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Subject Guide: Writing & Research Papers
Research and Writing Help
When writing papers, the first thing to consider is the instructions from your professor. These instructions concerning style, format, and sources supersede everything else. After this, there are four main things to consider: 1) topic/research question, 2) organization, 3) writing style, and 4) sources.
1. Research Question
For a short video on picking a research question to support your topic, go here.
2. Organization
How to write an outline.
Resources
The following titles are beneficial for those studying religion and biblical studies, writing college or graduate-level papers, or preparing for graduate school.
- Vyhmeister, Nancy J. and Terry Dwain Robertson. Your guide to writing quality research papers for students of religion and theology
- Smith, Kevin Gary. Writing and Research: a guide for theological students
- Graff, Gerald. They say / I say: the moves that matter in academic writing
3. Writing Style
Writing style is key, and is what will bring your entire paper together and make it college-level writing. Turabian is the standard style used in seminaries. There is no creativity allowed in margins, page numbering, font type or size, or other style specifications in Turabian.
Writing Tutorials
Sentence structure, writing clearly, composing a thesis statement, writing tones, and common errors are important to your writing. Here is a set of Video Tutorials.
Resources
Please see the Turabian Style guide for more information on citations.
Citation Management
Organization upfront will save you headaches and frustration down the line. Using a citation manager and a citation generator can make all the difference.
4. Research Sources
One of the most important parts of writing a paper is finding and choosing the right sources. Firstly, you must determine if your professor wants academic only or is fine with more historic or popular sources. After determining this (and talking with the librarian to discover where to find these types of sources), it is important to evaluate your findings. The online world is full of misleading or incorrect information. Go here for a helpful source evaluation guide.
Resources
Check out this Wikipedia article for more info on what types of books, journals, and articles you should read for academic research and writing.
Entering a Seminary Program
- Zacharias, Danny. Surviving and thriving in seminary: an academic and spiritual handbook