Pre-Writing
Pre-writing involves writing before you write! In other words, before formally commencing the
first draft of your research paper, you will have done quite a bit of writing already— in the form
of notes, annotations, and paraphrases, etc. If you’ve done an adequate job pre-writing, you will
have generated content you can include in the first draft of the paper itself.
The following resources will help you strengthen and develop your pre-writing skills:
Generating Ideas
As Professor Rick Hanson (Fresno State) states, “The greatest block to writing is lack of
information.” How do we generate ideas (i.e., information)? Certainly, our own memories,
thoughts, and observations come in to play, but without encountering ideas and information
from others, how will we inform our own?
The following resources help you to generate ideas and organize them coherently:
•
Library Navigation/Data Base Sources/Finding Sources
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Finding and Evaluating Sources: BYU
 LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoCdhJsS6Bw
• Prompt/Instructions
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Questions To Ask Instructors About Assignments: [PE&GS1]University of Illinois—
Springfield
• LINK: http://www.uis.edu/thelearninghub/wpcontent/uploads/sites/76/2013/03/Questionstoaskprofabtassignment.pd
f
Important Words in Essay Prompts: UCLA
• LINK:
http://wp.ucla.edu/images/WritingCenter/handouts/IMPORTANT%20wo
rds%20in%20Essay%20Prompts%20apr102013.pdf
Reading the Prompt: Occidental College
• LINK: http://oxy.edu/center-academic-excellence/writing-center/readingprompt
Understanding Assignments: UNC (Video)
• LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDBwh47nmiY
Strategies for Generating Ideas
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Prewriting Strategies: BYU[PE&GS2]
•
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LINK:
writingcenter.byu.edu/sites/default/files/handouts/prewriting_strategies
.pdf
Brainstorming: Texas A&M[PE&GS3]
• LINK: http://writingcenter.tamu.edu/Students/HandoutsGuides/Handouts-(Get-It-Written)/Brainstorming-Planning/Brainstorming
Introduction to Prewriting (Invention): OWL[PE&GS4]
• LINK: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/673/01/
Types of Outlines and Samples: OWL
• LINK: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/544/03/
• Active Reading
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Annotating Texts and Notetaking: [PE&GS5]Tyler Junior College
• LINK: file:///C:/Users/pegs/Downloads/annotation_note_taking.pdf
Invention: Annotating A Text:[PE&GS6] Hunter College
•
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LINK: http://rwc.hunter.cuny.edu/reading-writing/on-line/annotating-a-text.pdf
How To Become An Active Reader:[PE&GS7] University of the Incarnate Word
• LINK:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3
1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB0QFjAAOB5qFQoTCNDGuI3Gx8cCFYJQiAod6
TIGcw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.uiw.edu%2Fowc%2FHandouts%2FHow
%2520to%2520become%2520an%2520Active%2520Reader(K).doc&ei=M
RzeVZDqDYKhoQTp5ZiYBw&usg=AFQjCNGnZ7PjrnSFyHYMeTPyhXzwcygv
ug
Critical Reading Towards Critical Writing: University of Toronto
• LINK: http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/reading-andresearching/critical-reading
• Thesis Statements
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What, How and so What?: Approaching the Thesis as a Process: [PE&GS8]UCLA
• LINK: http://wp.ucla.edu/index.php/home/handouts
Constructing Your Thesis Statement:[PE&GS9] UCLA
• LINK: http://wp.ucla.edu/index.php/home/handouts
Developing a Thesis: University of New Hampshire
• LINK:http://www.unh.edu/writing/cwc/handouts/content/Developing%2
0a%20Thesis%20FINAL.pdf
Revising Thesis Statements: IUPUI
•
LINK:
http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/uwc/uploads/docs/Revising%20Thesis%20Sta
tements-1.pdf
• Organization
 Organizing Your Ideas: Clermont Graduate University
• LINK:

http://www.cgu.edu/PDFFiles/Writing%20Center/Writing%20Center%20
Resources/Organizing%20Your%20Ideas.pdf
Quick Tips: ACADEMIC ESSAY STRUCTURES & FORMATS: University of
Minnesota
• LINK:
http://writing.umn.edu/sws/assets/pdf/quicktips/academicessaystructur
es.pdf
 Literature Review
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Literature Reviews: An Overview for Graduate Students: NC State
(Video)
 LINK: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/tutorials/litreview/
Writing Literature Reviews: Temple University
 LINK: http://www.temple.edu/writingctr/support-forwriters/documents/WritingLiteratureReviews.pdf
Literature Review Worksheet:[PE&GS10] CSUN Library
 LINK:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=we
b&cd=24&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CC8QFjADOBRqFQoTCJPB2MeH
1McCFVEziAodKsF3Q&url=http%3A%2F%2Flibrary.csun.edu%2Fjquinonez%2Fwriti
ngtools%2FLitReview.doc&ei=cKvkVZPJIdHmoASr1pfoDQ&usg=AF
QjCNGhr1LNmgZ19_sOl0jcIfqhmFB-LA