STRATEGIES FOR A SUCCESSFUL ACADEMIC ESSAY

1. At a minimum, incorporate the required program readings, and as appropriate, other program materials.
2. An analytical synthesis essay is not a personal essay or an editorial opinion piece. Instead, it is an exercise in graduate-level social science academic writing. Your "opinion," so to speak, occurs indirectly in three places:

• In the first paragraph in which you provide the reader with your thesis. For example, "The purpose of this paper is..." or "In this paper, I argue.."
• In the body of your paper by the way in which you used documented information to argue your thesis.
• In your concluding paragraph(s) in which you tie together your paper by
  • revisiting your stated thesis, and
  • coming to a conclusion and/or summary based on your documentation, not our personal opinion or belief system, and
  • if possible, pose unanswered questions or questions for further investigation that your research has revealed for you.

Note: Papers that are unable to separate editorial opinion from documentation will be returned for rewriting.

3. Do not use the pronouns "you" or "we." For the purposes of this assignment, "I" is not used except with the possible exception of the opening paragraph (see above).
4. Connect ideas in your essay through linking and clear transitions among paragraphs.
5. REVISE & PROOFREAD!!! Go to the Writing Center in the library to seek assistance with the writing of your paper.
6. After revising and proof-reading, look at the organization of your paper and your transitions. Does the paper flow? Is it accessible to the reader?
7. Do not depend on a series of quotes or summaries strung together with a few original sentences. Generally this type of paper is considered a rough draft and not suitable as a completed paper.
8. Long quotes generally need to be introduced in your own words and followed by an explanatory and/or transition sentence, again in your own words, i.e. don't let a lengthy quote stand-alone and expect the reader to do all the work of understanding the significance of the quote without some explanation from you.
9. After you have finished a completed draft of your paper, create a title for your paper.
Note: refer to the rubric on the Summary of Traits of Quality Writing from Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory that will be used for scoring this paper)
FORMAT
(Note: EndNote will format all citations and references automatically. If using EndNote, write your paper in Word, connecting Word to EndNote to add citations as you write.)

At the top of your paper, have a title that is centered; underneath the title type in

your name and date — single-space this information.

Follow Strategy section for constructing your approach for the beginning and conclusion of your paper..

Set your document margins at I inch all around (top, bottom, sides)

Indent the first line of each paragraph V2"

Spacing: Double-space throughout except for indented quotes which are single-spaced for this paper. Do not add extra spacing between paragraphs – double space only. Your reference list for your essay is single-spaced.

Direct quotes: Short, direct wording from a source must have quotation marks around the quoted material; quoted material over 40 words should be single-spaced and indented on the left inch with no quotation marks.

In-text citations and your reference list. Your paper must follow the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed). NOTE: set EndNote to APA 5th for this paper and it will format all citations & references for you.
8. All paraphrased and quoted material must have a citation. Lack of documentation through citations is equivalent to plagiarism which is a serious academic violation, i.e. using anther's ideas as if they were your own.
9. Length: 6 pages plus your reference list which should be on a separate page. Center the heading References and then list only those sources you have cited in your essay (note: EndNote automatically creates the reference list for you in correct APA format).
10. Number each page in your footer at the bottom of the page.
11. Submit your paper by email to your seminar leader.
12, Portfolio: Include the draft of your paper with all peer comments and the fatal copy of your paper.