At a post-secondary level, most writing aims to inform or persuade the reader. In any type of writing, you will likely need to research ideas, then present them in an organized way while giving credit to the sources you used.
✓ Focus on your purpose. Ask yourself throughout the writing process if you are staying on topic and expressing your message clearly.
✓ Consider who your reader is. What will your reader expect? What kinds of arguments will be most persuasive to your reader?
✓ Cite all of your sources of support. Plagiarism can have severe consequences. If you're worried, book an appointment with one of our librarians for help with citing.
✓ Be sure you can back up your position. Do you have enough credible support for the position you have taken and the points you are making?
✓ Think about how you might organize your writing. Choose ‘text structures’ that might work in your writing. The most common structures found in academic writing are comparisons, contrasts, causes/effects, and problems/solutions.
✓ Structure your paper. Most writing will have some form of an introduction with supporting paragraphs or points and a conclusion.
✓ Remember your topic sentences. If you are writing paragraphs, each supporting paragraph should have a clear topic sentence.
✓ Never “drop” a quotation into your writing. Always introduce each quotation and explain it after.
✓ You don’t always have to use a quotation to make your point. You can get the key point and express it in your own words (paraphrasing and/or summarizing).
✓ Use the appropriate level of language for this type of writing. Be aware of tone, who your audience is and the purpose for writing.
Use this tip sheet for help avoiding plagiarism.
Transitional Words and Phrases
Use this list of transitional words and phrases as a reference for your writing.
Supporting Paragraph Structure
Use this tip sheet to help you structure your supporting paragraphs.
Use this tip sheet to ensure your paragraphs are performing the role they are meant to perform.
Use this tip sheet to help you write summaries.
Use this tip sheet to remember how and when to use quotations.
Use this tip sheet for help paraphrasing information
Unless otherwise stated, the material in this guide is from the Learning Portal created by College Libraries Ontario. Content has been adapted for the NWP Learning Commons in June 2021. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons BY NC SA 4.0 International License.
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