Summary Of Suggestions For Writing Organized Papers

Suggestions for Writing Organized Papers

--All effective papers have 3 parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.

--While the words “introduction” and “body” are not generally used as headings in an APA style paper, “conclusion” or “summary” (that is your conclusion or summary) is generally used as the end.

--The purpose and length of a paper will create variations of purpose and content. The following is an outline of the three parts of an effective and organized paper, with bolded notes, especially specific to an article critique.

A. Introduction—4 parts: 1. A Hook: beginning sentence(s) to grab the reader’s attention: like facts, statistics, or a quote
(Article Critique Note: Include the author’s name (date), full or
A Thesis/Point/Premise: clearly states the purpose/intention/ or premise that you the writer are making about the article
(Article Critique Note: This statement is your overall analytical purpose or point about the article—what you intend to support in the body of the paper: Something like: “The purpose of this critique is to examine or analyze [or another verb like this] Langer’s [2002] research on the use of learning journals….”.) 3. A Map: sentence that briefly states the key points you plan to address in the body: How you will support the point/intention you stated in the introduction
(Article Critique Note: A map can identify briefly the 5 parts of a research article, and indicate that you plan to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each part. This creates an organizational map for you the writer and for the reader to follow in the body.) 4. A Transition: a phrase or sentence that leads the reader into the body

B.
Then you can continue with what you consider the major strengths and weaknesses in how Langer, for example, explains this first part, before moving on to part 2, which would be the literature review and/or theoretical framework)

--Specific examples are used to support the arguments you are making—like statistics, quotes, or paraphrasing from literature
(Article Critique Note: These are needed to support/substantiate your argument[s]; they generally come from the article itself—could be quotes or paraphrases or your detailed example[s]—see “Citing References in Text” in the chapter “Crediting Sources” in the APA manual) --Transitional words or phrases from one paragraph to another create a logical flow of ideas and help the reader to follow your thinking: words like, “the second part” or “next” or, “an excellent example of [whatever] is . . .”
(Article Critique Note: After discussing one strength of an article’s methodology, you might, for example, begin another paragraph something like: “Another strength of Langer’s [2002] data collection methods is . .