A review of common college student writing flaws --
including the issue of incorrect word usage.
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by Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., and Katharine Hansen, Ph.D.
Little Evidence of Research.
Inserting quotations, citing authors that bolster your thesis, and presenting
a lengthy-but-pertinent bibliography will all help show your professor that you've
research your topic well, assuming that you have, in fact, gathered sufficient
research material. But evidence of copious research will succeed only if you
use the research you've uncovered in a way that logically supports your thesis.
Thus, the lack-of-evidence writing flaw is intricately tied to the
failure-to-support-thesis flaw, as well as the poor-organization flaw.
Remember that your professor can give you the best guidance on how much
research you need to do. Check in with your instructor as you're researching
and writing your paper, and share your research with him or her. Your teacher
can probably tell you whether the research seems adequate.
Integrating the research into the paper is trickier. A good rule of thumb is to cite
at least one source per paragraph in the body of your paper (not counting the
introduction or conclusion, since these paragraphs are your opinions).
Go to the next common college student writing flaw:
Little
Evidence of Understanding Topic.
Back to the main page of
The Top
15 Writing Flaws That Can Lead to Lower Grades
Looking for more writing assistance? Go to our sister site,
EnhanceMyWriting.com: Indispensable Writing Resources.
Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information
(definitions and links) on key academic terms by going to our
College Success Glossary.
Dr. Randall S. Hansen, CEO of EmpoweringSites.com, has been empowering people his
entire adult life -- to help them better their lives. In fact, empowerment is part of his professional
philosophy statement. He is also founder of
Quintessential Careers, one of the oldest and most
comprehensive career development sites on the Web, as well as founder of
MyCollegeSuccessStory.com and
EnhanceMyVocabulary.com. He is publisher of
Quintessential Careers Press
as well as a published author, with several books, chapters in books, and hundreds
of articles. He's often quoted in the media and conducts
empowering workshops around the country. Hansen is also an educator, having taught at the
college level for more than 15 years.
Dr. Katharine Hansen, Creative Director of EmpoweringSites.com,
is a former speechwriter and college instructor who provides content for several of our sites, including
Quintessential Careers,
MyCollegeSuccessStory.com, and
EnhanceMyVocabulary.com. She also edits
QuintZine, an electronic newsletter for job-seekers,
career counselors, and students. She is author of Dynamic Cover Letter for New Graduates; A Foot in the Door: Networking Your
Way into the Hidden Job Market; and, with Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., Dynamic Cover Letters
and Write Your Way to a Higher GPA, all published by Ten Speed Press.
She can be reached by e-mail at kathy@quintcareers.com.
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