Psych 391H: Guide to Writing a Paper

1. Organize your essay well. Think about the best way to organize your essay before you write. Start by deciding what are the most important things to say on your topic. Cover the topic as fully as you can in the space you have, but do not just list a number of unrelated facts. Present your material so that it easy for your readers to understand. Don't expect them to fill in missing assumptions. Provide a clear line of thought for the reader to foloow. Label each section of your paper with a heading, which will make your organization easy for the reader to see.
   
   
2. Support your claims. Wherever possible, include your own independent thoughts and conclusions, but be sure they are well supported. Don't just state your opinion on an issue. Explain your reasons for believing it. Provide an argument that will persuade your readers that your conclusion is right.
   
   
3. Consider how your readers will interpret it. Think about what your readers don't know. Don't assume they know everything you know. Explain things in a way that will make sense to them, given their background. If you can, have someone else read it and give you feedback.
   
   
4. Some sources are better than others. The required reading may include sources that will be very useful for your topic, but the majority of each essay should be based on a variety of sources above and beyond the required reading. If you are looking for information on scientific findings, you should rely mainly on papers in scientific journals and books written by researchers. Articles in newspapaers and news magazines are often less accurate in reporting scientific results.
   
   

Psych 391H: Cognitive Neurosciencce Kyle Cave Psychology Dept. U. Mass.