the writing process

Don't concern yourself with what the information or ideas are; just write down anything related to the topic that occurs to you.. Make a note or two about where you think you could find

The Writing Process

GENERAL STEPS IN THE WRITING PROCESS

1 Prewriting and Planning

Good planning and preparation are the keys to good writing

a Thinking

The first thing that writers should learn about writing is that it starts with thinking Those who learn to write well know that a good deal of thinking needs to take place before any writing happens Many people who have trouble writing have trouble because they don't know how to get started A writer needs to start by thinking about the topic Usually, in professional life or college, the topic is given, at least in a

general way For example, you may be assigned to write a marketing proposal for next year, or write a position paper on how the new Eurodollar will impact

international exchange rates

Start by just thinking about the topic Let your mind center on it What do you already know about the topic? What don't you know? What do you need to know?

b Gathering Information

Begin brainstorming and perhaps jotting down information and ideas Let your mind flow with the topic Don't concern yourself with what the information or ideas are; just write down anything related to the topic that occurs to you If it helps you to make mind maps, use other graphics, or make lists, do so Brainstorm until you can't think

of anything else to jot down Be as specific as possible with any details

After you've finished brainstorming, look back at the information and ideas you've thought of and written down Review the material to see if anything else occurs to you Think about what other information you might need to gather What else do you need to know? What questions might someone have about your information? Make a note or two about where you think you could find the information you still need If you need to go to other sources, such as the library or databases, to get information and

do some research, then do so Make copies, mark them up, highlight passages, etc When you've gathered all the information you think you'll need, stop and check You need a lot of information and details to work with, of course, but check to see that you have the most basic information: the 5Ws+H Do you have all the information for your topic regarding who, what, where, when, why, and how? Do you have names and specific details? If you discover you are missing any information or necessary details, go back to your sources and get them It is important to have all of your information beforehand It facilitates the planning and keeps many writing problems from happening

c Thesis

You need to know the thesis of your paper before you try to write it In grade school, we're taught that a paper's thesis is its main idea This is true, but what is the main idea? Writers think of a thesis in somewhat more precise terms A thesis should contain two pieces of information: the topic and your position or opinion You should

be able to state it in one sentence For example: IBM PCs would best serve our computer needs Topic: IBM PCs Position/Opinion: would best serve our computer needs Write your thesis statement down in your notes and information If you need

to modify it later, you can, but decide what it will be and write it down Knowing your

thesis helps you know the direction you are going to take your information when you write your paper, report, etc It gives you focus

d Audience

Take a few moments to consider who your audience will be Who is going to be reading this paper? Who might read it after they read it? What do they already know about the topic, if anything? What do they need to know?

Also consider what you know about your readers What level of education do they have? What field is their specialty? What position do they have and what work do they do? What about differences in age, gender, etc.? What about cultural

differences?

Considering your audience will help you to mentally set your language level for writing your paper Your mind will start working on choosing the right words and phrasing for what you are going to tell them It will also help alert you to special considerations you might have to take into account when communicating with others, especially if topic knowledge or cultural differences must be considered

e Purpose

Take another moment to consider your purpose What are you trying to accomplish

by communicating the information you will be writing? Are you simply trying to give information that was requested, or are you attempting to also explain the

information? Do you need to convince them to see it your way or do it your way? Whatever it is, you should write it down in one sentence, like you did your thesis For example: The purpose of my paper is to convince management that IBM PCs are the best choice for our computer needs Refer to your thesis to help you compose your purpose statement You can modify it later, if necessary, but write it down the best you can for now Knowing your purpose ahead of time gives you focus It helps tailor your information and presentation to fit your thesis audience

Another reason it is good to know your purpose ahead of time is that it allows you to know when you are done with your paper Some writers have trouble knowing when

to stop writing When you have fulfilled your purpose, you're done If you've planned carefully, this usually coincides with discovering you've used all your information

f Organization

It is better and easier to organize your information and material before you write than

to try to do it after you've made a draft Being understood is the most important thing

in communication, and that requires thought and organization Organization has three sub-steps: editing, grouping, and outlining

1) Editing

You may wonder what there is to edit since you haven't written your paper yet At this point in the process, edit your information Discard any information you don't need How do you know what you need? Look at your thesis and purpose

Whatever information will support your thesis and fulfill your purpose, keep Whatever doesn't, toss out If you're not sure about a piece of information, keep it for now You can toss it out later if you don't use it

2) Grouping

Take the information you've kept and sort it into groups Base the groups on related information For example: This information is about IBM PC features; it goes together into a group This information is about software compatibility; it is another group This is price and warranty information; it's another group, etc Make sure each piece of information you have is put in the group it belongs in If

it helps to circle information, make lists, partial paragraphs, or draw information

or subject trees, do so You may want to name or title your groups to remember and identify what's in them

3) Outlining

This step does not have to be difficult In the past it has been difficult for many writers, and many have developed a habit of skipping it Don't It isn't a big problem if it is done properly Most people were introduced in grade school to outlines like I, II, III, A, B, C, 1, 2, 3, a, b, c, and so on Writers rarely use these and only for projects that are very lengthy or complex, such as books or

government proposals Most writing does not require this A scratch outline is sufficient for most things

Simply decide in what order to put your groups of information What do you have

to tell first? Then what? What should the reader know after that? Just number the groups of information in order and stack them up like blocks, 1, 2, 3, 4, etc Don't forget to put an introduction in the beginning and a conclusion at the end You're done That's an outline It should tell you in what order you are going to present your information That's about all it has to do, although it can double as a table of contents if you need one

2 Writing

Only now do you write, and writing should be easier and even faster because all you have to do is transcribe the information from your groups of information into sentences and paragraphs in the order you decided While you are writing your draft, do not

concern yourself with spelling, grammar, or mechanics; just write out the information in sequence as best you can Don't worry about the introduction, or labor over your wording

at this time Let the information flow as best you can and keep on track Other

considerations will only disrupt or break your concentration, and they are not important yet Your goal for now is to simply get it all down on paper or into the computer Even if it takes a while, finish the draft before you go on to the next step in the writing process Don't worry what it looks like as long as you can read it

3 Revising and Formatting

After you have finished writing your draft, you will need to revise it to make sure your information is clear and complete, the ideas are presented well, and the material is as readable and understandable as you can make it Check the organization to make sure everything ended up in the right place If you need to rearrange material for clarity or to improve the flow of your reasoning or logic, do so Get input from others if you want Often they will see something you might miss Rewrite as necessary, but don't let this become an endless task Once you have said what you have to say as best you can say

it, let that be the end of it If you planned well and carefully, the draft and revision should

go well If you run into a serious problem, backtrack through the planning process and correct it, then bring the process up to date, correct the problem, and finish your revision Certain documents require proper formatting, such as memorandums, business letters, reports, case study analyses, etc Determine the correct format for the paper you've written and arrange your information into that format Pay close attention to the

requirements and conventions of the format and make sure to follow them

4 Proofreading

The final stage of the writing process is to proofread the final draft At this stage, you are looking for errors in wording, grammar, spelling, punctuation, mechanics, etc Use spell checkers, etc., to help you Read it aloud—often you can hear an error you might not

see This last step is very important because the way a document looks and reads is as much a part of the presentation as what it says Take time to do this carefully

5 Presentation or Publication

The final product will be presented to the reader printed or published It should be as perfect as you can make it If you followed all of the writing process steps, in order, you should have a paper you can be proud of and one that looks good as well

Essay Writing THE FIVE-PARAGRAPH ESSAY: BASIC ESSAY ORGANIZATION

Writing assignments vary widely in terms of content, length, and rhetorical strategy, but nearly all stem from the basic building block of essay writing: the five-paragraph essay If a paper has

an unclear purpose, vague or disorganized points, or a murky introduction and conclusion, a review of the five-paragraph essay may be just what the writer needs to clarify and organize ideas

1 Introduction (First Paragraph)

a Attention-getter

Start with an attention-getter to introduce readers to the topic and allow them to become interested in it Some popular attention-getters are: a question; a quotation;

an idea that is opposite to the one the paper will develop; a brief anecdote; a general statement that narrows to the specific topic; or a startling fact or a statistic

b Thesis Statement

The thesis statement is one sentence (sometimes two) that expresses the main idea

of the essay Following is a helpful formula: thesis statement = topic + point

c Optional Plan of Development (or Signposts)

Many writers follow the thesis with a brief introduction to the main points of the

essay Either in a separate sentence or as part of the thesis statement, these

"signposts" help readers know what lies ahead Signposts should be presented in the order in which the points appear in the body of the essay

2 Body (Second, Third and Fourth Paragraphs)

Since many essays contain three main points, the five-paragraph essay is based on this number, although this is certainly not mandatory

a Elements of a Body Paragraph

1) Topic Sentence

This mini-thesis statement introduces the topic and point of the paragraph

2) Supporting Sentences

A well-developed paragraph will support the topic sentence with explanation, concrete details, and examples

3) Transitions

Transitions are words or phrases that build bridges between sentences and paragraphs to help an essay flow smoothly Some examples of common transitions: first; next; in addition; finally; consequently; however; and nonetheless

b Organizational Strategies for Body Paragraphs

Some assignments may give students specific guidelines for organizing essay

sections, but often this is up to the student The following basic patterns can be used

to organize main points in an essay or supporting ideas in a paragraph These

patterns are designed for essay writing; a newspaper or magazine article, for

example, would follow a different pattern designed for that distinct audience

1) Chronological Order

Arrange points in time order: first, second, third, etc

2) Spatial Order

Arrange points as they are seen from a specific location If one were describing the office of the future, for example, one could start with the entrance, then discuss the reception area, and finally describe the individual offices

3) Emphatic Order

Arrange points from least to most: least to most complex, least to most important, least to most developed, etc Readers will remember the last point most clearly, and an essay that builds up to this point ends on a strong note

3 Conclusion (Fifth Paragraph)

1) Final Statement of Main Idea

Return to the main idea, but avoid simply restating it Since the audience has now read the essay, the writer can tie main points together in a more meaningful and complex way than in the introduction

2) Optional Final Thoughts

Just as the attention-getter creatively opened the essay, final thoughts can artfully close it This is where a writer can emphasize the relevance, importance,

or impact of the topic or study, or perhaps motivate readers to action Such food for thought can help the essay's ideas linger on in the mind of the reader, even after the act of reading is finished

Tips for Using APA Manual, 5 Edition

Typeface must be 12-point font Serif fonts, such as Courier or Times New Roman, are preferred for manuscripts Sans-serif fonts, such as Arial, are preferred for figures (p

285, section 5.02)

2 SPACING

Double space all lines of a manuscript, including the reference page and block quotes (p 286, section 5.03) Although the APA manual permits other spacing in student

papers, the University requirement is to double space throughout

Margins should be one inch for top, bottom, right, and left

4 PAGE HEADER

Include a page header (an abbreviated title) at the top of the title page and all

subsequent pages Note that this is different from what APA calls a “running head.” The

“running head” is needed with some professors

5 TITLE PAGE

Follow this example for your cover page

[include a header flush to the right on title page

and all pages to follow]

APA Writing Style and Mechanics

Student Name University of Economics - ISB “The title is [double spaced,] in upper and lowercase letters, centered between the left and right margins… Include your group number and the course number for which you are enrolled” (Center for Writing Excellence, 2005)

6 QUOTATIONS

Quotations of fewer than 40 words should be enclosed by double quotation marks Smith noted, “The history of underwater basketweaving is simply amazing.”

Long quotes of 40 words or more should be formatted as block quotes Block quotes

are double-spaced and indented from the left margin one-half inch Do not use quotation

marks in block quotes unless there is a quotation embedded within the longer passage

7 PAGE NUMBERING

Pages of a manuscript are numbered consecutively, starting with the title page

Example: Underwater Basketweaving 6

8 CITATIONS IN THE TEXT

If you use and idea or the words of another, you must give credit to the source both in within the text and on a references page Generally, an in-text citation should include

the author’s last name, year, and specific page number (p 117, section 3.34) For electronic media where pages are not provided, cite the paragraph number Use the abbreviation para or the symbol ¶ (p 120, section 3.39) Also refer to pp 213-214,

section 3.101 For works with no publication date, use (n.d.) to specify “no date” (p 225, section 4.09) Examples: (Jones, 2000, p 3) and (James, 2001, para 2-5)

9 REFERENCES

Double-space all entries Alphabetize all the references by the author’s last name Use the hanging indent format (p 299, section 5.18) An example reference page is on p

313 Refer to the list on pp 232-239 for how to cite potential source materials

10 ABSTRACTS

Use an abstract only if required to do so by the faculty member (p 298, section 5.16, pp 12-15, section 1.07)

References

American Psychological Association (2002) Publication manual of the American Psychological

Association, 5th edition Washington, D C.: American Psychological Association

Avoiding Plagiarism: Top Tips to be Plagiarism-free!

1 Is the source my own idea, common knowledge or someone else’s material, idea

or thought? If the idea is not yours, you need to give credit to where you found the

material

2 Is the directly quoted material accurate? Verify that the exact words of the material

are used and there are quotation marks around those words

3 If paraphrasing or summarizing, am I using my own interpretation, my own words

and my own sentence structure to represent the material used? The point of

paraphrasing and summarizing is to capture the intent of the passage and give credit to the author, without using the author’s exact words, sentence structure or re-arranging the words in the sentence The goal is to restate the passage in your own words, using your own sentence structure without distorting the meaning of the original passage

4 Do I give credit to the source each and every time I use outside material? Are all

of my passages that are paraphrased, summarized or quoted acknowledged every

time? It is important to accurately acknowledge the source or the author in all

paragraphs where the material is used

5 Does my reference page include all of the sources that I refer to in-text, in the

body of my paper? Conversely, are all of my references in-text (with exception of personal communications) documented on the reference page? It is important to

make sure that all sources that are used are found in-text and on the reference page The exception to this rule is personal communications Personal communications, which include interviews, letter, memos, e-mail messages from non-archived resources, and telephone communications, do not need to be cited on a references page, because the material is not considered recoverable data Personal communications should always be cited in-text as follows: (J Jones, personal communication, June 13, 2004) Further information is on p 214, section 3.102 of APA Manual, 5th edition

6 Do I properly document my material in-text? It is very important to properly cite

material correctly in the body of your paper Not only are you giving credit to the source

or author, but you are also providing further insight and reference for readers who might want to conduct further research For in-text citations, provide an author, year and specific page number (p 117, section 3.34) For electronic media where pages are not provided, cite the paragraph number Use the abbreviation para or the symbol ¶ (p 120, section 3.39) Further information is on pp 213-214, section 3.101 of APA Manual, 5th edition Examples include the following: (Butler, 2000, para 1) or (Butler, 2000, ¶ 2-4) or (Jameson Industries, 2002-2004, para 2-6) For no date, you may cite as follows: (Bayer Laboratories, n.d., para 3)

7 Have I proofread my paper? Sometimes, a simple way to avoid plagiarism is to

double-check and verify that everything written is properly formatted, cited and accurate

In a rush, sometimes students can unwittingly, unintentionally make mistakes Peer reviewing and re-reading papers can help prevent mistakes with plagiarism