Research and other academic papers take a lot of work. There are those brainstorming sessions that usually end up with you lying in a pool of binders, book binders, loose leaf binders, crumpled papers waiting for an idea to strike. When inspiration or an idea strikes, the endless outlines come. Add to that the difficulty of finding sources and you know you'll hand your teacher a dropping slip tomorrow. Research and writing papers are bad enough, but don't compound the problem by just giving up. You still need to do the papers next semester, or the semester after. With a little organization, you could soon be zooming the way to an "A." Gather your binders, book binders, loose leaf binders, and binder clips and put them to work. Good writing comes with organization of thoughts and ideas. It's also the same with research; the more organized you are, the easier the process will be. First, let's talk about your brainstorming sessions. Get sheets of loose leaf paper and write each idea on top of each page. Underneath the title, write all things you can think of about each topic or idea to zero in on the specifics. Choose the topic which has the most ideas under it. Chances are, this is the topic that you know most about from reading or TV -- which means that there are plenty of sources about it. Tuck the pages on binders, book binders, loose leaf binders, or binder clips. It is good to have reference when you lose your thread. Second, writing outlines. Outlining your research means setting its direction. Are you arguing in favor of your topic, or are you out to disprove it? Outlining also entails writing down your primary facts and arguments. When doing this, get several binders, book binders, loose leaf binders, or folders. Separate your arguments from facts and popular opinion. Use the facts to back your arguments, and the best way to do this is through thorough note-taking and reading. Read books on the topic, take notes, print internet sources, and organize these into files. File book sources in a binder labeled as such, and do the same with the rest. It is a good idea to attach a loose leaf paper bearing the general idea about the sources inside like "faults of Hamlet." Third, organization and good writing are twins. So after writing your drafts, keep revisions in binders, book binders, loose leaf binders, or folders. This is a good way to review your writing mistakes. Also, changes in your paper are easier to spot if they are in printed form. When you are finished with your research, take out the old files from the binders, book binders, loose leaf binders, or folders that you used. Keep these notes together in a single binder with a label -- who knows, you might use them again. |
