When writing any paper it is important to organize your paper before you begin, knowing where to find the information you need to substantiate your assertions. If you make any claims in your research paper, you need to back it with proof. Proof can come in the form of an argument, or it can come from finding credible sources that agree with your statements. Once you have done the research there are steps to follow to organize what you have found to make your paper more credible and supported.

Where to find sources for your research

There are different places that you can look to find information depending on what you are trying to research. Some of the places to find the best cited sources are:

• Journals
• Academic papers
• Text books
• First hand interviews
• The internet

There are many credible sources and these are just a few. The most important thing to make sure when you are using a source is that you know where it is coming from. When you use information from the internet it is sometimes hard to find the originating source. It is not appropriate to cite second hand sources. If an article is referencing a specific article, or work, you must go back to the origin to cite it. Second hand citation is not an appropriate way to use information.

Also, if you are citing a "professional" it is important to make sure that they are actually a professional. Not everything that is written on the internet is from credible sources, or people who should be held in high esteem. In academic work it is imperative that you only use sources who have the credentials to be making the assertions, or the proof to back up their results, or findings.

Where to start researching for your paper

Once you have decided on a thesis for your paper, it will set the tone for the entire work. Making sure that you have a clear defined thesis, is therefore the cornerstone of organizing and outlining your research paper. The steps to organizing your research are:

• Choose a thesis
• Make an outline of key points
• Define what organizations or where you can find credible sources
• Do a Google or internet search to find the most recent research available
• Check the library catalog to find excerpts for the subject you chose

Finding out where the information is is the key to finding the information you need to begin.

Once you have identified sources to look through

Once you have identified the key sources to use for your research, begin compiling the information in such a way:

• Begin by skimming the most relevant information first
• Go to the table of contents to get to the key points for your research - often times it will not be necessary to read an entire article. Reading the abstract, or excerpts, is often times enough to get the supporting information that you need
• Go to the chapters that contain the information that you need instead of reading the entire body
• Go to any summaries that are available
• If you find a source that has exactly what you need, spend some more time reading carefully
• Once you find information that is relevant, look to the reference page to see where other information that is linked to the article is
• Search out the links and do the same with them

Researching is like following a trail. Once you find the leader which is the article which is most pertinent to your subject, chase the reference page and citing to find other works that match with the information that is contained within it. Once you have gotten to the link in the chain where it begins to branch from what you are looking for, you have reached the end of the chain to investigate.

Final tips

Sometimes knowing where to look to find the information you need for a research paper is the most difficult part of finding it. The first step in doing research for any paper is clearly defining the thesis of what the paper will entail. By clearly defining the thesis, or point of the paper, you will be able to make arguments and find the information that will be necessary to substantiate them. By making an outline of what you are going to write, outlining the arguments point by point, you will know where you need to find the credentials you will need to substantiate them.

Finding research is not the hard part, finding research that is relevant is. Learning to sort through all the works that will be available is an important skill that will take time. Not reading entire journals, but instead, learning to skim for the important information is something that will save you a lot of time, and will teach you to only use the information that is needed for your individual topic. Using abstracts, summaries and works cited from other articles are a good way to organize what needs to be read and what can be skipped. Overall, it is important when using any source for research that you know the validity of the source you are using. Making sure they are credible and have the proof to substantiate their claims lends validity to your research paper as well.

Original story about "Conducting research for your paper: how to organize your work" at Research Paper Writing category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

What is a case study?

A case study is something that is usually used in the field of life sciences, medical science or life sciences. It is something that is performed in research to try to get an understanding of how, and why, a certain population, person, group or event occurs. It is a study that is performed to find etiology of certain cause and effects. The objective of any case study is to find the underlying cause of a specific cause. A case study may be performed in two different ways either retrospectively or prospectively. In a retrospective case study, historical records are used and the criteria is well established prior to the study beginning. In prospective case studies, the criteria is established at the beginning and the cases are selected to fit the criteria which is being studied.

How are case studies used in medical research?

A case study for the purposes of medical research can be done both retrospectively or prospectively.

An example of a retrospective case study is when you choose people who have developed diabetes and then work backwards to find out their history. You would do so by taking those who have developed diabetes and asking them about their habits, their diet and their medical history.

A prospective case study would be when you choose people in a certain age group, say 2 year olds, and follow them for 30 years to see who among them develops diabetes. You would record their diets, habits and medical history along the continuum of time that you choose to follow them.

When will you be asked to do a case study

You will most likely be asked to do a case study somewhere in your course work. Many medical theories and results are those which come from case studies. You will be using them often to find cause and etiology of certain diseases and to aid in how you teach your future patients prevention for disease. They are the gold standard for finding ways to prevent many diseases by identifying those things that are the direct cause of disease. An example of those cause and effects which have been studied through case studies are:

• Smoking and heart disease
• Obesity and diabetes
• Smoking and cancer

When choosing a case study

If you are asked to do a case study in your coursework the best way to start is by choosing a cause and effect relationship that you want to demonstrate. If you believe that one thing causes another, a case study is what you would use to prove it. There are many things to remember when choosing a case study to begin:

• Choose a cause and effect that is short lived - since you won't have 3 years to do your case study, finding a quick cause and effect is important
• Commit to a clear hypothesis such as "this causes this"
• Try to limit any confounding variable. A confounding variable is something that will interfere with the integrity of one thing causing another. It is a third thing that can be cause one or the other. For instance, if you wanted to show that lifting weights makes you stronger then you would want to choose participants that didn't perform other exercise like a soccer player, or a basketball player. It is important to choose participants who are equal to study.
• If you can't prove your cause and effect, do not change your hypothesis. It is just as important to prove that a cause doesn't exist as to prove it does. Often scientists make the mistake of thinking that only causal relationships hold validity. It is just important to prove that one thing does not have a causal relationship on another
• Keep it small - choosing a small sample size is a good place to start. Choosing one that is too large will be much more difficult to work with

A case study is something that the medical field uses to show cause and effect. Although it is a type of experiment, it is also open to subjective interpretation. It is not as important to hold things constant as you do with other types of research, in fact, it is in the variation of subjects where you find the richness of data. If you are asked to conduct your own case study it is important that you choose a hypothesis that you know is strong and can be proven, or disproven. Often times, there is no clear hypothesis statement which in the end makes it more difficult to make sense of the data you have collected.

You are not going to be conducting a case study that is going to go down in the medical journals. You professor is just looking to make sure that you understand the process and complexity of a case study, so keep it simple. Don't go overboard with your participant size, or overall case study target. Keeping it manageable is the best way to demonstrate your proficiency with the process of case studies in general.

Original story about "Case study writing for Medicine course: Things you should remember" at Case Study Writing category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

Why is it necessary?

Just as inventors are protected by patents, writers and other creative individuals are protected by copyright and plagiarism laws. However, students and scholars are permitted to cite their works to strengthen a particular position or argument, as long as they give them credit. This arrangement is actually mutually beneficial. The authors or creator who is being quoted or cited receives increased exposure in the academic community, while the student is able to add credibility to their writing by including textual examples from a published work.

Just like the book reports you wrote as a grade school student, quotes and citations add depth to your writing. They also help you better understand the work or subject in question. After all, there is no better source than the original; and secondary criticism and interpretation can also be instructive.

Which referencing style is the right one?

One of the reasons students sometimes neglect to give a creator his/her due is that there are literally hundreds of referencing styles that they must follow, depending on their subject or field of study. They may not differ that much, but most academic disciplines have unique rules and standards when it comes to citing sources for research papers. If you fail to abide by these guidelines, you may receive a lower grade or even a returned paper.

Popular styles

Any discussion of referencing styles would be incomplete without reviewing the most popular styles that are used in most major academic subjects, both in undergraduate and postgraduate studies.

The APA

One of the oldest reference styles around, the APA stands for the American Psychological Association. It is widely used in education, business, the social sciences, and many other areas of academic study.

MLA

For obvious reasons, the style that was created by the Modern Language Association of America is used mostly in English and the Humanities. It is the reference style of choice for most non-scientific writers in the United States.

Chicago

Sometimes call Turabian after its author, this reference style comes to us through the Chicago Manual of Style. It is used mostly in theology, political studies, history, and the social sciences.

Harvard

Originally published by the Harvard Law Review Association, the Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is naturally used to cite sources in legal research papers and sometimes in medicine, natural sciences, and social and behavioral sciences.

Vancouver

Used almost exclusively in the medical sciences, the Vancouver styles have been around for more than three decades now. It is the citation style of choice in medical journals in North America.

Which one to use?

We can't say for sure. The aforementioned styles are simply the most popular ones, but they only represent a small fraction of viable referencing styles. If you are uncertain about which referencing system you should use, simply consult your instructor or the course guide.

The discrepancies

As we mentioned, there isn't a whole lot of difference between most of these major referencing styles. However, scholars and professors can be persnickety when it comes to following the rules. Another issue is that there's a lot of overlap in referencing styles for the larger subjects. For example, students in the Creative Arts and Industries might be asked to use MLA, APA, Harvard, or Chicago styles. There are really only a handful of major subjects that can claim a single referencing style, such as Education (APA) and Theology (Chicago). All of the others pick and choose based on a myriad of requirements.

Referencing within the text

When you reference within the text, you place the citation directly after the quote, usually in parentheses. The format for these references varies slightly based on the style that is used. For example, the APA styles utilizes an author-date sequence and a page number for direct quotes, while the MLA style employs an author-page number format, or even a footnote.

Works cited pages

In addition to the in-text citation, most research papers must also include a reference list or a works cited page at the end. These pages typically reiterate the information that was first presented in either the original citation within the text or the footnote.

What you must do

In most cases, the discrepancies between reference citing styles involves the order of how each citation is presented. But the information is almost always the same. You will always need to know the author, editor, publisher, publication date, city of publication and page number(s) for a printed work.

Submission

As tough as your teachers or professors may be, they're nothing compared to journal or magazine editors. In most cases, an editor will not accept an article or paper for possible publication unless the author uses the correct referencing style. They will simply reject it and return it unread.

Other considerations

Although the order of information within the reference is important, punctuation and font should not be ignored. Using a comma where a semicolon should be or vice versa may result in a lower grade or even in rejection. It might seem like a minor point, but professors can be sticklers when it comes to citation reference styles.

If you don't want to bother your instructor or professor, it is often possible to locate the referencing style that is used at your school on the internet. Simply visit the website and search for the style manual. It should tell you everything you need to know about writing research papers at your college or university.

Original story about "Referencing Styles: Find Your Own Way to Learn the Rules of All Styles" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

What is an essay?

Even though all of us have written one, we might not be able to define what the word actually means. The simplest definition of an essay is a short composition that concerns a single subject, although even that is open to interpretation. In order to receive their doctor of philosophy degree (PhD), students must compose a long essay or dissertation. It doesn't matter what you might study in your academic career, essay writing is a required skill. From English to math and science majors, you will be expected to write research reports and essays on a regular basis.

The etymology of the verb "essay" runs through several languages, including Old French, Middle English, and Late Latin. According to these Indo-European roots, it either means "to attempt" or "to weigh," which describe the process and its consequence. As we mentioned, there are many different types of essays, but most of them follow a familiar format. Let us take a moment to review it.

The three main components of the standard essay are the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. That is the simplest and most acceptable way to organize any essay. Unless otherwise instructed, the average student can use this format to compose most of the papers he/she will write in their secondary and even their tertiary education.

The Introduction

Arguably the most important part of your essay, the first paragraph must capture your reader's attention. Begin with a winning opening sentence that introduces your topic in a new, exciting way. After you get them hooked, give your readers some background information on the topic. If you aren't sure what to say, it is often a good idea to include a quote from a famous author, person, or historian. The ideas that are discussed in the intro should be quite general at the opening and gradually grow more specific as the paragraph comes to an end. The very last sentence of the exordium must conclude with a declarative thesis sentence.

Thesis Statement

The line that sets the tone for any standard essay is the thesis statement. This is a sentence that simply and succinctly tells the reader what the main idea of your essay is. It may only be a dozen words long, but everything that comes after it must support the points that are conveyed in the thesis sentence.

Examples

Let's say you're writing an essay on green energy, you might use a thesis sentence that goes something like this: "Electric automobiles provide a viable alternative to gas-powered cars because the pros finally outweigh the cons." Or if you are writing a health-related paper, you might use a line like: "There should be a total ban on smoking in all public places because secondhand smoke injures innocent non-smokers."

Body

But whatever your thesis sentence might be, once it is firmly in place, you can start on the body of your essay. The purpose of this section is to support the main points that were expressed in your thesis statement. Each point should be addressed in one or more paragraphs and must be corroborated with specific examples and details, whether quotes and/or statistics. Do not simply state opinions, unless otherwise instructed, since essays generally require real proof to be persuasive.

Standard Citations

For the average essay, the writer uses quotes from books, newspapers, magazines, and online sources. Depending on the reference styles he/she is instructed to use, citations must be included in the text, in a footnote, and/or on a citation page at the end of the essay. Of course, your own analysis is also extremely important. You should say what you believe throughout your paper, but make sure you support your opinions with quotations and other citations.

Organization

The body paragraphs should always be organized according to the ideas you introduced in your thesis statement. As a general rule, you should always begin with your strongest point, the ones that support your supposition with facts. This will help you build on a firm foundation and draw readers to your side of the argument.

Transitions

Because your major points may take several paragraphs to address, it can be difficult, even awkward to make a smooth transition to the next point. The most familiar and reliable way to make these seamless segues is to use transitions. Using words and terms like "first," next," "in addition," etc, can help you move things along and preserve the flow of your paper as it moves from one topic to the next.

When utilizing transitions, make sure that you get to the main point as soon as possible, preferably in that sentence. These topic sentences help set the tone for the paragraph or paragraphs that follow, and transitions make them easier to introduce in a fluid and natural way. Just make sure you mix it up a bit and do not use the same transitions in every new topic sentence.

Conclusion

This final section brings together all of the main points of your essay in a few succinct sentence. One of the most common mistakes most essay writers make is that they expatiate endlessly in this last paragraph. A writer must resist the temptation to hammer home all of the points they made. This hard-sell approach does not go over well with teachers and professors. They simply want you to reiterate what you have already said and go out on a strong note. Do not introduce any new ideas or opinions in the conclusion. Stick to the topics that were covered in the paper and remember to use citations, even if you are simply restating something.

Original story about "Basic Formatting Rules for an Essay" at Essay Writing category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

The key to any assignment is applying the right amount of time and work to it that it requires. Many college students make the mistake of not allocating enough time to work on their coursework. By waiting until the last minute to start a paper or assignment, it will often leave you in a panic, to not only finish the paper, but to choose a topic. Since the topic of a paper is as important as the content of it, taking time to pick the right one will set the tone for the quality of the work overall.

Choosing a topic

The hardest part of any task sometimes is just getting started. A college level paper is no different. The topic that you choose will set the tone for the entire work, and point you in the direction of where to find your information, how to organize the paper, and how to finish it. The best way to get started is to first pick a topic. When choosing a topic:

• Make sure that there is enough information about it
• It is interesting and fits the parameters of the assignment
• It is current and relative to the subject matter
• You have clearly defined the title and subject matter

Have clarification about the assignment

When you are ready to sit down and begin writing your paper, the very last thing you want to encounter is the inability to start because you have a question which interferes with you beginning the project. It is important well before you begin writing to clarify, and understand, what is being asked of you. Once you have set the night aside and are ready to begin, it will be too late to contact the professor to get an answer to your questions about what needs to be done.

First things first

If your paper needs research, have it done ahead of time. When you finally sit down to write the paper, you want to have all the research necessary completed, and at your fingertips. You don't want to begin a paper by writing than finding the information, you should have it all done ahead of time so that writing the paper is really about piecing the information together and making the necessary connections.

Putting time aside

When you are starting a paper it is important to physically put the time aside. There are many of us who are procrastinators who will continue to think about what needs to be done, and perhaps think about the steps that need to be taken. Taking the steps to sit down, at a computer, and begin typing must be done sooner than later. Although you may think that you have it all laid out and ready to go, until you put words to paper, you won't have an idea of what it is going to take to begin, or to complete.

Finding the right place to concentrate

Not only is it important to sit down, it is important to find a place to sit down. Many dorm rooms, or meeting rooms are simply too loud and distracting to get things done. Getting started is hard enough, with constant reasons for avoidance, interaction, or distractions, committing the time is near impossible. Choosing a quiet place like the library is the best way to hone in on what needs to be done without temptation.

Set aside an evening to get started

You most likely will not be able to finish the paper in just one evening, but you have to start somewhere. Beginning by setting aside an evening to sit down and start is important to convincing yourself to concentrate. When setting aside an evening:

• Tell your friends you will be unavailable
• Go to a specific place to begin
• Leave your cell phone and other devices behind
• Eat enough before leaving that you won't have the excuse of being hungry

Making an outline

The second most important step to starting a paper is developing an outline. An outline is a general guide to how the paper is going to be formatted, the information that will be contained within it, and how you are going to lay the content out. Depending on the type of paper that is being assigned, making an outline that is specific will not only make sure that you have provided the appropriate information and material, but that you are staying on task, and have a beginning, a middle and an end. When formulating an outline:

• Come up with a thesis statement, or point of the paper
• Present the steps that need to be taken to support that thesis, or point
• Include the major points, or arguments
• Conclusion, including a summary and then support statement

Just get started

Sometimes the hardest part of writing a paper is getting started. Having all the pieces ready to go when you are ready to begin is the best way to focus on the actual writing and avoid procrastination, or the temptation to put it off another day. Being able to manage your time can best be done by beginning the project and then estimating. If you wait until the last minute to do it all, you will not produce the best work possible. Taking the steps to have all the components together before sitting down to write, will make the writing experience easy and fluid.

Original story about "Coursework writing tips - how to start the paper" at Coursework Writing category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

Power Point is a way of using a computer program to organize and unveil your information to either a group, or just to the professor. It is a program which allows you to breakdown information into categories which are more easily understood. Giving you the guidelines for what is needed to present your case, and a highly organized way to display it, it remains the most requested program for use. When using Power Point presentations, however, it is just as important to acknowledge the source of your information. There are ways in which it is appropriate to give credit to the sources you use, that will avoid any problems of using other people's work illegally, or without giving them the proper credit.

What is Power Point?

Power Point is a program that you use on a computer. It is a software program that gives you several templates for use in both academic and business circles. By giving you the templates, it guides you through the pertinent content you need to make your academic information relevant, and to prove to any audience that you have the command of the subject and the proof to substantiate any claims made within it. It is a way to present key points to your audience. Condensing an academic work, it gives just the information which is most important in a concise manner. Businesses use Power Point to pinpoint information about what their services can provide and a pro con list of the strengths of their corporation, product or service.

It is the preferred method of information dissemination in both academic environment and business environments. Unlike any other program, it can be used on almost any computer system and is the most user friendly platform you can find for use across International boundaries and all levels of computer proficiencies.

What is the difference between how you cite information in a paper, or PowerPoint?

When you use information in your paper, you must cite the information in a works cited, or works reference page. In a Power Point presentation there is space to add a page at the end of the presentation. Where a Power Point presentation differs is that each individual slide is presented to an audience, therefore, in order to give the proper credit to the author of the information that is contained within the individual slide, you must reference each page that uses any outside information separately. It is not appropriate to wait until the end to acknowledge the source, you must do it when it is used on the individual slides. You can do this by adding a text box to the bottom of the page, or using an endnote which indicates that the reference is found at the end of the presentation.

How to reference on a power point presentation

What technique you use for referencing will depend on the specification of the professor or the industry. Once you have a list of references for your pages:

1. Choose whether you want to use endnotes or footnotes to cite visibly on your pages. Endnotes will appear at the end of the text, while footnotes will be added to the end of the page. It will not matter which one you choose, it is personal preference, but whichever you do choose, it is important to be consistent throughout the presentation
2. If you are using a footnote, insert a text box by clicking InsertSymbol, or a number, make sure that when adding, the number or symbol used matches the reference in the box
3. When using Endnotes, create an "Notes" page that links the citation information to the text throughout the slides
4. At the end of your presentation, add a works cited page, the same that you would in any research paper you created. Use the page to list all of the references used in order

Important things to remember

• When using references in a Power Point presentation it is appropriate to make the text box font smaller than the rest of the text on the slide, but do not make it so small that it can not be read by the audience
• Adding the references at the end of the presentation is not enough, you have to reference the information as it is used throughout the slide presentation
• You can use website links for references if that is where the originating information came from

Conclusion

A Power Point presentation is really just a condensed version of any research paper. As such, it needs to have the same works cited, or referenced pages within the content. Because each slide may contain information that needs to be credited, or acknowledged, you must present the source individually on each slide. Whenever you use the information from another source, or an idea from another individual, you must reference it. Just like in any paper you write, if you don't cite the information appropriately, or lay credence to the originating source, you are committing plagiarism which is no different than stealing.

If you don't cite the references appropriately in your Power Point slide, you can run into problems with not only your audience, but in academic circles, with the people who are supplying you with a grade. Using the proper citation practices is important for your overall grade, and being in compliance with the professor and the university. Whether you choose to use endnotes or footnotes, it is important to be consistent throughout your slide presentation.

Original story about "Power Point presentation formatting: how to format a reference slide" at Power Point Presentation Writing category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

Because the dissertation is intimidating-it can take years and hundreds of pages to complete-some candidates fail to give this first step the attention and respect it deserves. They often go in underprepared and are unable to convince their doctoral committee that they have what it takes to start writing a major thesis. What they may not consider until it is too late is that the proposal stage is actually an integral part of the eventual writing process.

Why it's important

In addition to getting the greenlight to start writing, the proposal phrase can also help you clarify your opinions, thoughts, believes, and arguments on your subject, as well as the approach you will take. Candidates should be prepared to answer tough questions about their topics and defend their arguments with specific examples.

Thesis Proposal Paper

The purpose of a thesis is to identify a problem in your chosen field and put forth a practical solution on how to solve it, thereby adding to the body of knowledge in that subject. To attain approval from your doctoral committee, you must submit a thoughtful and persuasive proposal paper. The length of this document varies from school to school, but it is typically between 12 and 20 pages. While students generally receive guidance when it comes to selecting their topic and the methods they will use to solve the problem, they are expected to compose their proposal paper on their own.

General Guidelines

Colleges and universities are quite strict when it comes to every stage of the dissertation process, including the proposal paper. They often have their own format guidelines that should ensure success, i.e., approval, if you provide all the information they ask for. It is, however, important not give them more than they want or need. Many students make the mistake of overwriting their proposals and end up with a turgid mess of a paper that fails to impress anyone. So, stick to the key points!

Format

If you ignore the specific formatting guidelines that your school has prescribed, your paper may be returned unread. That's right! The committee may reject it if your proposal paper is too long, does not have numbered pages, or is not double-spaced. There are many other formatting rules that must be followed to the letter, but the aforementioned infractions are easily the most common. Never make the mistake of simply assuming that your school follows general formatting rules for thesis proposals. If you can't find any specific information on the internet, ask one of your instructors to provide them for you.

Contents

Once again, this is a general discussion of the dissertation writing process. Your school may have its own specific set of standards, so always double check before you put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard. With that said, the following content sections can be found in most thesis proposal papers.

1. Title of the Study

For obvious reasons, you can't start writing anything until it has a working title. This title can be revised and rephrased during the writing process, so don't worry too much if it's not perfect at the outset. A doctoral committee very rarely rejects a dissertation based entirely on the fact that it has a prosaic or uninspired title. More often than not, they will simply recommend that you rework it during the writing process.

2. Abstract

This section is typically quite brief, often only about a page and should summarize the major sections of the proposal, including the Introduction, Statement of the Problem, Background of the Study, Hypotheses, and the Procedures and Methods sections. Keep it short and sweet and don't go into too much detail.

3. Introduction

This is the section where you inform your readers of the problem that is under investigation and give them a general overview of the issues, history, and the circumstances that produced it.

4. Statement of the Problem

This should be easiest section to write in the entire paper, but some candidates over think it. Really, all you have to convey in these two or three short sentences is why you're writing your paper. Use precise language and avoid unsupported opinions.

5. Background of the Study

While it is okay to have an atypical, even iconoclastic opinion on an issue, a thesis paper always exists within a larger, established body of knowledge. In this section, you must provide a general background that supports your theoretical study based on your subject or chosen field.

6. Research Questions

These inquiries are a logical extension of the Statement of the Problem section. They should be presented clearly and concisely and frame the basis of your investigation into the problem and how to solve it. These questions should be simple and easy for even the layperson to understand. Avoid the temptation of overcomplicating them by including allusions to little-known researchers or academics in the field. Doctoral committees want you to answer the big questions first before you move on to a few more specific, even obscure ones.

7. Procedures and Methods

Now that you have answered the "why," you must turn you must focus to the "how." How exactly will you obtain and examine data and information during your study? What controls will be utilized to ensure accuracy and consistency and what sampling technique will you employ? Don't forget to explain the technique that will be used to analyze all data that is related to hypotheses or research questions.

8. Limitations

Modesty is required to complete this next section. You must address any possible weaknesses or shortcomings of your study, from the assumptions it makes to how research will be analyzed and interpreted. For some supremely confident doctoral candidates, this is the most difficult section to write. Our advice? Put your ego aside and accept the fact that all studies have flaws, but those weaknesses do not necessary negate them.

9. References

Just like any research paper, you must cite all of the sources you used in your proposal paper. Failure to do so could result in immediate rejection. So, always take the extra ten minutes to properly cite your sources.

Original story about "Dissertation Proposal Writing Difficulties: What You Should Be Ready For" at Dissertation Writing category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

In a high school there was someone who was monitoring what needed to be done. Homework seemed like a time waster, but it was something that was assigned unknowingly to set the tone for your future studies. Homework may have appeared to be busy work, but it was really a way for professors to get you to schedule time to do what needed to get done. It was a way to train you for what laid ahead in your future. If you were smart enough to pay attention to what needed to be done, and the time it took, you learned a valuable lesson. Unfortunately, most high school students don't understand until it is too late that the assignments in high school are the predecessors for success in college.

The magic formula for college work

It would be nice if there was a magic formula to know exactly how much time everything in college will take you. If you knew that for every course there would be a specific amount of time that was needed, then you could manage your time effortlessly. The problem is that some courses in college will require much more time than others. There will be subjects that will not be as difficult for you as others, or as time consuming. Those courses which come easy will not be the ones which you need to worry about scheduling for. The ones that require the most work, or are the most difficult for you personally, will be the ones which will cost you the most stress in trying to arrange the appropriate amount of time.

The type of work for any college course will depend on the type of class that it is. There are some courses which are analytical, and those which are more subjective. Any time you are required to write a term paper, there will be time involved. A term paper will require that you schedule time that is not considerable to taking a test. When you take a test, you are able to manage how much time it will take in studying. When you need to write a term paper there are some questions that you need to ask yourself:

• Is the subject something I know a lot about?
• How much research will I have to do?
• How many pages, or what is the word count, that is required?
• Is it a subjective paper, or an objective one?
• Does the term paper cover the information presented in class, or is it up to you to do additional research to finish it

Any time you need to do research for a term paper there is going to be more time involved. If you know very little about a subject, you need set aside a considerable amount more time than if you are well versed in the subject matter. If the information needs to be something more than that which you learned in class, you should add at least an additional day to the time needed for completion. When there is research required, not only do you need to set aside the time to write the term paper, you need to allocate time to research the topic and to adjust for the potential that you may not immediately find what you need to substantiate your term paper. Allowing enough time to do the research is key to determining how much time the overall paper will take.

If the paper is more objective than subjective you need to allow more time. If you need to cite your opinions, or add credence to your point of view, that is necessarily going to take more time than if you are merely pleading your case based on your opinion. Because term papers can be both argumentative, or informative, the type of paper that needs to be written will dictate the time you need to set aside. The overall word count, or number of pages that are needed, will be a great determinator to how much time it will take. The longer the paper, obviously, the more time it will require.

Manage your time effectively

Managing your time may be one of the best, and hardest lessons learned in college. Unlike high school, you won't have any teacher standing over you, assigning homework, or any parent reminding you what you have to do. College is a time when you have to stand on your own two feet. It is also a time when it is possible to completely crash out on your own. The most important lesson to learn is that if you have a paper to write, it is best not to wait until the last minute. You may have been able to get away with last minute crunch time before, but college is a whole different arena.

When writing a term paper, it is best to keep it in mind from day one of the course. Don't wait until the last minute to begin doing your research, or to decide on a topic. Getting the specifics straight from the beginning will allow you to make enough time throughout the semester to schedule an appropriate amount of time. Making an outline, and going through the steps one by one, especially for you first time, will avoid any stressful last minute rush time that could make the difference between passing and not.

Original story about "How to schedule your day to come up with a great term paper" at Term Paper Writing category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

Writing a personal statement is the most difficult part of the college application package for most students. You've heard the statistics and you're aware that the competition is fierce. And yes, while the GPA, SAT scores, and ACT scores are important for college Admissions Committee, your personal statement is the first qualifying round. Asking a close friend, family member or colleague to look through your paper can be useful, but what if you want to make it stand out? There are professional services available for personal statement help. Let's find out how they can help.

What kind of help do you need?

Writing a personal statement, you have a chance to define the qualities and talents you have that can be developed and improved through higher education. Also show that you have a passion for the chosen specialty. It goes without saying that your essay should be clear, coherent and convincing. You will find that there are a number of service options to choose from, because every situation is different. You may need to develop a few interesting ideas that will be your starting point for personal statement drafting or if your essay is almost done, you need a critical review from experienced writers and editors.

How to catch the attention

Once you start working with a personal statement assistance service, you will have access to a team of professional writers and editors. They have a combination of educational knowledge and expertise to meet the needs of applicants in each major area or field of study. Your personal statement is your opportunity to attract the attention of the admissions committee. A well written essay can literally make you much better than other similar candidates.

Dos and don'ts

Your personal statement should tell your future college why they should admit you. This goal is achievable if you follow two simple rules:

1. List ten good reasons to admit you.
2. Do not ruin a first impression by stupid mistakes.

So be honest and forthright about the reasons why you want to study there. Want a challenge? Do you think you are good at it? Want to become a good specialist? Tell them. Tell about your talents, job experience, hobbies, passion and motivation in an eloquent manner and you should be fine. Just do not forget about point number 2. Even if you have good writing skills, a personal statement riddled with grammar or punctuation errors can be the main reason to refuse your request, so you need qualified personal statement help.

Success and failure

Of course, you should write a personal statement on your own because it is "personal", but getting help can be very useful. Others may notice some spelling mistakes you have not seen, or show how the skills you have may be relevant. The bare minimum you need to do is ask a friend / parent / guardian to look over before sending. When you write a personal statement help from experts could be the difference between successful future and failure.

Prove your worth in your future profession

Work experience is not obligatory, but it's a great way to prove your interest. Even a week working in a local company related to the chosen field can be surprisingly beneficial for your application.

A regular school day is not for you

If you still study in high school, it is time to think what you can include in your personal statement. You will stand out if your school activities are beyond the standard program.

If you can not write a personal statement that has logic and structure, so how do you intend to write a college assignment? Or build a viable argument? Studying in college could be a difficult task for you. So, keep in mind that you can not just start personal statement writing without a plan. Create a clear beginning where you tell us why you choose this place. Then proceed to describe why you will be good at your profession. Mention everything that can work to your advantage.

Did you know that less than 17% of applicants get into the college of their choice? You do not have to be among people who have no choice but to use a plan B.

Original story about "Personal Statement Help: make it interesting with a few simple tips" on BestCustomWriting.com

There are many credible places to find the information you need. Although not always as conveniently found as on the JSTOR, these sources can provide you with many advantages that you won't get when strictly using JSTOR as a source. There are many credible sources online where you can get the most current abstracts and research available. As long as you take care to find the originating source, cite it correctly, and check the validity of the content you intend to use, internet sources can give you a better round about overview of any subject than adhering to just one main source. Using many different sources to form your opinion, or understanding of any subject, is a better way of making an informed argument or conclusion.

What is JSTOR?

JSTOR is an abbreviated name for Journal Storage, introduced in 1995, it is a library of past backlogged journal articles, books and other media, produced in academia. The most comprehensive collection of academic information, it is the place that most of those who are in the academic field turn to for their primary source of information. To be able to access all of the information contained within it, and to have unlimited access to it, you must have a subscription. It is possible to use it without a subscription, but your access may be limited to certain journals, or time frames to view. To use it you need just register on the site and provide information to indicate that you are a scholar.

What are the advantages of JSTOR?

Journal storage is the most extensive and comprehensive site for you to find the information that you need when doing research. Whether you are in need to backlogged data, or new information, you can find what you are looking for. JSTOR is better than other sources because:

• All the information is contained in one location
• It contains rare academic articles which you can't find anywhere else
• The information contained within it has been verified and comes from a credible source
• Finding the originating source when citing in your work is never in question
• For most of the information, it is free to access
• The information has been carefully selected and is easily accessed

For these reasons JSTOR is an amazing source to use for your research papers. Many universities will have their own version, or a portal to gain you access into the database, making using it easy and available.

What are the disadvantages of using JSTOR?

Although being a highly credible source, there are some limitations attached to JSTOR. The reasons that you may want to consider other places to do your research is:

• There is a licensing agreement which may prevent certain articles from being included
• Because of contracts, you may not be accessing the most current information on any given subject
• In academia the information is continually changing. The most current research, if not published on these sites, may not be available through the database
• There is a fee for use for certain areas. If you need in-depth information, you may have to pay for a subscription

What are other places you can do your research?

There are other places where you can do your research for any academic paper you need to write. It is possible to go back to the basics and visit your school library for the information that you need. That may seem archaic to some, but everything you could possible need or want to find, is guaranteed to be there. Not all students have been taught how to access their library, but there are always attendants to help. Other ways to access information is through the use of the internet. That can be a tricky endeavor. If you are going to use the internet for research, you have to be careful to:

• Find the originating source for all information that you find - sometime sources will follow a chain of use and finding the original source can be problematic
• Verify the validity of what you are reading - don't take for granted that what you are reading is true, investigate and verify
• Find the most current articles - make sure to use the most up to date information when doing your research, that is one of the biggest advantages to using it
• Check the credentials of the person who is supplying the information

The internet is a useful tool but you have to be certain that the information used is credible.

When writing your research papers, or doing academic work, using the JSTOR is a great source to find the most credible literature on any subject. Great pains going to verifying and selecting the sources available on the site. Most colleges and universities not only encourage the use of the database, but provide their students and professors access to the site. Simply registering on the site will provide you with access to thousands of articles and data.

There are other ways to gain access to information, you can either go to the library at your school, or you can choose to use the internet to find the latest information available on any subject. Although not scrutinized, it is a viable place to find the most current research on any subject. As long as you are being careful to find the original source of any information you obtain and verify the validity of it, it is a useful tool to get an overall understanding of any subject, supplying you with anything outside of the academic box. Don't discount the usefulness of the internet as a source for information, just proceed with caution when using it.

Original story about "Research paper writing: what are the alternatives to JSTOR you could use" at Research Paper Writing category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

There are some colleges and universities that will not require that you include an essay, but many in previous years have begun adding the requirement of an essay to weed through potential students. With so many different applicants vying for a position in the most prestigious schools, an essay sets the students apart from one another, and says a lot about who they are, what they want, and what they intend to do with their future. You don't want to present yourself as someone you're not, or pretend to be someone you aren't, but there are ways that you can exemplify your assets, and negate your negatives. Knowing what the assets are, and what aren't assets, is important when drafting an essay that can determine your future.

Why do colleges require admissions essays?

Reasons why colleges ask for you to write an essay may vary depending on the university, but the main reasons are that they want to get an understanding of who you are, what your strengths are, and overall, what you are capable of. Writing is a skill that not everyone has, and those who can do it, show a great proficiency in communication and a command of the English language, which is representative of their intelligence and ability to succeed in the future. Colleges are looking for America's finest, and using an essay to pinpoint exactly what a person is capable of, is a good subjective tool for them to evaluate a prospective student's academic prowess.

Although not the end all, be all, a college essay is like icing on a cake. If an admissions councilor is deciding between several applicants, those who have the most appropriate essays will win out the coveted space. Your academics and other qualifications will always be taken as first priority, but in the event that there are more people applying than space available, which is almost always the case, the essay can be the tipping point.

What do you want to include in your essay?

An essay should be subjective. It is meant to tell the story of who you are, and where you are going in life. The things that you want to include are:

• Your hopes for the future
• What you want to do with the education you obtain
• What makes you different than the other applicants
• What special skills you possess
• What your background is, and how it will help you in the future
• Correct grammar and spelling is imperative!
• Anything about yourself that makes you special
• How your life experience has prepared you for college
• Any special accolades, or memberships that you have to an outside organization that you think is appropriate and why it is
• Why you want to go to that particular institution

When writing an essay for any college application it should be specific to the school that you are applying for. Using an essay that is general to any college, does not show the councilor that you are really committed to the university, or that it is the right place for you. By describing why you want to go to that specific college or university, you are giving the admissions personnel a reason why you belong there.

What you should avoid in your college admission essay

• An essay is not a resume, your transcripts will speak to your academic work. It is not the place to list your courses.
• Don't use general language that is not specific to the university you are applying to
• Make sure to reread it, proofread it, and proofread it over again
• Stay away from cliches
• Be yourself, not what you think they want you to be
• Don't use hyperbolas, or exaggerated language

The most important part of the essay is to be real, and be yourself. You shouldn't be writing the essay considering what you should write about, you should be writing it considering what is important to you and why. Admissions councilors want to know about the real you, not the person that you think they want. Part of the essay process is choosing people who will fit best with the college or university, pretending to be someone you are not doesn't do anyone any favors.

A college essay is a tool that admissions councilors use to find potential students that fit best in the institution. You have worked very hard to get to where you are, and your academic performance will shine all on its own. It isn't going to either get you into the school or not, but may help the admissions councilor to choose between you and other applicants who are on the same academic level. Being honest, and real, will speak volumes about who you are and what you intend to take with you from college. Being specific about why you want to go to a certain college is important to make known. A generic college essay doesn't say anything about why you are choosing the college itself, or why you think you are a good fit for it.

Above all, when writing your college essay, think about what you think is the most important thing about yourself and what makes you special. Also, writing about what you want for the future and how an education will get you there, is a good way to give them a glimpse into who you are.

Original story about "Admission Essay Writing: How To Present Yourself" at Essay Writing category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

If you are caught stealing someone else's work, words, or ideas, it is the same as theft of any other kind, just not as tangible. There are times when you can steal someone's words and not even be aware, but can face consequences for it. With so much information available on the internet, it has become a haven for theft of content. Many individuals will literally take word for word from other sources and give no mention, or thought, to pilfering from others. To avoid using content that belongs to another, there are ways to protect yourself.

How do you give credit to another's work when you use it?

When you use someone's work in your own academic writing, you must cite them and give them credit for it. There are several ways of citing works used. Different colleges, academia, and research articles will have varying standards of how research is to be displayed when used. There is APA format, Harvard, or a series of other ways in which you can acknowledge other's ideas or thoughts. Many people are under the false impression that if they just change a couple of words around, it isn't plagiarism. That isn't the case, even when you paraphrase what you have written, you are taking the ideas of someone else and ascribing your name to it.

If you use another source of information and intend to use the information to substantiate a claim you are making, you have to include a works cited page that gives the full reference of where you got the information. Even if you don't quote it word for word, you should include it in your reference page. If you want to use it as evidence, it is best to use the exact words and put it into quotation marks, instead of attempting to rearrange words or paraphrase. Using the straight source is one way of guaranteeing that you are not plagiarizing any other work.

By putting the words into quotation marks, you are giving credit to the originating source. If you find the source being used in a second hand synopsis, instead of quoting from the second hand source, it is always best to go back to the originating article, or work, and quote directly from it, using the original in your works cited page. Using second hand sources is never a good way to use information, and can get you into trouble if the secondhand article didn't quote it accurately, or sufficiently. If you are going to use a source from someone else, it is your responsibility to follow up and take it one step further to verify the information before using it, or trusting it's credibility.

When do you need to cite information?

The times when you need to give accolades to another's work is:

• When you use exact words in your work, you need to add quotation marks and a works cited page
• If you paraphrase any information from another source, it is best to give credence to it by adding a phrase pointing to the originating source such as, "according to..." or "as reported by...". When presenting it this way, it must also be included in your works cited page
• There are times when including a separate "works consulted", or "reference" page can be helpful in covering your information and giving the proper acknowledgement to another source

Paraphrasing is a way of taking information that you have read and summarizing it. Just because you are putting it into your own, different words and phrasing, does not then make it your words. The idea is still that of another individual, or work. When you are summarizing the information from somewhere else, you have to include it in your paper to use it, or it is considered plagiarism.

What are the ways in which professors can tell if you have plagiarized another work?

Although in academia you are on the honor system to not plagiarize, there are ways in that your paper can be checked to be sure that it is your original work. If you include a reference, or works cited page, it is possible for the professors to look up the original work and compare to make sure you have properly given acknowledgement. Many students and academic writers make the wrong assumption that if they don't cite the work, or add link to it, it won't be discovered. The truth is that it is not hard to research through the information available and see if you are wrongly using information as your own, if it is not.

There are programs such as "copyscape" that can search the web, including academic papers and research, to find if you have copied someone else's work. The professors are able to take your work and compare it against everything that has ever been written on the internet to match three words in a row to signal that you have stolen someone else's work. In this age of technology, stealing something from another, will be caught.

If you are going to use someone else's ideas, thoughts, research, or information, you must give them proper credit by acknowledging them in your work. Even if you are only using a portion, not quoting, or disagreeing with what they have said, you need to mention them in your work. If you aren't careful, you can unwittingly use another's work illegally, which can have very disastrous consequences for you both professionally, and academically.

Original story about "What is plagiarism and how to avoid it in academic writing" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

With nearly 140 thousand members, the American Psychological Association (APA) is the world's largest association of psychologists. Their members include students, educators, scientists, clinicians, and others who want to use psychology to improve people's lives, thereby advancing society as a whole. Oddly enough, the international organization is most famous for their APA Style, which is a set of rules that was developed to ensure clarity of communication in colleges and universities.

Why APA Works

The overwhelming majority of college students are undergraduates at liberal arts schools, which basically means they have the opportunity to study a wide range of academic subjects, from the sciences to the humanities. As you might expect, writing a paper about economics is different from writing one about English literature, which is something most incoming freshman has experience with. In order to make things easier on their professors, organizations like the APA had developed style guides that students can use to assist reading comprehension at the undergraduate level.

When to Use It

The APA is most commonly utilized for subjects within the social sciences, including economics, history, linguistics, and the law. In other words, it is an umbrella term that encompasses subjects outside of the hard sciences. Most students who are new to these courses have experience with in-text citations like endnotes and footnotes, but they may not know how to pen and properly format a title page according to APA standards.

How to Write a Title Page

As simple as it may seem, your title page comprises one of the four major sections of every essay you will write during your college career. Although it should only take you a few minutes to complete, the title page is the first section your instructor will examine. If it is improperly formatted, it will almost assuredly affect your grade. Worse yet, some college professors get insulted when you turn in a paper without a proper title page. They take it as a sign of disrespect, or at the very least a lack of seriousness on the student's part.

According to APA standards, a title page should include the author's name and the college or university he/she attends. A page header must be placed at the top of the page on the left and a page number should be directly opposite it, at the top of the page on the right. Moving halfway down the page, the title of your paper should be typed in upper and lowercases letters in the upper half of the page, and it must be centered.

Although it is not a hard-and-fast rule, APA strongly suggests that your title be no longer than twelve words and that it should not include any abbreviations or superfluous words. It may take up one or two lines, but no more. As with all of the text in your paper, the lines on your title page should be double-spaced.

Beneath the title, type your name-first name, middle initial, and last name. You should not include any titles such as Dr. or PhD. It goes almost without saying, but you should not use an abbreviation of you name, but rather your full name. For example, don't write "Ted," but rather "Theodore."

Under your name, you should also include the location of the college or university where you conducted your research. So, if you attended or simply worked as a researcher at the University of Chicago, indicate that august institution of higher learning beneath you proper name.

MLA Style

Published by the Modern Language Association of America (MLA) in 1985, the MLA Style Manual is widely used by postgraduate students in Canada, the United States, and in other countries. The academic style guide is utilized mainly by writers, scholars, professors, and graduate students who work in the humanities, especially in subjects that deal with language and literature or cultural studies. The MLA style is also used by over one thousand magazines, literary journals, and scholarly presses in the U.S.

The MLA Title Page

Unless specifically requested, it may not be necessary to write a traditional title page under MLA guidelines. Rather, the information that would appear on a title page can be included on the first page of your paper. In the upper left-hand corner of the page, write your name, your teacher's name, the course, and the full date. As with most academic essays, make sure this information is double-spaced and leaves room for the title and the text below.

Chicago Manual of Style

Widely used in historical journals and some social science publications, the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) was first published in 1906, making it the oldest of the style manuals we have discussed today. But because it is used almost exclusively in the aforementioned subjects and mostly at the academic level, it is probably the least popular. Like the APA style, the CMS considers the title page to be a major section of any research paper or article.

The CMS Format

Begin by writing the title of your paper about a third of the way down the page. The title should always be centered and should not be more than two lines long. For subtitles, always end the title line with a colon and put the subtitle below it. Next, you must include your full name and class information a few lines down. If you are writing a scholarly article for a journal or magazine, you can obviously skip this step. Lastly, all information should be double-spaced, just as it is in every other style format.

Original story about "Title Page Formatting with Different Styles" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

Is that possible?

In truth, it's harder than ever. Most of us are taught from an early age to value our own opinions above all else, so to take ourselves out of the equation requires some heavy lifting. We must gain some much needed perspective by taking a step back and putting our preconceived notions aside. Of course, this is easier said than done.

Writing an objective analysis of a scientific or literary book or article requires discipline that some students lack. Many have trouble sticking to the facts and they therefore compose a paper based almost entirely on emotional opinions. That is not how to go about writing a critique essay. Whether the subject is a book, movie, song, or poem, you must ask yourself one simple question: did the creator support his/her main points?

The medium may be the message

As a general rule, it is much easier to be objective, or at least more objective, regarding certain types of media. A scholarly essay, for example, is often approached more seriously than a pop song. This gravitas helps give us the intellectual and emotional distance we need to compose an effective critique essay. Without that distance, it may be impossible to write an unbiased paper. It is for this reason that we strongly suggest that you select a topic you are not passionate about, should you have the choice.

We know, it seems counterintuitive...after all, teachers are always telling us to write about what we know, and what we know is almost always what we are passionate about. But more often than not, that passion can cloud our judgment, which is the last thing we want when it comes to a critique essay. Instead, select a topic that you are relatively unfamiliar with and form your own opinions based on the facts. That will help you avoid the tendentiousness that comes with familiarity.

Where to begin?

Read or watch or listen to the subject of your paper several times, or until you grasp the purpose of the piece. Always remember that your instructors want you to do more than simply summarize a piece, they want you to add you own two cents. That means you must cast judgments, whether good or bad. A common misconception of critique writing is that it must be critical. Nothing could be further from the truth! Therefore, it is often best to think of a critique essay as an evaluation essay. That simple substitution alters the orientation of the paper from a negative to a neutral perspective, which is exactly where you want to be.

Questions you must answer

Even if you set a dispassion tone, which you should, several questions must be addressed. As with any critique, you must answer how? why? and how well? The first query relates to our subject; the second, to the reason behind it; and the third, to what we think about it. Once again, our opinions need not be negative or positive in tone, but they must be supported by facts. This is the single most common misstep most critique writers make. To avoid this, you must analyze the work and discuss its creator's purpose and main points, one at a time.

Be fearless

Do not be afraid to mix the good with the bad. Far too many writers believe that they must be overwhelmingly negative or overwhelmingly positive. But if you have ever read a movie review, you know that that is seldom the case. As with any work that someone poured their heart, sweat, blood, and money into, there are bound to be good things and bad things. So, even if you believe that the work was ultimately a failure, if there were a few positives, mention them!

Facts, facts, fact

We've said it before and we'll say it again, evaluating anything requires more than mere opinion. When you discuss the creator's main points or themes, you must use evidence to determine whether or not he/she was ultimately successful in getting them across. This is generally easier to do in a work of nonfiction, since the facts can be checked, but it can also be done for any work of fiction.

Write a proper essay

Yet another mistake many students make is that they write critique essays in a more informal way because they include personal opinions. This is a misstep that their teachers and professors will not overlook or forgive. Just like any essay, a piece should have am introduction, a thesis, a body, and a conclusion. You can't simply give your opinion without taking the right steps or using the proper format.

As with all essays, your introductory paragraph sets the tone for your entire paper. This first paragraph must mention the topic and its creators as well as your overall impressions of the work. Do you believe that the creator succeeded in his/her purpose, whatever that may have been? The next few paragraphs will form the body of your critique and they must include specific information to support your opinions. When citing sources, the information should be included in either a footnote or on the works cited page or both.

Last words

The conclusion of your critique essay should be a short, succinct review of your opinions on your topic. Many students make the mistake of overwriting this final section. They often try to pack everything they said and even some things they didn't into this concluding paragraph. Our advice? Don't! Going out on a good note is always easier if you simply reiterate what you have said in a few short sentences.

Original story about "Critique Writing - Common Mistakes to Avoid" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

The reason that a professor assigns a paper to write is because they either want you to show a command of the topic, a command of the rules of grammar, or a command of the type of paper that they are assigning. Figuring out what the intention of the paper is, and why it is being assigned, is key to finding a topic that will fit the goal of the assignment and to earn you a good grade. No matter what paper you are attempting to write, deciding the topic should not be something you do lightly. There are many different types of papers that you will have to write, understanding why you are writing them, is important to picking the topic which will best demonstrate your skills.

What are the different types of papers?

There are many different kinds of papers that you can be assigned. The topic that you choose to write about will have a huge bearing on the kind of paper you are writing. Some of the kinds of papers you will be asked to write are:

• General essays
• Argumentative/persuasive essays
• Research papers
• Book reviews
• Critiques
• Creative writing assignments
• Analytical essays
• Summaries

Each has a different reason for being written and will demand that you use a different style. That style should dictate the topic that you choose. If you pick a topic that is not a good example of the style of writing, you will not get the grade that you are hoping for. The topic is as important as the paper itself. It is the guiding force of the information that will be contained within it. Considering the type of paper, and how it needs to be formulated, should be done before choosing a topic, as well as after a topic is chosen, to make sure it is an appropriate one.

Picking the best topic for the type of paper you are writing

There are several questions that you should ask yourself before you decide on a topic to write about:

• How much do I know about the topic?
• What is my feeling about it, am I passionate about it?
• Will it help to demonstrate my mastery of the type of paper?
• Will it be interesting to the reader?
• Is it relative to the class I am writing it for?
• Will I be able to find proof to back it?
• Is there enough information to back my assertions?

These questions will help you to pick the best topic to show your understanding of the subject and the overall assignment you have been given. It is best to chose a topic that you know a lot about when writing a paper. If you don't know much about it, then you will be starting from scratch and may find that it is uninteresting, or something that you care little about. If you already have the knowledge of the subject, completing a paper will be much easier to do.

Finding a paper that you are passionate about will not only make it more interesting to you, but it will come through in your writing. If you are writing about something that you find boring it will be hard to convey any excitement to the reader, or to make them interested in it either. Finding a topic that you are passionate, or at a minimum interested in, will come through in your writing and will more likely engage the reader. If you are to present a paper that chooses one side over another, make sure that there is another side. If the answer to your topic is obvious, you won't be able to effectively present more than one side, which for an argumentative paper will demonstrate that you really don't understand the reason why you are writing it to begin with.

Knowing who your audience is is important to finding a way to present it to them in a way that will entertain and engage them. If you are writing for a serious audience, you will write in a formal voice, finding information that is serious is important. Likewise, if it is a creative piece, finding something that is more entertaining than informative is important to the finished product. Finally, if you are writing an informative piece, or research article, it is important to have enough relative information to use, or to back your proposed thesis. Making sure there is enough information to support your assertions is imperative to making a relative work that others will want to read.

How to make the right decision?

Choosing your topic is sometimes comparable to the overall product you write. It is your guide to the finished work. When a teacher assigns a paper they are not only looking for whether it is well written, they are looking to see if you understand the nature of the type of paper you are writing and your mastery of the topic, as well as the intention of the paper overall. It is important to understand why the professor is asking you to write the paper and what they are looking for you to include in it. The type of paper you are writing should dictate the choice of subject you choose.

Using a general guideline to make sure that you are covering the information needed, engaging and entertaining the audience, and answering the questions you are being asked to, is key to getting the grade that you are looking for. If you are not paying attention to all aspects of the assignment, including the type of paper you are writing is the key to getting the grade you feel you deserve.

Original story about "How Can A Bad Topic Influence The Grade?" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

What can go wrong?

College students aren't the only ones who have embraced online learning. Millions of schoolchildren take standardized tests electronically. But even as the technology and access to it continues to improve, major "interruptions of service" are not at all uncommon. That euphemistic phrase is generally code for "the servers crashed and we lost all of your testing data." In other words, "You have to take the test over again because we don't know how you scored."

Common problems

Depending on the network and the capacity of the servers, a crash can occur at anytime. Students will be essentially kicked offline and will not be able to regain access to the internet. After a crash, some data may be saved and others may be lost and still others may be compromised or corrupted. The bottom line is that any data that is recovered will be useless and the students must retake the test or exam.

Login problems are also a major cause for concern. They can happen to anyone at anytime for almost any reason. When they are reported, the student may be asked to switch to a new computer, if one is available. These issues are generally a bit easier to anticipate and deal with when a student is working remotely and does not have to worry about a server crashing or a network going down. A college kid who is taking an online class at home, for example, should be able to complete a test or exam from the privacy of his own home without any problems. Of course, they do occur from time to time.

How can you avoid them?

You can't! Technical problems happen all the time online. As inopportune as it may be, if you get "locked out" of a test before you complete it, your information will almost assuredly be lost. However, there are a few steps you can take to minimize your risk of encountering these "interruptions of service" while taking an important test.

Before you begin

If you are using a popular web browser like Microsoft Internet Explorer, make sure you clear the cache and restart you computer before you log into the testing site. This will allow your web browser to function more efficiently. It is also important to either install or update to the current version of Java, since it is the most popular program language on Earth. You may also choose to add the testing site to your trusted sites list, which should ensure easy access.

While taking the test

Don't resize your window after you log into the testing site. Some web browsers will automatically refresh the screen when you resize it, which can lock you out of the site and force you to lose any information you may have submitted. Furthermore, you may not be able to reenter the testing site if it is programmed to only allow each user a one-time pass, as testing sites often are.

Refreshing the screen or clicking on your browser's Back button may also lock you out of the site, since many of these tests are timed and revisiting pages is not permitted. Unlike traditional tests, online students are rarely afforded the opportunity to go back to an unfinished section if they have extra time during an examination.

Another common glitch that can be found in many virtual tests is that the backspace key often performs the same function as clicking your web browser's back button, which could boot you off the site. Therefore, you must make certain that your blinking cursor is inside the text box before you depress the backspace key. Only then will you be safe.

Last but not least, do not view material on any other website while you are taking an online exam. Your instructor will undoubtedly set the site to prevent this, since it could be used for cheating. So, even if what you're doing is perfectly innocent, like checking stock quotes or sports scores, you could find yourself locked out.

What to do if you get booted and can't get back in?

In most cases, you must contact your teacher or professor directly and convince him/her that you didn't do anything wrong. If they accept you side of the story, the instructor can simply "clear your attempt," which will grant you access to the test again. However, you will have to start all over again.

What do you do if get locked out from the start?

Getting booted and not being able to even log into a testing site are obviously two very different issues. If you have trouble accessing a test or exam on any website, the problem may be that you are continually double-clicking. You need only click once to enter a testing site, since double-clicking often attempts to take you to the second page, which will immediately lock you out of the websites.

What do you do if you see a popup warning after clicking the submit button?

Because they know that technical issues are an ever-present problem, online test takers often save their work after each and every question. But sometimes when they do this, a warning box will pop up when they go to submit their answers upon completion. To avoid this issue, it is best to use the save button at the bottom of the page, rather than the ones that are next to each individual question.

If the repeated saving was not the issue and you still see a warning box when you go to submit your answers, it may mean that you missed a question or two. Unlike traditional tests, most online exams do not allow you to skip over a question and leave it blank. Therefore, you must review your work to make sure that you have answered all of the questions.

Original story about "Taking Online Tests - Challenges to Overcome" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

What types of papers do you have to write for English class

Unlike high school, college courses are more specific and can cover many niche topics. English classes are no different. Whether you are taking a level one general English class, or a Master's level course, you will almost be guaranteed to be required write an English paper. There are many types of English papers that you may be required to write, or in some cases, you may be asked to write them all. Some of the types of English papers you may be asked to write are:

• General essays
• Persuasive essays
• Creative writing works
• Book reviews
• Research paper
• Process essay
• Comparison and Contrast essay
• Definition essay
• Analytical essay

Sometimes the topic will be hand selected by the professor to go along with the topics that have been covered in class. That can both be a good thing, and a bad. When the topic is supplied it takes the worry out of picking an interesting topic, but if you find the topic that the professor chooses uninteresting or difficult, it will be hard for you to write a paper that is a good example of your skills.

There will be times when the professor will allow you to choose the topic that you want to write about. Choosing the topic for your work can be an asset to your paper, or a detriment to it, depending on how well you think about, and consider, your topic before deciding. When you are choosing a topic for your paper, it is best to find something that has many characteristics.

What makes a good paper?

A good paper is comprised of creativity, intellect about the subject, mastery of the English language and the rules of writing, and following the rules relative to the type of paper that has been assigned. If you are in the process of deciding on a topic for your English paper there are many questions that you should ask yourself before choosing:

• What do I find interesting?
• What examples has the professor provided in class?
• What do I know a lot about?
• Will it demonstrate the assignment well?
• Will it demonstrate my skills effectively?
• Do I believe in what I am writing about?
• Am I excited, or passionate about, the topic?

Professors choose a type of paper to assign because they are looking to see if you have learned what they have taught to you. It is important to understand what the professor is looking for from your paper. If you are asked to find a topic for an argumentative paper, then finding a topic that you can present both sides to is crucial. If you are asked to write a research paper, your topic will be different. In a research paper you will be showing that you have mastery of the information, presenting just the information that is related to the information you are presenting.

Although it is important to find a topic that you are interested in, it is important to consider the audience. If you are asked to write a creative writing paper, using mechanical engineering as a topic, will not entertain the audience, nor will it demonstrate that you understand what the assignment is. Knowing what the professor is interested in is a good idea as well. If you have a professor who is more serious, choosing a serious topic will be more interesting to them, likewise if you have a professor who is more lighthearted and engaging, choosing a topic that will entertain them is better.

Conclusion

When you are asked to write a paper for college, most likely it isn't really about what you are writing about, as much as it is that you choose a topic that is appropriate. It is also integral that you understand the components of the type of paper you are assigned to write. Defining what the professor is really looking for in the piece you are writing is the best way to choose the most appropriate topic for your paper.

Taking into consideration the personality of your teacher will aid you in finding something that will engage them. After all, the intent of any paper is to entertain, or inform the reader. If you choose a topic that is uninteresting, you won't be able to entertain anyone, or keep them engaged. Above all, chose a topic that you know a lot about and that you feel passionate about. Having to do additional research about something either that you know nothing about, or don't find interesting, will be more work, and the finished product will most likely not be as good as if you pick something you really care about.

Original story about "How To Come Up With An Interesting Topic For English Class" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

What do we mean?

Science is one of the last subjects you'd expect to actively encourage conjecture ...but it does! The term hypothesis is nothing more than a fancy Greek word for an educated guess. So, even if they walk around in nice, white lab coats and carry clipboards, even scientists occasionally make assumptions. But they do so intelligently. Just like doctors, they have a pretty good idea of the likelihood of any given outcome, which is why they always go with the best-case scenario.

When to guess on a test

As you are undoubtedly aware, most standardized tests have three or four wrong answers for every right one. Some of these questions offer no room for interpretation, no nuance. A math question, for example, is often fairly straightforward. So, if you don't know it and there's a penalty for it, don't guess! But, if you are able to eliminate at least one possible option, supposition may be the best strategy.

Identify the distracters

Incorrect multiple-choice answers are technically known as distracters. They aren't there to confuse good students, but rather to identify those that don't know the material. As a result, unprepared students are far more likely to take the bait and select a distracter, while those who have a fairly firm grasp of the subject should be able to spot these phony answers from a mile away. At the very least, they should be able to eliminate one or two of the more ludicrous answer options.

No, we aren't giving you the greenlight to guess on every answer. But if you can eliminate at least one, preferably two of the distracters, it is often pays to make a selection and move on. Remember, if you can possibly whittle your options down from one in five to one in three, you will score better on average, even if there is a penalty for guessing.

"None of the above" is often wrong

Even on standardized tests, human beings actually composed the questions and the answers. And as a general rule, people don't enjoy tricking other people. More often than not, they want to give them a fair or fighting chance to get the right answer. Therefore, the infamous "none of the above" option is seldom correct. Once again, we do not aver that this is always the case, but simply that it is a better, less risky bet. So, if you know for certain that there is at least one distracter and "none of the above" is an option, it may be a good idea to take a stab at it.

"All of the above" is often right

If the correct answer is complicated and involves several different aspects, many standardized tests will utilize partially accurate answers as distracters. They may give options such as "A and C are correct" or "B and D are correct," and then include the familiar "all of the above" option at the end. This choice isn't always or even usually right, but if you can eliminate at least one other option, it may be best to gamble. And if you can rule out two options, always roll the dice.

Should you guess C?

Unless you're a super genius who is always prepared for each and every test, you will inevitably encounter at least a few questions that leave you flummoxed. Because time is almost always an issue on multiple-choice exams, you must choose between guessing and leaving the answer blank. While we do not endorse this advice with any degree of certainty, it is often true that the most baffling questions have C as an answer. Why is this?

These are the tough questions that are meant to stump even the most industrious of students, which often means the answer options are quite similar. When this is the case, the creators of the test have a funny habit of hiding the right answer between the distracters, since they know only the sharpest students will be able to uncover them. So, selecting C on one of these brain busters is sometimes a good strategy.

Know the material!

Any list of tips on how to ace a multiple-choice exam would obviously be incomplete without mentioning the most crucial advice of all-study! As difficult as they may be, these tests really are designed to weed out students who don't know the subject matter. After all, the right answer is always right in front of you. It's not like you have to fill in a blank or come up with something from scratch. As long as you have a good grasp of the material, it should be a breeze to fill in the right bubble most of the time. And when you don't know the correct answer for certain, use your judgment and follow our advice, when appropriate.

Last thoughts

We would be remiss if we didn't at least discuss a few scenarios where you absolutely should not guess. As we mentioned, guessing is a sound strategy in most cases. But if you are completely clueless on a question that is really not that difficult, simple filling in C may not inure to your benefit. In fact, it may result in a lower grade or score if you apply the strategy injudiciously.

Original story about "Multiple Choice Questions: Knowing or Guessing the Answer?" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

The problem with the sniveling route is that it seldom works. When an instructor assigns a paper, they rarely grant an extension unless there's an emergency, such as a serious illness or a death in the family. Barring that, you will be expected to deliver your paper on time. The penalties for an overdue book report generally starts at a letter grade each day. So even if your write the perfect paper and hand it in only one day late, the best you can get is a B. It is for this reason that's often a good idea to pull an all-nighter and get your book report in under the wire.

Is it possible?

The good news is that you live in the Information Age. You don't have to run to the library and leaf through massive tomes to find the quotes or statistics you need, as you parent undoubtedly did. You can simply look online. This makes writing a paper, any paper far easier and more expeditious than it was in the past. It also means that you can pull an all-night, since the internet never closes, unlike libraries.

With that said, you will have to work smart if you hope to complete a book report from scratch in a single day. That means following a game plan and not wasting a single second. Fortunately, there is a fairly standard five-part process any writer can use to compose a great book report. Let us take a moment to review the five steps.

Step One: The Introduction

As with any review, you must begin by introducing the topic you will be discussing. You must mention who wrote the book, when it was published, and what the general subject or topic is. If the book won any major awards, such as the Noble or Pulitzer Prize, you might also mention that. But try not to say too much. The introduction of a standard book report need only be a single paragraph a few sentences long.

Step Two: The Outline

Next, you will want to outline the content of the book giving a very general review of its organization. Is it written in chronological order, or does it jump around from section to section? An author like William Faulkner, for example, is famous for organizing his books into different sections based on chronology. You might also discuss the topics or subject matter of the major sections.

Step Three: Select a Theme

Often the most arduous part of any book report is deciding what the major themes or arguments of the work may be. In most classic novels there are several of them. A book like The Brother Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, for example, focuses on religion, family, love, philosophy and other weighty themes. But for your exigent book report, you need only select one theme that runs through the book or novel. Use quotes and cite specific examples to support your argument regarding said theme. What you are ultimately trying to demonstrate is that the author had a specific message to convey to his readers and that he used certain characters and/or narrators to get his point across.

Step Four: Evaluation

The evaluation stage requires that you comment on the content of the book in a personal way. Instead of using quotes or other textual evidence, you can simply proffer your own opinion-your reaction to the plot, themes, and characters in the book you read. Depending on your instructor, this section may be written in either the first or third person subjective.

Step Five: The Conclusion

The last section of the standard book report is the conclusion, where you must sum up your major points and reiterate your strongest arguments. It should be short and sweet. Many students make the mistake of expatiating endlessly in this last section. But trust us-it's better to be succinct.

How to save time

Now that you know the steps you must take, you can put the pieces in order. Hopefully, you will have read the book recently and it will be fresh in your mind. You should also have at least a few pages of quotes, from which you can select a theme. Always pick a theme based on how much evidence you have to support your argument. If you have more quotes that suggest the author was trying to hammer home a particular point, go with that theme when the hour is getting late.

Rereading

But even if time is tight, it may be necessary to reread certain sections of the book before you begin writing. A helpful trick when it comes to classic novels is to review the last page of each paragraph or major section. The authors of old were far more methodical and conventional than the scribblers of today. Most of them had a habit of summing up the major points of each chapter in their last few paragraphs of that chapter.

Start Writing

After you have reviewed your notes and have selected a theme, it is time to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard. As with any written work, the first line is generally the most important one. It is the sentence that convinces readers they should take the time to hear what you have to say. An introductory line should be relevant, succinct, and original. The next few sentences of the introductory paragraph give the writer an opportunity to shine. He can either hook or lose his readers with these lines.

Follow Through

Once the introductory paragraph is on paper, you will often find that the writing process gets easier because the words come quicker. By the time you have completed the second section, you should have a good handle on the material. Although it is often advisable to write book reports in sections, when time is of the essence you must do it in a single session, which will invariably expedite the process.

Proofread Your Work in the Morning

Last and perhaps most importantly, it is crucial that you drop you pen or close your laptop as soon as you finish the five sections. Get some much needed rest and look over your work when you wake up. This will help ensure that the paper is ready for review.

Original story about "Book report writing within 24 hours: how to make it on time" at Book Report, Review Writing category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

Although you have no doubt had to study before to get through high school, college is different. There isn't going to be anyone standing over you, or assigning you homework every night. As much as you disliked homework in high school and thought it was a waste of time, there was a point behind it that you probably didn't realize. Homework was designed to force you to study the material that was being presented. You probably didn't recognize that the homework was targeted to get you familiar with the material and helped you to pass the exams. It felt more like busywork. Many college students are relieved that they no longer have work to take home, and consider there home time as free. Unfortunately, when there is no work assigned, it is easy to put the books away as soon as class resumes.

If you aren't used to cracking those books, or have never put a lot of effort forth once home to review the work in class, you may have difficulty with the amount of studying that you will have to do to successfully navigate through your college work. There are several things, general rules, that you will have to follow to achieve passing grades. Even if you are the most visual learner, and make it to every lecture and class, there are going to be things that must be done outside of the classroom setting which are solely your responsibility.

There are several things that you must do to successfully navigate your way through college. Specific things that you do will help aid in the ease with which you find your way through college, and those things that you should avoid.

Guidelines to studying

Those things that will be beneficial to studying in college are:

• Look for studying preparatory classes prior to enrolling into college
• Put time aside after class to review what you have gone over - people tend to remember things when they are put to memory. That is best achieved when reviewing the material while still fresh
• When reading the material that has been given, highlight those areas which will be important to revisit before an exam
• Always take notes, not only during a lecture, but when reviewing the material - even if you think you will remember it, it is always best to write it down to study before an exam
• Be selective in what you are taking notes on - don't write down everything that is said during lecture or you will be overwhelmed and most likely miss the important information
• Make an outline of what material you need to review prior to an exam - setting a schedule on what is most important to look over, and in what sequence, will allow you to take stock of what time you will need to review and study before an exam
• If you notice you have difficulty with material presented, asterisk it so you go over it more carefully
• Take mental breaks - it is good to get up often to reset your mind and give it a break. Your brain is like everything else, it can only take so much information before you begin to lose focus and attention
• Get enough sleep - even in college getting a good nights sleep is key to having the focus and attention that is required
• Make sure you are eating well
• When taking an exam, or during lecture, always try to sit in the same seat or vicinity - state-dependent learning is important. The seat that you sit in is the best place to recall the information you learned. Sitting in the same place will aid in your recall efforts during an exam

There are things that you should avoid while studying in college. These pitfalls can sabotage even the best study intentions:

• Don't study with the friends you know are distracting - even if you share classes with friends, it is best to study without their assistance. Mostly, they will probably only provide distraction
• Don't study in the middle of the action - find a quiet place to study where you can focus
• Don't cram before an exam, make sure you allow yourself enough time - cramming before an exam may help a very small few. Almost all of is study better when there is enough allotted time that time constants don't interfere with additional stress imposed upon your efforts
• Even if there are things that arise, stick to your study schedule - don't put off what you know you have to do. Get it done before you find the time to play

Being successful in college is about growing up and accepting responsibility. The professors are not going to check your homework, or make sure that you are doing the work you should on your own. Even if that seems like freedom, it isn't. The freedom afforded is really just additional responsibility on your part to take the steps necessary to learn the material. Developing good study habits can make the difference between passing your exams and miserably failing them. Although a fun and exciting time in life, it is also a time where lots of money is being spent, and that is setting your course for the future. It is okay to enjoy your time away from home, but make sure you are taking it seriously as well. College is a stepping stone to the rest of your life, make it a good one.

Original story about "Basic rules of academic writing: what you should be ready for when studying in college or university" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

What is the conclusion?

Within any paper there must be two components included, the introduction and the conclusion. They are two of the most important sections, as they not only set the tone for the paper itself, they prepare the reader for what is contained within it. Being the most hard to write, they must both be clear, concise, yet creative and entertaining enough to keep the reader interested, convey the overall purpose of the paper, and leave the reader either wanting more, or satisfied with the information that they received from it. As much as the conclusion is the introduction into the paper, the conclusion is the introduction into how the reader is to use the information from it to extrapolate into their daily, or real lives. It is the part of the paper that they will take with them to use in real application.

A hefty bill, the conclusion is the way to broaden your issues, or ideas, into the lives of those who read it. It is your final chance to persuade those who are reading, that not only is your information worthwhile, credible and valid, it is worthy of using going forward in their lives. With so many things that individuals will read throughout the course of their life time, it is the section where you make them see that their lives have been enriched simply because of the things that you have written in your work, the points you have made, and the relevance that it has to the world.

How to write an effective conclusion

There are different strategies that you can use to increase the overall potency of your conclusion. When writing the conclusion to your paper it is always important to keep several things in mind to ensure that you are covering all the integral parts that you want, and form the conclusion that makes sense not just to you, but anyone who is reading it. There are certain things that you will want to add to your conclusion and to clarity. Keeping them in mind is a good idea to complete your ideas, thoughts, and information cohesively. Take the following steps when proofreading or formulating your conclusion:

• It is important to have a purpose to your paper. If you initiate in the reader a "call to action", or propel them to do something with the information that you give to them. That is breathing life into your paper and forcing the reader to use it in a broader scope for their own betterment
• It is important to summarize your point, but it is not enough. You want to go over the major points made, but you need to make them relevant as you do so. The conclusion is where you take the points made and make them cohesive and tie them all together
• Make sure you have given the reader a reason to have read the paper. By rereading your paper and asking yourself what was the main intention of it, why would anyone care or want to read it, or what should they have learned from it, you can insure that you have covered the information thoroughly and made it poignant and relevant instead of faltering without any real purpose
• Take from the beginning and tie it to the end. Go back through the main points made in the introduction in the conclusion to make it a complete circle. The conclusion should make sense to the introduction as much as the introduction should tie into the conclusion. They are two parts the complete the paper and should be formulated that way
• Give the reader an example of how they can use the information for broader application. It will make your paper more relevant if you can make the reader feel connected to it in their own experiences, past or future

What types of things to avoid

• Don't resort to cliche phrases, or grandiose language which will overshadow your work
• Although it should contain a thesis statement about the paper, it should not be the first place that it is found
• Keep to the information you have presented. This is not the place to add in further arguments that are not contained within the paper previous to the conclusion
• The evidence belongs in the body of the paper, not in the conclusion. It is not a place to present your argument, it is a place to wrap it up
• In academic writing there is no place for hyperbole or emotional statements that are outlandish, or cannot be supported by reason, or the information contained within your paper

Conclusion

Many make the mistake of considering the conclusion just the ending of any paper and not giving it the proper attention, or relevance, that it needs to the overall work. The conclusion is one of the most important pieces, defining the intention of the paper itself, and leaving the reader with either a negative, or positive feeling about it. In the conclusion there are certain strategies that will enrich the paper, and those which will extract from the validity of it. Making sure to include the things that will aid in the richness of your paper, and avoiding those which will take from it, is important to the integrity of your piece of work and will leave the lasting impression that your readers take from it. When reading your conclusion you have to make sure that whatever the intention of your paper is, the reader is able to come to the conclusion that you intended. Not only a restatement of the thesis, it is a place to tie in all the points made within the body of the paper, and leave the reader with the knowledge needed to broaden it for further application.

Original story about "Conclusion as an important part of the paper: general writing tips" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

There are three major components that must be included in any valid book review. They are:

• There must be a clear summary of the book which outlines the objective of the book, what the content of the book is, and the overall intended purpose of the book itself
• Included in the review must be an assessment of what you thought of the book. This is where you make your assertions and defend them with evidence from the text to substantiate your claims
• In the conclusion there must be a statement of who the book was targeted toward, and who would enjoy reading the text.

How a book review should be structured

Introduction

The beginning of any review must be interesting enough, and entertaining enough, to captivate the audience and to make them want to read more. The first statements of the introduction must grab the attention of the reader and make them want to read more. Using your creativity is important in the introductory paragraph. When writing a book review the most important component of it will be the introduction section which will contain the thesis statement.

In the introduction you must include a summary of the book. This will include the intention and content of the text. It is a brief overview of why the book was written, who the book was written for, and the major content of the book. Also, within the introduction, you will include your thesis statement. The thesis statement, in this context, will be your argument about the work.

It is the basis of the thesis statement which will be the framework for your book review. Being concise about the statement itself is important, as it will be the cornerstone of your entire book review. It is within the thesis statement that you will be forming your argument about what you thought of the book. You will define in the thesis statement your opinion about what you thought of the book and then will be using evidentiary proof to back up your thesis statement throughout the rest of the book review.

The basic components of the introduction are:

• Opening statements to captivate the audience
• Summary of the content of the book, or author, you are reviewing
• Thesis, a statement of your argument

Body

The body is the "meat" of the argument. This is the section where you will be using proof and evidence to back up your thesis statement. The body is the main section of the review where you will, not only extrapolate and form your argument, but will also provide the evidence to back it up. When you form your thesis you will be making a statement about your opinion of the book's content. Although it is an opinion, it is important that you not just make claims, but that you have the proof to back it up. If you make a statement about the book, it is important within the body to use examples, concrete examples, to justify your assertions.

Before beginning the body of your book review it may be beneficial to formulate key components of your argument, making an outline of it, to make it coherent and flowing. An outline is a guide that you will use to write your book review that will keep you on task, and make sure that you complete the components of your argument, step by step, so that it is easy to follow for the reader. By formulating an outline, you can breakdown the argument into sections where you can make a claim and then use evidence to prove it.

When writing the body of the book review it is important that you use both negative and positive points to prove your opinion. After all, if the book were not worthy of positive praise, there is no reason to review, or read, it at all. Likewise, if it were all positive, there is no reason to write anything but how outstanding it was. Stating not only the good, but the bad, is an important component within the body of the book review.

The major components of the body are:

• Components of your argument
• Evidentiary and concrete proof to substantiate your argument

Conclusion

The conclusion is where you tie the ideas of your book review into one cohesive argument. It is a restatement of the thesis, followed by the steps which you took to prove your opinion or argument. It is important that within the conclusion you restate your position and hit on the key points that you used to prove it. It is a brief restatement of the entire book review and the argument that you formulated.

When writing your conclusion it is important to go step by step through your book review to highlight the points that you believe are most relevant. It is the section where you conclude your opinion of the book. In the conclusion you should also let the reader know who the book would be enjoyed by, and who the target audience is.

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The best way to discern the difference between a persuasive essay and a critical writing essay is to define them individually and then compare them together. A persuasive essay is an essay whose sole intent is to persuade the reader to one opinion. Although the definition of it doesn't change, the purpose of it changes dependent upon the real life application of it. For academic purposes, a persuasive essay is a short text that is used to show the command of a subject, and the overall understanding of it. Outside of academic practice, it is any material that is used to persuade a reader of the information that is contained within it. Examples of a persuasive essay outside of an academic setting is a presentation that is given in a public arena, or even something as short as a resume or cover letter.

The major differences between a persuasive essay and a critical essay are:

• The voice used in the essay - A persuasive essay can be first or third person, a critical essay is third person
• Informal versus formal style of writing - A persuasive argument can be informal or formal, a critical essay is always formal
• Presentation of both sides versus just one sided arguments - A persuasive essay presents just one side of an argument, a critical essay presents both negative and positive aspects
• Evidentiary proof needed - A persuasive argument need not provide concrete evidence and examples, a critical essay needs to have proof to back up claims made
• Basis of the essay - A critical essay is based upon another work, a persuasive essay can be on any subject at all

A persuasive essay can be a very informal piece, which can be written in any voice, not limited to the formal third person. Although it helps to be substantiated with proof, since it is based around arguments which can be subjective, it is not necessary to back up assertions or claims with evidentiary proof. It is an essay that only provides one side of an argument, not a summary that includes both sides.

A critical essay is an essay that is in critique of another work. It is an essay that's content is used to critique another author's work, and can be either positive or negative. It is not an essay that is used to sway the reader to one point of view or another, it is just a critical analysis of the context. Unlike a persuasive essay, a critical essay is formal and written only in the third person, never the first. Because it is a critique of another work, it can contain both negative and positive aspects of the work.

Ways that persuasive essays and critical essays are the same

• Both are used in real life application and academic arenas
• They are both short essays which are structured in the same way
• The more evidence you have to support them, the greater the strength of the writing of them
• They both are a demonstration of the writing skills of the individual writing them

Both the persuasive essay and the critical essay are structured in the same way. They both have the same major points that need to be included to make the essay relevant. They both consist of an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The information that is included within each category varies slightly. Because the intent of the article is different, the information that needs to be as an integral component to them will be different.

What is the structure of a persuasive essay and a critical essay?

Although they both have the same structure, the content of those categories will vary depending on which essay you are doing.

The structure of a persuasive essay is:

• Introduction - The introduction is the component where the audience will want to read more. It should begin with creative and captivating information that will begin to form the argument that will be laid out. Contained within the introduction should be the thesis statement, or the definition of what the argument for the essay is. It is an assertion that sets the tone, and is the reason for, the entire essay
• Body - The body of the essay is where the argument is laid out. The body contains the assertions about the argument, followed by supporting arguments for it. It is the area where you will form the argument and give supporting reasons and when appropriate evidence, to your point of view
• Conclusion - The conclusion is where you summarize the argument and the information that you have to prove your point. Being the most important part of the essay, it is the place where you finalize the argument and beg the reader to your point of view. Contained within it is the reason the reader should see things your way, and why you are right in your opinion, or point of view

The structure of a critical essay is:

• Introduction - The introduction is used to introduce the work that you are critiquing. It is the part of the essay where you state your opinion of the work, and outline the steps that led you to your conclusion about it
• Body - This is the section of the essay where you develop your argument and then use concrete facts to support your point of view, or position. Using both positive and negative aspects of the book, you describe what led you to the conclusion about how you formulated your critique. It is important to substantiate your claims with concrete evidence and examples
• Conclusion - In this section you conclude the main points of your critique and go through the points made about it, summarizing your position and finalizing your opinion

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What is Rhetoric?

For many people rhetoric, if it's a word they know at all, means something like trickery or deception. If a salesman pitches a useless product to you or a friend tells you a sob story so you'll lend him money, that's rhetoric. But in the academic definition rhetoric isn't simply using words to change someone's mind. In fact it's not negative at all-it's simply the art of using words to communicate, whether that be to persuade, motivate, or merely inform.

Aristotle's Rhetoric

One of the oldest and best-known studies of rhetoric comes from the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, who wrote The Art of Rhetoric in the 4^th century B.C. The book covers a wide range of topics, from the role of rhetoric in judicial proceedings to the use of metaphors, but the most famous sections deals with the art of persuasion. While the entire work is required reading for those interested in the study of rhetoric, the section on modes of persuasion is the one that every student needs to be familiar with.

Why Should You Care About Modes of Persuasion?

Before we start exploring Aristotle's modes of persuasion, it's a good idea to discuss why they're important in the first place. If you're a student sitting down to write an essay or research paper, why should you care about what Aristotle has to say?

The main reason that the idea of rhetorical persuasion is important is that it's at the heart of academic writing. Think about what you're doing when you write a paper about Shakespeare or draw up a lab report for chemistry class: you're making an argument. Maybe you've got a thesis about Hamlet's soliloquies or you want to show that a specific test can be used to determine the concentration of a chemical; whatever you're discussing, chances are that you've gathered evidence and are using your paper to present that evidence to the reader and persuade them that your argument is accurate.

Aristotle's modes of persuasion define the main ways in which we all try to persuade other people to believe what we're saying. Some of them, like logically drawing connections between pieces of evidence, are considered good in academic writing, while others, like appealing to emotion, are frowned upon. When you understand the differences between these modes, you'll understand what makes a good academic paper and what type of writing is best saved for other audiences.

The Modes of Persuasion

Aristotle defines three modes of persuasion, each of which as its own role to play in communication.

Ethos

The Greek word for character, ethos is defined by Aristotle as the character of the speaker or author. Basically, it's the level of credibility that the speaker bring to the conversation just by virtue of being who they are. In modern rhetoric, the idea of ethos centers of the audience's valuation of the speaker. Based on what they know about him or her, how likely are they to believe what his or she says?

According to Aristotle, the speaker (or writer) builds ethos as they speak, but others believe that everything about that speaker can be used by the audience to evaluate ethos. We hear this all the time in our daily lives: every time an "expert from so-and-so university" speaks on TV or a friend tells you that she heard a rumor "from the source," the speaker is relying on ethos to get you to believe her.

There are three main ways that Aristotle believed that a writer could build ethos.

1. Practical skills or knowledge (you believe your car mechanic when he tells you something is wrong because he has practical knowledge)
2. Goodness (you believe your friend when he tells you something because you believe him to be a good person)
3. Goodwill toward the audience (you believe you doctor because you believe he has your best interests at heart).

Of course, all of those ideas can work in reverse as well. You might decide not to believe your car mechanic because you believe he doesn't have goodwill toward you, i.e., he's trying to cheat you, or you might not believe a friend who reports a rumor because you know he is trying to stir up trouble.

The idea of speaker authority is very important to academic writing. When you write, you position yourself as an authority, meaning you have to convince your audience that your word is believable. In academic work, usually this is done by displaying practical knowledge and expertise. When you do your research, and demonstrate to the audience that you understand the ideas you're discussing, then they're more likely to believe you.

Ethos is also important during the research process. Whenever you cite a book or journal article in a paper, you're using that information as a source of authority, which means you yourself have to evaluate the authority of the work you're presenting. If you cite articles or essays with obviously biased authors or mishandled data, that lack of credibility will transfer to you.

Logos

The most important form of persuasion for academic writers is logos, or logical reasoning. When you provide quotes from a text, data from an experiment, or a citation of a journal article, you're presenting evidence; when you are able to logically draw a conclusion from that evidence, then you're using logos to prove your argument.

Unlike ethos, which relies on the character of the author, and pathos, which involves the audience's feelings (more on that below), logos involves only the argument itself. It doesn't matter who you're speaking to or who's reading your work-if you carefully construct a logical argument, then your work will be successful.

Obviously, logos is highly valued in academic work. Of the three modes of persuasion discussed by Aristotle, it's viewed as the most impartial, a trait that's highly valued in research. Theoretically, an argument that relies on logos will be understood by multiple audiences and effective no matter who is presenting it. In academic writing, where the substance of an argument should be the main focus, logos should be the main rhetorical device used.

Pathos

Last up is pathos, which refers to the audience's experiences or feelings. In rhetoric, pathos means an appeal to the audience's emotions. So, instead of presenting facts or evidence to sway the audience, when you use pathos you try to get an audience to feel a particular way. Then, when they're happy, sad, afraid, or nervous, you can use that emotion to bring them around to your side.

Pathos is incredibly common in all sorts of communication, including advertising and fiction. When a salesperson tries to get you to buy diet pills, they're tapping into your fear of being ugly and ostracized; when a fiction writer describes a beautiful scene, they're trying to create a feeling of happiness and serenity in the audience. These tactics can be very effective.

Aristotle didn't necessary view the use of pathos as bad or wrong-as shown above, it's often a useful rhetorical strategy. But many other philosophers and scholars, particularly those who prize logical arguments, view pathos as the least respectable form of persuasion, and that viewpoint has been carried into modern academia.

While it can be very effective to tug at an audience's heartstrings with a sad story or get them all fired up over an injustice, those techniques are not acceptable in academic writing. If you hand in an English paper that tries to make your audience (i.e., your teacher) feel a certain way instead of presenting facts to support your argument, your paper is probably going to be judged pretty harshly.

Using Rhetoric in Academic Writing

At its core, academic writing is an exercise in persuasion. Particularly if you move forward in academia and start presenting original research, persuading the audience to listen to you and believe in your work is an key part of the job. But even for high school and college students, the papers you write will be persuading your teacher (usually to give you a good grade!).

When working on essays and research papers, it's important to keep all three of Aristotle's modes of persuasion in mind because it's likely that these papers will rely on a mix of all three. Clearly logos should be the foundation for any academic argument, but that doesn't mean you won't sometime rely on ethos or even pathos in your work. The key to any good rhetoric is being able to identify which mode of persuasion will work best and being able to apply that to your own work.

Original story about "Aristotle's Rhetoric" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

When using the internet you have to be careful

When you use the information found on the internet you have to be very careful. The internet is full of useful information, but it is also plagued by mistruths and falsities. Unfortunately, just about anyone can post to the internet without having the credentials, or the knowledge necessary to do so.

- If you are going to use sources that are found on the internet you must know the originating source. A source on the internet can be used exhaustively, which means that it is quoted across many different articles. Each time it is used, it can be quoted from a different source.
For example, if an article uses a source, it cites the source. If then, another article uses it, they may site the source that used the originating one, instead of the actual source itself. Being that there are no governing body for internet information, there are times that a source is not cited, as it should be, at all.

- If you want to use the internet to do your research, the best place to find credible information is by using journals that are published. Journal articles will often have abstracts on the internet that will give you an survey of the literature to allow you to discern whether they are useful to you or not. The abstract will give you an analysis of what the article is about, the findings, and the results. Journal articles are credible sources to use as evidence in your research writing, and are cited in simple APA format, as you would any journal you read.

- Another way to find credible information on the internet is through using literary sites, or library sites. Many schools and colleges will have their own link to library resources. These are useful because they weed through the literature available and only supply you with the sources which have academic validity. To use any college or university library site, you will most likely need to have a log in and password. Colleges reserve their literary sites for students and faculty, so you will need to use your own institution's website. There are other sites which you can pay a fee for use. Many association sites will have their own compilation of literature that needs to be certified through specific guidelines for publication. They are highly credible sources to use. Once you pay for a membership to them you will likewise be given a log in ID and a password for use.

What are the advantages of using internet information?

Although there are many incredulous statements made online and information which has no credible proof, there are some advantages to getting information on the internet. Often times the internet will have current information that will not be found in traditional published articles. Because of the scrutiny of publication, the process takes time for approval. The information contained within, therefore, may not be the most current available. Doing a search of the information on the internet is a good starting point to finding the recent research on any subject. From the results of the search, you can extrapolate to find the most relevant information for your needs. Like playing operator, one source leads to another and so on.

Advantages of using internet:

1. you will get varying opinions on a subject
   If you have some academic leeway in your research, or need opinion pieces, they can be a good source to give you many different points of view.
2. you will get the links to further information on your subject.
   Whether it will be credible enough to use as a cited works in your paper or not, sometimes it is just worth the read to add more confidence to your point of view.

There are some authors who will never reach the journal publications or the library. Self publishing has become more popular over the past couple of years. Those who do online publishing, or self publishing, will never make it to the library shelves. It does not mean that there work is any less credible, it just means that they chose a different avenue to display their works. If you discount the internet for your research, and restrict your research to traditional library books, you will be missing out on a wealth of information and sometimes the most current research findings available.

Don't stop till you find the right sources for your paper

Finding relevant and credible sources to do research is both easier, and abundant, but at the same time risky. The internet has brought to the average student the ability to view hundreds of sources with the click of a button. Unfortunately, many things that are found on the internet are not credible, nor correct. Anyone intending to use the information from the internet needs to proceed cautiously and chase down the original source before using it. Being both a blessing and a curse, it can supply the student with more data than they can possibly read, but also with everything they need to become expert on any subject. Using the internet is a viable alternative to traditional ways of researching a topic, but the value of frequenting a good old fashioned library should never be discounted.

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Because of this uncertainty, students often fall back on a number of standard introductory sentences and ideas. But just because these cliches are easy to use doesn't mean that they'll be improving your paper. Writing an essay is about presenting your own unique ideas, and starting with the same introductory device as every other student isn't going to make your work stand out. If you want to make sure your introduction really captures the reader's attention, you need to avoid these hackneyed and over-used introductions.

1. Grand, sweeping statements

Teacher's often encourage students to start introductory paragraphs with statements that link the theme of their paper to issues out in the wider world. If you're writing about Romeo and Juliet, that might mean talking about the role the idea of love has played in art throughout the ages; or, if you're writing about The Great Gatsby, you might talk about how wealth is portrayed in the media today.

All of that is fine and good, but when that introductions start to get grandiose is when your teacher or professor is going to lose interest. Starting with sweeping statements like "throughout history, people have written about the idea of young love" or "the disparity between the wealthy and the poor is the biggest issue facing society today" isn't going to hook the reader-it's just going to tell them that your paper isn't going to be very good.

There are a couple of issues with using these types of introductions. One is that they are just too broad. You're not going to be discussing the entire history of young love in literature, so don't start your paper suggesting that you will. And, by starting so broad, you're probably telling the audience something they already know. We all know how important the idea of love is to plays and novel; it's a waste of time to tell the reader.

The second, and larger, problem with these types sweeping, declarative sentences is that they are likely to put your audience on the defensive. What if your reader doesn't believe that the disparity between the wealthy and poor is the biggest issue facing society? If that's the case, then you've already got the reader arguing with you before you even present your main thesis. And, even if they agree, setting yourself up in the very first sentence of your paper as an unquestionable authority on big issues probably isn't going to endear you to your teacher.

2. Dictionary definitions

Every teacher has seen papers that start this way. Instead of making a sweeping statement about the idea of love or money, the writer starts by providing its definition: "According to Merriam-Webster, love means..." or "the dictionary defines money as...." This might seem like a good way to introduce the main topic of your paper, but it's not going to hook or impress your reader.

Firstly, think about the word you're defining. Probably it's something related to the theme of the book, like family, discrimination, or death. Do you think that readers don't already know what those words mean? Your teacher or professor likely has a pretty good vocabulary, and doesn't need to be told what Wikipedia says about the meaning of family. So, when you start your paper this way, you're basically telling the reader something they already know, which isn't going to make his or her want to read more.

If, on the other hand, you want to start your paper with the definition of a more obscure word-maybe you want to define a foreign word like schadenfreude or explain a technological concept like RAM-you should consider whether you really want to start your paper with that definition. Remember, the introduction is where you present your topic for the reader; it shouldn't be a place where you introduce lots of new ideas or terms. If the definition of the word actually is important to the main argument of your work, then it belongs in the body, not the introduction.

3. Well-known facts or statistics

For the same reasons that you don't start your paper with the definition of a word everybody already knows, you also shouldn't start your paper with a fact or statistic that everybody will recognize. Saying something like "many lives were lost during World War II" or "parents are an important part of a child's life" isn't giving the reader any new information and will seem silly or maybe even condescending.

4. Quotes without context

There's nothing wrong with starting your paper with a quote, but the key is to remember that you need to provide some context for the quote. Keep in mind that, when they start your introduction, the reader doesn't know what your paper is going to be about. They've seen your title, and that's it. So, if you start with a witty quote about love or a line from a play you'll be discussing, your reader isn't going to know how that relates to your thesis. This uncertainty means they'll likely have to go back and reread the introduction once they've read the thesis-something you definitely don't want.

Also keep in mind that you should never use a quote without first providing some context. If the first words the reader sees in your paper is a quote, they're going to be left with more questions than anything else. Who said it and why? When and where is that quote from? Instead of leaving the reader confused, start your introduction with a simple line like "Nineteenth century Russian novelist Vladimir Nabokov is famous for having said..." With just that little bit of extra information, you've gotten your paper off on the right foot.

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Many students loose on their academic papers or research papers as they tend to complete them just before the deadline. The extreme pressure of the due date for submission takes over the work. Many also tend to repeat the information to make sure the paper does not fall short of the required number of pages. A last minute work definitely is not impressive. You can avoid such situations by realizing the importance of managing time wisely and effectively.

Plan and Prioritize

Time management process starts with planning and prioritization. Planning involves making a list of all the to-do tasks according to their deadlines. This gives a clear picture of the short term, mid-term and long term work requirements. And according to the scheduled time, you will have to prioritize the tasks and complete the short term plans first. This kind of planning helps students in organizing their study most effectively. Planning ahead definitely reduces stress and saves lot of time and energy.

Reduce Stress By Planning Ahead

Writing a research paper can take a lot more time than you plan or think. Writing a research paper is a combined effort of many steps and each phase or step takes time. By planning ahead and starting the paper earlier, you can reduce the stress and come up with a quality paper. Smart ways of doing things is a wise way of spending time.

Determine on a Topic Early

The first step of academic writing is selecting a topic. Instead of searching for a suitable topic, you could think or relate to a possible topic for research while reading your textbooks. Another smart way of getting ideas for a research topic is jotting down topics that interest you during a class lecture. This way you can reduce the exploration time to narrow down on an interesting topic.

Gather Information and Indulge in Research

The next step of academic writing involves gathering the background and relevant additional information on your topic. As known by all, library is the best resource for reference books, journals, maps, guides and online reference. A library is the best place to start a research. It offers most of the information like the overview of the topic, context, statistical and historical information, maps and images associated to the topic. One might think, university library is close enough and ready resource for research. The point to consider is that the books and reference journals may not be available when you need most. So one should be prepared to start the research earlier so that the required books, journals, encyclopedias can be requested from other libraries and resources if not available. This might take some time, so you don't want to wait till the due deadline. For current information, you can look out for article databases which offer subjective, combined, comprehensive and focused search.

It is wise to gear up and manage time to avoid academic writing difficulties. Let us discuss few tips for good time management when it comes to writing research papers.

Prepare an Academic Calendar

Make an academic calendar with details of the due dates of all upcoming assignments and projects. This may sound ridiculous and a time waste task, but it will help you remain focused and organized on the assignments. Your schedule might get crazier by the time. And writing all projects in one place will help you keep track of all your scheduled assignments and there is little chance or no chance of missing out on any of the tasks. This is also a first step that initiates prioritization. You might not want to sit and write a paper if your calendar shows that you have a test the next day.

Never Lose Track of Time

Keep track of the time while writing an essay to confirm efficiency. Many a times, we spend hours on exploring and researching for the required paper. At the end of all the hard work, you might feel you did not find relevant information. If you are doing an online search, there are higher chances of getting deviated. When you start using a time tracker, there are less chances of wasting time as you keep track of what you have been doing every hour. And you can immediately change the approach and get back on track with more focus and attention if it is not productive without wasting further time.

Retain Determination

Retain your determination. Once you decide on starting your assignment early, it is more important that you actually start it early. Be determined to continue the organized approach that you start. Mental toughness is what is required. Many students talk about it, but very few actually focus and work on it. Some might find it difficult to follow the writing goals; it is completely fine to find it hard. You should not lose your self-discipline and try to develop your stability. There are many articles and books written by experts on how to build self-discipline and determination that can help you develop your personality. Try to remain optimistic and develop self-discipline around positive thoughts and not negative thoughts.

The above are just few very simple tips to get started on efficient academic writing. By following the above, you can reduce the writing difficulties. Bottom line is that time plays an important role and by using good time management techniques, you can write a good research paper with less stress and present. It is important that you do not strain yourself at the end of the semester while wasting most of the valuable time in the beginning.

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What is Signposting?

Signposting, like the name suggests, is the process of posting sign throughout your paper in order to help the reader make sense of your work. Like the symbols on a map or a freeway exit sign, the signposts in your writing will tell the reader where they are and where they're headed.

Think of your writing as being like a road. As they go from word to word and paragraph to paragraph, readers are travelling down that road, and, just like out in the real world, readers are going to have an easier time navigating if you give them some signs along the way. Of course, it's possible for readers to make their way through your paper without any signposting. But, just like it would be annoying to try to find your way to a friend's house by simply driving in circles, your readers don't want to have to work hard to figure out what's going on.

In academic writing, signposting is the process of putting in words and phrases that act like road signs for the reader. These words tell the reader what to expect from the paper, i.e., they tell readers where they're going and what they'll see when they get there. Signposts are important because they make papers easier to read and understand. Instead of readers having to go back and reread sections of your paper, you'll be highlighting and repeating the important ideas for them.

Why Use Signposting?

In addition to the benefits signposting provides for the reader, it's also an important part of academic writing. While advertising what you plan to write about can seem repetitive and unnecessary in other types of writing, in academic writing it's an important part of the style. In fact, although it's not often discussed, it's one of the most important stylistic aspects to academic writing. When you're writing papers for classes or for publication, the professionals reading your work will expect you to include signposting.

Remember, academic writing isn't about being flashy or fancy. The goal of any piece of academic writing is to effectively communicate your ideas, and signposting is integral to that process. If you feel like you're spending too much time telling readers what you're about to talk about, then you're probably doing it right.

How to Use Signposting

So just how do you insert these signposts into your writing? It's actually an easier process that it might initially seem. In fact, you're probably already including some signposts as part of your regular writing process, and the key to good signposting is learning out to expand those signs and use them well.

Linking words and secondary signposts

The most basic signpost is something you probably already think about when you're writing: transitions. When you move from idea to idea and paragraph to paragraph you should be using linking words and phrases like on the other hand, furthermore, similarly, or as a result. These transitions help the reader understand the relationship between the ideas in your paper and will tell the reader what to expect from a sentence or paragraph even before they've read it.

When you use good transitions, you're doing the heavy lifting for the reader. Instead of having to guess what point you're trying to make or having to reread previous sections, readers are being guided to the conclusion you want them to reach. Without these signposts, your readers will have to put in a lot more work-and that's never something you want in academic writing.

Another set of common secondary signposts are list words. Especially when you're including a complex list or discussing a list over a long span of text, it's important to include words like first, second, and lastly. These words will help the reader remember not only that they're reading items in a list but also where they are in that list. As the writer, the items in a list will seem obvious, but remember the reader doesn't want to get lost in the middle of big block of text without a sign to tell them where they are.

Here's a list of some common secondary signposts that should appear throughout the main body of your text:

Transitions:

• for example/for instance
• on the other hand
• as a result/consequently
• also/in addition/furthermore
• because of/due to
• however
• in other words

Lists:

• first(ly), second(ly), third(ly)
• finally, lastly
• primary, secondary, tertiary

Directions:

• in the previous section/paragraph/chapter
• as was discussed/outlined/explained above
• having looked at ____, it is now important to ____.

Major signposts

While secondary signposts should be placed throughout the paper, major signposts generally belong is the introductory and concluding sections of a paper or chapter. These words and phrases are used to directly address readers and steer them through your work. In the introduction, signposts will usually tell the reader what your main argument is going to be and how your paper is organized; in the conclusion, signposts will tell the reader that you're starting to wrap up your argument.

The exact wording of major signposts will vary by field. Some disciplines allow writers to use first person and directly address the reader ("In this essay, I will argue that...") while other fields require authors to use third person and passive voice ("The purpose of this study is to..."). Either way, the main goal is the same-you want to tell the reader exactly what is going to happen in your work. Also keep in mind that signposts should appear every time you start a new section or chapter.

Phrases like "this essay will argue that..." and "the purpose of this study is..." might seem dry and obvious, but they're an important part of the academic writing style. Students often want to leave these types of phrases out of their work because it they seem awkward, but with practice you'll get used to seeing and using them.

Major signposts:

• the purpose of this essay is...
• in this thesis I will argue that...
• this paper will include X number of sections...
• in this chapter...
• in conclusion...

Original story about "Showing the Way: Signposting in Academic Writing" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

There are many genres to consider when reviewing books, some of the specific genres are: Fiction, Biography, History, Poetry.

In the same way, on the basis of the style of reviewing, book reviews can be characterized into two types:

1. Descriptive - Descriptive review gives the important information about the book. This review elaborates description, by stating the purposes of the author and also by quoting passages from the book.
2. Critical reviewing - Critical review is about evaluating and describing the book, by accepting the terms of historical standards and supporting with evidence from the text.

Before writing any review, a reviewer should thoroughly read the book. Following are few important steps to follow before starting to read a book and before writing a review:

• Carefully understand the title and know what it suggests.
• Read the preface that provides essential information on the purpose behind writing the book.
• Observe index contents as the index throws light on how the book is organized.
• Go through the summary of the book if possible as it helps in understanding the author's ideas.

As you start reading the book, there are many aspects to think about, especially if you are committed to write a quality book review.

• After getting familiarized with how the books are classified into various genres, access the book by checking how well it is appropriate to the genre as defined.
• Try understanding the tone of the author in the book, is it negative or positive or humorous or critical, etc.
• Trying to understand the author's style of writing.
• Try grasping the concepts defined by the author and knowing how well the ideas of author are developed. This helps to raise the book's authority.
• If it is work of fiction, try understanding the various fictional plots around the book and how well they are connected or described to get an idea of the book.
• The characters in the book should be well introduced and portrayed for readers' clarity. Keep a check on it.
• If there are any facts mentioned in the book, try validating them by other sources available.
• Check how clearly the concepts are explained, review the book accordingly, and let people know if a layman can understand the book or should we have some prior knowledge on which topic the book is written, when a person is planning to start reading the book.
• Check for originality in the book.
• Last but not the least; keep an eye on the appendix and bibliography page too. Keeping a track of the primary sources used by the author, as it will help you understand how he/she made use of these sources while you read the book.

Once you are done completely analyzing the book and author skills, you are ready to write the review on the book.

• Start your review with an introduction by stating what you felt about the book in a catchy and attractive way. The introduction should not be too long.
• An outline should be prepared when writing a review; this will be like a statement describing the purpose of the review. Arguments should be there to support the review.
• Prepare a draft with:
  1. By comparing the work of author with work of others within the same genre.
  2. Development of the review depends upon the outline prepared.
  3. Conclusion adds or restates the review or it may be the final judgment of the book. There should not be any new information or ideas introduced in the conclusion.
• Follow on with the tone you set in your introduction and facilitate the readers with more details that support your statement with reasonable references.
• You may quote the sentences or cite the page numbers for reference, to explain the flaws and highs in the book.
• Do conclude your review by summarizing the review and its main points.
• Finally revise the review. This helps in finding grammatical mistakes and correcting them and checking the unity of the review. If needed, don't falter to make revisions in the review. Quotations should be verified for accuracy.

There are some rules and considerations for reviewing different genres; some of them are as follows:

For Fiction

1. Do not reveal the story.
2. Consider the sources of the different characters described in the story.
3. Examine the various elements of plot. For instance, introduction, suspense, climax, etc. that are handled by the author.

For Biography

1. Check whether the book is giving full picture of the subject.
2. Know and explain the point of view of author.
3. Explain if any new facts about the person's life are revealed in the book?
4. Compare other works of same author.

For History

1. Know the particular period that the book is dealing with.
2. Check if the resources genuine and thorough.
3. Know the point of view of author.
4. Differentiate what group the book is intended such as textbook or scholarly etc.
5. Check whether the dates used by the author are correct or not.
6. Maps and charts used in the book should also be evaluated..

Majority of the readers start reading a book because of a referral from a friend or from a book reviewer. So book reviews play a major part in influencing a person to read the book. A book review must be effective and should not have any flaws. Authors do not write books overnight; few spend their lives into writing their books, so do write a transparent and fair review of book giving your genuine opinion.

Original story about "Book Review - Create a Writing Plan" at Book Report, Review Writing category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

Many parents are concerned about the load of homework their children have to do every day. But it is understood that homework has been an essential part of the standard educational program since it was invented and it still remains. Homework may include a chapter in the book, a math problem but high school writing is often the most daunting task for students.

The traditional point of view is that homework assignment allows students to review and use what they have learned in class and prepare for the next day. It provides a more practical approach to study and explore the subject in more depth in terms of projects, researches, reports, etc. Doing homework children become more self-disciplined and responsible. Also it is useful to improve their memory and creative thinking. But what to do is a person can not do the homework and write a scientific paper in a timely manner?

Why do students need help?

According to the latest research from the National Research Council (NRC) students get high grades if they have family support and parents help them with their assignment. This is especially important when the task is to combine your science knowledge and writing skills. Of course, no parent wants to miss their children's life and they try to be a big part of it. Unfortunately, lack of time is a common problem for many parents today and this is where professional help with writing a high school paper comes in handy. Especially when both parents work every day, what is quite common these days.

Inform your audience

Scientific papers are necessary to show your own researching work, describing important facts or review researches conducted by scientists. To reach this goal, the papers should inform the readers and be written in a clear, precise and concise style. Your first step is to choose a relevant topic, because your scientific paper should include a topical problem. You should be able to answer the question "Why did you choose this problem?" and explain your conclusion.

The structure of the scientific paper

Keep in mind that your audience will be readers with similar knowledge regardless of the field. Your main task in this type of high school writing is explaining them what you have done and why it is important. That is why your research paper should be divided into four main segments:

• Introduction;
• Materials and Methods;
• Results;
• Conclusions

Though these sectors form the central part of your paper, you need to think about the title and include a bibliography and literature cited. Choose a title suitable to present the contents of the work, but not so technical that other students will not understand.

Please do not make a mistake assuming that good English is not crucial in scientific papers. Actually, it is important to be so concise that your writing should be better than in other disciplines!

Consult your teacher and experienced writers

Writing assignments always take time and attention, so stay after and consult with your teacher in order to ask every question you have about content or formats. Don't rely on your own editing skills or witty humor to write a high school essay. If you realize you can not accomplish this task, it is better to turn to qualified and experienced writers.

Is homework a burden?

Today it looks like people are ready to look at the big picture. Alfie Kohn, a well-known author, discusses the problem of modern education in his book "The Homework Myth," convincing readers that the importance of homework is overestimated. One of his points is that children may even lose the interest of learning if high school work is too difficult for them.

The right amount of homework

So what is the bottom line, then? Well, it goes without saying that assignments are undoubtedly an essential component of the student's life, but when the pressure is too much, it may lead to many problems. It is important to keep in mind that the amount of homework should correspond to the age and abilities of a student. Parental involvement in children's education can really inspire them for learning. If their working schedule is not flexible enough, parents can take the help of professional high school writing services.

Original story about "High school writing: do you need help with your scientific paper?" on BestCustomWriting.com

What We Mean When We Talk About Research Papers

The terms research paper can mean many different things depending on who's using it. In the sciences, a research paper is usually a specially formatted analysis of the writer's original research; in the humanities a research paper will be a more loosely structured essay that articulates the writer's original ideas about a topic. While the formatting is very different, what ties this types of papers together is the research-namely, the idea that you, the writer, need to know enough about your topic to accurately place your own ideas among the many others out there.

The Layers of a Research Paper

Think of a good research paper as being like an onion. At its center is a core of information, and then you have to add your own interpretations and analysis on top, layer by layer, until you finish with a well-rounded argument.

Descriptive

The core of any good research paper is going to be made up simply of facts and information. Basically, you need to start by making sure that the reader knows everything they need to know to understand the arguments you're going to make. If you're going to be talking about a novel, you need to give the reader the basic outline of the plot and characters; if you're going to be talking about the affect an insect has on a specific tree, you need to tell the reader a little bit about both that insect and that tree.

Think of this layer as the foundation that the rest of your paper will be built on. Without this information, the reader can't be expected to evaluate or appreciate your ideas, and the rest of your paper will fall apart.

Analytical

Once you've laid out a topic for the audience, it's time for you to start adding your own ideas. The first step in this process is to analyze what's out there and organize it all in a way that both makes sense for the reader and highlights the important points you want to make. For an English class essay this might mean collecting critical commentaries on a novel, dividing them up into thematic areas, then restating their main ideas for the reader. In the sciences, you might be reading up on a particular species, then organizing the information in such a way as to show the reader where there are holes in the current research.

The key to doing this sort of analysis is to look for trends or patterns. You aren't adding anything that's entirely new yet; instead, you're looking for connections between ideas or patterns in the research that will build the foundation for the next layer of your work.

Persuasive

Once you've taken stock of all the currently available research, it's time to stake out your own territory. What do you have to add that's new or different? What are you going to try to prove in your paper? Now that all the facts and current research have been laid out, you can use that information to start developing your own argument and also offering your own interpretations of the all the research you've read. This section shouldn't be about explicitly proving anything yet-you just want to make your claim.

Critical

The last-and most important-layer of a research paper is critical engagement with other people's work. You've carefully built a foundation that demonstrates you understand the nuances of your topic and the scholarship surrounding it, and now's the time to step into that debate as an equal. This is where you look at the work of others and evaluate it. Are there certain theories you agree or disagree with? Why? Are there holes in the research that you think you can address?

An important part of engaging in critical debate is recognizing the many different positions occupied by others in your field. If you just attack a single journal article or use one author to prove a point, you haven't done a thorough enough job of really evaluating the research. Instead, you should be balancing many different viewpoints and offering a thoughtful, well-supported argument for or against them.

How Can You Use the Onion Model?

When working on research papers, the onion model can be used to help build a solid, well-supported argument. Every layer is important-you can't have analysis without factual information, and you can't make a critical argument without first laying out what other scholars have already said. So, as you're writing, you want to make sure that you build up these layers carefully. Start with descriptive, and add more depth until you've reached your critical argument. When making a persuasive argument, make sure that you've included all the groundwork the reader will need to understand it. If you're having trouble with your paper, try making an outline or other visual aid that helps you analyze the purpose of each paragraph or section in your work to see where it fits within the onion.

In more complex papers, particularly those divided into sections or chapters, these layers might not be so literal-you may work your way through the onion several times or circle back around to a particular idea repeatedly throughout your work. But in general, no matter how complex your work is, you want to be sure that every layer is in there somewhere.

Original story about "Peeling Back the Onion: Layers of Meaning in Academic Writing" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

Why Makes a Good Editor?

It's often easy to criticize a piece of writing, particularly if it's not your own. Inconsistencies and logical errors will leap off the page, and mistakes in grammar or spelling can stand out like they're under a spotlight. But while spotting errors is an important part of the editing process, it's usually not the main reason you're proofreading. Instead, the end goal you should pursue as an editor is to help improve the text you're working on.

Think about the last time somebody criticized your work. Maybe it was a teacher or classmate who wrote comments on an essay you'd spent days laboring over. If your paper was covered in comments like "this doesn't make sense " or "this is wrong," you probably came away feeling pretty bad about yourself, and, possibly even worse, without any idea of how to fix your paper. But, if you got back a paper with remarks like "you need to tie this idea back to your thesis statement" or "fix this run-on sentence," you likely headed into your next draft with a clearly idea of what you needed to do to improve your work.

When editing, it's important to keep this distinction in mind. A good editor won't just point out weaknesses; he or she will also try to help guide the writer toward a way to fix those weaknesses.

What to Look for

Whether you're a helpful friend or an expert in your field, there are several key issues that you should try to address when providing feedback on a paper.

1. Grammar, spelling, and continuity errors

It's always good to start with the easiest editing task: finding mistakes in grammar, spelling, and consistency. Many students trust spellcheck to handle these issues, but this usually means early drafts will be full of misplaced punctuation, homophones (words that sound alike but are spelled differently), and grammatically suspect sentences. These mistakes can be hard for writers to spot in their own work, but as an outside observer you'll likely find a lot of the things they missed.

When checked for these types of errors, keep an eye out for issues of consistency as well. If the writer uses abbreviations or chooses to use one particular term over another, that choice should be consistent throughout the paper. Problems of this type can often result from writers changing their minds partway through their work or just plain forgetting a decision they made several paragraphs earlier. Again, as an outside observer you can do a better job of identifying these errors.

2. Formatting issues

As with spelling and grammar mistakes, problems with formatting that also easily slip by writers will be more obvious to outside editors. These include issues like missing or incorrect citations, strange spacing, or an incorrectly done title page. For this part it's important to be familiar with the style guide the writer is using. For example, MLA and Chicago have different requirements for things like citations and running heads, so it's important to give the advice that's right for this particular assignment.

Again, as with spelling and grammar, it's important to look for consistency in the formatting. If the writer is using one space between sentences, that should be the same throughout the paper. Same for the choice of font, heading style, and margins. Citations are an especially important place to examine for formatting troubles. Every in-text citation needs to have a corresponding entry in the Bibliography, and vice versa, and all those references need to be formatting the same way.

3. Consistency across the work

In addition to consistency in formatting and grammar, you also want to check for consistency in the work as a whole. Does the author do what they say they are going to do in the introduction or abstract? If not, where do they go off track? Does the conclusion fit with the evidence provided in the rest of the paper?

Because ideas and arguments will evolve as we write, it's not uncommon for our paper not to end up where we thought it would. And there's nothing wrong with this, except that it's then important to make sure that that change is reflected in the rest of the work. So, when you're editing, be on the lookout for sections that don't fit within the larger framework of the paper, claims that are dropped later in the work, or conclusions that aren't supported by the rest of the paper.

4. The reader's viewpoint

If you've ever worked on a paper you know that it's easy to get lost in the details of your research and leave out crucial details that the reader will need. Sometimes this is a reference to a study or theory that seems like it should be obvious but actually won't be for the reader, or maybe an idea you though didn't need more explanation is actually pretty confusing.

By definition, a writer can't really see his or her work from the prospective of the reader, and that's where you, the editor, come in. As someone who's probably not familiar with all the research the writer has done, you can hone in on areas that are confusing or poorly explained. Just remember, when you're giving feedback it's important not just to point those spots out, but also to provide advice on what could be done to improve them.

6. What's working

When you're editing you don't have to limit yourself to pointing out the flaws in the paper. Writers also need to know what they've done well. If there's a particular paragraph or section that does a good job of supporting the work's thesis or if there's just a sentence that you really like, don't hesitate to point that out. Not only will this help the writer feel a little bit better about all the other stuff you've commented on, but it will also let them know which parts of the paper they should keep or expand.

5. Ask questions

Sometimes there will be parts of the paper that you simply don't understand. This might be because the writing is poor, or it might just be that you don't have the background necessary to analyze the writer's argument. When this is the case, don't be shy about just asking questions; after all, the writer isn't going to know how easy or hard his paper is to read unless you tell him.

Giving Advice

The key to good editing is to help the writer see his or her paper through the reader's eyes. This means pointing out confusing sections or continuity problems that the writer can't see, but it also means that you should be guiding the writer towards a way to fix the problem. Don't just say "This paragraph is confusing" - that's not going to help the writer make it better. Instead, try to address why you think it's confusing and what could be done better. "This paragraph doesn't have enough evidence to support its claim" is a better than "This paragraph is too short." Think about how you would like editors to help you with your work and try to do the same.

Original story about "How to Edit Someone Else's Rough Draft" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

What Is Tense?

Put simply, tense describes when the action being described by a verb took place. In English, we divide time up into three simple categories-past, present, and future-and we can conjugate verbs to indicate when an action is taking place (remember, conjugation means either changing the spelling of a verb or adding helping verbs).

Before we start talking about which tense to use, it's important to understand the basics of tense. The topic of tense can get pretty complicated; for example, English has dozens of tenses that cover a wide range of situations, from two events both happening at different points in the future to an event that might have happened but is has continued into the present. For our purposes here we're going to focus a few fairly simple verb tenses. These include:

• Present. Events occurring at the current moment in time.
• Past. Everything that occurs before the present.
• Future. Everything that will happen after the current moment.

To understand tense, first you have to understand the relative position you'll be using. Remember, tense is relative-past and future only exists in regards to a specific "present," and the present can be different depending on the situation. When you're writing, you may think of that particular moment as the present, but a person reading that paper days, weeks, or years later is going to think of their moment as the present, and the moment you're writing in as the past. As with many things in grammar, there's no necessarily "right" way to look at this issue, but for our purposes here we're going to imagine the person reading your paper as being in the present tense.

Finding the Right Tense for Your Field

Every field has its own rules about verb tenses in academic writing. Some are fairly firm while others can be bent or mostly ignored if the writer so chooses. The advice here will be general and won't get into the specifics for any one field. Instead, we're going to go through some general advice that will help you understand how to think about tense and should help you get started off on the right foot.

Rules of Tense

The conventions of tense in academic writing are complicated, but most of the time it all boils down to a simple question-do I use past or present tense? The answer is usually that you need a mix of both. Below is a section-by-section breakdown of when to use past and present tense.

Introduction/abstract

When to use present tense: Use present tense throughout the abstract and introduction. (The hormone ghrelin is one of the many biological factors that control appetite; this study looks at how ghrelin can be used to manipulate feeding behavior in mice.) By using the present tense you directly involve the reader in your work and let them know that it's ongoing instead of something that's already moved into the past.

When to use past tense: Use the past tense to discuss specific aspects of your work that have already been completed (the data was gathered from several sources) or when discussing the specific work done by others in the past (McIntyre showed that hormone levels rose steadily throughout the day). Basically if it's an action tied to a specific moment in the past, then it should be described in past tense.

Literature review

When to use present tense: Present tense is generally used in the literature review to discuss general ideas that can be considered part of the current research landscape (critics group Shakespeare's plays into two distinct categories)

When to use past tense: Use past tense when discussing specific studies that are linked to a particular time period in the past or are attributed to people who are known to be dead, i.e., famous dead people, not just regular dead people. (Darwin argued that evolution was a slow-moving process; several early studies showed that hormone levels remained constant.)

It can also be a good idea to use past tense if you're discussing studies or papers where there has been controversy or changes in position by the authors. For example, Lopez stated that ... but has since proved that .... If you use the present tense in these cases, you can unintentionally be implying that a person currently believes something when in fact they've since changed their opinion.

Methodology

When to use present tense: Present tense is rarely used in the methodology section. Pretty much the only time it's needed is if you include a general discussion of particular methodology (the Western blot is the standard test used to determine the presence of the hormone).

When to use past tense: Use past tense to describe any experimental or field work you've done. (The mice were then tested for the presence of the hormone).

Discussion

When to use present tense: In general you want to use the present tense throughout most of your discussion. This includes discussion of your results (The data suggests that ghrelin levels can be easily manipulated) and limitations of your research (It is possible that the results were the effect of factors other than those being studied).

When to use past tense: The use of past tense in the discussion would be similar to the introduction, i.e., when you're talking about studies from a particular past time period.

When to use the conditional tense: When discussing future possible avenues for research, a critical part of the discussion, you'll likely use the conditional (e.g., could, should, would) tense. (In light of these results, future research could investigate the link between the two.)

Active Vs. Passive Voice

First of all, remember that active voice is when the subject is performing the action of the sentence, e.g., The boy ate the cake. Passive voice is when the subject is receiving the action of the verb, e.g., The cake was eaten by the boy. In general the sciences prefer the use of the passive voice, while other disciplines encourage the use of active. The question of whether to use active or passive voice gets wrapped up questions about tense, although it is actually a separate issue.

Choosing the right tense, however, can sometimes make it easier to use the correct voice. If you're trying to stick with the active voice, you'll likely do better with present tense, but if you're using the passive voice you'll probably find you use the past tense more often.

The Bottom Line

It should also be noted that all the guidelines given here are only recommendations. Even professional writers and editors argue about which tense is correct, and style guides usually aren't much help. If you're unsure, try copying the style of a journal in your field or ask your teacher or advisor what they prefer. And, if all else fails, just go with your gut about what makes sense for what you're trying to say.

Original story about "Finding the Right Tense in a Research Paper" at Research Paper Writing category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

1. Confusing singular and plural pronouns

The problem

All of the dogs needs to be fed.
None of the information are up to date.

Most of the time it's pretty easy to make subjects and verbs agree in English. Singular subjects get one conjugation (I talk, he is) while plural subjects get another (we talk, they are). For most nouns it's clear whether they're singular or plural, making conjugation pretty straightforward, but there are also times when it's not so easy to tell.

Some of the most common words to create this problem are pronouns like any, all, some, most, and none which will change from singular to plural depending on the prepositional phrase or noun that follows them. But while these pronouns can switch back and forth, it's actually pretty easy to identify whether they should be considered singular or plural. Basically, if the prepositional phrase refers to a singular noun, then the verb should be singular; if it refers to a plural noun then the verb should be plural. For example, in the examples above, dogs is plural and information is singular, so the sentences should read "All of the dogs need to be fed" and "None of the information is up to date."

2. Ones, things, and bodies

The problem

Everybody need to listen.

Another set of pronouns that cause trouble are the ones (everyone, someone, etc.), things (anything, everything, etc.), and bodies (everybody, nobody, etc.). Because these words can often be followed by prepositional phrases, it might seem at first like they follow the same rules listed above, but actually the rules for ones, things, and bodies is even easier-they're always singular. Therefore, the above example should read "Everybody needs to listen."

3. Conjugating for collective nouns

The problem

The class are going to get out early.

Collective nouns pose a similar problem to the pronouns listed above, which is that it's not always clear whether they're singular or plural. If you talk about a family or a class, you're using a singular noun to describe a group of people-so how can you tell if whether to treat it as a singular unit or a plural group?

In general, if all the component parts in a group noun are acting as one then you should treat that noun as singular. For example, in the example above, because the entire class is going to be getting out early, the noun class is singular: "The class is going to get out early." However, if we talk about the members of a group acting separately, then we treat them like a plural noun. In the sentence "The band are arriving on different buses," we can make the band plural because we're clearly talking about the members acting as individuals.

More often than not collective nouns will take a singular verb, and even when you have the option of making them plural you'll likely still be correct if you conjugate them as singular. There's no hard and fast rule here, so its best to use whatever fits with the spirit of each particular sentence.

4. Misidentifying the subject of a sentence

The problem

Her shoes, especially the green pair, is very pretty.
There is no apples left in the bag.

Sometime the problem isn't that you can't figure out whether the subject is singular or plural, but instead it's that you can't find the right subject in the first place. This usually happens when there are appositives or other syntax devices that separate the subject from the verb. For example, in the first sentence above it looks like the green pair is the subject since it's right next to the verb, but in fact the subject is her shoes, so the sentence should read "Her shoes especially the green pair, are very pretty." Likewise, in the second example the subject (apples) comes after the verb. The sentence should read "The are no apples left in the bag."

5. Identifying subjects joined by conjunctions

The problem

Her phone and her wallet was stolen.
Either the couch or the table have to go.

In these two example, the conjunctions and and or confuse the question of subject, but in fact the rules for these are pretty simple. Subjects joined by the conjunction and are always plural because you're necessarily talking about more than one thing. So, the above example should read "Her phone and her wallet were stolen."

When subjects are joined by the conjunction or, the verb should be singular because you're talking about either one thing or another, not both. So, the example should read "Either the couch or the table has to go." The only time these types of subjects have to take a plural verb is if both of the subjects are plural. If one subject is plural and one singular, the verbs should match the subject closest to it. So, you would write "The student or her parents have to attend the meeting" and "The parents or the student has to attend to attend the meeting."

6. Being tricked by odd words

The problem

Economics are my favorite class.
My pants is new.

Sometimes you'll mess up a conjugation not because you've broken some confusing grammar rule, but just because the subject of your sentence is a tricky word. English is full of nouns that, because of history or convention, seem singular or plural but are actually conjugated as the opposite. For example, words like economics, mathematics, and news look and sound plural, but are actually singular. So, the example above should read "Economics is my favorite class."

Similarly, there are also words that refer to a singular object but which are still conjugated as if they were plural. These include words like pants, scissors, and glasses. So, the sentence above should state "My pants are new." Unfortunately, there's no other way to deal with these words than to memorize them.

The problem

Original story about "Common Verb Usage Errors" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

Options for Writing Lists

There are a number of ways writers can choose to group information into lists in writing.

In-text

The most common type of list in academic writing will be in-text lists. Although you might not realize it, something as simple as "Factors that affect growth include sunlight, water, and soil composition" is actually a list. In-text lists can also include more grammatically complex phrases, for example: "In The Great Gatsby, Nick moves to the West Egg, meets Gatsby, and witnesses Gatsby's downfall, all in one summer."

Numbered in text

Authors can also choose to include numbering or lettering within the text to separate the items in an in-text list. Usually this done when the items in the list are long or to indicate that the items occurred in a particular order. For example: "Subjects were asked to 1) identify the areas which they thought needed improvement, 2) detail what improvement they would chose to implement, and 3) explain how those improvements would benefit the team."

Bullet points

We're all familiar with bullet point lists; most of us use them regularly when doing things like

• taking notes
• making PowerPoint slides
• drawing up shopping lists.

But while they're useful for these activities, they're generally not included in any kind of formal writing.

Numbered lists

Numbered lists look similar to bullet points but have numbers instead of shapes to delineate the points. And, much like bullet lists, they're usually something to be avoided in formal writing.

Deciding on a Type of List

By far the most common type of list used in academic writing will be in-text lists. As stated above, using bullet points and numbered lists will make your paper look more like an outline than a formal piece of writing. Remember, in your paper you want to spend time explaining every idea separately, not just dumping a list in front of your reader without any context or interpretation.

When grouping items together, it's also important to consider whether you actually need to use a list or whether it would be better to discuss each item separately. Keep in mind that readers are going to process all the items in a list as belonging together and will expect you to continue to address them as related ideas.

Parallelism

One of the most important grammatical rules for lists is that every item should be parallel, which means that each item should have the same form and function. Let's look at an example:

"In order to prepare for the paper, students need to focus on researching their topics, preparing outlines for their papers, and ask their teacher for advice."

While the first two items are parallel, the last item isn't in the same form. Since the first two start with researching and preparing, the last item also needs to start with an -ing verb. The sentence should read:

"In order to prepare for the paper, students need to focus on researching their topics, preparing outlines for their papers, and asking their teacher for advice."

Here's another example:

"I need to clean the kitchen, bathroom, and vacuum the carpet."

In this example, the first two items are nouns, while the third item is a verb phrase. A good way to check for parallelism is to try the sentence with each item individually. So, "I need to the clean the kitchen" and "I need to clean the bathroom" both sound fine, but "I need to clean vacuum the carpet" doesn't. The sentence can be rewritten a number of ways:

"I need to clean the kitchen, bathroom, and carpet."

"I need to clean the kitchen and bathroom and vacuum the carpet."

"I need to clean the kitchen, clean the bathroom, and vacuum the carpet."

List Dos and Don'ts

Make sure all the items in a list belong together

The most important question you need to ask yourself when you're editing lists is whether the items in that list really belong together. It's not unusual for writers to group ideas together when they write only to realize later on that those items don't actually fit together. If you find that the ideas in your paper have changed as you've been writing or you simply thought three things fit together when they didn't, you may need to edit or remove that list.

Make lists easy to read

Don't string together long lists that include lots of complex phrases and punctuation that will just confuse the reader. A list should be straightforward-if the reader has to go back and read the sentence again to understand it, then it hasn't done its job.

Also note that you should always try to put the most grammatically complex item in the list at the end. It's not technically incorrect to put the items in a different order, but in general readers will have an easier time processing the list if you save the item that requires the most effort until the end.

Punctuation correctly and consistently

Most style guides will devote at least a small section to punctuating lists (although some do not). Because punctuating lists isn't always a matter of following specific rules, it's important that you're consistent with your punctuation. Choose a style that fits somewhere within the standards set by the style guide you're using, then stick with that throughout the paper.

Don't become dependent on lists

Part of good academic writing is learning to express your ideas in complete sentences and then fully explain their significance in a way that flows smoothly from sentence to sentence and paragraph and paragraph. And, as much as you might like lists, it's hard to accomplish that goal when your paper is nothing but bullet points or long in-text lists. When you rely too heavily on lists, your paper will stop being a paper and will instead look more like a summary or a PowerPoint Slide. Remember, it's your job as a writer to eloquently draw connections between words and ideas, not to just slap down a list and let readers draw their own conclusions.

Original story about "How to Write a List" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

Just a reminder: An adjective is a word that modifies a noun, and an adverb is a word that modifies a verb, adjective, preposition, or other adverb.

1. Unnecessary modifiers

The problem

The problem was going to be very impossible to solve without help.
She was actually happy to see her brother.

One of the most common problems with adjectives and adverbs is simply putting them in where they don't belong. These words-known as unnecessary modifiers-pop up all the time in academic writing, in part because they're so common in conversational English. We insert extra words like really or kind of into our speech all the time for emphasis or as slang, but these unnecessary modifiers have no place in formal writing.

There are two main types of unnecessary modifiers you should be on the lookout for when you're doing academic writing. The first is adjectives or adverbs that modify a word that technically can't be modified, that is, a word that expresses a singular idea that does not have degrees. Think of these words as being like yes or no questions. For example, something can be or not be impossible, pregnant, fatal, or unique, but they can't be kind of pregnant or very impossible. When you see these words in your writing, you should cut them; so, the example above should read "The problem was going to be impossible to solve without help."

The other main type of unnecessary modifier is adjectives and adverbs that don't add any real value to the sentence. Words like actually, really, and definitely aren't changing the meaning of a word or sentence. And while we use these words in conversation all the time, they have no place in formal writing. In the example above, cutting the word actually doesn't change the meaning of the sentence, so there's no reason to leave it in: "She was happy to see her brother."

2. Linking verbs

The problem

When he plays the piano he sounds badly.

Adjectives and adverbs are closely related. Obviously, both sets of words modify other words, and usually adverbs are formed by adding -ly to adjectives (e.g., quick becomes quickly and slow becomes slowly). The similarities between the two groups of words can lead to trouble when it comes time for writers to choose either adjective or adverb.

While the general rules of modifiers will get you most of the way (remember, adjectives modify nouns, while adverbs modify everything else), there are a few special cases that tend to cause problems. One of those is when the sentence has linking verbs like is, sound, feel, and taste that are followed by a modifier. Even though it looks like the modifier is addressing the verb, and hence should be an adverb, it's actually describing the subject of the sentence, which means you should use an adjective. In the example above, sounds is a linking verb, so the sentence should read "When he plays the piano, he sounds bad."

3. Mixing up adjectives and adverbs

The problem

She runs good and fastly.

Another source of adjective/adverb mix-ups is the group of modifiers in which it's not clear whether words are adjectives or adverbs. For example, there are some adjectives that end in -ly (e.g., friendly, lovely, silly) and plenty of adverbs that don't (e.g., fast, loud, far; these are known as flat adverbs because their form is the same whether they're acting as adjectives or adverbs). In the example above, fast is an irregular adverb, and its form doesn't change when it goes from being an adjective to ad adverb. So, fastly should be fast.

It's also true that some adverbs don't look anything like their adjective form (e.g., well is the adverb form of good), and, if that wasn't enough, the meaning of some adjectives changes entirely when the -ly ending is added (e.g., hard means firm or difficult; hardly means not very much). In the above example, good is modifying runs, which means you actually need to adverb form: "She runs well."

Unfortunately, the only way to learn all these irregular adjectives and adverbs is to memorize them and practice using them.

4. Misidentifying the modified word

The problem

o matter how quick she finishes she'll probably lose.

One of the easiest adjective/adverb mistakes to make is simply to misidentify which word is being modified. This often happens in sentences with complex syntax or where the modifier and the word it modifies are separated by other text. For instance, in the example above, the word quick looks like it's modifying the word she, but in fact it's changing the word finishes (i.e., how will she finish-quickly). Thus, it should be an adverb, not an adjective: "No matter how quickly she finishes, she'll probably lose."

5. Misplaced adjectives and adverbs

The problem

Jessica brought dinner.
Only Jessica brought dinner.
Jessica only brought dinner.
Jessica brought only dinner.

One of the things that makes adjectives and adverbs hard to use is that they can be moved almost anywhere in a sentence. But while they might technically make sense in any number of places, changing their location can also change the meaning of the sentence, which means it's important to understand how the location of modifiers impacts what you're trying to say.

In the above example, the modifier only is added to the sentence in three different places. In the first, it modifies Jessica and tells the reader that no one else except Jessica brought dinner. In the second, it modified brought and tells the reader that Jessica did nothing except bring dinner. And, in the final sentence, only modifies dinner and tells the reader that Jessica brought nothing except dinner. Other words that can change the meaning of a sentence depending on where they're placed include just, even, almost, and nearly.

Original story about "Common Adjective and Adverb Usage Errors" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

There are, of course, as many ways to do research as there are people out there actually doing it. Everyone's method is going to be a little bit (or a lot) different, but everyone has the same goal: to develop a thorough understanding of the history and current understanding of their topic. In order to do this (and thus write a great literature review), you need to have a good research plan.

Get Organized

The most important part of writing a literature review actually comes before you ever sit down to type: you need to get organized. If you just read and read without implementing a system to keep track of all the ideas you're encountering, your literature review will undoubtable turn out to be a mess. You'll likely found that you've missed key articles or given too much space to research that's already fallen out of favor out in the real world. The only way to avoid these problems is to stay organized.

There are a number of ways you can choose to organize that big pile of articles, books, conference proceedings, and other paperwork. If you have hard copies of your resources, it's important that you keep them filed in an orderly system (more on that in a second) so that you can quickly and easily find things when you're anxiously looking for some particular quote or idea (which you will likely find you need to do a lot). If you are keeping everything on your computer, use a Word file or reference management software to keep track of all the research you've collected.

Staying organized doesn't just mean keeping all your research in one place-it also means you need to have a system that will help you make sense of all those words. How you choose to do this is obviously up to you, and what works for you might not work for somebody else. Here are a few organization options:

Location

If geography is important in your field, it might make sense to organize your research by location. This can be a literal location (e.g., a country, university, or state), but location could also mean something more abstract. You might group paper according to how they are located in relation to each other; for example, are some more mainstream or on the fringe, or are some practical while other are theoretical?

Alphatecially

This one is probably pretty obvious, but it bears repeating. Putting your research in alphabetical order is probably one of the easiest way to keep track of everything. However, if you simply keep everything in alphabetical order, you'll probably need to use another system to keep track of how all the research is related.

Time

If your literature review is going to focus on how a particular idea, theory, or methodology has changed over time, then you might want to consider keeping your research in chronological order. This can help make resources easy to find when you're writing about a particular time period and will also help ensure that you haven't missed anything crucial.

Categories

If you're doing a particularly wide-reaching literature review, you can break down your research into categories. Look for particular ideas, theories, or methodologies that appear frequently, and group your research under those headings. As with time or location, using categories will help you make sense of a large pile of research by grouping it into smaller, more easily managed conceptual areas.

Hiearchy

This style of organization requires a little bit more work than the others and also requires you to already be familiar with most of the research. When you already have a feel for your research, you can start ranking articles and books in a hierarchy, i.e., you can decide which ones are most important and which ones have the least value. Keep in mind that everyone's measure of what's "important" will be different, and you want to focus on what's going to be valuable for your paper in particular.

Often you'll find that you need to combine several of these methods. For example, you might group your research by category, then file things alphabetically within those categories; or, you might divide your research into a hierarchy with several levels of importance, then organize chronocially within those groups. Again, it's important to find a system that works will for you.

Once you've develop a system it's important you stick with it. When you read new papers, immediately file them in the correct place in your system so you'll be able to find them when you need them.

Look for Patterns

One of the main benefit to staying organized (in addition to being able to easily find stuff when you need it) is that it will help with another vital part of the literature review writing process - spotting trends and patterns. A good literature review won't just regurgitate a hundred studies one by one, but will instead attempt to illustrate for the reader the relationship between all those individual papers.

To do this job well, you need to be able to analyze your research and identify trends and patterns. When do particular ideas, theories, or methodologies first appear and how do they change over time? Do certain kinds of studies report similar or dissimilar results? You also want to look at the relationship between studies. How are researchers influencing each other? Do you see evidence of a debate around a particular issue?

One of the best ways to look for trends and patterns is to use a diagram or other visual aid. If you're just looking at individual papers one after the other, it's going to be hard to see connections between them. However, if you're able to create a picture of how these studies relate to each other, the trends and patterns become much clearer. Below are two examples of mapping techniques.

Spider diagram

A spider diagram is a way to visually map out the relationship between lots of different categories. Start by putting your main concept in a central bubble; for example, if you're going to be reviewing literature on The Great Gatsby, you'd put the novel's name in the center. Then, draw lines out from there to circles that represent the sub-areas you'll be covering in your review. From those circles you can draw lines to sub-sub-areas, or, when you get to the smallest concept area you're working with, draw lines to particular papers you want to cite. Below is a (very simple) example:

Obviously, spider diagrams can get a whole lot more complicated, but the basic idea will be the same no matter how big it gets: to visually describe the relationship between ideas and individual research papers.

Citation maps

If you're using reference software like Endnotes or a database like Ebsco, you can create citation maps, which are graphical representations of citations. Basically, a citation map will show you all the papers a particular study cited (also known as going backward) and also all the papers that cite that study (known as going forward).

You can easily create citation maps in software packages that are tailored to your needs. For example, you can select only certain authors to show and also color-code specific entries. In addition, most programs will let you map citations backwards and forwards several generations, meaning you can easily trace the impact of certain papers and authors.

Citation maps are one of the best ways to spot trends and patterns in the literature. For instance, you can quickly identify papers that link certain research areas together. You can also use citation maps to make sure that you haven't missed any important studies; e.g., if there's a study that has been cited by hundreds of other researchers, than you probably need to figure out why it's so important.

Have an Position

The goal of a literature review is not to provide a balanced, unbiased view of all the research out there. Just throwing out dozens of references isn't going to impress your readers and also isn't going to help them understand what's going on in your particular paper. Instead, the literature review needs to present to the reader a view of the research landscape that highlights why your work is important.

In order to do this job well, you need to be clear about what position you're going to take in your literature review. In general terms, a literature review should 1) give an overview of the current research landscape, 2) identify gaps or holes in the literature, and 3) explain how you're going to fill those holes. So, before you start writing, you need to have a very clear plan that details which resources you will need to fully explain those three points.

Note that this doesn't mean that you should omit references that don't fit with your study or otherwise try to fudge the literature review to make your work seem important. Rather, you should address those studies and explain how why the problems they present have been addressed in your work. Remember, you're not trying to trick the reader-your teacher or professor is probably already familiar with a lot of your resources already-but rather present the information in such a way as to convince the reader what you're doing matters.

Know When to Stop Researching and Start Writing

Once you get started with your research you may find that you have trouble knowing when to stop. Every paper you find will lead you to five or ten new ones, and just when you're ready to call it finished you can run into one paper that changes your whole thesis. In addition to the problem of the overwhelming amount of resources out there, there's always the concern that you've missed something really important. Nobody wants to hand in a literature review only to have a teacher tell you that you've left out a well-known, vital study. And, on top of all that, it's also a fact that the rest of the world isn't standing still around you. Even as you work on your research, new papers are being published every day.

So how can you know when it's time to step researching and start writing? The answer, sadly, is that there's no clear answer. There's always going to be more resources out there, more studies you haven't read, and more studies that have just been published. You can, however, follow some general guidelines that will help you decide when it's time to put down the reading and get started on work of your own.

• Balance your time. Unless you're working on just a literature review for a class, it's likely that your review will be part of a larger research paper. And, while it's tempting to keep researching, it's also important to remember that you are going to need time to work on the rest of your paper as well. Think about how much time you're going to need to devote to the other aspects of your project, and if your research has started to cut into that time, then you need to move one.
• Get comfortable with feeling incomplete. There's never going to be a time when you feel like you've seen all the research there is to see, and the sooner you can get comfortable with that fact the better off you'll be. Instead of trying to cover each and every single source out there, accept that at some point you'll need to work with what you've got.
• Don't lose focus. Part of the reason that the research process can drag on so long is that students often stray into areas that are only tangentially related to their work. It's easy to follow a trail of citations only to find yourself neck-deep in papers that, while interesting, aren't related to the central focus on your work. If you find that you've amassed a long list of resources like this that aren't going to be used in your literature review, you need to either refocus or start the writing process.
• More isn't always better. There's often the sense among students that the more sources you can pack into a literature review, the better it will be. After all, you want to be thorough, right? But after a certain point you'll likely find that including more sources is really just obscuring the main focus of your paper. When you bury yourself and your audience in citations, it becomes harder to find what's really important.

This probably all sounds a like a lot of work to put into the research process-all this and you haven't even started writing yet! But keeping your research organized from the very beginning is guaranteed to help you write a better paper. Not only will these research techniques help you develop your ideas and spot patterns you might have missed otherwise, but it will also save you lots of time and hassle when you actually sit down and start writing.

Original story about "Researching for a Literature Review" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

Why Use a Checklist?

For anyone who isn't a great organizer (and really, that's probably most of us), checklists are a great way to make sure that everything that needs to get done actually does. We all use them from time to time, from to-do lists to shopping lists. And while it might not seem like you can apply the same idea to something as complex as writing, in fact a checklist can improve your work and make the whole process less stressful.

The Essay Writing Checklist

The following checklist is designed for free-form essays and research papers (i.e., not papers that use the IMRAD model or that present new data). It's purposely vague so that it can be used with any type of academic writing assignment, from a history paper to an in-class essay on Shakespeare. Notice that the list starts with big picture concerns that address the paper as a whole, then narrows focus to issues like paragraph structure and grammar.

Big Picture Questions

Is there a clear thesis statement?

For most papers, the thesis statement should be a one- or two-sentence summary of your argument that is placed at the end of the introduction.

Does this essay effectively answer the prompt or research question?

If you were given a specific prompt or question to answer, you need to make sure that you're paper fully addresses that topic. It's not uncommon for papers to meander or change course while you're writing, so once you're done double check that you've stayed true to the original prompt.

Who is the audience and does the paper address their needs?

Are you writing for a class or a particular publication? If you're writing for a teacher or professor who's graded your work before, ask yourself if you've met their particular standards.

Are you successful in proving your argument?

It's not enough to just give your thesis statement - you also have to prove it with evidence and sound analysis.

Organization Issues

Is there a clear introduction, body, and conclusion?

If not, then you need to have a really good reason for not using this tried-and-true formula.

Does the overall structure of the paper make sense?

In other words, there needs to be an obvious organizational structure in your work that the reader can easily follow.

Does each paragraph add to the argument put forth in the thesis statement?

Make sure that every paragraph has a purpose and that that purpose ties back in to your thesis statement. Any sections that don't address your thesis or add to your argument need to be rewritten or cut out.

Are the transitions from paragraph to paragraph logical and well-written?

Transitional words and phrases should be used to seamlessly move the reader from one paragraph to the next.

Paragraphs

Does each paragraph have a topic sentence, evidence, and analysis?

In most essays, the paragraphs should fit the PEAL model: Point (the topic sentence), Evidence (a quote that backs up the point), Analysis (your analysis of the evidence), and Link (how the point connects to the thesis).

Can you identify the role each paragraph plays in your argument?

Go through your paper paragraph by paragraph and identify how each one fits without your paper. A reverse outline can be a helpful way to look at the relationship between paragraphs.

Are there any paragraphs that are too short or too long?

While there's not set length for a paragraph, in general if a paragraph is too short or too long that means it's not doing its job well.

Sentences and sentence structure

Are all your sentences complete and grammatically correct?

Be on the lookout for fragments and run-on sentences.

Do you vary sentence length and structure throughout the paper?

Good writing has sentences that vary in length and structure instead of repeating the same simple structure over and over.

Grammar and word choice

Does your word choice fit with the level of formality required by the assignment?

If you're writing a formal academic work, you need to avoid jargon, slang, and casual idioms.

Have you checked for common grammatical mistakes like misused pronouns, subject/verb disagreements, and misplaced modifiers?

When you're editing you should always be on the lookout for common grammatical mistakes.

Did you check for spelling, including issues like homophones, author's names, and technical vocabulary?

There are a lot of spelling issues that spellcheck will miss, so don't rely on your computer to catch every mistake.

Formatting

• Is your paper the correct length?
• Do you have the correct margins, font size, and spacing?
• Are your sources formatting correctly?

Creating Your Own Checklist

Once you get used to using a checklist, you can start creating your own and tailoring them to specific assignment. For example, when you have specific instructions from a teacher, you can include questions like "do I have X number of sources?" or "is the title page formatted correctly." You can also tailor the list to meet your needs. For instance, if you know that you tend to turn in papers that are organizationally sound but that have lots of grammatical mistakes, you can expand on the grammar section to include issues you commonly make.

Remember, the checklist isn't there to scare you-it's there to help you make sense of all those rules and guidelines you need to follow. When you use them regularly, you'll find your writing getting better and better.

Original story about "Getting It Right From Top to Bottom: An Essay Writing Checklist" at Essay Writing category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

Some of the most common idioms in English are what's known as phrasal verbs, which are verbs combined with other parts of speech. While many idioms aren't used in formal, academic writing, phrasal verbs are very common, so it's important to understand what they are and how they work.

Terms

Before we get started, here are some of the terms you'll need to know:

Verb

Describes an action or a state of being (She ran quickly; I am hungry).

Preposition

Describes how nouns are related to each other in space and time (the cat is under the table; eat breakfast before you go to work).

Particle

In grammar, a particle is a catch-all term that describes words that don't fit into one of the eight parts of speech (noun, verb, article, pronoun, adjective, adverb, conjunction, and interjection). Usually particles are helpers to other words or space fillers in conversation.

What Is a Phrasal Verb?

A phrasal verb is a verb that is followed by a preposition or particle that changes the meaning of the verb, usually in a way that is not obvious just from the words themselves. For example, by itself the verb "to play" means to do something for fun or entertainment. But, when you add the preposition "down," you get an entirely new meaning: "to play down" means to minimize something (e.g., He played down the chance that we would win so we wouldn't get our hopes up.).

There are two main types of phrasal verbs. In separable phrasal verbs, the noun and the particle/preposition can be separated with a noun or pronoun placed in between them (e.g., They're going to close the store down.) Inseparable phrasal verbs, as the name suggests, can't be separated (e.g., it's not correct to say "He broke the house into." Instead, you'd say "He broke into the house."). Unfortunately, there's no clear rule about whether a phrasal verb is separable or inseparable-it's just a matter of convention. So, if you want to use phrasal verbs correctly, you just have to memorize them and get used to using them.

Common Phrasal Verbs

Below you'll find a list of common separable and inseparable phrasal verbs along with definitions and examples that will help you know if you're using them correctly.

Separable Phrasal Verbs

back up - to support

Example

Will you back up your boss at the meeting?
Will you back your boss up at the meeting?

bring about - to cause something to happen

Example

We are going to start a petition to bring about change.
We are going to start a petition to bring change about.

bring on - to cause

Example

If you don't finish in time, you'll bring on the teacher's anger.
If you don't finish in time, you'll bring the teacher's anger on.

bring up - to raise or care for from childhood

Example

She brought up three daughters all by herself.
She brought three daughters up all by herself.

call off - to cancel

Example

The school called off the dance because of the storm.
The school called the dance off because of the storm.

carry on - to continue

Example

It's not polite to carry on with a cell phone conversation during the speech.
It's not polite to carry a cell phone conversation on during the speech.

carry over - to continue at another time

Example

There was so much to do that the meeting carried over to the next day.
There was so much to do that they carried the meeting over to the next day.

clear up - to clarify

Example

Can you clear up your argument in the second paragraph?
Can you clear your argument up in the second paragraph?

cut out - get rid of, delete

Example

You should cut out the third paragraph of your paper to make it shorter.
You should cut the third paragraph out of your paper to make it shorter.

dress up - to put nice clothes on; to adorn

Example

We should dress up the room with more decorations.
We should dress the room up with more decorations.

figure out - to come to understand

Example

Did you figure out what the song means?
Did you figure the song out?

fill out - to complete a form

Example

You need to fill out this form before you see the doctor.
You need to fill this form out before you see the doctor.

hand over - to give something; yield control

Example

She handed over the class to the substitute.
She handed the class over to the substitute.

keep up - to maintain pace; to continue

Example

If you keep up the good work you'll be promoted
If you keep the good work up you'll be promoted.

let out - to release

Example

I let out the dogs to play in the yard.
I let the dogs out to play in the yard.

make over - to redo; to make better

Example

We need to completely make over the house before we move in.
We need to completely make the house over before we move in.

point out - to highlight or indicate

Example

Once I pointed out the mistake they were able to fix it quickly.
Once I pointed the mistake out they were able to fix it quickly.

put off - postpone; delay

Example

If you put off your work you'll be sorry tomorrow.
If you put your work off you'll be sorry tomorrow.

rule out - eliminate as a possibility

Example

The sister has been ruled out as a suspect.
We've ruled the sister out as a suspect.

run off - to make leave

Example

The girls ran off the boy from their slumber party.
The girls ran the boy off from their slumber party.

shut off - to stop something from running/being on

Example

Shut off the hose before the yard floods.
Shut the hose off before the yard floods.

spell out - to explain in detail

Example

Spell out exactly what happened or you'll be in trouble.
Spell what happened out exactly or you'll be in trouble.

tear up - tear into small pieces

Example

I tore up the report so no one could read it.
I tore the report up so no one could read it.

think over - to consider

Example

I need to think over the proposal before I accept.
I need to think the proposal over before I accept.

wear out - to use something until it is no longer usable

Example

She wore out the tires on her car and now they need to be replaced.
She wore the tires out on her car and now they need to be replaced.

Inseparable Phrasal Verbs

back out of - to quit; fail to keep a promise

Example

I'm mad because she backed out of our agreement.

break into - to enter a building unlawfully

Example

They broke into the store to steal the cash.

catch up with - to cover the distance between two things

Example

She left a few minutes late but was able to catch up with the group.

come down with - to become sick with

Example

She came down with the flu right before finals.

do away with - to get rid of

Example

The committee voted to do away with the tests next fall.

drop out (of) - to quit or leave

Example

She dropped out of school in order to start a new job.

fall back on - to use for emergencies

Example

If the babysitter can't come we'll have to fall back on your parents.

fall out (with) - to fight or disagree

Example

My friend and I fell out over the cost of her wedding.

get down to - to become serious about

Example

We need to get down to the real issue here, not argue about trivial concerns.

hold out against - to resist

Example

If we hold out against their demands they'll have to surrender.

keep to - continue

Example

If you keep to it, you'll figure out the problem.

keep up with - to match pace with

Example

Keep up with the group or else you'll get lost.

make up for - to compensate

Example

She sent cookies to make up for the fact that she couldn't come.

put up with - to tolerate

Example

He puts up with his sister because he loves her.

run for - to campaign

Example

He is running for class president.

stand up to - to not back down; resist

Example

You have to stand up to bullies.

touch on - to mention briefly

Example

The teacher touched on the topic, but said she'd discuss it more later.

Original story about "Phrasal Verbs" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

Because writing is an extension of the writer's personality and style of thinking, writers can run into trouble when their personal vision bumps up against the strict rules of formal writing. When you feel strongly about the content and style of your work, it can be hard to fit that excitement into the standard format of a literature review or essay. But, while many students try to get away with being daring and new, breaking from the guidelines in as assignment will likely hurt your grade more than it helps. So how can you decide when you need to follow conventions and when you should feel free to just be you?

Know Your Audience

It's common for students to want to fight against standard writing conventions, which can often seem boring and constraining. Sometimes this can be a good decision that will make your paper feel fresh and original, but sometimes these choices will just make your paper look unprofessional. Which category your paper ends up in will usually depend not only on what you're writing, but who you're writing for.

Ultimately, it will be your teacher or professor who decides the fate of your paper, which means you need to tailor your work to fit their expectations. You can write a fresh, daring essay that subverts normal writing conventions by using a question-and-answer format, but it won't matter if your teacher specifically asked you to write PEAL paragraphs. In other words, it won't matter how good your work is if you aren't following the guidelines for the assignment, which means before you make any daring decisions you should always ask your teacher or professor first.

Common Problems

There are a number of common academic writing conventions that students frequently want to change, work around, or just ignore.

Organizational structure

Once they get comfortable with standard paper formats like IMRAD and introduction-body-conclusion, students often want to break away and try something new. Maybe you want to experiment with something simple like building to the thesis slowly instead of putting it in the introduction, or maybe you want to do something more complex like write your paper from the viewpoint of a character in a novel.

Often these sorts of organizational choices can lead to interesting papers, but you want to make sure that you're still making a sound argument. Remember, the whole point of writing a research paper is to put forth an idea and provide evidence for it. As long as your accomplishing that goal you can feel free to try all sorts of new ideas (usually with your teacher's permission). However, if you get so wrapped up in doing subverting the format that your argument gets lost, then you probably want to stick with the conventional structure.

Another important point to keep in mind about structure is that you can get away with more in classes like English or history. In these classes it's more common to be assigned a free-form essay, while in the sciences you might be asked to write something specific like an IMRAD paper or a literature review. For these specific assignments, there isn't any wiggle room: if you're assigned an IMRAD paper, you need to write an IMRAD paper.

Style

There are a lot of elements that go into a writing style. Elements like punctuation, length of sentences, literary devices (e.g., alliteration or metaphors), person (e.g., first, second, or third), and even capitalization all come together to create the individual style of a writer. In academic writing, there are conventions that govern all of these issues. For example, most essays are written in the third person, and variable sentence lengths are considered a sign of good writing.

All of these issues, however, present an option for personalization. You can choose to write an essay in second person or include lots of short sentences for emphasis-while not conventional, these choices won't necessarily sink your paper. Again, what you need to focus on is whether they improve your argument or whether they're just a gimmick.

Sentence structure

The rules of sentence structure are pretty rigid, so it's not unexpected that as a writer you might want to push back against those rules. Maybe you think starting lots of sentences with conjunctions or using fragments is a great way to create a unique style and make your paper interesting. After all, those techniques are commonly used (very successfully) in fiction, poetry, and opinion essays, right?

Unfortunately for those of you wanting to try out something new, academic assignments aren't the place to experiment with sentence structure. While run-ons and fragments are great for other arenas, when it comes to formal writing it's important to stick with those formal grammar rules. So, if you're writing an essay on Shakespeare you need to make sure you follow proper writing conventions and save those experimental 70-word sentences for your next story or poem.

Word choice

Much like the strict rules for sentence structure, the guidelines for word choice in formal writing can seem constricting. Often we can easily think of how we'd communicate something in everyday language, but when it comes time to translate that thought into academic speak it gets muddled. But, as much as you might dislike academic diction, when it comes to formal writing assignments you don't really have much choice. You might think that tossing in idioms or slang will make your paper seem edgy or conversational, but it will really just make you look unprofessional.

The Bottom Line

The writing you do for classes and academic assignments is an expression of you and your unique ideas, which means it's up to you to decide whether you want to follow the rules or forge your own path. If the result of a creative decision creates a piece of writing that you think is interesting and original that's great, but just be sure to always keep your teacher (and your grades) in mind. In the end, how you choose to walk the line between self-expression and academic conventions is up to you.

Original story about "Go Your Own Way: Writing Conventions Versus Self-Expression" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

When to Use Slides

First things first: not every presentation needs to have slides. While they're great for showing pictures or graphs that enhance your talk or for helping the audience keep track of complicated information, they're not always necessary. If the only thing you're going to be using that projector for is putting up an outline of your speech, then you may want to think about skipping the technology and just giving the speech on your own.

Writing Text on Slides

When used correctly, text on slides can improve a presentation, but it's important to make sure that your slides are informative and easy to read.

Write your speech first

Before you start writing slides, first you need to actually write your speech. After all, you can't use visual aids to enhance your ideas if you don't know exactly what those ideas will be. So, if you have a presentation to give, start by sitting down and drawing up an outline or a speech you'll give word-for-word. Remember, the slides should be secondary to your oral presentation, which means they should be in the background, not dictating the content or pace of your presentation.

Keep the text to a minimum

Putting up a slide that's crammed with nothing but text is just going to overwhelm and confuse your audience. They likely won't bother reading the whole thing, and if they do it means they won't be paying attention to what you're talking about. So, when you're doing slides, try to keep the text to a minimum. Distill that whole paragraph down to a few key words, then use your speech to elaborate on those terms. A good rule of thumb is to have less than four lines per slide and fewer than eight words per line, but you can usually make do with even less than that.

Use the three Rs

If you find yourself with too much text on your slides, use the three Rs-rank, reduce, and rephrase-to cut the clutter. For example, if you have a slide with ten bullet points, you're going to need to shorten that list. Start by ranking each point from most to least important, then reduce the number by removing the lower-ranked points. Finally, rephrase any points that have more than 8 - 10 words to remove even more of the clutter.

Tailor your text to the timing of your talk

At any given point during your talk, what's up on your slide should be related to what you're talking about. Keeping your talk and your slides in sync will help you audience stay focused, and they'll likely remember more of your talk.

In order to match the text on your slides with your talk, you should design each slide to go with a particular part of your speech. This means you shouldn't leave up slides that cover material you've already moved past, and you also shouldn't but up a slide that covers material you haven't talked about yet. For example, if you include a summary slide that goes over the next three points you plan to address, your audience will already several steps ahead of you when you start talking about the first point. Instead, you can make a slide that addresses each point individually or reveal the points one-by-one as you go.

Proofread your slides

As with any other writing assignment, spelling and grammar mistakes will hurt your work and your grade. Even worse, instead of being stuck on the page, those mistakes will be blown up and projected on the wall behind you for everyone to see. Those mistakes will distract your audience and will also likely throw you off your game, since you'll have to either acknowledge them or risk looking unprofessional for not noticing them.

Dos and Don'ts

Don't use your slides as a crutch

Your slides should not double as your notes for a speech. Their purpose should be to provide graphics and summaries to your audience, not to remind you what you need to say. Those slides full of text that just repeat what you're saying will bore the audience and distract from the content of your speech.

Do keep the audience focused on you

Anytime you put up slides you're going to be taking the audience's attention away from you and pulling it toward the screen. While this is helpful if you want to make sure the audience understands a graph or picture, it's also important that you're able to bring their attention back to you once that slide has served its purpose. You don't want your audience just staring at text on a slide-you want them listening to what you have to say.

A good method for recapturing the audience's attention is to include blank slides in your presentation when you want to audience to be focusing solely on you. There's no need to have text or pictures behind you at all times, so when you're directly referring to the slides, just put up a blank one.

Do pay attention to font and colors

The content of your slides won't matter if nobody can read them, so you need to be careful when designing your presentation. Use a sans serif font that's easy to read, and pick colors that contrast enough to make the text visible without being too bright or distracting. Also stay away from fancy animation that will distract from the content of your presentation.

Original story about "Writing PowerPoint Slides" at Power Point Presentation Writing category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

Well, there is no guaranteed method to get an 'A' on the college assignment, but you should work hard and feel confident. What to do if your professors do not explain what they expect from your paper? Some will repeat many times what to read, ask to think about it, and explicate how to write an essay, but others will give a list of topics to choose from, just to see how students can survive. Some professors prefer to stimulate their creativity; others have a set of very strict rules. It may seem like excessive load, but this is your new life. When you think, "I've done my homework finally," you feel like a hero, don't you?

If you understand what you have read, then this is a starting point for analysis and argumentation. But it is quite difficult to write about something you are not interested in. So, find a topic that you will like to research. By jotting down some thoughts on paper, you will build your ideas. Your thesis statement would be formed from these words, so make sure you researched the topic.

Information is the key

To start writing you need to have notes, so it is time to collect information, such as facts, numbers and references that you may use in your essay. Each person chooses a unique approach to the writing process, but usually it is recommended to create a plan. This is an easy way to organize your gathered information and some useful ideas. If you are not good at researching, you can use "done my custom essays" services for collecting and organizing the information.

When you have written a few pages of text, this is your first draft consisting of several scribbled notes with links or references to sources that you used. Do not judge yourself too much, it was time well spent! Drafting is a part of the creative process, so it works as a jumping-off point. If you do not know how to start, there are many useful "done my homework" services available online that will help you create the first draft.

Declare your position

You start your paper with an overview of the main topic by describing what points you want to prove. This section is called 'introduction,' because you introduce your readers to your work. When you move from one point of view to another, these pieces must be divided by headers to avoid confusion on the audience. It is better to explain all arguments in a logical and clear manner, when they are supported by evidence. If you can present a few well-known examples, it will strengthen all the points that you suppose to declare. To create a snowball effect, when it transforms into an avalanche, you should start with the least impressive argument and end your presentation with the most convincing one. The "written my papers" services may be able to refine the formulation of arguments, but the student must prepare the suitable ground.

Why is conclusion so important?

The role of the conclusion in every paper is to reaffirm the main idea. It strengthens the effect, when your readers remember what you want to prove. The conclusion is a perfect opportunity to repeat your thesis statement convincingly and concisely after all the facts and examples, you mentioned on the subject. Now try to stay away from thoughts like "I've almost done my homework" and concentrate!

The conclusion must conform to the introduction regarding the questions asked and ideas described. It is not a rare situation, when students slightly change their opinion during the writing process, so check the introduction. And keep in mind that it is too late to present new details and facts, because this is what the body of your text is for. After all this hard work, you can finally relax and think, "I've completed my writing tasks and breathe freely."

The effective conclusion will be the last thing your readers will remember. That is why it is very important not to spoil it.

When you have written a few pages of text, put it away for one-two hours, because you should look at your work with fresh eyes. In addition, it is recommended to ask another person to examine your essay closely. This is where you can turn to professional "done my homework" services, because the process of editing and revising is crucial.

Original story about "Done my homework: how not to forget to write an effective conclusion" on BestCustomWriting.com

Presenting in the MLA Format

For most conferences in the humanities (e.g., English, literary criticism, foreign languages), presentations are in the format of read papers. Presenters prepare a "listener-friendly" version of published or to-be-published paper, then they simply read that paper to the audience. This reading is usually followed by a question and answer session or a discussion among members of a panel. Sometimes presenters can use visual aids, but more often than not, if you're presenting at an MLA-style conference, it'll just be you and your paper.

Writing a Paper for Reading

The easiest course of action for presenters is just read something you've already written. For more experienced students this might be a paper you've published or are trying to publish; for younger students it might be an essay or thesis you've done for a class. But while this might be the easiest thing to do, just reading a paper without any alterations isn't likely to wow the audience. Instead, if you want to provide a memorable, engaging talk, then you need to rewrite your material for the stage.

Think about the last time you sat in a lecture or listened to a presentation from someone who just read off a piece of paper. It probably wasn't very exciting right? It was also probably hard to follow the speaker's argument without any sort of visual aid. Unfortunately, these kinds of problems are going to be hard to avoid when you're reading a presentation, but that doesn't mean you can't make an effort to improve your material.

Write for listeners, not readers

There are obviously a lot of differences between listening and reading, but the most important for conference presenters is that your listener isn't going to be able to refer back to things you've already said. While readers can take time to think about the meaning of a sentence or flip back a few pages to review a particular paragraph, your listeners aren't going to have the same luxury. Once you've read one sentence it's on to the next. Think of your talk as a one-way street, and your listener is along for the ride.

This difference means that, if you want to read from an already written document, you're going to need to alter the text to make it easier for listeners to understand. When you're writing a paper to be read, you can move quickly through your ideas because you're counting on the reader to take all the time they need to understand the material. But when you're audience is listening instead of reading, they're going to need more help. When you're reading to the audience, you need to be absolutely sure that everyone understands each point you're making before you move onto the next.

In order to help your audience keep up with your ideas as you move through your paper, it's important to provide signposts and summaries along the way. As with any presentation, to ensure that the listener will remember what you're saying, you want to 1) tell them what you're going to say, 2) say it, and then 3) summarize what you've said. This technique might sound repetitive, but remember your audience can't ask questions or refer back to early moments in the talk if they're confused, so you have to do that task for them within your presentation.

The same idea applies if you bring up a point you made earlier in your talk. If it's an idea you haven't referenced in a while, then you need to repeat earlier ideas so you can be sure your audience has them fresh in their minds. Again, this might seem repetitive to you as you read, but your audience will appreciate it.

Lastly, try to simplify any overly complicated sentences or paragraphs that are going to be hard for the audience to understand. If there are any sentences that take more than one reading to understand, then you can be sure that listeners aren't going to figure it out. So, go through your paper and rewrite any sections that are likely to go over your listeners' heads.

Write for time

One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a presenter is to go over your allotted time. Not only does this make you look unprofessional, but it also means that the audience won't get a chance to hear your entire paper. Instead, a moderator will likely boot you off the stage mid-paragraph or even mid-sentence.

So, when you're rewriting a paper for a presentation, make sure you time yourself so you know how much you need to cut. Reading almost always takes longer than you think it will (unless you're a very fast talker, which is a different problem), so don't rely on word or page count to estimate your time. And, most importantly, don't be afraid to cut material in order to meet the time limit.

Write for readability

Your audience isn't going to be reading your work, but you are, which means you need to be sure your paper can easily be read aloud. One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is to make a few simple physical changes to your text that will improve readability. For example, you can enlarge the text and double space it so that it's easy to see, and you can put page breaks at the end of paragraphs or sections so you don't have to pause mid-sentence to turn the page.

It's also a good idea to write notes for yourself on your paper. For instance, if there's a particular point you want to stress you can underline it, or you can write reminders for yourself to pause or look up at the audience in particular spots. These kinds of things might not seem worth writing down, but when you're nervous up there on the stage it's easy to forget simple things like taking deep breaths and looking up. When you write it down and follow through, it will help you look calm and focused.

Read with style

All that hard work will be wasted if you just stand up in front of your audience and read in a monotone for 20 minutes. After all, if people are dozing it won't matter how often you repeat your main ideas. To keep the audience interested, work on speaking with inflection and excitement like you're telling an interesting story to a friend. Remember, the audience won't get excited about your work if you clearly aren't.

Practice, Practice, Practice

The key to producing a paper that's easy to read and easy for the audience to follow is simply to practice. All the issues listed above-from overly complex sentences to time management-are easier to identify and fix if you read your paper out loud again and again. Then, when you think you have it all ready, read it some more. This practice will help you identify problems areas where you have difficulty reading and will also make you more comfortable once you get up on stage.

Original story about "Writing a Paper for Reading" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

What Goes in a Conference Presentation?

The exact style of a conference presentation or talk will vary from discipline to discipline, but the general idea is the same. Presenters have a short amount of time-anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, usually-to tell the audience about their work. In some fields it's common to just read from a research paper, but often the presenter will need to write a talk that's specifically designed for that conference.

Conference Proposals

In order to have to the opportunity to give a conference presentation, first you need to submit a proposal, which is a short (500-1500 word) summary of what you would talk about in your presentation. While it might seem like this step isn't a big deal, a well-written proposal is absolutely necessary if you want to present at conferences. There will likely be dozens or hundreds of other people all vying to present, and your proposal is what will get your foot in the door.

A good conference proposal will capture the reader's attention quickly and use that short amount of space to succinctly explain why your work deserves the chance to be heard. You should explain your research question and how it fits into the current research landscape and also your primary results. Make sure you're very clear about what your results are and why they're important-if you want you can even use that as the very first sentence of your proposal. Remember, you want to stand out, which means you should wow the reader without making them work hard.

You've Been Accepted - Now What?

Once you've been accepted it's time to write your talk. Focus on keeping your paper focused and easy to understand. It's always better to take a narrow topic, for example a single result you've found, and take the time to really explore it deeply than to give a talk that just brushes the surface of a lot of different topics. Below are some tips to help you prepare a successful presentation.

Keep it simple, stupid

This age-old acronym, KISS, is especially apt for conference presentations. Because people are going to be listening to your speech, not reading it, it's important that you keep your information simple and straightforward. If you ask the audience to follow along with complex sentences or keep up with overly intricate figures, they'll get confused and not pick up the main ideas of your talk. Also keep in mind that you're likely to have a range of expertise in your audience, so not everyone is going to understand if you immediately jump to complicated ideas without laying the foundation first.

Forecast, explain, and summarize

Because people listen differently than they read, it's your job at the presenter to make it as easy as possible for the audience to understand and remember your work. To help them along, use the forecast, explain, and summarize model. Start your talk by telling them what you're going to say (forecasting), then say it (explain). Finally, sum up what you've just told them (summarize). On paper this can look overly repetitive, but to those listening it will reinforce your ideas and make them easy to remember.

Organization

In general, talks should be organized a lot like a research paper. Start by giving a (brief) overview of your topic, then introduce your research question and methodology. Finish by giving a (brief) overview of your results and discussing their importance. Once you're comfortable with speaking about your work, you can vary move away from this style if you want, but always keep in mind that you want the organization of your work to be as straightforward as possible.

Know your audience

Tailor your talk to fit the needs of your audience. If you're presenting at an interdisciplinary conference or to people outside your field, make sure you explain terms and concepts clearly. On the other hand, if you're attending a conference devoted to a particular niche or subfield, it's safe to assume that your audience will already be familiar with most of the terms, which means you don't need to waste time explaining them.

Slides

These days it's common for speakers to have PowerPoint slides that accompany their talk. These visuals can help you hold the audience's attention and explain complicated idea, e.g., using graphs or illustrations. However, slides shouldn't be used a crutch or to help you remember what you plan to say. If you need notes, keep them on the computer screen or on index cards, not on your slides. A good rule of thumb is that you should have one main point per slide and no more than ten words of text. This means no long quotations or extensive bulleted lists. If you put lots of text on the slide, no one is going to read it, and you're going to lose the audience's attention.

Practice, practice, then practice some more

Students often think that just writing their talk down is enough preparation, but getting up on that stage without having practiced will likely end in disaster. For one thing, there's no way to know how long your talk is going to be unless you practice, which means you run the risk of ending up too short or, more likely, going over your allotted time. Plus practice will make you more comfortable with your material so that, if something goes wrong, you're prepared and can make needed adjustments.

Be prepared for questions

If you've done your job well, the audience will be engaged with your ideas and want to ask questions when the talk is over. Prepare for this as part of your practice sessions. Think about what people are likely to ask or have a colleague do a practice Q & A with you.

Giving the Talk

The same rules that apply to any kind of public speaking will also hold true for conference presentations.

Always introduce yourself

Get your audience's attention right from the beginning by clearly stating who you are, what institution your with, and what topic you'll be covering. Even if you were introduced beforehand, it's important to reinforce this for the audience.

Speak slowly and clearly

It won't matter how good your speech is if you're nervous and rush through the material, since no one will understand you. So, take your time. If you think you sound too slow, then you're probably speaking at just the right speed. And remember to take pauses-they'll give you time to think and will help guide the audience.

Don't fidget

This one is hard for everyone, particularly if you're a nervous public speaker, but it's also one of the most important public speaking rules. Don't rock back and forth, twirl your hair, or tap a pencil-all of those things will distract the audience and prevent you from getting your point across.

There aren't very many people out there who really enjoy this type of public speaking, so don't feel bad if you're uncomfortable or nervous. Those feelings are perfectly natural, and the only way to get rid of them is simply to do lots of public speaking. With practice you'll find your conference presentations will improve and impress.

Original story about "The Art of Giving Conference Presentations" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

Terms

Before we start going through the ins and outs of working with tense, first we need to go over a few terms that everybody thinking about tense needs to know.

Present tense

The present tense describes events happening in the current moment in time (I talk, he thinks).

Past tense

The past tense describes events that occurred prior to the present moment (I talked, he thought).

Future tense

The future tense describes events that will happen after the present moment (I will talk, he will think).

Simple tense

The simple tense describes discrete events that have a distinct beginning and end.

Continuous/progressive tense

The continuous tense (also called the progressive) describes actions that take place over an unspecified time period or are ongoing (I am talking; he was thinking). Both the simple and continuous tenses can be combined with present, past, and future tenses.

Perfect tense

The perfect tense describes actions that have already been completed. Like continuous, the perfect tense can be combined with the past, present, and future tenses.

Conventions of Tense

Every academic discipline has its own guidelines about using tense. You'll find some of these rules in style guides or textbooks, but many of these aren't official rules. Instead, they're conventions that most, but certainly not all, professionals in the field follow and which can be bent or broken depending on the writer's style.

Literary present tense

When writing about works of art like novels or paintings, it's convention to use what's called the literary present tense. The nuances are shown in the examples below, but the basic idea is that you should assume events happening in a piece of art exist in an eternal present tense; no matter when you read The Great Gatsby or Hamlet, you should assume those events are always in the present tense. The literary present tense is used in historical writing as well.

Accordingly, when you write using the literary present tense, you use the present tense to discuss fictional events (e.g., things happening in a novel or short story) while the past tense is used to discuss historical events (e.g., things that happened in the life of the writer).

Example

Early in the novel, Mrs. Cunningham declares that Willoughby "is not a man one would consider marrying. - Both the introductory text and the verbs in the quote are in present tense.

Nick states early in the novel that he excuses Gatsby's behavior, but he shows no sympathy for Tom and Daisy. - When describing events from a novel, the present tense is used.

Fitzgerald completed the novel in 1930, but it was not published until after his death. - The verbs here are in the past tense because they are describing real, historical events.

There are a few times when it's acceptable to use the past tense when describing literary works, usually when doing so will make the meaning of the text easier to understand or when a quoted passage contains several different tenses.

Example

When Marlow first appears, he is a mysterious figure. He tells the story about what happened in Africa while shrouded in darkness on the ship deck. - Here the present tense is mixed with the past tense because the text is describing two layers of time (Marlow on the ship deck (the present) and the story Marlow is telling which is set in the past).

You should also leave verbs in quotations in the tense as they appear in the text.

Example

Fitzgerald goes on to say that Gatsby "never knew, nor cared" about the details of that night. - Here the present tense is used to introduce the quote, but the past tense is left inside the quotation marks.

Note that when using the past tense to discuss historical events or the present to discuss works of fiction, you may need to use progressive and perfect tenses to indicate ongoing events or the order of events in the past.

Example

While Mrs. Bennett is scheming to get her daughters in front of Mr. Bingley, Elizabeth meets Mr. Darcy on the dance floor. - Here, the simple and progressive present are mixed to show that two events are happening at the same time.

In the 1930s, Churchill had advocated against the Nazi regime, and in later years his staunch refusal to compromise with Hitler defined the British war effort. - Here, the progressive past is used to show an ongoing action (had advocated), while the simple past is used to show a discrete event (defined).

Research papers

In the sciences, many writers use guidelines similar to those for literary present tense when writing research papers, although it's important to keep in mind that the conventions for research papers are much less strict. While these guidelines can help you write a research paper that's consistent and makes sense, it's often not necessary to strictly follow these rules.

Much like the literary present tense, when writing research papers you can think of your research (e.g., the articles and books you're citing) as being in an eternal present tense. This means you should refer to them in the present like you would works of art. However, when referring to historical events, such as when a book was published, those will be in the past tense.

Example

In their 1965 paper, Jules and Veerland describe the effects of sleep deprivation on older patients. - The present tense is used to discuss a particular study even though it happened in the past.

When the book was published in 1997, it caused a stir in academic circles. - The act of being published is a historical event.

There are times when it's acceptable to use the past tense to discuss the research of others. For example, if the writers of a particular study have since changed their mind or published work that contradicts their earlier position, it can make more sense to describe their work in the past tense.

Example

Jones and Wollstone's early work (2003) presented the theory that the hormone was secreted in response to stress, but later research (Jones and Wollstone, 2007) suggested that this was not the case. - Here, the verbs are in past tense to stress the fact that Jones and Wollstone no longer believe the theory they put forward in their older work.

As was stated above, there's no clear rule for when to use past or present in research papers. Often what's best is an issue of style and will depend on what point you're trying to make in your work. For instance, if you want to discuss the current state of thought about a particular issue, you would want to use the present tense, but if you want to stress that a certain idea is no longer commonly held, then you would use past tense.

When writing about your own experiments, any work that you have completed should be considered a historical event, i.e., a completed event that occurred in the past. Accordingly, you should discuss your work in the past tense.

Example

At six weeks, the seedlings were divided into two treatment groups. - The past tense is used because the experiment was done in the past.

Original story about "The Literary Present Tense" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

What is an adjective?

An adjective is a word that modifies a noun (which is a person, place, thing, or idea). Basically, it's a word that tells you something about that noun: it's a way to take a general noun (bed) and make it specific (my old bed). If I say that I've bought "a new, green car," the words new and green give us more information about the noun car. Most adjectives answer one of three questions:

• Which one? - our cat, the next house
• What kind? - the glass table, a sharp pencil
• How many? - three chairs, many hours

Note: In all the examples given here, the adjective is in italics, and the noun being modified is underlined.

Using Adjectives

Compared to other parts of speech, the rules for using adjectives are pretty straightforward. With a just a few key guidelines it's easy to make sure that your grammar is correct, but, as with everything in English, there are a few sticking point that can cause trouble for writers.

Where to place adjectives

In English, adjectives are placed immediately before the noun they modify.

Correct

I'm going to wear a red dress to the party.
The blue house is where my friend Rebecca lives.

Incorrect

I'm going to wear a dress red to the party.
The house blue is where my friend Rebecca lives.

The only exception to this is when an adjective is being used with the verb to be or a linking verb like smells or seems. In that case, the adjective follows the verb.

Correct

The wet dog smells terrible.
She is pretty.

Coordinate adjectives

When two or more individual adjectives are used together they're known as coordinate adjectives and should be separated by a comma. The key to coordinate adjectives is that they're acting separately. Each adjective is modifying the noun, and the sentence would make sense with either adjective on its own. If you can add an and between the adjectives, they're coordinate adjectives.

Correct

That wet, hairy, smelly dog needs a bath. (or: That wet and hairy and smelly dog needs a bath.)

There's a big, scary bear outside our tent. (or: There's a big and scary bear outside our tent.)

Cumulative adjectives

Sometimes, however, when two or more adjectives are being used together they're not coordinate adjectives. If the words aren't working separately, they're known as cumulative adjectives; these types of adjectives don't need a comma.

With cumulative adjectives, the adjective closest to the noun acts as a single unit with the noun. For example, in the phrase "dark chocolate," the adjective dark is modifying chocolate, but they act as a single unit. If you add another adjective, its modifying the phrase "dark chocolate," not the word chocolate by itself. So, the phrase "tasty dark chocolate" doesn't need a comma. A good way to the difference between cumulative and coordinate adjectives is that if you add an and to cumulative adjectives it doesn't make sense or changes the meaning of the sentence.

Correct

We're having some tasty dark chocolate for dessert. (not: We're having some tasty and dark chocolate for dessert.)

There's a big, scary black bear outside our tent. (or: There's a big and scary black bear outside our tent.)

In the second example, big and scary are coordinate adjectives, but black is cumulative because it's acting with the noun bear to form a single unit that tells you what kind of bear it is (because a black bear is a particular kind of bear). If you wrote "There's a big, scary, black bear outside our tent" then you're saying the bear is black, not that it's a black bear.

The distinction between coordinate and cumulative adjectives can be a gray area, and often you can make an argument that a pair of adjectives can be interpreted as coordinate or cumulative.

Adjective order

When we're using coordinate adjectives, there's a particular order in which we list all our modifiers, which is why it's correct to say the "new, green car" but not "the green, new car." This order is usually second nature to long-time English speakers, but it can be confusing to those learning English because there isn't a real pattern or reason behind it.

• 1^st - Determiners (the, a, an, or any other word that tells the reader which item or how many of something)
• 2^nd - Observations (e.g., adjectives that have a personal bias)
• 3^rd - Size and shape
• 4^th - Age
• 5^th - Color
• 6^th - Origin (e.g., American, French)
• 7^th - Material
• 8^th - Qualifier (an adjective that functions as part of the noun, e.g., rocking chair)

So, if you're were buying a car, you'd say "I'm getting a beautiful, huge, new, blue, American, all-steel, pickup truck."

Degree of adjectives

We use degree to compare adjectives, meaning we can show whether a noun is more or less something than another noun. If I say "I'm smarter than my brother," the adjective smart has been modified to show that when you compare the two of us, I'm the one who comes out on top.

Adjectives with only one syllable are modified using the suffixes -er and -est. The first is used when comparing two items, and the second is used when comparing three or more things. Note that the suffixes only go up-that is, you can only use them when one thing is more or greater than the other.

Correct

I'm rich.
He's richer.
She's the richest.

When comparing two things, it's important to remember that you should only use the suffix -er. If you have two daughters, you would say "This is my older daughter," not "This is my oldest daughter."

For words with more than one syllable, degree is indicated by using the words more and most. As with the suffixes above, which one you use depends on how many things you're comparing: more is used to compare two items, and most is used to compare three or more things.

Correct

He's beautiful.
She's more beautiful.
I'm the most beautiful.

Incorrect

He's beautiful.
She's beautifuler.
I'm beautifulest.

Unlike the suffixes -er and -est, with multi-syllable words we can also compare things down-that is, we can show that something is fewer or smaller. To do this, we use the words less and least. Again, less is used when comparing two things, and least is used to compare three or more.

Correct

I'm beautiful.
She's less beautiful.
He's the least beautiful.

Note that the article the is used with the superlative (the most or least). When comparing two items, the word than is often used.

Correct

She is more intelligent than he is.
My brother is less intelligent than I am.

The only exception to this is when the multi-syllable word ends in the letter y. In that case, the y is dropped and the -er and -est suffixes are used.

Correct

I'm happy.
She's happier.
He's happiest.

When using comparative adjectives, it's important to be careful about modifying words that can't be modified. Many adjectives imply an absolute state, which means the noun either is or isn't that thing; it can't be sort of or kind of that thing. For example, a woman can either be pregnant or not; one woman can't be more or less pregnant than another. Often in casual conversation modifiers are used with these sorts of words as a kind of shorthand (for instance, if you say something is "very pregnant," it usually means that she is obviously pregnant or far along). However, in academic writing you want to avoid this kind of casual constructions.

Other adjectives that should be given a degree include:

• absolute
• complete
• entire
• fatal
• impossible
• principal
• unanimous
• unavoidable
• unique
• universal
• whole

Adjective Phrases

Sometimes entire clause can act as an adjective. These clauses will be dependent (meaning they can't stand alone as their own sentence), and they answer the same question as regular adjectives (Which one? What kind? How many?).

Correct

The player who scores the most goals will get a trophy.
(The clause who scores the most goals tells us which player.)

The table that we found at the new furniture store was cheap.
(The clause that we found at the new furniture store tells us which table.)

We need a dog that doesn't pee on the floor.
(The clause that doesn't pee on the floor tells us what kind of dog.)

You can spot an adjective clause because they start with relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, that, which) or relative adverbs (when, where, and why). However, other types of clauses, including adverb clauses, can start with some of these words, so in order to be sure it's acting as an adjective you need to identify what it's modifying.

Original story about "An In-depth Look at Adjectives" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

What is an adverb?

Like adjectives, adverbs are modifiers that give the reader more information. They take a generic description or action (he ran) and add more detail to make it specific (he ran quickly). Adverbs modify any word that isn't a noun, including verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, and prepositions: (note that here and throughout the rest of the article the adverb is in italics and the word being modified is underlined):

• verbs - she asked quietly, we eat there frequently
• adjectives - the movie had a wonderfully surprising twist, dinner was quite expensive
• other adverbs - he jumped really high, the car moved very fast
• preposition - He closed the store immediately after the last customer left

The extra information that adverbs give us can answer a number of different questions:

• How? - The girl talked quietly to her friend. (How did the girl talk?)
• When? - We'll be singing tomorrow at the concert. (When will we be singing?)
• Where? - He lives nearby. (Where does he live?)
• Why? - He bought a new car to drive to work. (This adverb phrase answers the question "Why did he buy a new car?")
• Under what conditions? - We played in the dark. (Under what conditions did we play?)

Using Adverbs

Because they're both modifiers, adverbs follow many of the same grammatical rules as adjectives. However, there are a few areas in which the two parts of speech are handled differently. Below are the main rules to know when it comes to using adverbs correctly.

Adverb placement

Unlike adjectives, which are always placed immediately in front of the nouns they modify, adverbs can often go several places in a sentence. The can go at the beginning or end of a sentence or on either side of the verb being modified. For example, all of the sentences below are grammatically accurate:

Correct

She quietly talked to the teacher.
She talked quietly to the teacher.
Quietly she talked to the teacher.
She talked to the teacher quietly.

There are few hard and fast rules for adverb placement, so using them correctly is often a matter of getting a feel for style conventions. If you're unsure it's always a good idea to try to keep the adverb as close as possible to the word it's modifying in order to avoid any confusion or extra work for the reader. So, in the above example, either of the first two sentences would be preferred (but again, any of the four would be technically correct).

Adverb form

Many adverbs are formed by adding the suffix -ly to the end of adjectives. Slow becomes slowly, happy becomes happily, etc.

Correct

She easily answered the all the questions on the test.
He stormed off angrily when he didn't get what he wanted.

However, just because this is often the case doesn't mean you can assume that every word that ends in -ly is an adverb. Many adjectives, including friendly, lovely, and silly, also end with this suffix, and some words ending in -ly can be either adverbs or adjectives:

Correct

The early start time meant that many of the students were late. (adjective)
We left early so we wouldn't miss any of the show. (adverb)

There are also many words that don't end in -ly that function as adverbs If you're unsure whether a word is functioning as an adverb or adjective, the only way to check is to identify the word it's modifying.

Correct

The race is starting now.
My mother usually answers the phone in the evenings.
She jumped high to avoid getting her feet wet.

Degree

As with adjectives, the endings -er and -est can be used to indicate degree, which means these suffixes indicate that something is more or greater than something else. -Er is used when comparing two things, and -est is used when comparing three or more items. Remember, these endings can only be used on words that have one syllable.

Correct

I can sing louder than my sister.
Out of all the kids in the class, I run the fastest.

Incorrect

I can reach highest than my brother. (Should be higher since you're comparing only two things).

I dance beautifulliest out of all the girls on the team. (The suffixes -er and -est can't be used with the word beautiful because it has more than one syllable.)

When adverbs have more than one syllable, like in the example above, the words more (for two items) or most (for three items), can be used to indicate degree going upward (i.e., bigger or greater). To indicate degree going down (i.e., fewer or smaller), you can use less (for two items) and least (for three items).

Correct

I dance the most beautifully out of all the girls on the team.
She worked less quickly when she was distracted by her friends.

Notice that the word than is used when comparing two things, and the article the is used to refer to a superlative (the highest or lowest in a group).

Intensifiers

Adverbs are often used not to add new meaning to a sentence but instead to emphasize or highlight what's already there. These types of adverbs are known as intensifiers because they strengthen (or sometimes weaken) a certain word or phrase in the sentence without substantially changing the meaning of the sentence. Examples of intensifiers include really, completely, absolutely, so, mildly, and almost. Intensifiers are usually placed immediately in front of the verb they modify (but not always).

Correct

I really need to find those shoes.
She absolutely believed that she had done the right thing.
I almost cancelled the party because of the rain.
He wanted to win so much.

Adverb order

Adverbs can more pretty freely throughout the structure of a sentence, but when you're using several adverbs together there is a particular order they need to go in:

• 1^st - Manner: she happily talked, he swam quickly
• 2^nd - Place: she walked through the town (this is an example of an adverb phrase, which will discussed later).
• 3^rd - Frequency: he runs often, she never listens
• 4^th - Time: he got up early, I arrived late
• 5^th - Purpose: he opened the door to let more air in (this is another adverb phrase)

So, if you wanted to write a very long, complicated sentence with lots of adverbs, you could say: "She ran quickly through the field once that morning to find her dog." Obviously, that sentence is a bit clunky, but the order is technically correct.

Disjuncts

Most of the time, adverbs will fit seamlessly within a sentence, meaning there aren't any pauses or jumps for the reader (most of the examples so far have been like this).

Sometimes, however, adverbs don't fit neatly in with the rest of the sentence and instead stand apart, usually because they are offering some sort of commentary on what's being said in the main clause. These types of adverbs are known as disjuncts and are set apart by commas.

Correct

Fortunately, we were able to find someone to replace her in the play.
Honestly, I don't know how we'll find the time to make breakfast.
She wants to play, too.

Other disjuncts include frankly, luckily, interestingly, unfortunately, clearly, and seriously. As you may have noticed, these are usually placed at the beginning of the sentence.

Adverb Clauses and Phrases

Clauses and phrases

Often an entire phrase or dependent clause will function as an adverb. (Remember, a phrase is a related series of words, and a dependent clause includes a noun and verb that won't stand alone as its own sentence). Like regular adverbs, adverb clauses and phrases answer the questions how, when, where, why, and under what conditions.

Adverb clauses are dependent clauses that start with subordinating conjunctions such as because, before, if, that, than, since, unless, until, where, and while. These clauses can appear anywhere within a sentence.

Correct

I made a cake while you were sleeping. (When did you make a cake?)
Unless the rain stops, we won't be able to play. (Under what conditions will we be able to play?)
Let's go where the food is cheaper. (Where are we going?)

Phrases can be groups of words such as infinitives (an unconjugated verb) or prepositional phrases (words that describe direction, time, or orientation) that answer this same set of questions.

Correct

We left in a hurry. (How did we leave?)
She took a bus to visit her mom. (Why did she take a bus?)

Original story about "An In-depth Look at Adverbs" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

What is a Conference Proposal?

All academic disciplines have conferences-conventions where professionals in the field get together to share information. The main way researchers spread the word about what they're working on is in presentations, which are short (usually 15 - 20 minutes) talks in which the presenter gives a brief outline of his or her research. These presentations are a great way for graduate students to gain experience and get exposure.

In order to be selected to give a presentation, first you have to submit a conference proposal. Basically a conference proposal is a short summary of the talk you would give at the conference. It highlights your research questions and results and also provides a brief explanation as to why your research is important. A good conference proposal will help you get your foot in the academic door, while a bad one will leave you out in the cold.

What Goes in a Conference Proposal?

There are as many types of conference proposals as there are conferences. Every conference will have its own guidelines for submissions, and the number one rule of writing proposals is to follow the submission guidelines for the particular conference you're applying too. Some will ask only for a short abstract (which, if accepted, is often printed word-for-word in the program), while others allow for longer submissions that are read only by those who are selecting papers.

Most conference proposals will be only a few hundred words long, which means you need to fit a lot of information into a pretty short amount of space. Remember, a conference proposal is meant to sell your paper to the people who are in charge of selecting presenters, so don't waste time with information that isn't vital to that task.

There are lots of ways you can structure a conference proposal, but the most straightforward is to simply mimic the organization of a long research paper. Start with a sentence or two of introduction that establishes your topic, then explicitly state what gap in the research landscape your work fills. Remember, you want to convince the reader that your work is important, so this first step is an absolute must. Next, briefly discuss your methodology, then move into your results and conclusions.

Dos and Don'ts of Conference Proposals

Do follow the rules

This was said earlier but it bears repeating: every conference has its own guidelines, and you need to follow those guidelines to the letter if you have any hope of being accepted as a presenter. The people reading applications will probably see hundreds or even thousands of similar proposals; if yours is the one that goes over the word limit or has incorrectly done citations, it'll be the first paper to go on the reject pile.

Do proofread

Papers with spelling and grammar mistakes will end up in the same place as those that don't follow conference proposal guidelines. Remember, there are hundreds of other people who have also submitted proposals, and if you look like you don't care enough to proofread your work, those other people are (rightfully) going to get picked ahead of you.

Don't bite off more than you can chew

When working on your proposal, keep in mind how much time you'll have to do your presentation. Most conferences will give you to 15 - 20 minutes, but you might have even less. If in your proposal you outline a talk that would take you significantly more time, it's likely to be rejected. The conference organizers don't want somebody up there who's obviously going to run out of time or give a rushed presentation; they want somebody who can use those 15 minutes wisely to give a structured, nuanced talk.

Do find the balance between ego and fear

As with all academic writing, conference proposals require you to strike a balance between tooting your own horn and noting the work of others. So, don't claim to be blowing up a long-held theory in your field but also don't just reiterate the work of others. If you're going to give a presentation, you should have an original idea, no matter how small, to talk about.

Don't quote too much

Conference proposals are short, and if you spend too much time rehashing the work of others there won't be time to get to your own ideas. The people reading applications don't want to waste their valuable time reading stuff they've seen before in books or other papers. This is your time to express your ideas, so don't write a proposal that looks like nothing more than a literature review.

Don't use jargon

On the other hand, it's sometime important to explain concepts in your proposal. Particularly if you're attending a cross-disciplinary conference or you're presenting to a general audience, you may need to explain theories and terms. Just like the reader will get tired of reading stuff they already know, they'll also get annoyed if they're reading stuff they don't understand. It's a difficult balance to strike, and it will be different for every conference.

Do specialize your paper for the conference

Many conferences have a theme, and even if your work doesn't fit that theme very well, it's in your best interest to make an effort to try. Also make sure to focus your paper if you're applying to conferences that cover a narrow sub-topic or area of your field. Just sending out the same proposal to a dozen conferences is probably going to get you rejected by every single one.

Do plan your talk

It's not necessary to write out your entire talk before you do your proposal, but you need to have a solid outline of what you plan to discuss before you apply to present. The conference organizers are going to expect you to actually discuss what's in your proposal, and if you discover that your proposal isn't going to work after it's already been accepted, you'll be in real trouble.

Do stick with one main idea

The best presentations provide a meaningful, in-depth look at a narrow topic, while less successful talks will just skim the surface of larger topics. When you're planning your talk, pick just one idea from your research to focus on. It will ensure that your talk isn't rushed, and your proposal will reflect that attention to detail.

Do start strong

Often in conference proposals it can be a good idea to state your main results clearly in the very first sentence. If you save them to the end the reader will likely have to go back and reread your work, and with hundreds of papers to read, they'll probably just toss it in the "no" pile. But, if you tell the reader what to expect from the beginning, they're more likely to be impressed.

Do get a second opinion

Nobody's perfect, and your first attempts at a conference proposal won't be either. So, before you start sending your proposal out into the world, have an advisor or fellow student look them over. They'll be able to point out weaknesses you might not see and can help you avoid simple spelling and grammar mistakes as well.

Original story about "How to Write a Conference Proposal" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

Fortunately, if you're struggling with a writing assignment, you're not alone. We've all sat down to work only to open up Facebook or turn on the TV instead. But, if you're serious about writing and getting the job done right, there are plenty of tricks and techniques out there to help you stay focused and on task.

The Pomodoro Technique

Sometimes it isn't the writing itself that's so difficult - it's the task of actually sitting still long enough to do it. Particularly if you're not working with a tight deadline, it's awfully tempting to browse the internet or hang out with your friends instead of painstakingly writing two thousand words on the idea of fate in Hamlet.

If your main problem is just staying focused, the pomodoro technique might be right for you. The main idea is pretty simple: you set a timer for a certain period of time (usually 25 - 30 minutes), and work until the timer goes off. Then, you get a 5 minute break before starting the process all over again. If you want, every three or four sessions you can take a longer, 15 - 30 minute break.

The idea behind the pomodoro technique is that most people focus best in short bursts. If you sit down for 4 hours of aimless writing, you'll likely write for a few minutes before wondering over to another activity, then wondering back again. But if you set yourself a strict time limit it will be easier to focus on what needs to be done. Think of it as imposing an artificial deadline on yourself. We've all had the experience of putting off a big project for weeks only to knock it out in the half hour before it's due. By setting a timer, you're recreating the intensity of that last frantic half hour but without the fear that you won't be done in time.

Timeboxing

Timeboxing is a trick that similar to the pomodoro technique, but with a bit more flexibility. Instead of just always setting your timer for a certain period, with timeboxing you start by making up a list of tasks you want to complete. Maybe you want to finish a particular section of a paper or format all your references correctly. Once the list is complete, you decide how much time each task should take; for example, you might think it will take you an hour to finish your introduction or 30 minutes to redo your references. Then you simple set the timer for that length of time and spend that entire period focused only on that one task.

Timeboxing is perfect for people who find themselves easily distracted when writing. Maybe you start writing but then notice editing changes that need to be made, or you decide there's a particular book you need to read before you can go on. Timeboxing will cut away those distractions: until the timer dings, you can only work on one assigned task and nothing else.

If you want to use timeboxing for larger projects, try breaking the project down into smaller tasks. Work on a single paragraph or read one chapter from a book, then cross that task off your list and start on the next one. As with the pomodoro technique, you should take short breaks between session to relax and re-energize yourself so that when you turn to the next task you're ready to go.

Other Tricks and Tips

When it comes to time, aim for quality, not quantity

Sometimes it can actually be better to sit in front of your computer for less time, not more. Spending all day trying to write is probably going to lead to a lot of procrastination and work that isn't very good. After the first few hours you're probably just going to want to get away and won't be really focusing on the work you need to do.

So, if you've got a project to work on, set aside two or three hours to really work, then move on to something else. You'll find that the time you spend working will produce better quality work and you'll probably enjoy having some time off to do something else (even if it's just other assignment). The key to making this work, though, is that you have to plan ahead. If you wait until the last second you'll have no choice but to write for eight hours straight, but if you start earlier you can get away with a just a few quality hours a day.

When it comes to word count, aim for quantity, not quality

There are lots of perfectionists out there who think that their writing should be complete the minute it makes its way onto the page. But there's no reason to spend hours agonizing over the perfect sentence or paragraph. When you're trying to write, you'll probably find that you get more accomplished if you just write - don't stop mid-paragraph to revise, rewrite, or spend ten minutes trying to find the perfect synonym for a word you think you've used too much. Instead, just barrel forward and get as many words as you can down on the page.

Once all that work is done, you can start the process of revising. All those bad sentences and poorly organized ideas can be rewritten and reorganized-a task you'll find much easier once everything has been written and you're not trying to keep all your ideas organized in your head. Remember, nobody's rough draft is perfect, so there's no point in wasting time trying to get everything right on the first try.

Start in the middle

Introductions and conclusions are often the most difficult sections for students, in part because they try to write these sections at the wrong time. You can't introduce your work if you don't know what you're going to say, so why would you write that section first? Similarly, you can't wrap up your paper until the body is finished, so don't start work on the conclusion until you've got your main arguments all laid out.

If you're having trouble gettting started, try working on the middle part of your paper. There's nothing wrong with picking up mid-section or even mid-paragraph, and often these are the parts you'll feel most comfortable working on. Once the main ideas are on the page, then you can start working on introductions and conclusions. And remember, if you start in the middle don't worry about getting things out of order-that's a problem to be handled in the editing stage.

Get rid of distractions

We all know this is a good idea, but that doesn't necessarily make it any easier to do. If you want to get your work done, though, you've got to get rid of all those distractions. Of course this is especially difficult in the age of the Internet, when a seemingly infinite number of websites are just waiting to draw your attention away, and cutting out these distractions can be even harder if you need the Internet for research or help with writing. But if you're constantly finding yourself on Facebook or Twitter, you need to find ways to keep yourself on task. Block the sites if you have to, or use one of the time-keeping techniques discussed above to limit the time you spend on non-work tasks.

Distractions can come from outside your computer as well, so when you sit down to write make sure to limit those as too. Don't work in front of the TV (no matter how much of a multi-tasker you think you are) and don't try to work with chatty friends or in a place that you know will be distracting.

Work in public

That being said, sometimes writing in public can be one of the best moves for those struggling to keep focus. Particularly if you're with a group of friends who are also working, the social pressure to keep typing away at your paper can often be enough to keep your nose to the grindstone. After all, if you're fooling around on Twitter at home there's no one to see it, but at coffee shop or library people will be able to see what you're doing. Even if they're people you don't know, you'll still feel accountable. For this plan to work, however, you need to make sure that the people and things around you are going to be helping you focus, not keeping your attention away from your work.

Original story about "Getting the Job Done: Tricks to Keep You Writing" at Writing in General category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog

So how can you make sure that your references are elevating your paper instead of dragging it down? The key is to make sure that all your references meet these three key requirements.

1. Value

The first issue you need to address when you're gathering resources for your bibliography is whether those sources add value to your paper. It might be tempting to just gather up a whole bunch of resources and throw them all into your paper-that's sure to make your paper look impressive, right? But anyone who is familiar with your topic (like a teacher or professor) or a reader who digs a little deeper into your bibliography will quickly see that you haven't put a lot of thought into your work. As you're going through your resources ask yourself these questions:

Is this resource unique and necessary?

While you may sometimes wish to cite several books or articles to reinforce an idea, in general you don't need to pile on the citations to prove a point. Instead, go through your resources and make sure that each one is adding an idea or piece of data that hasn't already been addressed by a different source. You should also be asking if this source is actually vital to your argument. If your paper would be just fine without it, then it doesn't need to be there.

Does the source of this information provide value?

You should also think about how much value your sources adds in terms of its credibility. An unverifiable website article isn't going to help out your argument, which means you're not adding much value by citing it. On the other hand, citing well-respected journals or authors will add more weight to your ideas. Sometimes citing information from a questionable source can help your paper; you just need to be sure to weight the value it's adding against the hit your credibility will take.

Can the reader access this resource?

Always keep in mind that lists of references are there to help the reader evaluate your paper and learn more about your topic. This means that if you include references that the reader doesn't have access to, such as personal communications or outdated materials, that resource isn't adding any value to your paper. If you really want to include sources like this, make sure to note their problems for the reader and to offer other sources where relevant information can be found.

2. Accuracy

More than anything else, your references need to be accurate. If you're not citing the right papers or you're citing papers incorrectly, then it's going to be hard for readers to take your work seriously. There are a few key issues you need to be on the lookout for when including references in your work:

Does the work you're citing say what you claim it says?

When you cite an article, book, or website, you're promising the reader that the claims you're making in your paper can be validated by that particular work. In order to keep this promise, you need to make sure that the works you cite actually say what your claim, both literally and in general spirit. That means if you include a direct quotation or statistic, the reader should be able to find those exact words or values in the original text. If the reader goes searching for them and can't find them, then your whole paper is in jeopardy.

Did you use the original author's words correctly?

This promise also means that you shouldn't use specific sentences or ideas that might support your argument but go against the original author's intentions. For example, let's say there's a study that found that students on high school soccer teams have lower grades than those who don't, but that those on other sports teams all had higher than average grades. If you choose to cite that paper to show that students who play sports have lower grades, you'll be technically correct (the soccer team did have lower grades), but you won't be accurately citing the work as a whole (which showed that other sports-playing students did well in school). If you want to use a citation this way, it's important that you explain any inconsistencies or problems in a footnote or in the main text of your work.

Is the work you're citing the original source of the information?

When citing ideas or data, it's always important to find the original source of that information because you never know how that information has been distorted along the way. Writers and researchers are constantly citing the work of others-it's how the academic world works-but unless you've looked at the original work you have no way of knowing if the way those writers are citing the work is accurate. If you cite a researcher who has misinterpreted somebody else' work, then their mistake has now become a mistake in your own work. (The only time this is acceptable is when the original resource is old or extremely difficult to locate, and even then you can include both a reference to the original source and a newer one).

Did you get the details right?

We all know that it can be a huge hassle to get all the details in a citation correct. Issues like the spelling of the author's last names, the page number in a book, or an up-to-date URL might seem small, but when you get them wrong they can make your paper look bad. Remember, that list of references at the end of your work is a way for readers to find more information about your topic. If you've done your job well, those readers will want to consult the books and websites you've cited, but they'll have trouble doing that if you've listed the wrong publication year or listed the wrong journal title.

3. Clarity

The last referencing issue you need to be sure to address is clarity. As the writer, it's your job to make sure that your readers can quickly and easily understand what you're references are referring to. If the reader has a question about your work and can't figure out which reference to consult, then you haven't done your job well.

Part of making sure your citations are correct is putting them in the right place. This is an issue addressed by most style guides, so you need to be sure to check the guide you're using to ensure that your in-text citations are placed correctly. But no matter which guide you consult, the general idea will be to get the citation as close as possible to the material being cited.

In most style, the in-text citation should immediately follow the cited material, either within the text or at the end of the clause. Where the citation goes can affect the meaning of your reference: in the examples below, the information attributed to the source changes depending on where the citation is placed in the sentence.

Example

Seedlings treated with PCD grew an average of 6 cm shorter than untreated seedlings, which is likely the result of the blocked nitrogen pathways (Waller, 2006). - Here, both the data (6 cm shorter) and its interpretation (that it's because of a particular pathway) are attributed to Waller.

Seedlings treated with PCD grew an average of 6 cm shorter than untreated seedlings (Waller, 2006), which is likely the result of the blocked nitrogen pathway. - Here, only the data and not the interpretation are attributed to Waller.

Some citation styles require you to put all the references at the end of a sentence. If that's the case, you may need to rewrite sentences to ensure clarity.

Example

Studies have shown mice treated with the antibiotics before surgery were significantly less likely to suffer localized infections during recovery but were less resistant to aggressive, systemic infections (Smith, 2005; West, 2007). - Here the reader will likely assume that the Smith citation goes with the first half of the sentence and West with the second, but for he or she can't be sure. For clarity's sake it should be rewritten.

Smith (2005) showed that mice treated with the antibiotic before surgery were significantly less likely to suffer localized infection during recovery. However, these mice were less resistant to aggressive, systemic infections (West, 2007). - Now it's clear which piece of information goes with which citation.

Working on references can seem like a chore, but remember they're there to enhance your paper, not just to make your life more difficult. If you take the time to get them right, the quality of your work will definitely improve.

Original story about "Getting Your References Right" at Research Paper Writing category on BestCustomWriting.com Blog