College Paper Help©How to Study This ReferenceWhat this is
- A study reference: an example of how college-level writing can be organized, supported, and cited.
- Names, scenarios, and data in the example may be fictional and are there to illustrate technique.
- Not a template to copy, and not for submission, in whole or in part, as your own work.
Before you read
- Read your own assignment prompt and rubric first, so you know what to look for.
- Note the citation style your course requires; it may differ from this reference.
- Skim the headings to see how the whole piece is organized.
Read for structure
- Find the thesis or main purpose, usually near the end of the introduction.
- Underline each paragraph's topic sentence and note how it supports the main point.
- Notice how each paragraph moves from claim, to evidence, to explanation.
- Mark the transitions that connect one idea to the next.
Read for evidence and citations
- See how sources are introduced, quoted or paraphrased, and cited in the text.
- Match in-text citations to the reference list to learn the format.
- Note where the writer explains what the evidence means instead of only presenting it.
Turn it into your own work
- Close the reference and outline your own paper from your assignment, in your own words.
- Find and read your own sources; do not cite sources you have not read yourself.
- Draft without the reference open, then compare structure, not wording.
- Cite everything you borrow, including ideas, and follow your school's academic integrity policy.
Study reference only. Not for submission, in whole or in part, as academic work. Need help with your own draft? See the free writing guides, or one-to-one tutoring and editing, at collegepaperhelp.net.