Tips, Hints & Practice
Dr. Peter M. Smudde, APR
Associate Professor & Coordinator, PR Program
© 2014 Peter M. Smudde
Basics
• Use like an encyclopedia or
dictionary
• Think nonlinearly
• Mark your most used stuff
• Memorize rules by using them
• Look for patterns in the rules
• Expect manuals change
• Realize many more style manuals
© 2014 Peter M. Smudde
• The standard for public relations writing
• Focus is journalistic writing
• PR organizations may choose to not follow all or
some rules, even have their own style manuals
• Available in print and as an app for iPhone, iPad,
iPod Touch, and Blackberry
• Updated annually – CRITICAL
• Limited online help – VERIFY EDITION
• Practice…
© 2014 Peter M. Smudde
© 2014 Peter M. Smudde
• The standard for communication field
• Focus is academic/scholarly writing
• Helpful in PR primarily for research writing
conventions and source documentation
• More than just rules for documenting sources
• Updated occasionally – CHECK EDITION USED
• Many online help websites – VERIFY EDITION
• Be wary of reference formatting apps
• Practice…
© 2014 Peter M. Smudde
Sources
• Major works:
– The largest kind of publication or production that
contains minor works
– Examples: books, journals, magazines, newspapers,
websites, albums, television shows, movies, plays
• Minor works:
– Smaller, self-contained parts of major works
– Examples: book chapters; articles in journals, magazines,
newspapers; webpages or articles on websites, blogs,
wikis, and social media; songs from albums; poems and
short stories in collections of either; episodes or acts in
television shows, movies, and plays
• How do you tell the difference?
© 2014 Peter M. Smudde
Sources
Book or Article?
Source data?
Sources
Book or Article?
Source data?
Sources
Expository Writing
• Basic Structure
– Introduction
– Body (including transitions)
– Conclusion
• Sections & Subsections
• Tone
• Grammar
Basic Structure
• Introduction—frames the entire paper and maps
what will be covered
– Broad subject
– Project’s relevance—topic’s importance and fit in the
broad subject
– Thesis—your idea (i.e., point of contention) around which
your paper revolves (NOT a purpose statement)
– Approach or analytical framework to be used
(theory/method)
– Content preview (major sections)
© 2014 Peter M. Smudde
Basic Structure
• Body—the very substance of your argument
– Major sections of your topic broken down to
develop your thesis
– Content must be driven by your project and its
purpose (back up claims with evidence)
– Transitions between sections are necessary
– Possible content:
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•
© 2014 Peter M. Smudde
Review of relevant literature
Analytical framework summary
Case example(s) description
Interpretation and evaluation of the case(s) based on
analytical framework
Basic Structure
• Conclusion—summarizes the paper’s content;
brings closure; looks forward
– Review what was done to prove the thesis and
rephrase the thesis
– Answer any formal research questions in terms of
the evaluation/findings
– Cover your work’s impact in the big picture (i.e.,
theory and practice)
– Argue for the project’s value
– Address the project’s limitations
– Propose next steps for more work in this project’s
area
© 2014 Peter M. Smudde
Basic Structure
• Sections & subsections
– Outline or otherwise view your paper’s content in
discrete chunks that flow logically
– If you have one section/subsection, you must have at
least one more
– Think of sections as mini papers that must have the
same structure as the whole paper—intro, body,
conclusion
– Every section and subsection MUST have an
introductory paragraph
– NEVER have a subheading follow a heading without an
introductory paragraph between them
– Follow APA style for proper heading structures
© 2014 Peter M. Smudde
Tone
• A characteristic of writing that reveals a writer’s
particular attitude and maturity toward the subject,
audience and project
• Influenced by purpose and audience
• Realized in word and phrase choices
– Informal – INAPPROPRIATE & UNACCEPTABLE
• “That theory doesn’t do it for me.”
• “Having said that, I like to think…” [transition]
– Formal – APPROPRIATE & EXPECTED
• “Patriarchy promotes inequities between genders that are
largely inappropriate and irrelevant today in many cultures.”
• “In contrast to patriarchy, egalitarianism offers…” [transition]
• REMEMBER: Write to express, not to impress
© 2014 Peter M. Smudde
General Writing Process Prescription
• Review an assignment carefully, especially between the lines.
• Come up with your answer to it, and write it in a single sentence.
This is your THESIS, and you can revise it.
• Outline several major topics to support your thesis, and add
supporting points for each of your topics.
• Write the body of your paper first. Incorporate any
sources/evidence you need to.
• Write the conclusion, but move it to become the introduction and
revise it so it works that way.
• Write a new conclusion.
• Put it all away for some time.
• Go back a few more times to your text and revise it to make the
argument the very best it can be.
• Correct grammar, style, spelling, formatting and other errors to
prepare the finished manuscript to turn in.
© 2014 Peter M. Smudde
The Write Stuff
Correct grammar and formatting
do not make good writing, but
good writing requires proper
grammar, formatting and more.
© 2014 Peter M. Smudde
The Write Stuff
• What are some markers of good writing?
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Counterpart to reading
Purposeful
Audience-centered
Clear
Focused
Interesting & important/relevant
Logical & well-structured ("readable")
Proper grammar & punctuation
Proper, reader-friendly formatting
Correct spelling
Accurate & timely
Supported (examples, data, evidence, visuals)
Compelling or insightful
Proper length (words or pages)
Effective & appropriate writing style & English usage ("voice")
– Hard work!
© 2014 Peter M. Smudde
Recommended Sources
Tips, Hints & Practice
Dr. Peter M. Smudde, APR
Associate Professor & Coordinator, PR Program
© 2014 Peter M. Smudde