Getting an A on Your Next Paper – Part Three: Writing Your Paper Well

Welcome to this third instalment of “Getting an A on Your Next Paper.” In the first blog, I looked at four tips for preparing to write your paper well (write when your mind is fresh, know the purpose of your paper, develop an outline, and research and organize your ideas). In the second blog, I gave two tips on writing your paper well (understand your purpose and make it central, and use headings to organize your paper). In this blog, I will look at another tip for writing your paper with excellence.

Tip #7 – Integrate Relevant Ideas from Other Sources

Many professors require their students to integrate information from various sources into their papers. As you gather information, it is important that you stay focused on the purpose of your paper. As you find information that aligns with your purpose, put it in the appropriate place in your outline. If the information does not fit, discard it or add another heading to your outline that accommodates the new information. Make sure that you include the appropriate bibliographic information for future reference.

As you may be aware, not all sources have equal value. Books published by reputable publishers (e.g. Harvard Press) usually carry the most weight. Peer-reviewed journals are next followed by other books, journals, magazines and websites. Most students can access journals and magazines online through their university’s library – an excellent way of getting quality information that is readily accessible and quick to read.

Once you have placed your information under your outline headings, it is time to write about the information. Use the information that best achieves the purpose of your paper. Go beyond simply reporting what you found in your sources. Compare and contrast sources with each other (this kind of integrative thinking delights most professors). Feel free to offer your informed opinion based on the information you have collected. If you use ideas from others, make sure that you cite the appropriate source. If you follow this tip and the others in past newsletters, you will have a good chance of producing an A paper. In the next blog, I will share some tips on editing your paper well, which can often increase your mark by a whole letter grade.