| A good academic paper starts out with a | | | | project, you can begin to gather |
| clearly defined topic which is neither | | | | information from authoritative reference |
| too broad or too narrow. For example, | | | | sources: pertinent books, encyclopedias, |
| "Cactus" would be too broad a topic. On | | | | and articles in magazines and journals. |
| the other hand, A topic is too narrow if | | | | Be cautious when using material from the |
| you can't find any information about it. | | | | Internet. Before citing Internet |
| For example, suppose your foreign | | | | sources, check the credentials of the |
| language subject to, "foreign language | | | | writer. Are they associated with a |
| policy in South Dakota." Although you | | | | university or well-known corporation? |
| might have a strong interest in this | | | | What experience and training do they |
| topic, South Dakota may not have a | | | | have in the field? |
| specific policy about foreign languages. | | | | Before you turn in your paper, double |
| If you have chosen the topic, "teaching | | | | check it for errors. If you can, after |
| Chinese in elementary schools," and your | | | | you have checked for errors, let another |
| research attempts have been fruitless, | | | | person (for example, your parent or an |
| it may be that you are considering a | | | | older sibling) check it too. Are there |
| topic that no one else has previously | | | | any references missing from the |
| presented. In other words, no one has | | | | bibliography. Is referenced material |
| determined that Chinese should be a | | | | from sources properly cited? Do the |
| major language taught as commonly as | | | | sentences and reasoning make sense. Did |
| Spanish or French. | | | | you include an abstract or summary of |
| Using an outline can help you organize | | | | the paper in the case of APA format |
| your material and can also help you | | | | papers? As soon as you are satisfied |
| discover connections between pieces of | | | | with your paper, run a spell and grammar |
| information that you weren't aware of | | | | check. (Check your spell checker setting |
| when you first conceived the topic of | | | | and make sure that they set to Grammar |
| your paper, After you have identified a | | | | and style). At that point, you can hand |
| topic and prepare an outline of the | | | | in your paper. |