When you first begin working on an essay, what is the first place you usually go for information? Most students are likely to go to the internet to look for sources. But, can we trust that the information we will find on the internet is of an acceptable standard? It is hard to think so. When writing academic essays, you need to use academic sources for your research. However, information on most websites is classified as non-academic. It is easy to see why when we consider how easy it is to publish information on the internet. Anyone who can access the internet can write and publish anything there. It is still possible for a student to use the internet as a resource, but you need to know where to look to find information you can use. You are advised to search for information from reputable websites such as websites that are published by governments, national and international organisations, educational institutes and universities. This information is more likely to be reliable. But please keep in mind that in order for a source to be technically considered an academic source, it must have been written and published by an academic.
The easiest way to find academic resources is to go the library! Books, textbooks, journal articles and monographs written by academics are valuable sources for academic purposes. These kinds of sources are suitable for academic research because it is difficult for each book to be published, so they must be of a high standard. In academic publishing, a source must be written by an academic person, edited to meet the highest standards and rechecked several times by other academics through a process called ‘peer-review’ or refereeing. This is the process of evaluation involving qualified individuals within the relevant field who conduct a pre-publication review of the academic’s work. That way, only reliable information of a high standard is published. This process can give you confidence when choosing books to be used in your research. At the library, a librarian can give you useful advice on finding suitable books and academic resources.
Written by:
Amy Jindaphan
Customer Service Night Manager
Elite Editing
Monday, August 8, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Hyphens, En Dashes and Em Dashes
When and Where to Use Hyphens
A hyphen is a small dash and this one is the most frequently used. It is the smallest of the three. It is mostly used to join words together. A simple example is joining two words before a noun, such as in the following examples.
‘John drove down a one-way street.’
'He was looking for house number twenty-five, where his step-sister had resided for thirty-two years.’
A hyphen can be used to join compound numbers (as shown above), and also for prefixes such as: ex-, self-, and all-.
‘Joan did not want to meet her ex-husband, as her self-confidence was at an all-time low.’
When and Where to Use En Dashes
It is important to avoid mistaking a hyphen for an en dash. The en dash is slightly longer than the hyphen. If you are using Microsoft Word, the en and em dashes can be found by clicking the Insert tab and then clicking Symbols.
En dashes are usually used to indicate range instead of the word ‘to’, to highlight a relationship, or contrast values.
Here are some examples:
‘John knew the drive would take 2−3 hours.’
‘The essay should be 500−550 words long.’
‘To qualify for a pass in the exam, 70−80 points were required.’
Students and academics will use en dashes most commonly in page ranges in their references. For example, a Harvard in-text reference would look like this: (Lines 2010, pp. 69−72).
When and Where to Use Em Dashes
Em dashes are approximately the length of the letter m and can be used at the end of, or in the middle, of a sentence. Em dashes are usually used to set off a parenthetical thought, to display an interjection, or to amplify or explain an element.
Here are a few examples:
‘John was proud of himself—he had received 90 points in his exam.’
‘Joan was devastated—having just received her results—only achieving 65 points.’
‘Betty was resigning from her job—she had won the lottery.’
Written by:
Wendy Lee
Finance Manager
Elite Editing
A hyphen is a small dash and this one is the most frequently used. It is the smallest of the three. It is mostly used to join words together. A simple example is joining two words before a noun, such as in the following examples.
‘John drove down a one-way street.’
'He was looking for house number twenty-five, where his step-sister had resided for thirty-two years.’
A hyphen can be used to join compound numbers (as shown above), and also for prefixes such as: ex-, self-, and all-.
‘Joan did not want to meet her ex-husband, as her self-confidence was at an all-time low.’
When and Where to Use En Dashes
It is important to avoid mistaking a hyphen for an en dash. The en dash is slightly longer than the hyphen. If you are using Microsoft Word, the en and em dashes can be found by clicking the Insert tab and then clicking Symbols.
En dashes are usually used to indicate range instead of the word ‘to’, to highlight a relationship, or contrast values.
Here are some examples:
‘John knew the drive would take 2−3 hours.’
‘The essay should be 500−550 words long.’
‘To qualify for a pass in the exam, 70−80 points were required.’
Students and academics will use en dashes most commonly in page ranges in their references. For example, a Harvard in-text reference would look like this: (Lines 2010, pp. 69−72).
When and Where to Use Em Dashes
Em dashes are approximately the length of the letter m and can be used at the end of, or in the middle, of a sentence. Em dashes are usually used to set off a parenthetical thought, to display an interjection, or to amplify or explain an element.
Here are a few examples:
‘John was proud of himself—he had received 90 points in his exam.’
‘Joan was devastated—having just received her results—only achieving 65 points.’
‘Betty was resigning from her job—she had won the lottery.’
Written by:
Wendy Lee
Finance Manager
Elite Editing
Thursday, July 28, 2011
How to Use the Abbreviations i.e. and e.g.
i.e. and e.g. come from abbreviated Latin terms.
i.e. comes from the Latin id est, which means ‘that is’ or ‘in other words’.
e.g. comes from the Latin exempli gratia, which means ‘for example’.
Here are some examples of how to use e.g. correctly:
‘John had a large collection of classic cars, e.g., a Rolls Royce Phantom, a Phaeton and an MG, which he kept in a large warehouse.’
‘Joan had errors in her essay, e.g., no commas.’
Please note that when submitting essays or theses to universities in Australia, it is preferred that you only use e.g. within parentheses, such as in the following examples:
‘Many people thought that John had a large collection of classic cars, (e.g., a Rolls Royce Phantom, a Phaeton and an MG), which he kept in a large warehouse.’
‘Joan had errors in her essay (e.g., no commas).’
Otherwise, it is preferable for you to use ‘for example’ rather than ‘e.g.’
Here are some examples of how to use i.e. correctly:
‘Many people thought that John had a problem with collecting classic cars, i.e. he had too many of them.’
‘Joan didn’t spend enough time writing her essay to ensure there were few errors, i.e. she needs to spend longer on her essays if she wishes to improve her grades.’
i.e. and e.g. are now considered a common part of the English language so you should not need to italicise them, but remember that they are abbreviations so there is always a period after each letter.
Misuse of these two abbreviations is extremely high and many people confuse the two, so if you are not sure, you can always just write the words ‘for example’ or ‘in other words’.
Written by:
Wendy Lee
Finance Manager
Elite Editing
i.e. comes from the Latin id est, which means ‘that is’ or ‘in other words’.
e.g. comes from the Latin exempli gratia, which means ‘for example’.
Here are some examples of how to use e.g. correctly:
‘John had a large collection of classic cars, e.g., a Rolls Royce Phantom, a Phaeton and an MG, which he kept in a large warehouse.’
‘Joan had errors in her essay, e.g., no commas.’
Please note that when submitting essays or theses to universities in Australia, it is preferred that you only use e.g. within parentheses, such as in the following examples:
‘Many people thought that John had a large collection of classic cars, (e.g., a Rolls Royce Phantom, a Phaeton and an MG), which he kept in a large warehouse.’
‘Joan had errors in her essay (e.g., no commas).’
Otherwise, it is preferable for you to use ‘for example’ rather than ‘e.g.’
Here are some examples of how to use i.e. correctly:
‘Many people thought that John had a problem with collecting classic cars, i.e. he had too many of them.’
‘Joan didn’t spend enough time writing her essay to ensure there were few errors, i.e. she needs to spend longer on her essays if she wishes to improve her grades.’
i.e. and e.g. are now considered a common part of the English language so you should not need to italicise them, but remember that they are abbreviations so there is always a period after each letter.
Misuse of these two abbreviations is extremely high and many people confuse the two, so if you are not sure, you can always just write the words ‘for example’ or ‘in other words’.
Written by:
Wendy Lee
Finance Manager
Elite Editing
Monday, July 18, 2011
How to Write Distinction Essays Every Time: Step 6. Professional Academic Editing
This article is the final article of the series ‘How to Write Distinction Essays Every Time: The Six Steps to Academic Essay Writing’. These articles have all been published on this blog. You can also access them through the Elite Editing website at http://www.eliteediting.com.au
Once you have completed writing your essay, it is vital that you have it professionally edited by an academic editor. You have just spent a significant amount of time doing the best possible job on your essay or assignment, doing your research and writing up your results. After all this effort, it is critical that your work is presented in the best possible way. Using a professional academic editor will ensure that your work is polished, well written, and presented correctly. If English is your second language, having your essay or assignment professionally edited is even more important. You do not want mistakes in your writing to confuse your markers or distract them from the important arguments you are making. This could lead to you receiving a grade lower than the grade you really deserve.
When selecting an academic editor, it is important to consider qualifications, experience and quality of service, as well as price. Always research the editing company you plan to submit your work to thoroughly to ensure that they are a reputable business and that their past clients have been happy with their service. An academic editor should hold a PhD (doctorate) as a minimum qualification, and should possess over ten years of experience editing essays, assignments, theses and dissertations.
The professional academic editors at Elite Editing meet all these requirements and more. All of our academic editors hold a PhD (as well as up to four other degrees) and possess a minimum of ten years of experience as academic editors. We have edited literally thousands of essays, assignments, theses and dissertations for students and helped them to improve their grades significantly.
You can read the individual biographies of our academic editors on our website at http://www.eliteediting.com.au/our-editors.php
You can read testimonies from a selection of our very satisfied clients at http://www.eliteediting.com.au/why-choose-us.php
Some examples of our editing appear on our website. However, if you would like to see further examples, or see an example relevant to the field you are studying, please contact us and we can arrange this.
At Elite Editing, we are proud to be more experienced, more qualified, faster and cheaper than the other top professional academic editing websites. Try us today!
Please note that some universities require students to obtain the permission of their tutor, lecturer or supervisor prior to having their work professionally edited. We recommend that students follow the policies of their universities. Elite Editing adheres to all university guidelines and policies. Our editing compiles with the Australian Standards of Editing Practice and the Guidelines for Editing Research Theses, adopted by most Australian universities.
This was the final article in this series. If you missed any of the articles, please contact Elite Editing through our website. Stay tuned for more articles from Dr Lines about academic essay, assignment, thesis and dissertation writing.
This article (and the remainder in the series) has been written by Dr Lisa Lines, the Director and Head Editor of Elite Editing. If you require further assistance with essay writing or with the professional editing of your completed essay, please contact her through the Elite Editing website at www.eliteediting.com.au/contact.php
For more information on our professional essay, assignment, thesis and dissertation editing service, please visit www.eliteediting.com.au/essay-editing.php
To submit your essay assignment, thesis or dissertation for professional editing now, please visit www.eliteediting.com.au/submit.php
Once you have completed writing your essay, it is vital that you have it professionally edited by an academic editor. You have just spent a significant amount of time doing the best possible job on your essay or assignment, doing your research and writing up your results. After all this effort, it is critical that your work is presented in the best possible way. Using a professional academic editor will ensure that your work is polished, well written, and presented correctly. If English is your second language, having your essay or assignment professionally edited is even more important. You do not want mistakes in your writing to confuse your markers or distract them from the important arguments you are making. This could lead to you receiving a grade lower than the grade you really deserve.
When selecting an academic editor, it is important to consider qualifications, experience and quality of service, as well as price. Always research the editing company you plan to submit your work to thoroughly to ensure that they are a reputable business and that their past clients have been happy with their service. An academic editor should hold a PhD (doctorate) as a minimum qualification, and should possess over ten years of experience editing essays, assignments, theses and dissertations.
The professional academic editors at Elite Editing meet all these requirements and more. All of our academic editors hold a PhD (as well as up to four other degrees) and possess a minimum of ten years of experience as academic editors. We have edited literally thousands of essays, assignments, theses and dissertations for students and helped them to improve their grades significantly.
You can read the individual biographies of our academic editors on our website at http://www.eliteediting.com.au/our-editors.php
You can read testimonies from a selection of our very satisfied clients at http://www.eliteediting.com.au/why-choose-us.php
Some examples of our editing appear on our website. However, if you would like to see further examples, or see an example relevant to the field you are studying, please contact us and we can arrange this.
At Elite Editing, we are proud to be more experienced, more qualified, faster and cheaper than the other top professional academic editing websites. Try us today!
Please note that some universities require students to obtain the permission of their tutor, lecturer or supervisor prior to having their work professionally edited. We recommend that students follow the policies of their universities. Elite Editing adheres to all university guidelines and policies. Our editing compiles with the Australian Standards of Editing Practice and the Guidelines for Editing Research Theses, adopted by most Australian universities.
This was the final article in this series. If you missed any of the articles, please contact Elite Editing through our website. Stay tuned for more articles from Dr Lines about academic essay, assignment, thesis and dissertation writing.
This article (and the remainder in the series) has been written by Dr Lisa Lines, the Director and Head Editor of Elite Editing. If you require further assistance with essay writing or with the professional editing of your completed essay, please contact her through the Elite Editing website at www.eliteediting.com.au/contact.php
For more information on our professional essay, assignment, thesis and dissertation editing service, please visit www.eliteediting.com.au/essay-editing.php
To submit your essay assignment, thesis or dissertation for professional editing now, please visit www.eliteediting.com.au/submit.php
Monday, July 11, 2011
How to Write Distinction Essays Every Time: Step 5. Write the First Draft of the Essay
This article is part of the series ‘How to Write Distinction Essays Every Time: The Six Steps to Academic Essay Writing’. One article in this series will be published on the Elite Editing blog each day this week. You can also access them through the Elite Editing website at http://www.eliteediting.com.au
Writing the first draft has never been so easy!
Now that you have completed your research in an organised way and have written a final draft of your essay plan, writing the first draft of your essay will be easier than it ever has been. All of the following decisions about your essay have already been made:
1. What your answer to the essay question is
2. What main points you will discuss in order to back up your argument
3. The order in which to discuss your main points
4. How long to spend discussing each main point
5. What information each paragraph will contain (i.e. what information you will use to discuss each of your main points)
6. What references you will use to back up your argument
Thus, there is no reason for you to feel lost or stare at your computer screen not knowing what to write. If you do get stuck for any reason, the best thing to do is to just keep writing. You can always improve something once you have written something down. If you have not written anything, not much can be done until you do.
When you write your first draft following your essay plan and including all the information you have organised in your research document, pay attention to the following things:
1. Make sure you choose the best examples from your research to use
2. Make sure you use topic sentences to link each new topic back to the question and ensure your essay flows well
3. Ensure that you write in a formal academic style
4. Ensure that you format your essay correctly, according to the guidelines for your particular course (for example, line spacing, font, page margins etc)
5. Make sure you include your in-text references as you are writing; do not leave these until the end. Since you will be using information from your research document that provides you with the in-text reference to use, this should not be a problem
Academic Writing: Some general guidelines
Have you ever been told that your writing style is not academic, or that it is too informal?
Have you ever felt unclear on how to write an academic essay?
Are you not sure what rules to follow, what you can do and what you should not do?
This article contains some general rules and guidelines for academic writing. You will develop your own writing style or ‘voice’ over time, and the more academic sources you read, the clearer it will become to you what academic writing is and how your essays should sound. However, it is important to learn certain academic conventions as soon as you can and this guide will help you to do that. If in doubt about any of these guidelines, always check with your tutor or lecturer as different disciplines and courses sometimes have different approaches or expectations.
Formality
Academic writing needs to be formal and impersonal. This means that your writing should be clear, concise and professional. It needs to follow certain rules (such as those outlined below) in order to ensure that it meets academic standards.
Supported by evidence
The most significant difference between academic and non-academic writing is that academic writing puts forward arguments and ideas that are supported by evidence, most often in the form of citing other research or studies. Learning how to reference correctly is an important part of ensuring that your arguments and ideas are always supported by evidence. You must remember that you cannot make a claim or assertion in an academic essay without supporting it.
The use of the first person
Although there are exceptions, (for example, if you are discussing a field trip that you personally took in order to conduct research, or interviews that you carried out), normally academic writing does not make use of the first person. This means you would not use ‘I’ in your essays. The first reason for this is that academic writing must be formal and impersonal.
Consider the difference between these two sentences:
1. ‘In this essay, I will discuss the reasons why Critical Thinking is important to the role of Registered Nurses, including its role in improving the accuracy of diagnoses.’
2. ‘Critical Thinking is important to the role of Registered Nurses as it improves the accuracy of diagnoses.’
Not only is the second sentence more formal because it does not make use of the personal ‘I’, but it is also more direct and thus sounds clearer, more concise, and more academic. Instead of stating that a point will be made, as in the first sentence, the second sentence simply makes the point directly.
The second reason why the use of the first person is discouraged is because it is often redundant (unnecessary). Consider the difference between these two sentences:
1. I believe that Critical Thinking is relevant to the role of Registered Nurses.
2. Critical Thinking is relevant to the role of Registered Nurses.
It is unnecessary to state ‘I believe’. The reader knows that the statement is what the author believes, because the author is writing it in their essay. Further, which sentence sounds more convincing? The second sentence sounds more convincing because it is direct and straight to the point.
Grammar, spelling and punctuation
Correct grammar, spelling and punctuation are very important in academic writing. In order to writing formally and to a high academic standard, your writing must be accurate. Writing an essay that contains correct grammar, spelling and punctuation can make a significant difference to your final grade. Accurate writing affects not only your marks for presentation. If your grammar and sentence structure is so unclear that your tutor or lecturer cannot understand the point you are trying to make, for example, you could lose marks overall. Handing in an essay that is well written, accurate and highly polished can improve your grades.
It is important to remember that you cannot rely on the spell- and grammar-check on Microsoft Word. There are many reasons for this, for example, the spell-check will not detect your mistake if you type ‘four’ instead of ‘for’. In addition, the grammar-check will often provide suggestions that are incorrect. This is because Microsoft Word is a computer programme and it cannot understand what you are trying to say. While it can be a useful tool, you must remember that it cannot substitute for checking your own work carefully.
There are a significant number of rules to follow when writing academic essays, assignments, theses or dissertations. In order to ensure that you have followed all those rules correctly, and in order to ensure that your writing is polished, clear and concise, and free of grammatical and other errors, it is recommended you hire a professional, academic editor. This is the final step of academic essay writing, and it will be discussed in the next article.
The next article in this series is ‘How to Write Distinction Essays Every Time: Step 6. Professional Editing’.
This article (and the remainder in the series) has been written by Dr Lisa Lines, the Director and Head Editor of Elite Editing. If you require further assistance with essay writing or with the professional editing of your completed essay, please contact her through the Elite Editing website at www.eliteediting.com.au/contact.php
For more information on our professional essay, assignment, thesis and dissertation editing service, please visit www.eliteediting.com.au/essay-editing.php
To submit your essay assignment, thesis or dissertation for professional editing now, please visit www.eliteediting.com.au/submit.php
Writing the first draft has never been so easy!
Now that you have completed your research in an organised way and have written a final draft of your essay plan, writing the first draft of your essay will be easier than it ever has been. All of the following decisions about your essay have already been made:
1. What your answer to the essay question is
2. What main points you will discuss in order to back up your argument
3. The order in which to discuss your main points
4. How long to spend discussing each main point
5. What information each paragraph will contain (i.e. what information you will use to discuss each of your main points)
6. What references you will use to back up your argument
Thus, there is no reason for you to feel lost or stare at your computer screen not knowing what to write. If you do get stuck for any reason, the best thing to do is to just keep writing. You can always improve something once you have written something down. If you have not written anything, not much can be done until you do.
When you write your first draft following your essay plan and including all the information you have organised in your research document, pay attention to the following things:
1. Make sure you choose the best examples from your research to use
2. Make sure you use topic sentences to link each new topic back to the question and ensure your essay flows well
3. Ensure that you write in a formal academic style
4. Ensure that you format your essay correctly, according to the guidelines for your particular course (for example, line spacing, font, page margins etc)
5. Make sure you include your in-text references as you are writing; do not leave these until the end. Since you will be using information from your research document that provides you with the in-text reference to use, this should not be a problem
Academic Writing: Some general guidelines
Have you ever been told that your writing style is not academic, or that it is too informal?
Have you ever felt unclear on how to write an academic essay?
Are you not sure what rules to follow, what you can do and what you should not do?
This article contains some general rules and guidelines for academic writing. You will develop your own writing style or ‘voice’ over time, and the more academic sources you read, the clearer it will become to you what academic writing is and how your essays should sound. However, it is important to learn certain academic conventions as soon as you can and this guide will help you to do that. If in doubt about any of these guidelines, always check with your tutor or lecturer as different disciplines and courses sometimes have different approaches or expectations.
Formality
Academic writing needs to be formal and impersonal. This means that your writing should be clear, concise and professional. It needs to follow certain rules (such as those outlined below) in order to ensure that it meets academic standards.
Supported by evidence
The most significant difference between academic and non-academic writing is that academic writing puts forward arguments and ideas that are supported by evidence, most often in the form of citing other research or studies. Learning how to reference correctly is an important part of ensuring that your arguments and ideas are always supported by evidence. You must remember that you cannot make a claim or assertion in an academic essay without supporting it.
The use of the first person
Although there are exceptions, (for example, if you are discussing a field trip that you personally took in order to conduct research, or interviews that you carried out), normally academic writing does not make use of the first person. This means you would not use ‘I’ in your essays. The first reason for this is that academic writing must be formal and impersonal.
Consider the difference between these two sentences:
1. ‘In this essay, I will discuss the reasons why Critical Thinking is important to the role of Registered Nurses, including its role in improving the accuracy of diagnoses.’
2. ‘Critical Thinking is important to the role of Registered Nurses as it improves the accuracy of diagnoses.’
Not only is the second sentence more formal because it does not make use of the personal ‘I’, but it is also more direct and thus sounds clearer, more concise, and more academic. Instead of stating that a point will be made, as in the first sentence, the second sentence simply makes the point directly.
The second reason why the use of the first person is discouraged is because it is often redundant (unnecessary). Consider the difference between these two sentences:
1. I believe that Critical Thinking is relevant to the role of Registered Nurses.
2. Critical Thinking is relevant to the role of Registered Nurses.
It is unnecessary to state ‘I believe’. The reader knows that the statement is what the author believes, because the author is writing it in their essay. Further, which sentence sounds more convincing? The second sentence sounds more convincing because it is direct and straight to the point.
Grammar, spelling and punctuation
Correct grammar, spelling and punctuation are very important in academic writing. In order to writing formally and to a high academic standard, your writing must be accurate. Writing an essay that contains correct grammar, spelling and punctuation can make a significant difference to your final grade. Accurate writing affects not only your marks for presentation. If your grammar and sentence structure is so unclear that your tutor or lecturer cannot understand the point you are trying to make, for example, you could lose marks overall. Handing in an essay that is well written, accurate and highly polished can improve your grades.
It is important to remember that you cannot rely on the spell- and grammar-check on Microsoft Word. There are many reasons for this, for example, the spell-check will not detect your mistake if you type ‘four’ instead of ‘for’. In addition, the grammar-check will often provide suggestions that are incorrect. This is because Microsoft Word is a computer programme and it cannot understand what you are trying to say. While it can be a useful tool, you must remember that it cannot substitute for checking your own work carefully.
There are a significant number of rules to follow when writing academic essays, assignments, theses or dissertations. In order to ensure that you have followed all those rules correctly, and in order to ensure that your writing is polished, clear and concise, and free of grammatical and other errors, it is recommended you hire a professional, academic editor. This is the final step of academic essay writing, and it will be discussed in the next article.
The next article in this series is ‘How to Write Distinction Essays Every Time: Step 6. Professional Editing’.
This article (and the remainder in the series) has been written by Dr Lisa Lines, the Director and Head Editor of Elite Editing. If you require further assistance with essay writing or with the professional editing of your completed essay, please contact her through the Elite Editing website at www.eliteediting.com.au/contact.php
For more information on our professional essay, assignment, thesis and dissertation editing service, please visit www.eliteediting.com.au/essay-editing.php
To submit your essay assignment, thesis or dissertation for professional editing now, please visit www.eliteediting.com.au/submit.php
Monday, June 13, 2011
How to Write Distinction Essays Every Time: Step 4. Finalise the Essay Plan.
This article is part of the series ‘How to Write Distinction Essays Every Time: The Six Steps to Academic Essay Writing’. One article in this series will be published on the Elite Editing blog each day this week. You can also access them through the Elite Editing website at http://www.eliteediting.com.au/
What should be finished before I start writing?
In Step 2 of the essay writing process, you would have drafted a rough essay plan before you began your research. During the research process (as explained in Step 3), you would have developed this plan further as you learned more information on your topic.
The first draft of your essay plan may have looked like this:
Introduction (150 words)
1) Thesis statement: Through an examination of the evidence, it is clear that Critical Thinking is highly relevant to the role of a Registered Nurse for a number of reasons.
2) Introduce main points or topics to be discussed: accuracy of diagnoses, patient outcomes, prevent and solve problems, communication
Topic 1: Accuracy of diagnoses (300 words)
Topic 2: Patient outcomes (300 words)
Topic 3: Prevent and solve problems (300 words)
Topic 4: Communication (300 words)
Conclusion (150 words)
1) Concluding statement: Thus, it can be seen that the concept of Critical Thinking is invaluable and highly relevant to Registered Nurses.
2) Sum up main points or topics that have been discussed: accuracy of diagnoses, patient outcomes, prevent and solve problems, communication
However, as you were collecting, organisation and analysing information in your research document, you may have found that Topic 2: Patient outcomes and Topic 3: Prevent and solve problems were far more important than you thought. You might have decided that Topic 4: Communication is not something that should be discussed in the essay. Importantly, you would also have found out what information or points needed to be discussed under each of your topics. All of these changes would have affected your essay plan, and you would have made these changes to your essay plan (and the organisation of your research document) as you went along.
Once you have completed your research, and before you begin writing your first draft, you need to re-think your essay plan and write a final version based on what you discovered during your research. Your final essay plan will contain more detail than your first draft and be a very specific guide to how to write your essay. It might look like this:
Introduction (150 words)
1) Thesis statement: Through an examination of the evidence, it is clear that Critical Thinking is highly relevant to the role of a Registered Nurse for a number of reasons.
2) Introduce main points or topics to be discussed: patient outcomes, prevent and solve problems, accuracy of diagnoses
Topic 1: Patient outcomes (450 words)
a) Assessment
b) Planning of care
c) Implementing care plan
d) Evaluation of care and outcomes
Topic 2: Prevent and solve problems (450 words)
a) Types of problems
b) Prevention of problems
c) Solving problems
Topic 3: Accuracy of diagnoses (300 words)
a) Problems with inaccurate diagnoses
b) How critical thinking allows improved diagnoses
c) Benefits and outcomes of accurate diagnoses
Conclusion (150 words)
1) Concluding statement: Thus, it can be seen that the concept of Critical Thinking is invaluable and highly relevant to Registered Nurses.
2) Sum up main points or topics that have been discussed: patient outcomes, prevent and solve problems, accuracy of diagnoses
Once you have completed the final draft of your essay plan, you are ready to begin writing the first draft of your essay. You might like to print out the essay plan and have it sitting next to you as you write. Depending on the length of your research document, you might print that or simply have it open on your computer. Your essay plan will let you know what information from your research document needs to be included in your essay as you write.
The next article in this series is ‘How to Write Distinction Essays Every Time: Step 5. Write the First Draft’.
This article (and the remainder in the series) has been written by Dr Lisa Lines, the Director and Head Editor of Elite Editing. If you require further assistance with essay writing or with the professional editing of your completed essay, please contact her through the Elite Editing website at www.eliteediting.com.au/contact.php
For more information on our professional essay, assignment, thesis and dissertation editing service, please visit www.eliteediting.com.au/essay-editing.php
To submit your essay assignment, thesis or dissertation for professional editing now, please visit http://www.eliteediting.com.au/submit.php
What should be finished before I start writing?
In Step 2 of the essay writing process, you would have drafted a rough essay plan before you began your research. During the research process (as explained in Step 3), you would have developed this plan further as you learned more information on your topic.
The first draft of your essay plan may have looked like this:
Introduction (150 words)
1) Thesis statement: Through an examination of the evidence, it is clear that Critical Thinking is highly relevant to the role of a Registered Nurse for a number of reasons.
2) Introduce main points or topics to be discussed: accuracy of diagnoses, patient outcomes, prevent and solve problems, communication
Topic 1: Accuracy of diagnoses (300 words)
Topic 2: Patient outcomes (300 words)
Topic 3: Prevent and solve problems (300 words)
Topic 4: Communication (300 words)
Conclusion (150 words)
1) Concluding statement: Thus, it can be seen that the concept of Critical Thinking is invaluable and highly relevant to Registered Nurses.
2) Sum up main points or topics that have been discussed: accuracy of diagnoses, patient outcomes, prevent and solve problems, communication
However, as you were collecting, organisation and analysing information in your research document, you may have found that Topic 2: Patient outcomes and Topic 3: Prevent and solve problems were far more important than you thought. You might have decided that Topic 4: Communication is not something that should be discussed in the essay. Importantly, you would also have found out what information or points needed to be discussed under each of your topics. All of these changes would have affected your essay plan, and you would have made these changes to your essay plan (and the organisation of your research document) as you went along.
Once you have completed your research, and before you begin writing your first draft, you need to re-think your essay plan and write a final version based on what you discovered during your research. Your final essay plan will contain more detail than your first draft and be a very specific guide to how to write your essay. It might look like this:
Introduction (150 words)
1) Thesis statement: Through an examination of the evidence, it is clear that Critical Thinking is highly relevant to the role of a Registered Nurse for a number of reasons.
2) Introduce main points or topics to be discussed: patient outcomes, prevent and solve problems, accuracy of diagnoses
Topic 1: Patient outcomes (450 words)
a) Assessment
b) Planning of care
c) Implementing care plan
d) Evaluation of care and outcomes
Topic 2: Prevent and solve problems (450 words)
a) Types of problems
b) Prevention of problems
c) Solving problems
Topic 3: Accuracy of diagnoses (300 words)
a) Problems with inaccurate diagnoses
b) How critical thinking allows improved diagnoses
c) Benefits and outcomes of accurate diagnoses
Conclusion (150 words)
1) Concluding statement: Thus, it can be seen that the concept of Critical Thinking is invaluable and highly relevant to Registered Nurses.
2) Sum up main points or topics that have been discussed: patient outcomes, prevent and solve problems, accuracy of diagnoses
Once you have completed the final draft of your essay plan, you are ready to begin writing the first draft of your essay. You might like to print out the essay plan and have it sitting next to you as you write. Depending on the length of your research document, you might print that or simply have it open on your computer. Your essay plan will let you know what information from your research document needs to be included in your essay as you write.
The next article in this series is ‘How to Write Distinction Essays Every Time: Step 5. Write the First Draft’.
This article (and the remainder in the series) has been written by Dr Lisa Lines, the Director and Head Editor of Elite Editing. If you require further assistance with essay writing or with the professional editing of your completed essay, please contact her through the Elite Editing website at www.eliteediting.com.au/contact.php
For more information on our professional essay, assignment, thesis and dissertation editing service, please visit www.eliteediting.com.au/essay-editing.php
To submit your essay assignment, thesis or dissertation for professional editing now, please visit http://www.eliteediting.com.au/submit.php
Friday, June 10, 2011
How to Write Distinction Essays Every Time: Step 3. Conduct the Research. Part Two: Research Skills and Academic Sources
This article is part of the series ‘How to Write Distinction Essays Every Time: The Six Steps to Academic Essay Writing’. One article in this series will be published on the Elite Editing blog each day this week. You can also access them through the Elite Editing website at http://www.eliteediting.com.au
Have you ever received feedback on an assessment telling you that the sources you used were not academic?
Have you ever used Wikipedia or another non-academic source in your research?
Do you find knowing what sources to use and what sources not to use confusing?
Do you have trouble knowing where to go to get the information you need for your research?
Being able to tell the difference between an academic source and a non-academic source, knowing where to find academic sources and deciding what sources are relevant to your research are important skills that you will develop during your tertiary studies. The aim of this information sheet is to point you in the right direction.
Books, monographs and textbooks
The first place you should go is the library, even if this means ordering in books from other libraries. For academics to have their books (and journal articles) published, they must go through a process called peer-reviewing. During this process, one or more other academics who are experts in the field will read and assess a book or article to decide if it is of publishable standard. This is why your research will be of the highest quality if you use books, monographs, textbooks and journal articles written by academics for your research, because the work had to meet academic standards. There is no such process for publishing on the internet; anyone can write whatever they like on any subject.
Journal articles and electronic databases
Your second stop after books, monographs and textbooks will be journal articles. Some of these will only be available in hardcopy from the library, but many will be available in their full-text versions through online electronic databases, such as JStore, ProQuest and Ingenta. (Access to these databases is through the university library catalogue.)
When you search the electronic databases, make sure you modify your search so that you are only given results from peer-reviewed journals. This will ensure that the journal articles you find have gone through the process explained above to ensure that they are of a high standard. You can also search so that you only receive results for articles that are available in their full electronic versions.
Internet resources
As explained above, there is no way of ensuring the standard of information that is uploaded to the internet. Anyone can publish anything on the internet, thus websites are not the ideal place for you to go to get your information.
When you do use the internet and website for your research, you need to be sure that you are consulting reputable sources. For example, websites published by governments, universities, the United Nations and national organisations like the Australian Practice Nurses Association, will generally contain quality information. However, it is important to note that these sources are not considered academic sources if they have not been written by academics. Nonetheless, unless you have been specifically requested by your tutor or lecturer to only use sources written by academics, you can often find valuable information from these reputable websites that may assist you in your research. Just be careful that you know exactly who has published the information on the internet and be sure to record the exact URL for your reference list.
A useful guide but not definitive: Where to go for more information
The above information is only a guide and ultimately where you find most of your sources will depend on what your essay topic is. For example, if you were writing a Sociology essay on an aspect of the media you would need to consult newspapers, television programmes and internet news websites.
If you are in doubt about what types of sources to use, check your course information booklet for more information about your particular assessment piece. Find out if there is a recommended reading list that you can begin with, and then use the sources listed in those readings to find further sources. If you are still not sure, check with your lecturer or tutor.
The next article in this series is ‘How to Write Distinction Essays Every Time: Step 4. Finalise the Essay Plan’.
This article (and the remainder in the series) has been written by Dr Lisa Lines, the Director and Head Editor of Elite Editing. If you require further assistance with essay writing or with the professional editing of your completed essay, please contact her through the Elite Editing website at www.eliteediting.com.au/contact.php
For more information on our professional essay, assignment, thesis and dissertation editing service, please visit www.eliteediting.com.au/essay-editing.php
To submit your essay assignment, thesis or dissertation for professional editing now, please visit www.eliteediting.com.au/submit.php
Have you ever received feedback on an assessment telling you that the sources you used were not academic?
Have you ever used Wikipedia or another non-academic source in your research?
Do you find knowing what sources to use and what sources not to use confusing?
Do you have trouble knowing where to go to get the information you need for your research?
Being able to tell the difference between an academic source and a non-academic source, knowing where to find academic sources and deciding what sources are relevant to your research are important skills that you will develop during your tertiary studies. The aim of this information sheet is to point you in the right direction.
Books, monographs and textbooks
The first place you should go is the library, even if this means ordering in books from other libraries. For academics to have their books (and journal articles) published, they must go through a process called peer-reviewing. During this process, one or more other academics who are experts in the field will read and assess a book or article to decide if it is of publishable standard. This is why your research will be of the highest quality if you use books, monographs, textbooks and journal articles written by academics for your research, because the work had to meet academic standards. There is no such process for publishing on the internet; anyone can write whatever they like on any subject.
Journal articles and electronic databases
Your second stop after books, monographs and textbooks will be journal articles. Some of these will only be available in hardcopy from the library, but many will be available in their full-text versions through online electronic databases, such as JStore, ProQuest and Ingenta. (Access to these databases is through the university library catalogue.)
When you search the electronic databases, make sure you modify your search so that you are only given results from peer-reviewed journals. This will ensure that the journal articles you find have gone through the process explained above to ensure that they are of a high standard. You can also search so that you only receive results for articles that are available in their full electronic versions.
Internet resources
As explained above, there is no way of ensuring the standard of information that is uploaded to the internet. Anyone can publish anything on the internet, thus websites are not the ideal place for you to go to get your information.
When you do use the internet and website for your research, you need to be sure that you are consulting reputable sources. For example, websites published by governments, universities, the United Nations and national organisations like the Australian Practice Nurses Association, will generally contain quality information. However, it is important to note that these sources are not considered academic sources if they have not been written by academics. Nonetheless, unless you have been specifically requested by your tutor or lecturer to only use sources written by academics, you can often find valuable information from these reputable websites that may assist you in your research. Just be careful that you know exactly who has published the information on the internet and be sure to record the exact URL for your reference list.
A useful guide but not definitive: Where to go for more information
The above information is only a guide and ultimately where you find most of your sources will depend on what your essay topic is. For example, if you were writing a Sociology essay on an aspect of the media you would need to consult newspapers, television programmes and internet news websites.
If you are in doubt about what types of sources to use, check your course information booklet for more information about your particular assessment piece. Find out if there is a recommended reading list that you can begin with, and then use the sources listed in those readings to find further sources. If you are still not sure, check with your lecturer or tutor.
The next article in this series is ‘How to Write Distinction Essays Every Time: Step 4. Finalise the Essay Plan’.
This article (and the remainder in the series) has been written by Dr Lisa Lines, the Director and Head Editor of Elite Editing. If you require further assistance with essay writing or with the professional editing of your completed essay, please contact her through the Elite Editing website at www.eliteediting.com.au/contact.php
For more information on our professional essay, assignment, thesis and dissertation editing service, please visit www.eliteediting.com.au/essay-editing.php
To submit your essay assignment, thesis or dissertation for professional editing now, please visit www.eliteediting.com.au/submit.php
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