FAQs on Academic Writing
A sampling of the most commonly-asked questions about writing, APA format, and more.
Writing a Paper
Q: I've done most of my research, but I'm not sure where to begin. What do you suggest?
An outline is arguably one of the most underused pre-writing strategies. Most time-deprived writers are resistant to developing an outline because they think it adds an extra layer to the writing process that they want to begin as soon as possible. But the bird's eye view of your paper's organization that an outline and/or other prewriting strategies provide should—ideally—save writing time in the long run.
Q: I've begun writing, but I'm not sure where I'm going yet, and I feel like I'm rambling. What do I do?
A: Now might be the time to think about developing a thesis statement, or at least a working one. You can use an arguable and supportable statement to guide your paper as you integrate the fruits of your research with your research question and refine it into the arguable, supportable sentence that can help you make the jump from rough draft to first draft—with the idea that your thesis may change as you write.
Q: Help! I feel stuck in my writing and my level of frustration is totally bumming me out! What can I do?
A: Get feedback, get feedback, get feedback. Any writer will tell you, writing sometimes comes easy; sometimes it's a struggle. Feedback from someone else—a trusted friend or a writing tutor—is helpful during ANY part of the writing process, but it can be particularly helpful when you feel stuck in the midst of the stickiness of the writing process. Fortunately, all Capella learners can solicit feedback on writing matters from a Smarthinking tutor, whether working on a rough draft or a more finished piece of work.
Q: What is the difference between an abstract and an introduction?
A: The level of detail, for one thing. An abstract is a highly condensed summary of the paper that only briefly mentions the main points, purpose, results, or conclusions of the paper. Also, because the abstract functions as a search tool for researchers browsing through publications—and is not really connected to the paper itself—specific details are not included, or appropriate, in the abstract. However, the introduction is the actual unfolding of the details (or story, if you will) of the presentation, and therefore certain details are allowed, and appropriately placed, in the introduction.
Q: My writing feels PowerPointish and choppy. What can I do to improve this?
A: Academic writing (AW) can feel different for those who are used to writing styles outside of academic publications. But writing based on sources does not necessarily mean using lots of sophisticated words or convoluted jargon; AW can be straightforward and simple. The difference between academic writing and informational writing is space to interpret sources and/or to describe the context behind the issue or problem written about.
Numerous strategies help to expand writing styles that feel choppy. The MEAL Plan can help smooth rough transitions between paragraphs and attention to sentence style can help with smooth readability. On the other hand, looking for wordiness can help identify writing that strays too far into the red zone of the "overly complex" spectrum.
Q: What is the difference between a direct quotation and a paraphrase?
A: A direct quotation is using ideas from a source word for word; a paraphrase is taking what your source says, but telling it your own words. Direct quotations and paraphrases both need to be cited.
APA Questions
For answers to many of your questions, visit our APA Style and Format Module.Q: How do I choose how many levels of headings I have in my paper?
A: The number of heading levels in your paper is determined by the number of sections in your paper of the same level. Most papers need only two levels, and will use the headings format indicated in section 3.32 in your trusty APA Manual, 5 th edition. If for some reason your paper requires three or more levels of headings, by all means use the format that the good folks at the APA have provided. If you are feeling creative, make up your own system of headings. Just be consistent and make sure your instructor approves.
Q: How do I cite electronic sources?
A: This is a large and evolving question. You will find a few basic examples of electronic source citations in the APA Style and Format Module, but this is not a comprehensive list. If you want the latest official and most comprehensive authorized information on electronic references, you can find that on the official APA web site. Keep in mind, though, that the concept behind each reference list entry is not to make the entry "look" right; it's making sure that your reader can access the materials you are citing from using the information you provided in your reference list entry. In this sense, an electronic reference list entry really requires similar elements as its hard copy counterparts. What are the four reference elements?
- Author (or organization)
- Year of publication (or date published)
- Title of publication.
- URL (or the exact place in cyberspace where the link can be found by other people) and date accessed.
Q: How do I cite a secondary source?
A: Often, in reviewing literature, you will find that one article cites useful information from another article. In most cases, best practice is to obtain the cited article and read it yourself, so you can cite it directly. If, however, you choose not to obtain the cited article, you must cite the article that you did read:
In the text:
Johnson and Pettigrew's study (as cited in James, 2005) found that...
In the reference list:
James, T. K. (2005). Transitions in pop music. Culture Today Journal, 25, 73-98.
Q: How do I cite a personal communication?
A: Conversations, unpublished interviews, e-mail messages and other personal communications are not retrievable sources, meaning that other researchers cannot access the original source. Since one of the main purposes of the reference list is to lead researchers to your sources, inaccessible personal communications are not placed on the reference list. They are, however, cited parenthetically in the text:
(B. Stevens, personal communication, December 30, 2005)
Q: Why doesn't the APA manual give instructions for creating a table of contents?
A: Because APA editorial style is oriented toward the production of journal articles, which do not contain tables of contents. The APA manual, being a book, does contain a table of contents, which you might use as a model. Before doing so, however, we suggest that you seek guidance from your instructor.
