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Karen Huck
Academic Essay Writing
This page should help you figure out what I (Karen Huck) want when I assign a research or analysis paper, essay, or set of essays.
First, figure out whether I'm asking for a long paper or a set of short essays. I get cranky when folks substitute one for the other.
Second, be sure you understand exactly what the question means. Nothing drops a grade faster than providing a brilliant, well written response to a question that hasn't been asked. (Granted, politicians do that and succeed but that's not your job in one of my classes.)
Third, make sure that you provide the data appropriate to the task. If you are asked to do research, make sure that your sources will be considered "legitimate"and that you quote and credit them appropriately. Do not quote great hunks of other people's writing without giving them credit. This is called plagiarizing. Plagiarizing is stealing. It's bad. Don't do it. If you are asked to provide your own observations rather than research material, remember that specificity is appreciated. Don't use generalizations like "all," "everyone," or "never." It's better to write, "She lept a foot into the air and screeched 'hooray' in a high voice through her large smile" than it is to write, "She was happy."
Fourth, organize every essay with a clear and obvious thesis which leads into a solidly structured format with strong topic sentences in each paragraph. I am a linear thinker. I go for the obvious. Don't be subtle with me when you are writing an academic paper. Save subtlety for more creative writing.
Fourth, proofread your paper (see that second fourth?). I'm not great with detail myself, so I'll cut you some slack here. But if you have more than four major errors per page, your grade might suffer. And as long as we're talking about presentation, please turn in a neat looking paper.
Finally, if you have any questions about college level writing, you can look at one of the many helpful websites out there (see a few links below) or visit COCC's own writing lab.
Helpful websites on College Level Writing:
Thomson Learning Info Trac Site
This site is produced by a major textbook publisher and has plenty of information on just about everything you need to know about college level research writing.
Purdue's OWL
This is a user-friendly, easy-to-read site from Purdue University.
And be sure to ask me if you have any questions!
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