Steps in the writing process

1. Prewriting

• Gather information and thoughts
• Determine a purpose for writing
• Analyze the audience
• Write a topic sentence or thesis statement
• Choose an organizational structure - outline

2. Writing (drafting)

• Let thoughts flow
• Use supporting detail
• Stick to the subject
• Analyze the audience

3. Revising (rewriting)

• Check organization
• Check for clear topic sentences
• Check paragraph and sentence structure
• Check for emphasis and consistency
• Check usage, grammar, mechanics, punctuation, vocabulary, and spelling (editing )

Definitions
These definitions are not all inclusive meanings of these terms, but are explanations intended to aid students in understanding how to write in an academic style.

Prewriting
The planning stages of the writing process, which include defining a purpose for writing, selecting a topic, analyzing the audience, narrowing the focus of the topic, writing a thesis statement, choosing an organizational strategy for writing, gathering information, outlining (or some other form to aid development of the topic such as making lists and dividing information into categories).

Thesis statement
A topic sentence that names and narrows the topic. The thesis statement specifies exactly what points will be discussed in the paper and in what order.

Drafting
Writing a draft of a paper or other type of document.

Supporting detail
Examples, explanations, definitions (etc.) That support or amplify a writer's points

Revising
Rewriting or improving a draft in terms of its purpose, content, organization of ideas, and other aspects that may affect a reader's understanding of the material. revising may also include some degree of editing.

Emphasis
Stressing important information or points by their placement in the paper, by repeating key phrases, or by writing more about some points than others

Consistency
Structuring points or ideas in a similar or comparative way; maintaining an objective or consistent perspective about a topic while writing

Editing
Reworking a draft to improve style, which includes the type of language, the perspective the writer uses, how emphasis of important points is achieved, and other aspects of language that determine how the writer handles the topic. For most academic papers, a straightforward, factual, and objective style is appropriate.

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Developing and narrowing a topic

• Choose a subject that interests you and about which you may already have some background information.

• Make sure the subject isn't so broad that you'll have difficulty covering it in the page limit that you have.

• Also make sure that the subject isn't too narrow so that you'll have enough to write about and you will be able to find sources.

• Read a couple of journal articles about the subject. Make notes of any ideas you get while you are reading.

• Highlight important information in the articles. Are some sub-topics evident? Try to identify several sub-topics so you can get an idea of how to structure your literature review.

Example of developing and narrowing a topic

Topic: Internet security and the risks corporations face

Possible Sub-topics:
1) Financial institutions online security
2) Small businesses and identity theft
3) Cost of online security
4) How financial institutions earn online consumers' confidence

Plan how you will approach the topic. Each of the following methods is a way of selecting and organizing information. Decide which one(s) you will use.

In many academic papers, a point-by-point structure is appropriate. Use a logical and recognizable organizational pattern.

Some of these patterns are chronological order, contrast and comparison, cause and effect, problem and solution, classification, narration.

There are also other patterns of organizing information. Not all of these patterns will be appropriate for every subject and type of paper. Decide which pattern best suits your topic and purpose.

Make a working outline. Literature reviews and research papers should adhere to a basic structure that begins with background and historical information about the topic, then narrows gradually until the focus becomes more and more specific to a certain field or area. This structure can be compared to an inverted pyramid.

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To summarize

Topic
Internet security and the risks corporations face
Broad focus
History about the use of computers in business
Background
Background information about how integral a part online technology is in today's corporate environment
Computer and Internet security costs to corporations each year
Narrow focus
Computer technology and security in the financial industry and their costs
Security risks financial institutions face
Narrower focus Security risks Florida financial institutions face and what Internet security costs them
Thesis Statement
Write a thesis sentence that delineates (spells out) what you will cover in the paper.
The purpose of this research is to determine how much of the financial industry's business in Florida is conducted by customers via the Internet, what type of security risks there are, and how much technology and Internet security cost the customers and the institutions.

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Focusing a topic and outlining a paper

Make lists
Sort through any notes you have made about your topic and begin making lists, if you have not done so already.

Categorize
Group information that is related or similar on one list. There may be several ways you could categorize the information. Choose categories or groups that seem to be the most logical way of looking at the information. It may help to talk to your instructor or a classmate or CAD Learning Specialist at this point if you are uncertain about this step in the development of your topic. The feedback and brainstorming will help you make decisions about how to organize your material.

Organize
When all your notes have been categorized and put into lists, start with one list and evaluate your information. Can you organize the information on the list in a logical way?

Try combining items that are similar and arrange the information from most important to least pertinent. (You probably will not use every tidbit of information you have discovered.)

Sort through and rearrange the information on one list until you have finished it. Can you attach a label of just one or two words that could serve as a descriptive title for the list, such as costs and finance? Go through the same process with each of your lists. Move information from one list to another if necessary.

Outline
When you have sorted through and rearranged all of your lists, you are ready to construct an outline. The number of sub-topics you have will depend on the amount of information you have.

At the college level, you should cover all major areas within your topic in a research paper. You will have to determine what the major areas are. For instance, in any research paper for a management course, marketing issues are a major area, as are ethics. So if a topic for a research paper in a management course includes ethical issues, you would want to include ethics as a sub-topic in your paper.

A good way to identify sub-topics is to use the questions journalists ask (who? what? where? when? why? and how?). Can you ask some of these questions about your topic and will the information in your notes answer those questions? (A good rule of thumb for undergraduate papers is three to five sub-topics. And for graduate papers at least five is probably a good standard, but this is not set in stone.) Try arranging the sub-topics in different ways to determine which way seems most logical.

Write a thesis statement
When you have determined the order that you think is best for your paper, use the outline form to list out sub-topics and their supporting details.

Using the major points from your outline, refine your thesis statement to reflect exactly what will be covered in your paper. (Remember the thesis statement is an overview of the paper's structure.) This is like giving the reader a sign that says: This paper is about sub-topic #1, sub-topic #2, and sub-topic #3.

The introduction will include this thesis statement and can elaborate on each of the sub-topics or sections of the paper. A well-developed paragraph is adequate for most introductions for papers at the college level.

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Checklist for editing and revising

CONTENT AND ORGANIZATION

• Is the introduction interesting and does it explain what the paper is about?
• Does the introduction contain an identifiable thesis statement ?
• Is the body of the paper logically organized ?
• Did you stick to your topic and follow your outline ?
• Are all ideas and paragraphs well developed clearly explained?
• Does the conclusion summarize and clarify important information and build on the thesis statement ?

STYLE

• Are all paragraphs well developed (not too brief)?
• Do paragraphs begin in a variety of ways (not always with the same word or phrase)?
• Does each paragraph have a topic sentence ?
• Are there transitions between sub-topics ?
• Are the words you used descriptive and do they convey the correct meaning?
• Have you used specific, concrete words (not a lot of pronouns such as "it" and "they")?
• Read the paper aloud and listen for any awkward phrasing.
• Is your paper grammatically correct?
• Have you used punctuation correctly and checked all places where you had a question about grammar or punctuation?
• Are all words spelled correctly?

FORMAT

• Does your paper have the correct margins, spacing, headings, and sections?
• Did you follow correct guidelines for typing ?
• Have you included all necessary parts
  (abstract , table of contents, reference page, if necessary)?

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