Automate Your Proofreading Efforts with Grammarly

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Being an effective writer does not necessarily mean you know how to write according to syntax (the traditional rules of grammar). While most journalists identify major issues, such as comma splices and sentence fragments, they rely on their copy editor to catch the minor grammar errors. Freelance writers, students, and other professionals do not necessarily have their own editor, which is where Grammarly (http://www.grammarly.com) fills the void. Reminiscent of your college English professor, Grammarly identifies nearly all grammar and syntax errors ever known.

Grammarly is the star of recent writing news stories, as it is designed with students in mind as their target audience. Ideal for academic writing and research, Grammarly enables someone to copy their text into the web application, press a button, and watch the computer use the traditional “red marker of death” while it identifies problems. Each paper is given a score between 1 and 100, identifies the professionalism of your work in relation to word choice, readability, and grammar.

Grammarly cross checks each paper with hundreds of databases to check the work for plagiarism, similar to how CopyScape works but with increased accuracy. Once the paper is checked for more than 350 potential problems, it is up to the user to make the necessary corrections. Sometimes, Grammarly offers helpful advice or the corrected word (or phrase). Most of the time though, the program highlights the erroneous text, identifies the problem, and explains how to fix it.

Teacher or Copy Editor?

Most importantly, Grammarly does not fix the text for you. While you can recheck the document after the corrections are made, the computer does not solve your grammar flaws. Click on an error, read about the problem, and attempt to remedy the situation. Because Grammarly makes you think – and use your brain – schools and institutions support it. In many ways, Grammarly is your virtual English teacher who grades your papers and provides feedback. In the end, even the best copy editors would not do your dirty work.

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Automate Your Bibliography

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Academic writing and research often entails creating works cited pages, bibliographies, and reference sheets. After writing a 20-page paper, the last thing most scholars want to do is create a bibliography. The days of having to manually sort your information are quickly ending. While Microsoft Excel and Access streamlined the process, new web services allow students to create bibliographies instantly. Rather than sorting through various periodicals looking for the Publisher, Publishing City, and other data, bibliography services just need the name of your materials.

The Internet popularized information, enabling almost anyone to look up the ISBN number of a book, publisher of a magazine, and other pertinent information. Enter EasyBib, whose sole task is to automate your bibliography creation. It’s major selling point is the “AutoCite” function, which lets you enter a book name, journal title, article headline, website address, and database entry. Once you submit the information, EasyBib attempts to locate the required information about your periodical. If it cannot locate the data, you simply fill in the form fields and EasyBib does the rest.

MLA, APA, and Chicago Formatting Made Simple

Once you have added all of your sources in EasyBib, the program allows you to export the entries to a variety of citation formats, including MLA 7, APA, and Chicago (Turbian) formats. For additional laziness, EasyBib includes the appropriate in text citations for each format, leaving nothing to chance. Simply copy and paste the in text citations where appropriate, and include the formal references page at the end of your document.

One of the great features of EasyBib is that it supports footnotes and end notes – often the cause of headaches for writers and students across the world! It is as simple as copying and pasting the text into the word processor. You can also export the result to a variety of formats, including MS Word (.DOC) and Rich Text Format (.RTF). EasyBib is a legitimate method of managing your references to ensure the highest level of writing and academic research.

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Pre-Planning for Academic Research Papers

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Often times writers forget the importance of the writing process when creating academic prose and research materials. While someone can write an effective article or brief without having to go through the process, longer research papers require additional care and finesse. The writing process for academic prose includes drafting a thesis, taking notes, and outlining your ideas. To ensure the utmost professionalism, allocate enough time to complete all of the steps, as you will save time when writing the paper.

Develop a Thesis

When someone sets out to write a research paper, they more or less have an idea or topic in mind. The first step is to analyze and narrow down the idea into a manageable paper. Great research papers are focused and cater to specific audiences. Generalized theses result in a fragmented and chaotic paper, with tons of data and commentary that is not substantiated.

Source Material

Once you have a clear topic and direction for your paper, start reading up on your topic and finding primary sources to backup any claims or assertions you are planning to make in the paper. All of your commentary needs to have evidentiary support, preferably first-hand studies, journal articles, first hand interviews, and other legitimate sources. Once you have enough source material, begin taking notes on everything. Taking notes ensures you will not accidentally plagiarize the content, and helps you develop a solid understanding of the topics.

Create the Outline

Perhaps considered the quintessential element of the research process, outlines create order in an otherwise chaotic environment. Review your notes and begin breaking the paper up into multiple sections and subsections. A good outline tells you what belongs in each chapter, paragraph, and sentence. Note major chapters by using roman numerals (I, II, III), sections (A, B, C), paragraphs (i, ii, iii) and sentences with (1, 2, 3) to maximum clarity.

While outlining seams tedious, you know what belongs in your research paper, and where. Pre-planning simplifies the writing process and increases efficiency in your work flow.

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Narrow Your Research For Best Results

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Research papers do not have to cover every major point in your field of expertise. Most undergraduate and graduate papers suffer from a condition known as generalization. Most research papers focus on a key question, topic, or thesis, but fail to narrow down the topic into a manageable chunk. While the length of research papers very, most writers find themselves covering too much information, which hinders their ability to provide insight, evidential support, or other primary facts.

Once you have a reasonable thesis in mind, draft the sentence on a piece of paper and create a mock outline of all the topics that support the thesis. Next, create three points for each topic, which will be the basis of your paragraphs. Considering each topic requires a minimum of five pages (to make your claim and provide supporting evidence), prioritize the topics you want to cover based on the desired page count. Ensure your topics are focused and aligned with the overall mission of the paper.

Don’t Forget the Fine Details

The basic mind map or brainstorming document created previously helps you create a full-fledged outline later on, but for now focus on narrowing your topic. Creating a prioritized list helps you identify additional topics to write about, but good research papers provide a dynamic and thorough explanation of each point. If you find yourself making more than five or six key claims, consider going back and flushing out those assertions before proceeding.

For each claim or assertion, explain how it supports or rejects the thesis, why it is substantial to your overall theory, and how it relates to your primary evidence. Remember, nothing in your paper besides your commentary should come from an undocumented source. A paper full of great points without evidence does not hold weight in the realm of academic writing and research. Your claims as a researcher must first and foremost be compared to previous studies.

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Don’t Forget to Proofread Your Papers

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A recent study conducted by an independent research firm finds most undergraduate college students do not proofread and edit their papers. The study reveals an alarming trend, as more professors are finding obvious typos, spelling, and grammar mistakes. When confronted abut the trend, most students admit they usually print out the paper when it is done, without giving it a quick glance.

Coincidentally, most if not all  of the obvious errors could be fixed by quickly reading the paper before sending it to the printer. Students, usually finishing their work at the nick of time, are oblivious to the importance of producing clean work. Programs such as Microsoft Word’s Spell Check do not help matters, because if spell check doesn’t find any errors, the paper is golden.

Sadly, students have yet to learn that Spell Check is not bullet proof, as many obvious errors use correctly spelled words that are not applicable to the situation. For example, the phrase Turn write is spelled correctly, but blatantly wrong. If the student read their work, he or she would see the almost humorous mistake. Younger generations are increasingly reliant on technology, so only time will tell how society responds to our spell-check addicted students.

Fast and Effective Proofreading Technique

Before printing out your paper and shoving it into an unorganized book bag, ask a friend, mentor, or parent to glimpse over your document. You would be surprised how many errors someone else can catch. Your eyes are accustomed to your own work, thus often times not spotting obvious mistakes. Don’t focus on the content, rather identify grammatical and spelling issues.

If someone is not willing to read your work, the next best technique is to finish your paper a day early (which rules out most procrastinators) and let it rest overnight. Read your paper in the morning, fixing any issues you find. You will be pleasantly surprised how a fresh perspective fixes most of the obvious mistakes.

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Structured Essays Fair Better Than the Rest

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Writing an essay is one of the traditions of being a student, but the truth is not, everyone knows how to structure a traditional essay. According to a group of teachers, students who structure their essays according to the traditional format receive higher marks than essays without an organized structure. The process is quite simple, as an essay must contain an introduction, supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion. The substantive content, the text in between the introduction and conclusion, varies based on the prompt or assignment.

The Introduction

The introduction is where you should introduce the reader to your topic. Never assume he or she knows or understands what you are going to write. Introduce each of your topics (supporting paragraphs), dedicating a sentence per topic. The final part of your introduction should summarize your claims or assertions, which you will document throughout your paper. Consider the introduction the quintessential component of your paper. For maximum results, revise your introduction after you write the rest of the essay.

Supporting Paragraphs

The “meat” or “body” of your paper lies in the next three to five paragraphs, perhaps more for longer papers. Each paragraph should cover one of the topics you mentioned in the introduction. As a rule, each supporting paragraph should make the necessary claims or assertions, then provide adequate evidential support to support and/or reject your claim. In your commentary, you may inject personal bias, opinions, and other subjective material.

When providing evidence, use a mixture of direct quotations, paraphrasing, and summarizing to help your reader understand the topic. The evidence section should be as objective as possible, referencing the source as needed throughout. Avoid simply rephrasing what the author said, because if the reader wants to read the source, they refer to your bibliography.

Conclusion

Summarize the main points of your paper and make any departing claims based on your findings. Does the evidence support or reject the claims made in the introduction? Discuss the research in relation to your original accusations. The conclusion should not be the same as your introduction, so avoid repetition whenever possible.

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Dissection of a Well-Written Paragraph

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Writing a well thought out paragraph is harder than you may think. A paragraph in itself is a miniature essay, and needs several components to flow cohesively. Regardless of the type of paper, each paragraph should contain an introductory sentence, commentary (two or three sentences), evidence (three or four sentences), and a transitory statement. Using this basic template, you can save considerable time on your next paper while ensuring each paragraph is complete.

According to recent writing news, teachers and professors note that even the brightest students often forget to provide cohesive papers. Unorganized documents, whether persuasive essays or graduate theses, stand out from the crowd. Organization shows that you are dedicated to the work, took the time to complete it thoroughly, and practice elements of good writing.

In the introduction sentence, provide a somewhat thorough overview of the commentary and evidence you are going to present. Avoid inserting your opinion here – simply summarize the points you are going to make and provide appropriate background information. The sentence should not be too long, but jogs the reader’s memory.

The commentary clauses are where you should inject your opinion (if appropriate), make any claims or judgments, and provide your readers a bit of perspective on the issue. Allocate one sentence for each piece of commentary. Avoid using the first person tense and try to keep the paper as objective as possible. For example, rather than saying “I think …” try rephrasing the text to sound authoritative, such as “Based on research thus far, one may conclude …” when appropriate.

In the evidence portion of the paragraph, introduce your findings to the reader. Document your research and literature by referring to the author of the publication. For websites or other non-traditional forms of writing, use the name of the source. Keep your evidence succinct and to the point. Avoid direct quotations and opt for paraphrasing or summaries whenever possible. The evidence you provide is essential for a reader to validate your claims. Following the evidence, include a leading sentence that prepares the reader for the next paragraph.

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Paraphrase, Summarize, or Quote?

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When you are writing research papers and academic prose, it is always difficult to determine how you should document and introduce readers to your sources. The sources you utilize during your research is known as supporting evidence, which assists readers when they want to verify or substantiate the claims within your document. Most writers think their works cited page is their saving grace, but more is required for a successful paper.

Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is the process of reading a section of a primary or secondary source and rephrasing it in your own words. Usually the paraphrased text is more succinct and refined, capturing the writer’s major points or stance on an issue. Paraphrasing also happens to be the easiest way to get caught plagiarizing, because although they are your words, you are using the author’s original ideas. For each passage you paraphrase, you need to cite the author at the end of the section.

Quoting

Many students think quoting is the easiest way to cite your sources because you simply copy and paste the quote into your word processor. More often than not, quoting actually is more difficult, as a good writer must adapt the quote to fit in with the rest of the text. Avoid quoting in your papers, and if you must, limit it to a sentence. Quotes need to be integrated into the work, and cannot be simply inserted. Standalone quotes should encompass a major idea or be substantial to the paper.

Summarizing

Summarizing is the hardest, but most rewarding, method of citing your sources. Since paraphrasing and quoting utilize the author’s ideas, a summary requires the writer to think and analyze the material rather than translate it into their native tongue. Summaries take an entire article or chapter, break down the key points, and provide a shorter and condensed version that reads like your own. Often times students find it easier to paraphrase sections of an article, and then write the summary for the paper.

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Research Papers Are More than Evidence

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Chances are if you attended school in the United States, you learned how to write a research paper using the traditional style taught across the world. The traditional research paper teaches students how to source material and cite their research, but fails to teach them how to make assertions and claims of their own. Most students know how to paraphrase and quote text, but when it comes time to create thesis statements, arguments, and judgments, they are lost in the woods.

The sources you use are often referred to as evidence in your paper, but while an important element of academic prose, it is not the only thing you need to include in the paper. Theoretically, researching topics for papers is supposedly an essential component of the learning process. In the age of the Internet and electronic media, researching is a matter of reading the text and translating (i.e. paraphrasing) the author’s ideas into your own. The information read during the process is often lost a few minutes later. Students do not retain information because the process of taking notes is skipped because they paraphrase on-the-fly switching between a web browser and word processor.

The byproduct of technology and laziness is a (possibly) well-written essay that contains tons of ideas, statements, and evidence, but none of it is organic. All of the information comes from someone else, but is presented in a diluted form students claim to be their own work. They often forget plagiarism is also considered stealing someone else’s ideas not just words. Claiming a work as your own constitutes paraphrasing each paragraph of an article into your own, even if it passes TurnItIn.com or CopyScape.com, known plagiarism detection search engines.

Has the Internet and widespread use of computers caused students to become lazy, or have younger generations forgot the true meaning of plagiarism?

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Coping with Writers Block

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Writers block affects thousands of professional authors, freelancers, journalists, and students around the world. The condition, known to cause internal inflictions and late work, is triggered by a variety of outside variables. Your personal life, current assignments, work schedule, and personal health affect how and when you are able to write. You are more likely to experience writers block from not doing the necessary preliminary steps, are bored with the topic, are confused about the directives, anxious, stressed, or self-conscious.

New writers often think they can dive right into an assignment without conducting the proper preliminary investigations. Before writing, you need to familiarize yourself with the topic(s), develop an understanding of your task, and have a solid foundation. A simple, yet effective, trick is to create a brief outline of your paper, do a quick Internet search on the topic, and read an article related to the topic. Now your brain is conditioned and ready to begin writing. This same approach also applies to those who do not understand the topic, but allocate more time to comprehend the subject matter.

If you are bored with the topic, chances are your readers will be too. The best way to remedy the problem is by approaching the paper from a different perspective, preferably one that is less boring. If you are anxious about writing, eliminate as many distractions as possible around your working area. Turn off all of your electronics, close any programs except for a web browser and word processor, and isolate yourself from others. Consider wearing headphones to isolate noise in shared/dorm environments.

If writing stresses you out, the best thing you can do is take a few minutes and get a breath of fresh air, seriously! Consider going for a run or walk beforehand, eating a nutritious snack, and listening to soothing music. Avoid writing when you are tired, allocate enough time to complete the task (read: procrastinators), and constantly tell yourself to relax. Writing is a therapeutic process and should not be a stressful endeavor.

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