CHAPTER 2 -  GETTING STARTED

This chapter concisely covers information on how to get started on a paper/assignment. It begins by demonstrating how to thoroughly understand the assignment then select a topic, and begin collecting information. This section includes guidelines and strategies that will help you "get started" and will make it much easier to plan essays.

• UNDERSTANDING ASSIGNMENT
  • Read assignment
    • Look for key words
    • Look for options and restrictions
  • Relate the assignment
    • To goals of coarse
    • To other assignment
    • To own interests
  • Reflect on the assignment
    • First implulses
    • Approaches
    • Quality of performance
    • Benefits
    • Key traits
• SELECTING A TOPIC
  • Limit subject area
  • Conduct research
  • Explore for possible topics
    • Journal writing
    • Freehand
    • Listing
    • Clustering
    • Creating dialogue
• COLLECTING INFORMATION
  • Find out what you already know
    • Focused writing
    • Clustering
    • 5 W's of writing
    • Directed writing
  • Ask questions
  • Explore diff. sources of information
  • Carry out your research