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Overview
Different disciplines will have different standards for how papers should look. When considering the look and feel of your writing, you need to think about if you'll include subheadings to organize your ideas; if you'll incorporate pictures/images; or if you'll use tables, charts, or graphs to present statistical data. These considerations are an inevitable part of graduate-level writing. Learn more on this page about how to organize your papers and incorporate visuals when writing in Library and Information Science (LIS).
Organization
Follow the guidelines for formatting papers according to the preferred style of the school of professor. Different styles will often have basic standards for levels of heading, etc.
Start with a topic or subject focused outline.
Identify common themes from your sources and present them in logical fashion as part of the literature review or discussion section.
Use transitions as advised in APA (2020): “To improve continuity and flow in your writing, check transitions between sentences, paragraphs, and ideas to ensure that the text is smooth and clear rather than abrupt or disjointed” (p. 32, 2.2 Transitions).
Use subheadings to guide readers through the various sections of your work.
Beware of sweeping generalizations without scholarly evidence to support your ideas; weave this support for your claims throughout the paper. Academic writing involves conveying ideas with evidence and a clearly crafted and well-supported argument. Your opinion can come in the latter sections of the research paper as you explore what you have learned and how information services might respond.
Utilize a citation manager to keep track of your collected resources for writing.
Consider your paragraph structure carefully. The paragraph is a significant tool that allows you to direct the discussion and illustrate the evidence of your research. Present one main idea/point per paragraph, and make sure it's focused. For practice in your paragraph writing, read scholarly articles in LIS and notice how scholars set up claims in their paragraphs, integrate evidence, and synthesize their ideas with thoughtful discussion.
Visuals
Please review this screencast for an overview of best practices for incorporating visuals into your written work.
The four documents that are referenced within the above screencast are linked below. They are examples for both organizing papers and incorporating visuals.
Student Perceptions and Use of Mobile Devices for LIS Coursework: Implications for Educators
Sleuthing Websleuths: A Serious Leisure Information Community
A Wholehearted Approach to Service...and Burnout OR Soft Skills are Heart Skills
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