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Writing
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At some point in the research process you have to decide that you are ready to write. Your critical thinking skills are especially important at this stage in the process. If the project is a speech, an annotated bibliography, a five page paper, or a senior theme, they will all require some writing. There is no one way to write in connection with a research project, but there are some rules specific to research writing that you should follow. It should not be surprising if some of the rules are similar to other bits of advice that have been given in this study guide.
RULE NUMBER ONE Allow yourself plenty of time.
Writing can be hard work, even if you have well organized notes and detailed outlines. You will be interrupted, need to take breaks, and discover things you need to do that you weren't counting on. Try to plan more time than you think you will need to write. On the other hand do not mistake time for quality. An argument that will not get you very far, if you want a professor to change a poor grade, is "But I spend a lot of time on this project."
RULE NUMBER TWO Never let the first draft be the final draft.
With the first draft you just want to get the ideas down on paper or screen. You can make the corrections or revisions later. The first draft will prove how good the outline is or whether you need to go back and rethink the topic or gather more information. Revisions, preferably several revisions, allow you to evaluate your own work for content and style, and then edit.
RULE NUMBER THREE Write clearly.
Be sure that someone else can understand what you are trying to say. Your language should be clear, and your arguments complete.
RULE NUMBER FOUR Give your work a professional look.
Now that word processors are more often used than typewriters, there is even less excuse to turn in a less than perfect final draft. Hand written corrections, white out smears, inconsistent margins, misspellings, and faulty grammar, as common as they once might have been, have never been acceptable. Neatness does count both as a philosophical concept and a marketing ploy. It is one of the best clues a professor has to judge both how you care about your work. How you present your product will affect how it is received. College professors are notorious nit-pickers, and a poorly packaged product can mean a lowered grade.
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Author: John R. Henderson
Last modified: 7/31/02