GETTING SET TO WRITE AN ESSAY

Avery Goertz Governor Simcoe Mr.Honsbereger

December 11t ! "#1$

Ho% to Write &n Ess&y

Intro'(ction Here &re sever&) %&ys in % ic to *rocee' %it %riting & re*ort. T e circ(mst&nces (n'er % ic & re*ort is to be %ritten 'ict&te to & )&rge e+tent t e %&y in % ic t e %riter begins. ,-)o%. I/ & re*ort is to be %ritten &s & c)&ss &ssignment! t ere %i)) )i0e)y be &t )e&st t%o constr&ints on t e re*ort %riter. T ese &re ,1. Size1 2ery o/ten! te&c ers ,or instr(ctors.%i)) &ssign & re*ort t &t is to /&)) %it in & s*eci/ie' size r&nge , /or e+&m*)e! ten to 1" ty*e%riter *&ges.3 An' ,". 4ontent1 T e st('ent re*ort %riter is most o/ten re5(ire' to eit er %rite on &n &ssigne' to*ic or & to*ic s*eci/ic&))y re)&te' to & given /ie)' o/ st('y. Re*orts %ritten /or b(siness *(r*oses gener&))y 'o not &ve size restrictions! &)t o(g in some c&ses & c)ient m&y s*eci/y t &t *rogress re*orts &n' t e )i0e &re not to e+cee' & given n(mber o/ *&ges. T e content o/ b(siness re*orts! o/ co(rse! is 'ict&te' by t e circ(mst&nces. T (s! t e %riter never &s to 'eci'e % &t to %rite &bo(t. Re*orts %ritten /or soci&)! /r&tem&)! or simi)&r org&niz&tions *rob&b)y &ve t e /e%est constr&ints. T is ty*e o/ re*ot is not (s(&))y ev&)(&te' in terms o/ gr&'ing or b(siness comm(nic&tion. As & res()t! t e )engt is se)'om s*eci/ie' &n' t e content re/)ects t e nee's o/ t e org&niz&tion.

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O/ t e t ree &bove;mentione' v&rieties o/ re*orts! t ose &ssigne' in sc oo) &re in m&ny %&ys t e most 'i//ic()t. T e )imits t &t &re o/ten set /or t e st('ent cre&te &n &)most &rti/ici&) sit(&tion (ni5(e to s(c re*orts. T e t&s0 o/ &rriving &t & s(it&b)e sco*e /or & re*ort! &s 'isc(sse' be)o%! cre&tes & /r(str&ting sit(&tion &s 'oes t e <ob o/ /in'ing & s(//icient % i)e not over% e)ming re/erence m&teri&). Ho%ever! it %o()' be (n/&ir to s&y t &t s(c e+ercises &re not %it o(t & gre&t 'e&) o/ v&)(e. S(c 'em&n' soon rese&rc ! org&niz&tion &n' %riting s0i))s cert&in)y im*rove &n' *o)is e+isting &bi)ities. ,=ig t! St('ent =e&rning >ro<ect. S5(&re One;Se)ecting t e To*ic T e /irst ste*! obvio(s)y! is &**)ic&b)e on)y to t ose sit(&tions in % ic one m&t or m(st se)ect t e s(b<ect o/ t e re*ort. T ere &re & n(mber o/ /&ctors t &t be&r (*on t is 'ecision. T e /o))o%ing *&r&gr* s e+*)&in some o/ t ese /&ctors. Sco*e I/ t e st('ent is to se)ect & to*ic t &t re)&tes to m&teri&) 'isc(sse' in &n Americ&n istory c)&ss &n' t e re*ort is to be bet%een 1? &n' "# ty*e%riter *&ges )ong! sco*e is & cr(ci&) /&ctor. T e %riter %o()' not! /or e+&m*)e! &ttem*t to tre&t t e 4ivi) W&r in "# *&ges or )ess1 s(c &n (n'ert&0ing %o()' &t best res()t in &n o(t)ine o/ events. A more *r&ctic&) &**rove' %o()' be to se)ect some morrover! t o(g signi/ic&nt! &s*ect o/ t &t %&r t &t %o()' be 'eve)o*e' to & me&ning/() e+tent %it in t e )imite' n(mber o/ *&ges *rescribe'.

Interest T e st('ent re*ort %riter m&y or m&y not &ve t e )(+(ry o/ se)ecting & s(b<ect o/ interest3 o%ever! interest in t e s(b<ect o/ re*ort %i)) m&0e t e e+tensive rese&rc &n' %riting invo)ve' more en<oy&b)e. One /&ir)y /&i)s&/e %&y to &ccom*)is t is is to s*en' some time bro%sing t ro(g 'i//erent so(rces. =i0e %in'o% s o**ing! t is *rocess o/ten m&0es & *erson &%&re o/ somet ing &%&re o/ somet ing t ey )i0e. Av&i)&bi)ity o/ re/erence m&teri&) T ere %o()' be no *oint in 'eci'ing to re*ort on S erm&n@s m&rc to t e se& i/ t ere %ere not eno(g reso(rce m&teri&) %it % ic to 'eve)o* t e s(b<ect. T is is % ere t e %riter m(st begin to (se rese&rc s0i))s. A/ter e+&mining t e encyc)o*e'i&s! istory te+ts! &n' c(rrent *erio'ic&)s! ,s(c &s n&t(r&) istory! N&tion&) Geogr&* ic M&g&zine! Smit oni&n.! %it t e e)* o/ t e c&r' c&t&)og &n' t e Re&'ers G(i'e to >erio'ic&) =iter&t(re! t e %riter c&n get & /ee) /or t e &mo(nt o/ reso(rce m&teri&) t &t is &v&i)&b)e &s %e)) &s t e e+tent o/ 'et&i) %it % ic t e s(b<ect is tre&te'. -&c0gro(n'. I/ t e re*ort %riter &s &m*)e time ,&n' inten's to invest it in rese&rc ing &n' %riting t e re*ort.! it is & goo' i'e& to (n'ert&0e & re*ort on & to*ic on % ic t e %riter &s )imite' 0no%)e'ge. T is %i)) incre&se t e bene/its o/ &ving com*)ete' s(c &n e+ercise by e+*&n'ing t e %riters store o/ in/orm&tion. Ho%ever! i/ t e time to be s*ent on t e re*ort is severe)y )imite'! t e %riter m&y %&nt to se)ect & to*ic t &t is /&mi)i&r so t &t t e 'irection t &t t e re*ort %i)) t&0e &n' %&ys o/ org&nizing t e m&teri&) &re not &s 'i//ic()t to 'e&) %it .

Or'er)y Rese&rc 4onsi'er&b)e time &n' energy c&n be s&ve' i/ t e %riter t&0es t is rese&rc *&rt in &n or'er)y /&s ion. T e /o))o%ing t ree ste*s i/ /o))o%e' e+&ct)y &n' com*)ete)y! %i)) yie)' &n or'er)y b&sis /or t e %riting ste*. 4 ec0 'oc(ment so(rces. Asing t e c&r' c&t&)og &n' t e Re&'ers G(i'e to >erio'ic&) =iter&t(re! t e %riter com*)etes on ?B + $B in'e+ c&r' /or e&c entry t &t )oo0s &s t o(g it mig t *rovi'e nee'e' m&teri&). Inc)('e' on t &t c&r' %i)) be t e /o))o%ing in/orm&tion1 A(t or Tit)e >(b)is er 4ity in % ic *(b)is e' >(b)ic&tion '&te N(mber o/ *&ges ,in & boo0. >&ges re/erence'

4om*)eting &)) o/ t ese c&r's &t once *rovi'es1 ,&. &)) o/ t e in/orm&tion /or )oc&ting t e nee'e' m&teri&)3 ,b. /ree'om /rom &ving to re*e&te')y ret(rn to t e c&r' c&t&)og % en &ny o/ t e reso(rces /&i) to *rovi'e nee'e' in/orm&tion3 &n' ,c. &)) o/ t e in/orm&tion nee'e' /or /ootnotes &n' t e bib)iogr&* y. O/ &ny o/ t e re/erences *rove (ns&tis/&ctory3 t e corres*on'ing in'e+ c&r' c&n be t ro%n &%&y. O/ t ose c&r's t &t rem&in! &ssign & n(mber or )etter to e&c /or i'enti/ic&tion *(r*oses.

G&t er M&teri&) W i)e re&'ing t ro(g re/erence m&teri&)! t e %riter s o()' s(mm&rize re)ev&nt in/orm&tion3 o/ co(rse! 'irect 5(ot&tions s o()' be note' &s s(c . It is e)*/() to %rite t e s(mm&ries on :B + ?B note c&r's! *)&cing s(mm&ries o/ 'istinct to*ics &n' s(bto*ics on se*&r&te c&r's. In t is %&y! t e c&r's c&n be s (//)e' into some )ogic&) se5(ence % en t e time comes to %rite &n o(t)ine. On e&c o/ t e note c&r's! %rite & )etter or n(mber o/ t e ?B + $B in'e+ c&r' t &t i'enti/ies t e so(rce o/ t e m&teri&) %ritten on it. T is s&ves &ving to co*y &)) o/ t is in/orm&tion &g&in. Org&nize m&teri&) I/ notes on t e re&'ing &re se*&r&te' by to*ic &s s(ggeste' &bove! m&0ing &n o(t)ine %i)) not be 'i//ic()t. -egin by trying to m&0e /o(r to si+ st&c0s o/ c&r's t &t re)&te to &ny o/ t e ot ers. A s ort * r&se s o()' be %ritten t &t 'escribes t e common&)ity %it in e&c st&c0. T ese s ort * r&ses *rovi'e t e m&in e&'ings o/ t e o(t)ine. Wit in t ese st&c0s! t e c&r's &re sorte' into /o(r to si+ st&c0s t &t re)&te to e&c ot er3 & s ort * r&se is %ritten to s(m (* t eir content. T ese s ort * r&ses %i)) be t e s(bto*ic /or t e o(t)ine. T e %riter %i)) /in' t &t some ben'ing m&y be necess&ry! b(t /or t e most *&rt t is *roves & sim*)i/ie' met o' o/ org&nizing rese&rc m&teri&). ,-&gg. As t e %riter /o))o%s t ese ste*s! t e /r(str&tion o/ re*ort %riting %i)) be minimize'. Wit &''e' e+*erience! o/ co(rse! t e %riter %i)) /in' %&ys in % ic to c(stomize t e *rocess to /it t e in'ivi'(&)@s %or0ing &n' %riting sty)e.

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