EVIDENCE:

EXPLANATION: