5. Putting it all Together: Writing and Citing

Generally, the final outcome of scholarly research is a written product in which you make use of the sources and evidence you have found to support your own voice. It is important to focus your own thoughts and use the material you have found as evidence. Your instructors want to know what you think and see how you use the literature effectively.

Scholarly research and writing do not have to be separate steps. Pre-writing can be a good way to start organizing your own thoughts early in the process.

• Brainstorming or Clustering (PDF)
• Idea Trees (PDF)
• Mapping (PDF)
• Outline (PDF)

"Avoid making your paper a verbal quilt where you sew together others' ideas. Instead, make your point and then use your sources to provide evidence, definition or further explanation."
–Online Writing Center

Read more about Prewriting at the Online Writing Center's Writing Handbook.