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You may like writing and consider yourself a strong writer, or you may worry about how much writing you must do in college courses because writing is not something you enjoy. Regardless of your writing background, if you have only written personally or professionally, when you enter the world of academics you will encounter a “new” type of writing you may not be used to: scholarly writing. Whatever your background may be, whether English is your first language or your fifth, regardless of what dialect of English you may or may not have grown up speaking, Standard Academic English is likely going to be a new way of writing for you, so patience is going to be essential as you develop this skill. And the good news is that OASIS is here to help!
Let’s start by walking through the writing process step by step:
If you’re just starting out on an assignment then you may want to use this as a guide as you move from stage to stage. If you’re stuck on a specific issue then feel free to jump straight to the stage that most applies to where you are at. If you’d like to take a deeper dive then simply click on a question you’d like to explore more thoroughly, or just scroll to the bottom of the page to see everything at once. While the process is universal to all types of writing, remember that not all assignments will require the same time and commitment as others so always check in with your instructor if you ever have a question about what is expected of you. Focus on what you need to learn now and know that there will always be more to learn later.
Prewriting: the stage of the writing process in which you generate ideas you’ll include in your writing. This stage includes activities like mind mapping, outlining, and researching. This stage is about identifying your paper’s purpose and audience*, exploring possibilities, and organizing your thoughts.
What should I do to prepare to write? Though many do not realize it at first, every writing assignment starts long before you start writing. Developing critical reading skills will go a long way at helping you prepare for whatever assignment lies ahead.
How do I know what to write? Knowing what is expected of you is essential before starting any assignment. This can take some decoding though. See Understanding the Assignment to be sure you know exactly what the prompt is asking you to do.
How do I organize my thoughts? Once you’ve gotten an idea for what you want to write about, use some outlining strategies to plan out your paper. See "A Deeper Dive" for other methods that can help get you set up for effective writing.
* Your audience can include a few different types of folks but your instructor will always be part of your audience. In a discussion post your primary audience will also be your peers, and thus there will likely be a more casual tone to your writing. A specific assignment may also ask you to imagine an audience like, say, fellow scholars in your field. This will likely require a more formal tone. When reading a prompt, keep an eye out for any indications of who your audience is as this will determine how you want your tone to come across, and always consult with your instructor if you have any questions.
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Draft: the stage in which you take your ideas from Step 1 and attempt to structure them to meet the criteria of your assignment. Perfection is not the goal of a draft! Rather, your focus should be on getting your ideas out as clearly as possible. Prioritize making sure your ideas all relate to your central argument*, that your paragraphs each address a single topic, and that your sentences basic grammar rules.
What kind of structure should my paper follow? There are many different approaches you can take when it comes to structure. One common model that is used at Walden is the MEAL Plan, however do not feel like this is your only option.
How should I format** my paper? There are many different academic styles that require different formatting procedures but the good news is that at Walden you will only need to learn APA Style, as that is the only style used in all Walden courses. While the full extent of APA requirements can look quite overwhelming at first, keep in mind that what will be expected of you is determined by your course level***. To view what the expectations are for your course level, see the Academic Writing Expectations. What is essential at all levels, however, is that some attempt is always being made to credit outside sources whenever they are being used in your work.
*An argument, in this context, is simply whatever you are trying to persuade your reader to accept, and the line of thought you are asking them to follow. In a discussion post, this may mean nothing more than sharing your experience with a particular reading, or why you have formed your own opinion on a certain topic. In a reflective paper, you are persuading your reader to see things from your perspective. In a more formal academic paper, however, an argument will include a more thorough line of reasoning—you are making a case and defending why you have determined your position on a topic is the right one, always with evidence serving to support that case.
**Format and style refers to the particular conventions your academic writing is expected to follow. These conventions can range from font and spacing to how you are expected to give credit to an outside source used in your paper, etc.
You will read a lot of academic writing while you are at Walden, and you will notice that much of the language of that writing as a certain scholarly tone. This is sometimes called “Standard Academic English.” To be as clear as possible, Walden does not equate the proper use of academic style with a complete adoption of that singular tone. In other words, we want your unique voice as an individual to be heard as clearly as possible in all your writing at Walden.
Revision: the stage of the writing process in which you refine your drafts to improve its clarity, coherence, and impact. Revising is not just about grammar and punctuation but also about making sure your ideas are clear and logical. When you revise you critically* assess your work, reorganizing content, enhancing arguments, and ensuring your writing meets the requirements for your assignment.
How can I receive feedback and tips on my work before I submit it? Get friendly suggestions on a written assignment from a writing specialist through Walden's Paper Review service. Be sure to schedule appointments in advance of your deadline though, as appointments are asynchronous and may take up to 2 days to receive your reviewed assignment. You will also need time to incorporate the revisions into your writing afterwards.
How do I ensure my grammar and punctuation is accurate? As a Walden student, you have access to the premium version of Grammarly, which is a tool that offers clarity and proofreading suggestions for your writing. Note: Use your university email address to qualify for your free access.
*It’s important not to misunderstand the word “critical” as something negative. In the process of reading, writing, and revision, to be critical simply means to view a work through an analytical lens, assessing the meaning as objectively as possible. When doing a critical reading of your own work, or seeking feedback on your work from someone else, always remember that this process is about making sure your words represent your ideas as clearly as possible, and thus always include a deep respect for whatever you have to say.
What tools do I need before I begin writing? Guidance on any questions you may have about Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, or Microsoft Excel, including commonly asked questions and access to tutoring, can be found on the Microsoft Office skills page. For more technical questions, please see Microsoft Office Help.
What should I do to prepare to write? If you’re looking to deepen your critical reading skills, consider completing the module, Critical Reading Self-Paced Module. For an overview of other ways to prepare to write, take a look at OASIS’ page on prewriting.
How do I know what to write? For a deeper dive into understanding assignment prompts, take a look at this webinar, Strategies for Understanding Walden Assignment Prompts [embed]. Along with the assignment prompt, however, taking a close look at the rubric will also be helpful when determining what will be graded. In this handy Guide to Rubrics you can learn all you need to know in order to understand how your particular assignment is going to be graded. Once you have an idea about what the requirements are, brainstorming can help you move from the prompt to the formation of your own ideas.
How do I organize my thoughts? One particularly helpful skill for you to adopt may be mind-mapping, a way of visually collecting all your ideas to see how everything fits together. Organizing Your Thoughts is a great place to start if you’d like to learn more.
What kind of structure should my paper follow? It’s helpful to first start with the structure of your argument itself, then asking yourself, “How can I order my ideas to best serve my overall argument?” Not all writing needs to follow the same structure. A reflection will rely mostly on your own experience, whereas a research paper will require you to use evidence. Be sure to always follow the instructions provided for your particular assignment, but do not be afraid to experiment within those boundaries to see what works for you. For assignments where evidence will play an important role, using evidence as the foundation for the structure of your paper could also be a useful approach.
How should I format and style my paper? While Walden does offer templates that are pre-formatted for you to use when completing any writing assignment, learning how to format a Word document yourself will prove even more useful long-term. This "Format a Word Document" video is a quick and easy explainer for getting your document set up for success.
How can I receive feedback and tips on my work before I submit it? Seeking the perspective and feedback of another reader can help you figure out where there are opportunities for further development and improvement. You can get friendly suggestions on a written assignment from an OASIS writing specialist through Walden's Paper Review service. Just note that you’ll need to plan in time to receive and work with the feedback before submitting your assignment. Once you’ve received that feedback, knowing how to incorporate what you’ve learned into the final draft of your paper is essential. For some tips on what to do next see, Using Feedback.
How do I ensure my grammar and punctuation is accurate? Checking for grammar and punctuation is an important step in the writing process. As you finish up drafting a writing assignment, try out one or more of these Proofreading Strategies. Additionally, as a Walden student, you have access to the premium version of Grammarly, which is a tool that offers clarity and proofreading suggestions for your writing. Note that Grammarly will only give suggestions to improve smaller issues like grammar and punctuation. It will not help you will the broader task of forming a coherent argument and writing in a scholarly tone. We recommend only using Grammarly to polish your work once you are finishing up the revision process.