Writing and Citation Guide - Indianapolis

Generally speaking, writers follow a process when developing a piece of writing. This process typically involves some form of brainstorming, drafting, revising, and editing before a piece of writing is considered complete. As we write, we often clarify the ideas we are trying to communicate with readers, so it's not uncommon to circle back to do more brainstorming or drafting--even if we've started revising already. 

Part of writing for college is about exploring how to develop a writing process that works well for you. In other words: Which processes and/or strategies make it easier or more effective for you to write?  Writers might consider:

• How can I set up my writing environment for success? 
  • Do you write better on campus, in the library, or at home from your couch? Are you able to focus better with silence or noise in the background? Is it easier to start or focus on writing in the morning or evening? When can you plan time in your day to work on a writing assignment?
• Which strategies are most helpful to me when getting started on a piece of writing?
  • Do your ideas come more easily if you're hand-writing, typing, or speaking your ideas? Do you prefer to brainstorm on your own or talk through ideas with someone else? How early do you need to start an assignment to complete it on time?
• Which stage(s) of the writing process do I find it most helpful to seek feedback on?  
  • Understanding assignment instructions and brainstorming ideas?  Organizing and outlining your ideas? Expanding ideas to make them longer? Polishing up your draft through final edits? All of the above?

A writer's goal is to effectively communicate their ideas to an intended audience, which means that every time you write something, you draft your message in response to a specific context or situation. 

There is an infinite number of writing choices that can be made to communicate a message, but it's important for writers to consider which writing choices will be most effective in their specific situation.  To determine which choices will be most effective, writers should consider these questions:

• What is my purpose? 
  • What is your goal? Are you trying to share your reaction or response to an idea? Are you analyzing why something works the way it does? Or are you trying to inform or persuade your readers about a specific topic?
• What message am I sharing?
  • What do you think? What exactly do you want to say? How can you teach readers about that message?
• Who is my audience? 
  • What knowledge sets or assumptions does this group of people have? How can you frame your message that would make your audience more likely to understand or accept your message?
• What genre am I using to share my message? 
  • Are there any guidelines that need to be followed based on the type of writing you're doing? What choices would be most effective for a discussion post? An outline? An essay?

Often, academic writing asks students to locate credible information or evidence to support their ideas. Because different types of writing can require different types of evidence, the research process to gather information can look different for each writing assignment. Thankfully, students can always connect with a librarian for research help. 

Regardless of which type of evidence is used to support a writer's ideas, it's important that writers use credible sources, as that ultimately helps increase the writer's own credibility on the topic. To determine if a source is credible, writers should consider these questions:

• What types of evidence will readers expect or find most effective to support my ideas?
  • Should I rely on scholarly peer-reviewed sources? Might it be relevant to include content from a website, video, current news article, or personal interview?
• How do I know the author or source is reliable and credible?
  • Who is publishing this information? Do they have relevant credentials or experience with the topic? Why are they a qualified expert?
• How current is the information?
  • When was the information published? Is it still current or has there been more recent information discovered on this topic? 
• How accurate is the information?
  • Is the information supported or verified by other credible sources? Has the information been peer-reviewed? 
• What purpose does the information serve?
  • Does the source have possible ulterior motives for publishing this information? Is the information presented objectively fairly or does it have a bias?