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Writing a paper

Writing a paper. Organization. Logical overall organization (e.g., international comparisons, broad US trends, subgroup trends, causal relationships ( scattergrams ). Paragraph organization paragraph addresses one main topic, each topic is fully developed Topic sentence. Concise Writing.

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Writing a paper

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  1. Writing a paper

  2. Organization • Logical overall organization(e.g., international comparisons, broad US trends, subgroup trends, causal relationships(scattergrams). • Paragraph organization • paragraph addresses one main topic, • each topic is fully developed • Topic sentence

  3. Concise Writing • Go back and cut out first sentence (or paragraph) if it doesn’t say anything. • Avoid short choppy sentences • Don’t say in 3 sentences what can be said in one. • Spekll Check and proof read • Make the topic (e.g., incarceration, the gender gap) the subject of your sentences • Do not make the “The chart” the subject.

  4. Apostrophe’s • it’s • its • its’ • Affect\effect • 1990s not 1990’s • Do not use ’s for plurals • Data ARE plural

  5. Citations and\or footnotes • Use Word to enter references or footnotes • Footnotes always number consecutively: 1, 2, 3,…..n • Can use separate bibliography or system for data footnotes and citations

  6. Quotations • Footnotes\Citations are not just for quotations • There is no reason to have more than two quotations in a paper (unless you are writing about a political candidate’s speeches or writing). • If you do quote, put the name of the important person quoted in the text. • Mostly: Paraphrase and cite

  7. Charts and tables • Each chart and table ought to support at least one meaningful conclusion • More than one variable is best • NEVER-EVER SORT ALPHABETICALLY (-10) • Eliminate all unnecessary lines • Chart font no bigger than 12 pt. • Chart sdize as large as is necessary to display the text.

  8. Charts and tables • Label lines rather than using legends • Define exactly what each number represented means • Eliminate unnecessary decimals

  9. Content • Assess the reliability\validity of at least some of your data: • How was the data collected? • Who collected it? • Are there problems with the data? • Do the problems affect the conclusions

  10. Writing about Charts and tables • Use text for a general summary of the data; don’t repeat each number • The purpose of a chart or table is so you don’t have to repeat every number in the text. • Some numbers can be cited that are not in charts and tables

  11. Single - space • Use paragraph formatting in Word:

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