Written by Greetings, all! I’ve finished grading the LIS Theory/Model assignments, and overall, you did very well! Your scores are in Canvas. I was especially impressed by the strong connections many of you made to information science theories, models, and course resources. Several papers included robust reference lists, showing you’ve found valuable studies—this level of research is expected in all upcoming assignments, including your final research paper. Keep up the great work!
Important:
- Pay close attention to assignment guidelines and rubrics. The rubrics detail expectations for successful assignments.
Academic Writing Expectations and Best Practices
• Maintain a Formal and Scholarly Approach: Your remaining assignments require a formal, research-based synthesis of scholarly LIS literature and a high degree of critical thinking—this is an expectation of graduate-level work.
• Follow Assignment Guidelines Closely: Each assignment builds toward your final research paper. Carefully review the assignment pages and adhere to submission procedures for each task.
• Organize Your Writing with a Logical Structure: Begin with a cohesive outline and ensure your writing has a clear, logical flow, particularly in the research paper.
• Use Provided Resources: Take advantage of assignment helpers and strictly follow formatting requirements for your research paper.
• Cite All Sources Properly: Always cite your sources in written work. Use APA 7 formatting consistently (note: APA formatting may not be perfect in WordPress).
• Refer to Citation Guidelines: Review Module 2 and other course materials for APA 7 citation rules, including proper in-text citations.
• Support Your Claims with Evidence: Avoid generalizations in academic writing unless they are supported by peer-reviewed or professional sources.
• Use Precise and Scholarly Language:
• Avoid generic praise: Instead of saying “This is a great study,” specify why it is valuable—e.g., “This study provides a comprehensive analysis of X, offering new insights into Y.”
• Avoid contractions: Use “It is…” instead of “It’s…” to maintain a formal tone.
• Be mindful of colloquial phrases:
• Colloquial: “Based on our research, it really seems like X and Y are connected, no doubt about it.”
• Better: “The findings of this study strongly suggest a causal relationship between X and Y.”
• Use precise academic verbs: Scholars argue, write, find, discuss, note, propose, etc.
• Instead of “In the article, Stephens talks about a professional development program…”, use:
• “Stephens (2016) discusses a professional development program…”
• “In the article, Bates writes that information seeking…”
• Follow APA 7 Citation Standards: Avoid including article titles in your text. Instead, use the standard APA format: Author’s last name and year in parentheses.
• Example: “Stephens (2016) finds that students using blogs…”
• Use Balanced, Evidence-Based Arguments: Academic writing is grounded in research—avoid sweeping generalizations or unsupported opinions. Support all statements with peer-reviewed studies, scholarly monographs, or academic sources.
• Clarify the Nature of Your Readings: Most monographs in INFO 200 are nonfiction—they are not novels.
• Proofread Your Work Carefully: Avoid grammar errors and typos. Proofread closely and, if possible, ask a colleague or friend to review your work before submission.
I’m coming from an MLA format background, so it’s been a transition moving into APA but I’m getting the hang of it. Having these guidelines to reference as well as the assignment examples is extremely helpful!
@lolorena thanks for that thought.