Be selective with sources – avoid over-using books, popular press and web-based materials– use 3-5 recent articles (no more than 5-6 years old) published in top-tier research journals.
◦Draw from, explore, apply, and cite specific concepts from scholarly reference materials.
◦Provide and explore data from published studies that illustrate problem/ opportunity/impact.
◦Use direct quotes sparingly and only when special emphasis is absolutely essential. Instead, paraphrase the idea using your own words and cite the source.
◦Open with a strong introduction. The introductory paragraph should start with a sentence that engages your readers. This is followed by two or three sentences that provide details about the subject matter. All of these sentences build up to your thesis statement that summarizes the purpose and approach of your paper.
◦A conclusion should restate or rephrase the thesis or central idea of the paper, summarize no more than 3 or 4 main ideas from the paper, summarize the author’s final thoughts and provide a call to action.
◦Vary the length and structure of your sentences and paragraphs. Avoid “choppy’ writing – a series of short sentences.
◦A paragraph should be no more than 5 sentences in length and no less than 3. Just one main idea per paragraph.
◦Use short (3-5 words) descriptive, first-level subject headers – this can help separate and distinguish major sections of the paper and makes paragraph transitions more seamless.
