How to Study

Step 3: Begin Initial Library Research Got your list? Then get thee to a library. You need to do a little advance research. Scan ...

Note that I said temporarythesis. It may not wind up being your final thesis. Because you haven’t completed all your research ye ...

Step 5: Do Detailed Research We’ve already reviewed library and online resources and how to take advantage of them. Now, let’s t ...

On the main part of the card: Write the author’s name, if given— last name first, followed by first name, then middle name or in ...

Citing Online Information Because students are increasingly using online sources, the Modern Language Association (MLA) and Amer ...

Chapter 7 ■How to Write Terrific Papers 147 Sample Bibliography Card for a Book 1 315.6 Main Reading Room Spechler, Jay W. Reaso ...

Getting Ready to Take Notes Your bibliography cards serve as the map for your information treasure hunt. Get out a stack of five ...

Note-taking Guidelines Once your bibliography card is finished, set it aside. Get out some blank index cards and start taking no ...

■ Below the resource number, write the page number(s) on which the information appeared. ■ Get out your preliminary outline. Und ...

Write each thought on a separate note card, just as you did informa- tion taken from other resources. Assign your note card a to ...

Your note cards now should be organized according to your prelimi- nary outline. Take a few minutes to read through your note ca ...

Compare/contrast. Discusses similarities and differences between people, things, or events. May also be used when you want to d ...

After you sort all the cards that have been assigned a specific topic heading (I, II, III or A, B, C), review the cards that are ...

Good writing takes concentration and thought. And concentration and thought require quiet—and lots of it! You also need to have ...

3.Look at the information on those cards. Think about how the various pieces of information might fit together in a paragraph. 4 ...

You may, however, wind up with cards that just don’t fit. If you’re convinced they have no place in your paper, don’t attempt to ...

Freewriting and Brainstorming Focused freewriting and brainstorming are two methods used by professional writers when the waters ...

There are some exceptions. You don’t need to document the source of a fact, theory, or expression that is common knowledge. And ...

If your teacher doesn’t have a preference, you might as well use the MLA rules, which I use as well. Also, be sure to refer to I ...

■ Do you support your conclusions with solid evidence— research data, examples, statistics? ■ Do you include a good mixof eviden ...