http://www.brainpop.

com/english/writing/writingprocess/
 STEP 1: PREWRITING
“THINK”

 STEP 2: RESEARCH
“MAKE IT LEGIT”

 STEP 3: DRAFTING
“WRITE IT ALL DOWN”

 STEP 4: REVISING
“MAKE IT BETTER”

 STEP 5: PROOFREADING
“MAKE IT CORRECT” (Editing and evaluating)

 STEP 6: PUBLISHING
“SHARE THE FINISHED PRODUCT”
 Decide on a topic to write about
 Any global social issue
 Something that genuinely interests you and/or you have an
opinion on
 Consider your purpose for writing
 To inform and persuade
 Consider who will read or listen to your written work.
 Other academics—formal and research-backed
 Those with interest—persuasive and research-backed
 Brainstorm possible directions your paper could go/
elements to explore about the subject.
 Timeline & Evolution of the issue (evidence of this)
 Evidence of how the issue affects people globally
 Efforts made towards the issue thus far (with evidence)
 What more could/should be done (expert opinions)
 Realistic suggestions in moving forward/alleviating
 List places where you can research information.
 Formal publications (CNN, Globe & Mail, History.com)
 Articles written by professionals in fields of sociology, politics,
psychology, etc.) –Reliable sources
 Articles that provide research-backed data or scientific studies
 Do your research.
• Pay attention to the validity of your sources
• Written by professionals in appropriate field
• Research-backed
• From a professional publication
• Make sure you have done research and found quality
sources to support all of the major elements of your
paper.
• Timeline of issue
• How it affects society
• What is the current situation/what is being done/ wat
progress is being made
• Expert opinions on what needs to be done/can be done
• Possible ways the average person can help affect change
Choose quotations thoughtfully; make sure they strongly support what you are trying to say
When incorporating quotations, set up your quotation properly with your own commentary:
 Templates for inserting quotations (“John Smith” = author, speaker, or publication, which
should be acknowledged)

 As prominent scientist John Smith puts it, “_________________”

 According to John Smith, who teaches _________ at __________, “________________________” (Smith 29). This
has proven to be true because _________________________.
 In his book entitled _______________Psychologist John Smith writes, “_______________________”
(TheGuardian.com), illuminating the issue of _____________________________________.
 In her book, _____, Jane Doe maintains that “_____________________” (CNN.com), presenting further evidence to the
fact that ________________________________
 In the article ________, written for The New York Times, Jane Doe laments that “__________________”
(NewYorkTimes.com), a reflection of the societal view that ____________________________________.
 From X’s point of view, “___________”
 An important point to be made is _______________________________. Sociologist John Smith acknowledges this
when he writes, “___________________” (Smith 45).
 Although _____________________ has been a popular response to this issue, social scientist Jane Doe challenges this
idea in her article, __________, where she argues, “_____________” (Doe).
Proper Citation
◦ A parenthetical citation MUST follow your quotations (no matter how much
information is already given).
◦ I f you ar e onl y us i ng one s i ngl e s our ce i n a gi ven par agr aph , you onl y need t o
cite the source/author for your first quotation. All quotations following the first will only need the
page number. If there are no page numbers, just make sure it is clear that the subsequent quotes are
from the same source.
◦ Punctuation always goes AFTER the parenthetical citation – except for
quotation of more than four lines.

According to John Smith, who teaches sociology at McGill University, “The rise in mental health
issues is specifically correlated to the rise in specific social media platforms geared towards self-
promotion” (Smith, “Privileged and Unwell”). This has proven to be true because, as Smith further
explains, “Countries in which Internet and social media are not accessible have experienced no such
spike in mental health concerns.”
 Works Cited Page
 Your works cited page should only include works actually cited in your paper
 If you read through other sources not specifically cited that you want to acknowledge, create a separate
“Works Consulted” list below your Works Cited list.
 Works Cited must be in alphabetical order
 Make sure your works cited entries contain all available information, in this order
• Author and/or editor names (if available); last names first.
• "Article name in quotation marks."
• Title of the website, project, or book in italics.
• Any version numbers available, including editions (ed.), revisions, posting dates, volumes (vol.), or issue numbers (no.).
• Publisher information, including the publisher name and publishing date.
• Take note of any page numbers (p. or pp.) or paragraph numbers (par. or pars.).
• DOI (if available), otherwise a URL (without the https://) or permalink.
• Date you accessed the material (Date Accessed). While not required, saving this information it is highly recommended,
especially when dealing with pages that change frequently or do not have a visible copyright date.

Examples:
 Lundman, Susan. “How to Make Vegetarian Chili.” eHow, www.ehow.com/how_10727_make-vegetarian-chili.html. Accessed 6 July
2015.
 “Athlete's Foot - Topic Overview.” WebMD, 25 Sept. 2014, www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/athletes-foot-topic-
overview. Accessed 21 March 2021.
 Corresponding in-text citation and Works Cited entry:
In-text citation
One online film critic stated that Fitzcarraldo "has become notorious for its near-failure and many
obstacles" (Taylor, “Fitzcarraldo”).

Works Cited Entry

Taylor, Rumsey. "Fitzcarraldo." Slant, 13 Jun. 2003,
www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/fitzcarraldo/. Accessed 29 Sep. 2009. 

 A Few More Tips:

◦Do not use two quotations in a row without intervening material of your
own.
◦ Use your own commentary to provide smooth transition between your source material
◦Always explain your quotation. Never assume it speaks for itself .
◦ Avoid Plop Quotes (stand-alone quotes as their own sentence)
◦D o not begin or end a paragraph with a quotation. Always open with your
own topic sentence and close with your own commentary on the same topic.
• Read what you have written again.
• Think about what others said about it.
• Take out anything that doesn’t promote
paragraph unity/ essay unity
• Add information and/or citation in areas that
may need more support/evidence
• Rearrange words or sentences to fine-tune
your structure, considering your purpose,
intended tone, and audience
• Replace overused or unclear words.
• Read your writing aloud to be sure it flows
smoothly.
 Be sure all sentences are complete.
 Correct spelling, capitalization, and
punctuation.
 Change words that are not used correctly.
 PEER EDIT: Have someone check your
work. (family member if peer is not
available)
 Recopy it correctly and neatly.