Building credibility is essential in academic writing, even if most of the world often seems to operate without it. You need evidence in your writing, not just your opinions. When I'm writing research papers (and yes, I still write them), I follow a formula called RENSSQQ. I will discuss this in class, but it's helpful to put it here, too, for those that may have missed it. This is not limited to just my class. A good research paper will have these elements, no matter what your major is.
Reasons (use solid reasons for your proposals or arguments, not "because I said so." So, let's look at my claim about Marvel. I can't just say Marvel is better without giving you a reason. Otherwise, it's vague and boring. Instead, I want to set up an argument with a reason. For example, I'd want to argue something like, "Marvel is better than DC Comics because they have more complex characters.")
Examples (Show concrete examples, and use transitions. For example, "Iron Man is a flawed character coming to grips with both his powers and his responsibilities." Next, I'd give you some prime examples from the film showing his character flaws and attributes to prove my claim above.)
Names Nothing disrupts good writing more than ambiguity. Instead of "A study shows" or, "one of the articles says," use their names. Be specific. I want to know who said this. Where's the data coming from? Is it a site like Onlymyviewmatters.com or Voguemagazine.com?
Numbers Data, data, data. Give me dates, specific numbers and percentages, statistics, etc. Instead of saying, "A lot of people prefer Marvel to DC Comics," prove it with a statistic from a reliable source, like "According to a recent study by Finder.com, Marvel beats DC Comics in most areas, including the commercial level, where Marvel has brought in $536.1 billion at the box office compared to DC's $104.5 billion."
Sensory Words Write in the language of your audience. Also, pick up a thesaurus and play around with your word choice. Good writing draws folks in, where boring, repetitive Tylenol instructions get tossed into the trash.
Questions I start with questions when I'm researching, but I also might leave my reader with something bigger to ponder by the end.
Quotations Again, I want to build up credibility. I'm going to find the biggest expert I can to back up my position to give my paper the authority I need to convince my audience. I'm not going to say, "Some folks at work are saying that vaping outside the building is getting on their nerves" because the boss doesn't likely care. However, if I can find an expert discussing the same thing, I will have better luck. I can say, "According to a recent study by The American Cancer Society, vaping is much more dangerous than previously realized, including its hazardous second-hand smoke." One sounds like a complaint. The other sounds like an initiative needs to be taken up. I prefer to cause my reader to respond rather than to react. That said, I have good quotes or paraphrases in EVERY SINGLE PARAGRAPH, except the conclusion. I like the last words to be mine. :)
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