Shepherd School of Ministry

Some of you may have been out of school for a while, or never attended classes on a post-secondary (after High School) level. We encourage you to begin learning the research skills necessary in an academic environment and crucial to success in your studies. To ensure academic success students should:

• Develop skill and confidence in using Bible study and reference tools (concordances, dictionaries, handbooks, atlases, etc.)
• Take opportunities to engage intellectually with a subject, controversies within that topic, and sources related to differences
• Take opportunities to develop computer skills
• Begin to learn research skills crucial to information literacy including:
• How to formulate and clarify a question (define what you don’t know)
• Devise and implement an effective research strategy on those issues
• Learn effective use of online search engines and resources
• Learn how to gain access to books, periodicals, journals, and reference materials outside of class
• Develop and apply initial criteria for evaluating information and its sources (e.g. is the information or explanation Biblically sound?)
• Acknowledge the use of information sources appropriately (cite in a consistent manner) when reporting what you’ve found
  

Do not expect to understand everything in each class without prior background (D2 and other Bible studies) or without outside research on your own. That’s why learning to master these skills as early in your studies as possible is necessary. In this way you will feel you are “keeping up” with what is being taught.

HOW TO OUTLINE

Working from an outline helps you structure the logic of your paper. It identifies main ideas, defines subordinate ideas, disciplines your writing, maintains the continuity and pacing, discourages tangential excursions, and points out omissions.
A structured outline uses indention and numbers to indicate various levels of subordination. Thus, it is a kind of graphic scheme of the logic of your paper. The main points form the major headings, and the supporting ideas for each point form the subheadings.

I. Major idea
II. Major idea
etc.

HOW TO WRITE A WHOLE COMPOSITION

The following is a general structure to follow for many kinds of writing. Adapt it to specialized assignments as appropriate.

I. INTRODUCTION

The introduction is intended to draw the reader into the body of material to follow. It should begin with a general statement or question, sometimes called the "thesis statement" or "thesis question," followed by a quick narrowing down to the main theme to be developed in the body.

Set the stage quickly, give appropriate background, then move right into a transition sentence that will set up the reader for the body.

II. BODY (ARGUMENT)

The body of a written piece is where you elaborate, defend, and expand the thesis introduced in the introduction. The body should support your main contention with supporting evidence and possible objections. A good body presents both sides of a case, pro and con. As you make your case, save your best argument for last. When presenting contrary views, be sure to set forth the strongest arguments so you can avoid being charged with erecting a "straw man." The body includes three components:


When moving from one sub-point or argument to another, use connecting or transitional words and phrases that enable your reader to easily follow the flow of your thinking. The following is a partial list of logical connectors that you can use:

III. CONCLUSION

Make your final appeal to the reader, a finishing, all-encompassing statement that wraps up your presentation in a powerful or even dramatic fashion. Normally a single paragraph, brief and concise, will suffice. The purpose of the conclusion is to leave the reader with an idea or thought that captures the essence of the body while provoking further reflection and consideration.

HELPFUL RESOURCES

ACADEMIC STYLE MANUAL

Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. Current edition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

GRAMMAR AND COMPOSITION TEXTBOOKS

Baugh, L. Sue. How to Write Term Papers and Reports, 2nd ed. VGM Career Horizon /NTC Publishing Group, 1996.

Hodges, John C., Mary E. Whitten, Winifred B. Horner, Suzanne S. Webb, and Robert K. Miller. Harbrace College Handbook. Current edition. San Diego: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich.

Hopper, Vincent F., Cedric Gale, Benjamin W. Griffith, and Ronald C. Foote. Essentials of English, 5th ed. Barron’s Educational Series, Inc., 2000.

Strunk, William Jr., Charles Osgood, and E. B. White. The Elements of Style, 4th ed. Macmillan, 1999.

OTHER HELPFUL BOOKS

Adler, Mortimer J., and Charles Van Doren. How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1972.

Alford, Robert R. The Craft of Inquiry: Theories, Methods, Evidence. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.

Booth, Wayne C., Gregroy G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. The Craft of Research (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing and Publishing). University of Chicago Press, 1995.

ONLINE WRITING HELP

NOTE: Websites change from time to time. It may be necessary to do your own Internet searches to find suitable help.

• Paradigm Online Writing Assistant www.powa.org
• Online English Grammar www.edunet.com/english/grammar
• Purdue University Online Writing Lab http://owl.english.purdue.edu
• Researchpaper.com: Resources for writing research papers. www.researchpaper.com
• Writing and Presenting Your Thesis or Dissertation www.canr.msu.edu/aee/dissthes/
• Electronic Citation The Columbia University Press Guide to Online Style www.columbia.edu/cu/cup/cgos/
  

PAPER WRITING FOR DUMMIES

1. Each submission must have a Cover Sheet.
2. To protect yourself against possible loss, keep copies of all your submissions.
   
3. Always staple the pages together in the upper left corner. For larger paper, you may use a binder clip. Remember that a Cover Sheet must be attached to each copy of the submission.
4. Submissions should not be faxed except under special circumstances and as approved through the professor.
   

A Checklist for Students

This checklist reflects the academic writing standards and is intended to help you write a high quality paper. Your instructor will use the criteria listed here to evaluate your work. As a way to check the quality of your paper prior to submission, you can assess your paper according to each of the items that applies to it. The items are not weighted equally but will factor into the overall paper and course grade.

General Writing Principles

1. Clarity: Every part of the paper is easily understandable.
2. Conciseness: Wordiness is avoided.
3. Cogency: The paper is convincing, compelling and pertinent.
4. Correctness: There is accuracy and precision in:
   a. Assumptions
   b. Logic
   c. Theology
   d. Punctuation and grammar
   e. Style and formatting
   

Style

1. Complete sentences and proper punctuation are used.
2. Paragraphs are at least three sentences with one clear thought/point.
3. Formal terminology is used. Slang and colloquial expressions avoided.
4. Contractions are not used.
5. Abbreviations are correct and follow Turabian.
6. Minimize use of the personal pronoun; use only when necessary.
7. Sermonic language is not used.
8. Bible quotes are exact and include accurate references.
9. Proper punctuation of “Bible/biblical” and “Church/church” is used.
10. Assertions are validated with supporting evidence.
11. Supporting evidence is documented with complete notes.
    

Format

1. Font is Times New Roman, 12 point.
2. The body text is double-spaced, with about 250 words per page.
3. Footnotes are 10 points with double-spacing between footnotes.
4. Margins and page numbers are correctly placed.
5. Block quotations are single-spaced and indented on left side.
6. The paper is divided into sections.
   

Components

1. Title page (correctly formatted with appropriate information)
2. Body of text (with chapter or heading divisions)
3. Footnotes or endnotes (unless otherwise noted by instructor)
4. Bibliography  
   

Tips for Excellent Writing (Source unknown)

1. Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.
4. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
5. Avoid clichés like the plague. (They're old hat.)
6. Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.
7. Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
8. Be more or less specific.
9. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.
10. No sentence fragments.
11. Contractions aren't necessary and shouldn't be used.
12. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
13. Do not be redundant; do not use more words than necessary; it's highly superfluous.
14. One should never generalize.
15. Comparisons are as bad as clichés.
16. Don't use no double negatives.
17. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
18. One-word sentences? Eliminate.
19. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
20. The passive voice is to be avoided.
21. Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary. Parenthetical words, however, should be enclosed in commas.
22. Never use big words when a diminutive one will suffice.
23. Kill all exclamation points!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
24. Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.
25. Profanity is for x@l*% idiots.
26. Understatement is always the absolute best way to put forth earthshaking ideas.
27. Use the apostrophe in it's proper place and omit it when its not needed.
28. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."
    
29. If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Resist hyperbole; not one writer in a million can use it effectively.
30. Puns are for children, not for groan readers.
31. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.
32. Even if a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.
33. Who needs rhetorical questions?
34. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
35. And finally, proofread carefully to see if you any words out.
    

A Turabian Style Guide for Footnotes and Bibliography (Proper Style)

The research, writing and editing of an excvellent paper are complex. These examples are formatted according to Kate L. Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Sixth Edition.

Since updates are released frequently, and questions may arise that are not addressed here, we suggest that students also become familiar with the Chicago Manual of Style website (the style guide on which Turabian is based): http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/index_noredirect.html. This website has a great list of "Frequently Asked Questions" and will be a valuable resource as you write. Listed below are examples of proper citations. The letter "B" denotes bibliographical format, and the letter "F" denotes footnote format.

Single Author:

B:
Williams, Donald T. Mere Humanity: G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien on the Human Condition. Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 2006.
F:
1Donald T. Williams, Mere Humanity: G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien on the Human Condition (Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 2006), 5.

Chapter or part of a book:

B:
McCane, Byron R. “Where No One Had Yet Been Laid: The Shame of Jesus’ Burial.” In Authenticating the Activities of Jesus, eds. Bruce D Chilton and Craig A. Evans, 431-452. Boston: Brill Academic Publishers, 1999.
F:
6Byron R. McCane, “Where No One Had Yet Been Laid: The Shame of Jesus’ Burial,” in Authenticating the Activities of Jesus, eds. Bruce D. Chilton and Craig A. Evans (Boston: Brill Academic Publishers, 1999), 439.

Journal Article:

B:
Worsley, Howard, “Popularized Atonement Theory Reflected in Children’s Literature.” Currents in Theology and Mission 31 (October 2004): 381-389.
F:
7Howard Worsley, “Popularized Atonement Theory Reflected in Children’s Literature,” Currents in Theology and Mission 31 (October 2004): 381-389.

Article in an Electronic Journal:

B:
Hlatky, Mark A., Derek Boothroyd, Eric Vittinghoff, Penny Sharp, and Mary A. Whooley. “Quality –of-Life and Depressive Symptoms in Postmenopausal Women after Receiving Hormone Therapy: Results from the Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study (HERS) Trial.” Journal of the American Medical Association 287, no. 5 (February 6, 2002), http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v287n5/rfull/joc10108.html#aainfo.
F:
Mark A. Hlatky et al., “Quality-of-Life and Depressive Symptoms in Postmenopausal Women after Receiving Hormone Therapy: Results from the Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study (HERS) Trial,” Journal of the American Medical Association 287, no. 5 (2002), http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v287n5/rfull/joc10108.html#aainfo.