Professor Lorenzetti's Paper Writing Tips

It's time for you to turn in your paper, isn't it? I have a few helpful hints below to help you maximize your time and your grade.

• A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine. If you wait until the last minute to ask questions or otherwise contact me for help, I may not be available. Plan, plan, plan. 

• Always double space and use Times New Roman, 12 point font. This is not new. You know this.

• CITE CITE CITE CITE CITE. When in doubt, cite. If you present any ideas in your paper without citing them, you are presenting them as your own and that is plagiarism. You may be putting a citation in after every single sentence in your literature review. That is ok, and that is a good thing. 

• Beware of overusing quotes! As a general rule, the number of quotes in any paper should be no more than one quote per page, and even that is pushing it. If you have too many quotes, then you aren't writing the paper -- other people are. Please see the video from the Colbert Report below. Don't be Melania!

•  APA Style is non-negotiable. I have provided you with a handy sheet detailing how to write a paper. For reflection papers, no cover sheet is needed. However, a reference page is always required. Google Scholar will provide you with proper APA citation for your reference page, and you should always cite others' work after the sentence that holds it. For example, Professor Lorenzetti wrote in a previous blog post that she loves cheese puffs (Lorenzetti, 2016). In the event you quote someone, you also must put the page number. For example, in her published manifesto, Professor Lorenzetti expressed, "Cats are the best pets ever" (Lorenzetti, 2016, p. 6).

• Google Scholar is your friend. Use it. Live it. Love it.

• Don't assume that I am a mind reader. Everything in your paper should be explicitly laid out -- do not assume that everything is known or a given. Be clear, and always connect your observations to the theory when writing reflection papers.

• Spell check! Read for run-on sentences! Check for grammar!

• If your paper is due electronically, do not wait until 11:59 PM for a 12 AM deadline. If the server holds your paper up, it's still late.