Papers and Essays
Try pre-writing then doing research
This will re-earth thing you didn't know about the topic
This will create questions and arguments
Creates more focused research
Writing the Paper
Brain dump
Lets you put down ideas onto paper or document
Pull everything that is related to the topic on to the paper
List
Main points that is important to cover
Specific external resources
Research process
Does not create a coherent paper
Students get stuck in this phase forever
Research recursion syndrome - Constantly looking for another source
Find your sources
Google Scholar, EBSCO, school library, Notes and Bibliography in popular science books
Create personal copies
Annotate the material
Highlight sections that are relevant to arguments and might assist in details of the arguments
At least two sources for the main point in the thesis, at least one for non-crucial points
"Write drunk, edit sober." - Based off of Peter De Vries', Reuben
Let initial act of creation be free of scrutiny and restraint
The paper doesn't have to be perfect the first time
It's okay if the first draft is terrible
Because there will be heavy editing in the future
Try to write the first draft in something completely different that what the final draft is in
Ex. Write first draft in Evernote and create the final draft in Google drive
Edit in two different stages
Content Editing
Technical Edit
Looking at the paper and asking
Does each Argument support the thesis?
Does the paper have a good narrative flow?
Is each Argument properly fleshed out and backed up with research or external sources?
What can be removed or written in a clearer simpler way?
Look for if the paper conveys the point to the reader in a simple concise way
Ready to identify problems that contain syntax
Spelling and grammar mistakes
Poorly structured sentences
Formatting errors
Sentences that just don't sound right
May be easier to edit the paper by hand
Read it out loud
Also allows to stop editing on the fly
Forces you to slow down and prevent skipping over words
Also helps find sentences that don't sound good
Have other people look it over a give feedback
People can only read your paper only once
Be explicit about the feedback you want
They will naturally look for spelling and grammar errors
Print out the paper and look it over one more time