February 28, 2018

The Weekly Writer

The Weekly Writer is published each Wednesday while classes are in session. As always, please share this information with anyone who might be interested.

Writing Research in Any Field: CLsrity and Flow

By Liz W., Tutor

The term "research paper" may sound cliché and trivial and like something we should have left in high school, but documents presenting research are in many college courses. They can be over an array of topics in many different departments. They span from small projects in ENGL 106 to massive projects PhD students must complete in hope of publication. Research writing, while in school, is something you will never escape from, so it is imperative to know how to do so correctly and effectively.

One thing I look for in sessions with research documents is if it makes sense. For example, especially if you are researching something highly technical in your field of study, it is easy to use jargon related to the subject that outside audiences many not understand. Purdue is a university heavy on the sciences. When a chemistry PhD student comes in with a project that I know nothing about (and can barely pronounce the words being written about!) a good rule of thumb is that I should still be able to understand what he or she is talking about. No matter the content, a reader should be able to follow the writer's train of thought and trace the argument. If this cannot happen, something is going wrong, and sometimes it is the amount of highly technical words that clutter the page.

Another thing I look for when working with you on a research documents is the organizational flow. It is crucial that you have a logical argument so that the audience can follow your thought process and make their own conclusions about the information presented. A tip I use to follow organization is to underline the thesis and then underline all topic sentences of paragraphs. Are the topic sentences relating back to the thesis? Do the topic sentences make sense? Are the topic sentences at the beginning of the paragraphs?

These are only two things we can help with regarding research papers at the Writing Lab. Research projects can be huge endeavors and therefore require a lot of work—we can help with that. Feel free to make an appointment! We look forward to speaking with you.

Writing Lab News & Events

Workshop: APA/MLA Style and Citation Practices
March 7, 1:30 - 2:30 PM
Join us to learn more about using sources in your writing, from your introduction to your bibliography. More Information »

Staff Spotlight

By Marybeth H., Tutor

My name is Marybeth and this is my first semester serving as a Writing Lab tutor. Prior to my involvement in the Writing Lab, I served as an executive within my sorority and as an orientation team leader for Boiler Gold Rush. My undergraduate degree is in Accounting, with which I plan to start my career as a CPA in Auditing after graduating in May. Though the majority of my college experiences have not involved direct tutoring, I believe my attention to and appreciation of language has helped me greatly along the way. I believe language and how we cultivate it can provide endless opportunities, whether our language takes shape in the relationships with peers and colleagues we form, in shedding light on current issues within our communities, or even in bringing credibility to our thoughts and work. I believe language has the ability to capture much more of ourselves than many would believe, and I enjoy having the opportunity to bring the personalities of students to their writings. I believe that the Writing Center allows me to continue the conversation of the importance of language and how we can grow not only as writers, but also as individuals. The Writing Lab has already provided me with various perspectives and approaches to writing that I had never before considered; I have been able to consider the value of differing styles between cultures and varying degrees of content development. I hope to carry this newfound knowledge forward with me as my love for writing itself is something I hope to always carry with me.

From Our Partners

Lunch and Learn Series, Part 3: Implementing Strategies for Improving LGBTQIA+ Student Success At Purdue
March 28, 12:00 - 1:00 PM
WALC 3132

This lunch and learn is the third in a three part series that invites the Purdue community to engage in a campus-wide discussion about LGBTQIA+ student retention and academic success. This discussion-based lunch and learn will provide attendees with opportunity to learn about best practices for supporting LGBTQIA+ students and strategies to improve academic success for LGBTQIA+ Purdue students. You do not need to attend previous lunch and learns in this series to attend this lunch and learn.

Free and open to all!
Lunch will be provided.

More information »

Hours of Operation

Spring 2018

Jan 8 – Apr 27

Main Location

Heavilon Hall, Room 226

Mon – Thurs
9 AM – 6 PM

Fridays
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HSSE Library
Mondays
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AAARCC
Tuesdays
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