By Dr Andree Swanson
 |
| Artwork: Dr. Murad Abel |
You have been
tasked to write your first paper and the instructor gave you feedback. It read: “This is not
appropriate for an academic paper.”
You are now
at a loss to understand what defines an academic paper. Here are a few tips to
remember when writing.
Most importantly,
you are creating a document that is in your own words. It is imperative to properly research the
paper. It is not unusual to have
parenthetical citations after each sentence. The reason this happens is that you have
conducted a great deal of research on your topic. You are now reflecting on what you have read,
so the bottom line is... you are not presenting new information.
Let me restate this. You are
presenting someone else’s information. In fact, you may be presenting more than one
person’s information and must properly cite each source.
Your paper
is filled with ideas that came from many journals, web sites, and books. Basically, there are no new ideas in the
world, especially at the bachelor’s level. You are not writing a dissertation nor
developing your own research on a topic, thus, your academic paper is merely a
reflection of your research… not your
opinions. Given this statement, you must
properly cite your sources.
A prescriptive
formula for writing an academic research paper can be defined in the following
equation:
A + B(x) + D(x) = an appropriate academic paragraph
A = A statement in your own words
B = A paraphrase or summary of what you have read on the
topic
D = A quote which adequately reflects what you stated above
x = Your APA citation in APA or MLA format*
Here is an example of this formula in
action:
Funding Formula
After
World War II, American servicemen and women became eligible for a newly-enacted
legislation called the GI Bill. President Roosevelt did not spend much time on
this bill; however, Roosevelt saw that America needed a boost at the end of the
war. The GI Bill was established (Remembering the GI bill, 2000). The Higher
Education Act of 1965 strengthened “the
educational resources of our colleges and universities and [provided] financial
assistance to students in postsecondary and higher education” (Higher education
act of 1965, n.d.).
Figure 1. Example of a properly
cited paragraph.
Another example that incorporates
information from more than one source is shown below:
Lujan
v. Colorado State Board of Education
This issue of funding and the equity of educational
opportunities is an ongoing topic in the Colorado court system. Once again, a
group of individuals went to court. These plaintiffs “represented by the
Colorado Lawyers Committee brought suit claiming that the deteriorating
physical state of the public schools deprived students of educational
opportunity” (Hunter, 2006, ¶ 3). In 2000, the Colorado state legislature
enacted Senate Bill 00-181 earmarking “$190 million dollars for school repair
and construction in the neediest school districts over more than a decade” (Hunter, 2006, ¶ 3; Wham et al.,
2000). Finally, in 2000, voters passed an initiative to increase
kindergarten through grade 12 school funding in the state. Amendment 23 created
the State Education Trust Fund (Colorado Budget, 2005, ¶ 1).
Figure 2. Example of citing more
than one resource for a quotation.
In addition to critically thinking, paraphrasing and summarizing, and
adequately citing your references, it is important to avoid certain elements
when writing.
Use
citations sparingly –
When
writing a paper it is important to put the paper in your own words. This means
paraphrasing and summarizing what you have read, and to then properly reference
the source. In the example below, there are 146 total words. Of these words, 28
are the author’s. This is not good. Nineteen percent of this paragraph is in
the author’s own words.
Bad
example
It is important to reduce stress because of the bad
affects on the body. “When you’re stressed, you feel changes in your body and
your mind. Your heart beats faster, your blood pressure goes up, and your face
may get flushed. Your muscles might tighten up, or you may feel anxious” (Stress
and how to lower it: A health guide for teens, 2007, para. 2). There are many situations
that cause stress when you are writing an academic paper. “You might
continually postpone working on your assignment and get a late start. If you
procrastinate, you do not have enough time to think about and compose what you
want to write” (Cone, 2007, para. 3) “Sometimes you might become so nervous
that you feel unable to write anything at all. This is known as writer’s block,
and it is akin to self-sabotage” (Cone, 2007, para. 4)
Figure 3. Example of multiple
quotations strung together
Avoid
vague terms… be specific –
Avoid empty words such as “things,” “stuff,” “many,” etc. Use specific
terms. I have a vocabulary challenge on my personal website.
Avoid
colloquialisms –
It is necessary to
avoid colloquialisms in
academic papers. For example, although you may use the words below when you are
writing an article or a brief narrative paper, but not an academic paper. Can
you think of how you might reword this sentence so it is appropriate for an
academic paper?
Bad
example
It was
raining like cats and dogs outside while I was working on this academic paper.
Avoid
references to pop-culture –
Quotes are
good, but you must use the appropriate quote for the paper. I personally like
this quote, but would not include this in an academic paper.
Bad
example
Jerry
Seinfeld once stated that when average Americans were asked what their number
one fear was he said it was public speaking and number five on the list was
death. Seinfeld stated, “...that would mean that at a funeral, people are five
times more likely to want to be in the casket than giving the eulogy.”
*APA is
American Psychological Association and MLA is Modern Language Association
Reference
Stress and how to lower it: A health
guide for teens. (2007). Center for Young
Women’s Health Children’s Hospital Boston. Retrieved February 23, 2007,
from http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/stress.html
