Research Paper Do’s and Don’ts for Getting Started and Revising
DO START EARLY AND PLAN: gather the tools and materials you will need, allot yourself time to complete your tasks by the assignments deadline
DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS: There are no “silly questions.” Make sure you understand the assignment.
DO ASSEMBLE YOUR COPY OF THE ASSIGNMENT: Your purpose statement and thesis statement, all your copies of your sources, your notes, your working bibliography, and your outline.
DON’T PANIC AT THE BEGINNING: Take a deep breath, and give yourself a block of time to get started.
DO TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONE AND LOG OFF SOCIAL MEDIA: make sure you have water and snacks near you, close the door, promise yourself you won’t emerge before you have written several pages
DON’T WORRY ABOUT PERFECTION: A draft is something you are going to edit, revise, rework repeatedly. For now, just get something down on writing.
DON’T NECESSARILY START AT THE BEGINNING: I find it most helpful to start with the thesis then intro and then body paragraphs, etc.
DO WRITE THE PARTS YOU KNOW THE MOST ABOUT FIRST: You don’t have to write your body paragraphs in the same order as your thesis. You can start out hap hazard and organize them later.
DON’T CONSTANTLY IMAGINE YOUR INSTRUCTOR’S RESPONSE TO WHAT YOU WRITE
DO WRITE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, AS FAST AS YOU CAN: Just keep writing, don’t worry about gaps. Write at least something on each of the point sin your outline. Write until you feel you have express all your main points
DO USE ALL OF YOUR CAMPUS RESOURCES: Visit the writing center and talk to peers
When revising, make an outline of what you have written and ask these questions:
Have I covered the most important points?
When I read my paper aloud, where do I hesitate to sort out the meaning?
Do I come across as someone with ideas on this topic?
Have I cited my sources accurately and responsibly?
Where do I need to provide more evidence?