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Student Resources

Writing Tips

Informal Writing

Formal Writing

Online Papers

Writing Checklists

Plagiarism

Evaluating and Revising

Informal Writing

Discussion forums. These are informal online discussions in which you either answer questions that the professor poses, or ask and answer one anothers’ questions. You may be asked to present your opinion on the material you’ve read and defend it (ie. give reasons why you hold that opinion). Both the professor and the class can read all the discussion entries.
Online journals. In some cases, the professor will ask you to respond to a reading through an online journal which only he or she will read. The kinds of questions posed are similar to those in discussion forums.

Formal Writing

These should be turned in “letter perfect.”

Short papers or essays (2–3 pages). Some professors prefer that you write several short papers rather than one or two longer ones. Often these take the form of describing a problem, issue, or situation, and expressing and defending your opinion about it. Here, for example, is an assignment from the course Contemporary World:

“Review the 1994 film Bandit Queen and read the designated websites with reviews and discussion. Then write your own review responding to the issues of historical debate (ie. identify 2–3 key points made in the readings and tell why you agree or disagree with them.)”

For some kinds of classes, particularly literature, sociology, or other “human behavior” disciplines, you may also be asked to draw on your own personal experience to explore an issue.
Term papers (5–15 pages). It’s tempting to say that term papers are just like short papers, only longer. Often, that’s true. The primary difference is that term papers are often research papers, where you will be asked to do library or online research to gain information about a topic before you write about it. In research papers, you must document where you found your basic information, which calls for you to compile a bibliography and use footnotes or endnotes.
Collaborative projects. For some courses, sometimes professors ask students to create a joint or collaborative project. This may include online presentations or building a website. For these projects, the topic is often assigned up front, and the group then divides the work among themselves. These projects may take longer than other kinds of writing, for they may involve online peer review, editing, creation of graphics, etc. The professor will work with you to make sure the project is technologically feasible for your group.
Essay exams. In addition to objective exams, some professors also use online essay exams that are timed. The professor may give you topics beforehand to study. In general, essay exams ask you to provide information and/or analyze information and support your analysis. Note: You should focus on what you want to say without worrying excessively about spelling, punctuation, etc. Again, check your professor’s expectations.

Online Papers

Each discipline tends to require a characteristic kind of writing. For example, in chemistry classes, you might have to write lab reports, which record how you conducted an experiment and what your results were. In creative writing classes, you may produce poems, short stories, or other narratives.

But most disciplines in the humanities call for expository writing, which involves a systematic exploration of a subject or question. Such assignments may call for you to:

explain or describe the basic information, situation, or issue*
compare or contrast with something else (ie. how things are the same, how different)
evaluate the information or topic (ie. give your opinion and state why, using supporting information)

*Being able to describe the information (ie. knowing what it is) underpins the other two strategies, so even if you don’t describe it in the paper, you have to understand it.

Here are some examples of paper assignments in current online courses. See if you can figure out which strategyeach assignment is asking you to employ:

Contemporary World: “Read through the material on the Internet Assignment for the Arab-Israeli conflict. Assess the different arguments involved in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Which arguments do you find more persuasive and why?”

[Describe the arguments and evaluate them.]
Western Civilization 102: “Compare the developments or stages of the Russian Revolution with those of the French Revolution, starting with the Russian Provisional Government corresponding to the French National Assembly. Which features link the various Russian and French developments? What are the significant differences?”

[Compare and contrast.]
Sociology: Pick a dramatic turn in your life and think about how this personal crisis or trouble might also be part of a larger problem affecting many, perhaps thousands, of people you don't even know. Make a case for how this personal turning point in your life is both unique to you and also part of a larger social, cultural, and historical pattern or trend. Be specific. Convince me of the link between your trouble and an issue (or issues).

[Describe the situations; compare and contrast.]

Even though you may be taking courses in different subjects, often the kinds of writing you will be asked to do is very similar: (1) describe, (2) compare and contrast, (3) evaluate.

Writing Checklists

A thorough and consistent process for writing will benefit your writing in many ways. It will help keep you on track, and ensure that you write consistently. Use the following writing checklists to help you develop a writing process that works well for you. (Most of these checklists have been adapted from John M. Lannon, The Writing Process).

Audience

What are the educational level, social class, and economic status of the audience I want to reach?
Why will this audience read my writing? (To gain information? To learn my views on a controversial issue? To enjoy my creative flair? To be entertained?)
What attitudes, needs, and expectations do they have?
How much do they know about my topic? (Your answer here will help you gauge whether you’re saying too little or too much.)
What kind of language will communicate with them most effectively?

*For online courses, the audience, of course, will generally be the instructor. In that case, some of the answers are obvious: “(1) high educational level, (2) to see how well I’ve mastered the topic, (3) to evaluate by appropriate academic standards, (4) a lot more than I do, and (5) the clearest, most grammatical language.”

Choosing a Topic

Note: In class, the topic is often assigned, but you may have the option of choosing. If topics are more open, use the following checklist to help you decide:

Which strategy for choosing a topic should I use? Tapping my personal resources? Keeping a journal? Sorting out a broad subject? Asking questions? Free writing? Brainstorming?
Is the topic likely to interest my reader?
Is my topic the right size? Or have I bitten off more than I can chew? Be sure the topic is narrow enough for the paper’s requirements (ie. you can’t cover Western Civilization in 15 pages.)
Do I know enough about my topic, or can I learn enough about it in the time available?
How should I gather information? Brainstorming? Talking with others? Reading? Searching the Internet?

For more information on working with a topic, check the Colorado State Writing Lab at http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/processes/topic/.

What is plagiarism and how do I avoid it?

From Strategies for Successful Writing: A Rhetoric, Research Guide, Reader and Handbook, 6 th edition:

“Plagiarism occurs when a writer uses another person’s material without properly acknowledging the debt. Sometimes plagiarism is deliberate, but often it happens because students simply don’t understand what must be acknowledged and documented. Deliberate or not, plagiarism is absolutely unacceptable. Any summary, paraphrase, or quotation [from some other source] you include in your paper must be documented, as must statistics and graphics. The only types of information escaping this requirement are those listed below:

Common knowledge. Common knowledge is information that most educated people would know. For instance, there’s no need to document a statement that the Disney theme parks in California and Florida attract thousands of visitors each year. However, if you include precise daily, monthly, or yearly figures, then documentation is necessary.
Your own conclusions. As you write your paper, you’ll incorporate your own conclusions at various points. Such comments require no documentation. The same holds true for your own research. If you polled students on a campus issue, simply present the findings as your own.
Facts found in many sources. Facts such as the year of Shakespeare’s death, the size of the 2001 national budget surplus, and the location of the Taj Mahal need not be documented.
Standard terms. Terms widely used in a particular field require no documentation. Examples include such computer terms as mouse, floppy disk, and download.

Any piece of information not set off with quotation marks must be in your own words. Otherwise, even though you name your source, you plagiarize by stealing the original phrasing.”

Internet plagiarism. These days, students frequently use the Internet to conduct research. Unfortunately, too many of them lift hunks of text from websites and try to pass them off as their own. NO PLAGIARISM IS EASIER TO DISCOVER. Trust us on this one. Professors use Google, too, and it takes just a second to figure out if a phrase, sentence, or paragraph has been lifted from the internet. Be sure to put ideas into your own words, and be sure to credit any internet sources you use.

Overall Organization

Does my paper have a thesis (ie. a main idea)? What am I trying to say in this paper?
Does the paper include an introduction, which sets out the topic?
Will the introduction capture the reader’s interest, or at least be clear?
Does the body of the paper include enough evidence to support the point I’m trying to make?
Is the paper organized in a logical fashion (eg. sequentially, chronologically, or in order of importance?) Does my argument make sense?
Does the paper include a conclusion which summarizes or restates the point I want to make?

For more information on how to organize your paper, check out: http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/processes/organize/.

Paragraph Structure and Development

Does each paragraph have only one central idea?
Is the idea stated in a topic sentence or clearly implied?
Does the topic sentence help to develop the thesis statement?
Does each paragraph contain enough supporting detail?
Is each paragraph appropriately organized?
Is the relationship between successive ideas clear?
Is each paragraph clearly and smoothly related to those that precede and follow it?
Does the introduction arouse interest and set the appropriate tone?

For more information on paragraph structure and development, check out: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_pgrph2.html, and
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_pgrph.html.

Sentences and Words

Are my sentences clear and well-constructed?
Have I varied the pattern and length of my sentences?
Do I know the meanings of the words I use?
Do I explain meanings my reader may not know?
Have I used the appropriate tone and level of diction?
Does/would figurative language enhance my style?
Have I avoided wordiness, euphemisms, clichés, mixed metaphors, and sexist language?

For more about sentence variety, check out this Purdue link:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_sentvar.html.

Evaluating and Revising

Peer Draft Response Checklist

If you’re evaluating your peers’ drafts, ask yourself these questions. Remember, they will be asking the same questions of you! It’s also helpful to ask these questions of your own essay.

What is the main point of the essay?
What is the biggest problem?
What is the greatest strength?
What material doesn’t seem to fit the main point or the audience?
What questions has the author not answered?
Where should more details and examples be added? Why?
At what point does the paper fail to hold my interest? Why?
Where is the organization confusing?
Where is the writing vague or unclear?

For a more expanded checklist, visit: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_hocloc.html.

Revision Checklist

Are you sure it’s finished? Using the acronym FACT, ask yourself these questions and revise your paper accordingly.

Does my essay FIT together, presenting a central point for a specific audience? Does my thesis statement accurately reflect the content of my essay, or have I included material that has no bearing on the main point?
Have I included material that my reader will need to grasp my meaning, or do I need to ADD information or examples?
Have I included material that fits the thesis but needs to be CUT because it is uninteresting, uninformative, or repetitious?
Does a TEST of my organization show that the writing flows smoothly, with clear transitions between the various ideas?

For a proofreading checklist, visit: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_proof2.html.

For more information about writing concerns in general, visit this Purdue link and click on the topic you are interested in: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/index.html.

To find out what help is available at UNCG's writing center, link to www.uncg.edu/eng/writingcenter.

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