Papers
Rel-A Research 121
Winter Semester, 2011
At this point, I am sure that you are all anxiously gathering information for your ten-page papers.
Captivated by your chosen topic and inspired by your insightful thesis, you are probably
wondering if twenty pages would be acceptable. Now, if for some reason you dont feel as though
you fit in the above category, you need not worryat least not yet. However, I cant emphasize
enough just how important it is to choose your topic and begin your paper now. If you approach
this assignment in the right way, it has the potential to be an enlightening and joyous task.
Organization
Is the paper organized so the reader can read and understand it easily? Do the thoughts make
logical transitions from sentence to sentence and from paragraph to paragraph? Are the main
points of the paper presented in the introduction? Does the body of the paper follow the format
outlined in the introduction? Is the thesis statement clear and concise, and does each paragraph tie
directly back into the thesis? General hint for writing a thesis statement: It needs to be specific,
interesting and supportable. The two biggest flaws last semester were those who didnt have a
thesis, but just had a general theme (i.e., they wrote about faith in Christ, but their thesis
statement merely said, I will examine what the prophets have said about...), or those who had a
really good question they were examining but didnt give any answers until the end of the paper.
Your introduction should tell us exactly what you are going to say (and why, and how, etc.), your
body should tell us what you are saying, and your conclusion should tell us what youve said.
Dont just write a reportthat is, dont just put together a bunch of quotes. Make a statement.
Documentation
Are all generalized statements backed up with credible sources? Is the documentation format
correct? Consider using a writing style consistent with your major: i.e., English and Humanities
MLA style, Social SciencesAPA style; etc. The book Scribners Handbook for Writing is a
great handbook outlining all writing styles. Does your source material include: a. Scriptures, b.
the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve (past and present), c. other General Authorities, d.
scholars (LDS and other), e. secular authorities, and f. your personal feelings and insights? A
good mixture and balance of these types of sources, where appropriate, greatly add to the
credibility of your paper. Documentation and good use of sources is weighed heavily when
determining a grade. Are your sources credible, and do you qualify them within the body of
your paper?
Mechanics
Oddly, there are some who rate this category low on their priority list. However, the appearance
of your paper greatly influences the readers attitude toward your assertions. Your paper needs to
be clean, crisp, and free from mechanical errors that might detract from your message. Beware of
sentence comma fragments, splices, run-on sentences, and unnaturally long sentences or
paragraphs. Use active verbs for a vivid and interesting style.
Use exciting language that grabs the reader, but do not use language that may take away from
the dignity of your topic.
Are the right forms of to and too, their and theyre, etc. used? Is everything spelled correctly?
Remember, the correct name of the Church is, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Is the grammar correct? The biggest mechanical errors from last semester dealt with where to put
the periods and commas in quotes. Heres the rule: Periods and commas ALWAYS go inside the
quotation marks, unless you have a page reference in parentheses after the quote, in which case
they come after the final parenthesis mark. Example: Mothers need to realize that electronic
baby-sitters, in other words television, is not the proper way to raise children (326).
Miscellaneous
Does each paragraph contain a new idea, and only one new idea? Does every piece of information
relate to the point you are trying to prove? Unneeded information, while interesting, will deter
from your main point and weaken the paper. How do you relate personally to the paper? Why is
this topic important to you? When quoting the Prophet or General Authorities, do you maintain
respect by using President Monson or Elder Ballard, instead of simply Monson or
Ballard? Do you explain each quote within the dialogue of the paper instead of relying solely on
the quote to explain your position? Every time you quote something, tell us why it is significant.
We cannot assume anything. Is the tone consistent throughout? Stuffy, highbrow speech is not
necessary (and actually is discouraged), but street-talk or too much slang is also unacceptable.
It is a good idea to take your paper to the Writing Center, located in 106 JFSB. Their extension is
2-4306. There are tutors there trained to help you with all of the above suggestions. The best
papers are always those that receive outside opinions and perspectives. As most of you know,
grading papers is always a very subjective endeavor. Because of this, Brother Judd is more than
willing to talk with anyone about any grade they receive. Dont be afraid to ask questions, raise
concerns, or even disagree. We want you to get the grade that you deserve. (Note: That doesnt
always mean youll get the grade you want!)
If anyone has been completely terror-stricken by this, dont worry; Brother Judd isnt requiring a
literary masterpiece. But detail is important. Those students who conscientiously put forth effort
into writing a great paper will receive a good grade (last semester there were lots of Bs and B+s,
many A-s, and several As). Those who wait until the night before and try to throw things
togetherI guarantee that you wont do so well. A hastily written paper can be painfully obvious
to the grader, so begin right away, and enjoy what you write.