Research sources need credibility when "they" are quoted

The value of credibility is a factor when writing a research paper or using a reliable source. But more so, when quoting directly or indirectly (paraphrasing), it's more important to consider "who" said so by merit of their occupational title, place of employment and its relevance as a reliable source, and what credentials the individual brings. This is one of the inherent flaws of Wikepedia: ANYONE can write something and be a source. 

For this reason, it's an excellent idea to see "who" is being referenced--and what degree of reliability they carry for the information you've decided will back up or challenge your reason for including it in a paper. Let's look at a sample from an article on changing conditions in the salinity (salt level) of today's oceans--and notice "WHO" said so. I've placed the specific sources and their employment in highlight format:

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/culture/articles/020401/archive_020473_2.htm

Perilous Waters

A climate surprise may be brewing in the North Atlantic

By Charles W. Petit

4/1/02

Straight west from Paris, the City of Light, is the raw, sub-Arctic town of Gander in Newfoundland, whose tourist board boasts of icebergs and caribou herds. Parisian winters run nearly 20 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than Gander's, at the same latitude. The reason is 2,500 churning, intervening miles of radiator called the Atlantic Ocean, its warmth carried to Europe by prevailing winds. But an unsettling change reported at a recent oceanography meeting could mean a shorter sidewalk cafe season on the Champs-Elysees.

Nearly the whole North Atlantic from Canada to Scandinavia and the British Isles, to depths of more than a mile, has received a vast influx of fresh water since the 1960s, perhaps from rivers, rain, or melting ice. Some experts say the influx could disrupt ocean currents vital not only to Europe's relatively mild weather, but also to world climate patterns. And while gradual global warming may be what has unleashed the burst of fresh water, its effects could come suddenly--in decades--and chill Europe while most of the world keeps warming.

Debate is already underway about whether the finding is bad news, good news, or merely fascinating. But one thing seems clear. "It is the biggest oceanographic change ever seen, anywhere, in the modern instrumental era," says the oceanographer who led the analysis, Robert Dickson, who works at a British government lab in Lowestoft, England.

The shift in salt content--well under a part per thousand--may seem at first blush an arcane item only of academic interest. The water wouldn't taste different. But researchers worry that it takes little to alter the forces that drive ocean currents.

The North Atlantic is the headwaters of an interlinked system of currents sometimes called the oceanic conveyor belt, which ferries vast quantities of heat from the tropics to the poles. In the Atlantic, the Gulf Stream and other warm currents at the surface carry a volume of 75 Amazon rivers northward. Meandering near Greenland, these currents shed heat at a rate of half a million nuclear reactors. The waters are already unusually salty, which makes them dense, and the heat loss makes them denser still--so dense that they sink and flow back south along the ocean bottom, drawing additional southerly waters north at the surface. This powerful "overturning" feeds energy into other currents that lace the Pacific, Indian, and polar oceans and help determine the locations of deserts, rainy regions, and typical storm tracks around the world. As fresh water dilutes the salt in the North Atlantic, the water becomes less dense. And if the water arriving from the south can't sink even after it cools off, it won't make room for the next batch. By putting the brakes on this circulation, "fresher water in the North Atlantic could be real trouble," says Dan Seidov of Pennsylvania State University.

Dickson and colleagues from Britain, Canada, and Germany broke the news at a mid-February ocean science conference in Honolulu, citing data from scientists who have been dropping instruments into the North Atlantic for decades. "This is the first time it's all been put together," notes Terrence Joyce of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. "It is amazing and, in terms of oceanography, exciting."

Igor Yashayaev, a Canada-based researcher working with Dickson, figures the lowered salinity is equivalent to adding a layer of fresh water 12 feet deep to the North Atlantic. Experts are unsure whether it is coming from heavier rain and river runoff or melting of Arctic glaciers and sea ice. Nor do they know whether the cause is a natural climate cycle, global warming due to human activity, or some mix of the two. And they don't know exactly how much additional fresh water it would take to push the Atlantic over the edge and cause its circulation to collapse.

Still, "the density is already very close to the critical point," says Andrew Weaver of the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. If the oceanic conveyor belt does shut down, impacts could come fast. "It's like a light switch, not a dimmer," says Arnold Gordon of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. The world has gone through at least two dozen drastic climate shifts in the past 100,000 years, when regional temperatures dropped or soared 10 degrees or more in a matter of decades. Ominously, a shutdown or start-up of the North Atlantic circulation was a key factor in most of them. The latest, the so-called Younger Dryas 13,000 years ago, struck as the world was slowly emerging from the last ice age, and abruptly plunged Europe and parts of North America back into glacial conditions.

No one expects an oceanic shutdown to bring the ice age back to London and Paris. But there are already hints that the North Atlantic's heat pump is faltering, while most of the rest of the planet warms. "It's curious that the only place in the world where temperate glaciers are advancing is in Scandinavia," says Weaver. In another sign of trouble in the deep, some of the bottom currents carrying cold water back south seem to have weakened by 20 percent in recent years.

It's not just the North Atlantic. "There are large-scale changes going on in all the world's oceans," says Tim Barnett of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography near San Diego. He and other scientists reported last year that nearly all the world's oceans are warming, with human-caused global warming the most likely culprit.

The change in the Atlantic, if it comes, might not be all bad. "It might be good for Europe," says Gordon. "The rest of the Earth is going to undergo significant warming, except perhaps there." But no one wants to be taken by surprise. Great Britain intends to spend $30 million over the next six years to monitor the Atlantic for any shifts in warm surface water going north and cold bottom water returning south.

Meanwhile, says Joyce, "I'm in the dark on how close to an edge or transition to a new ocean and climate regime we might be. But I know which way we are walking. We are walking toward the cliff."

The Oxford Comma: don't leave a group of words without it

And now a few syllables about the Oxford comma. I use it--and I find most people (especially Americans) don't like it--nor do they understand its purpose. The rule in general with a group of three items is to use a comma for the first item, then use the word "and" between the second and third. For example, a popular folk group in the 1960s were Peter, Paul and Mary. (In a similar way, a progressive rock band that I liked during the '70s were Emerson, Lake and Palmer.)

Enter the Oxford comma, which puts a SECOND punctuation mark after the 2nd item: "Peter, Paul, and Mary." And that's why I use it: in the first example (without the Oxford comma), if Peter was on time for the gig but Paul didn't show, did Mary also not perform? If Emerson and Lake were onstage but Palmer was still in the dressing room, did the band get full credit? Of course not.

If you look at the image I've used as an example, it is rather horrid--but you get the point. No, I won't melt down if you don't use the Oxford comma--but if you read anything I write, you'll notice it. For example, the law firm Dewey, Cheathem, and Howe. (I'm not very fond of lawyers--sorry. But that came from the "Car Talk" radio show.)

I've been used--but I'm not going to use anyone either!

Use to/Used to (with thanks to http://www.5minuteenglish.com/mar20.htm)
 
There is a little confusion on how to use the words use to and used to. One reason for the confusion is that it is sometimes used as a verb, and sometimes used as an adjective. The other reason is because it seems like the tense changes. It's really quite simple when you look at it.

Used as an adjective. Use to be + used to. This means to be accustomed to. For example- I can study with the TV on. I am used to it. It means I am accustomed, adjusted, or don't mind having the TV play while I'm studying. 

Or another example- Tim had a hard time living in Tokyo. He wasn't used to so many people. Tim didn't have experience being with big crowds of people before.

Used as a verb. Use to + verb is a regular verb and means something that happened but doesn't happen any more. It uses -ed to show past tense. But since it always means something that happened in the past, it should always use past tense. For example- I used to go to school in Paris. (I went to school there before, but now I don't.) Or, When Joshua was a child, he used to climb trees. (Now he doesn't climb trees.)
 
Remember, we always use this word when talking about the past. So when do you use use to without the d at the end? When the base form of the verb is used. Look at these examples- She didn't use to swim before noon. (Now she does swim before noon.) Or Did your father use to ride a horse? In these cases the past tense is shown with the did and didn't.

The 4 Motivating Qualities of Life & Literature tell us Personal Values

Ever figure what motivates people?  It's easy--and it works with everyone you know (including loved ones)--and it's just as valid in literature. This is another example of why reading literature makes a difference: it teaches us values and ethics about people's choices, behaviors, and cause-and-effect:

Love, Money, Power, or Fear.  

Three of them are constants in our life (Primary), and one is not important (Secondary).  The trick is to know which are yours, and see how you match each other (in relationships), or just being aware of your personal "hot buttons." (For reference: I realize now that I'm definitely about Power (or Empowerment of myself and Others. I'm about Love: helping/sharing/giving to others to express my values and support them as a Global Family. And I'm surprised--but accept--that I have certain Fear issues of Abandonment and Security because I've had so much upheaval in my life, and a lot of it was from not understanding my own thinking processes with ADD and a learning disorder that I am still working to overcome.) Money? It's a game to me: an illusion. As the CEO said in "Margin Call", it's just paper with numbers and images on it so that we don't have to kill each other to get something to eat.

They each have a positive and negative reinforcement as motivators in our lives, depending on which ones are Primaries.  Again, the rule is that three of four are Primaries:  these are the factors which motivate and inspire each of us, and the remaining one (Secondary) are not of consideration nor consequence when it comes to decision-making processes.  Our relationships that succeed or fail, whether personal or professional, can depend heavily on how well matched we are with a Significant Other who mirrors back a similar Primary.

 Love as a Positive Primary brings someone a warm feeling of appreciation for living things, human or otherwise; they are very attuned to the flow of energy that sustains all that exists.  Some of these people are healers or work with support systems that enhance or encourage people, animals, plants, or other creatures to be maintained or thrive.  Love as a Positive Primary can be very spiritual; it is a natural part of this type to be affectionate and seek out others who enjoy receiving and giving this energy.

As a Negative Primary, these people can be overcome by jealousy and possessiveness.  They may be envious of others who receive or give affection or displays of love.  Some people who use Love as a Negative Primary force do not let other people find fulfillment in romantic situations:  a parent or partner who deliberately uses control of Love is such a person.

Money as a Positive Primary can be seen through people who are resourceful, inventive, generous, and philanthropic; they are willing to share with others who are in need.  Possessions and property are not theirs exclusively; they are aware of being supportive and encouraging in motivating others to reach their goals or just keep trying and not quit.  Professor Muhammad Yunus and his efforts to provide micro-loans to women who needed financial assistance to break the cycle of poverty is one example.  This is more than just giving to charities too:  this is realizing that Manifestation is a gift that everyone can create and use.  

Something  as simple as the "pay it forward" method of giving to someone who needs assistance and then letting them extend the same opportunity to someone else in need would be such a method.  The Native American tradition of potlatch is an example:  The potlatch is a festival or ceremony  practiced among Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. At these gatherings a family or hereditary leader hosts guests in their family's house and holds a feast for their guests. The main purpose of the potlatch is the re-distribution and reciprocity of wealth.

Different events take place during a potlatch, like either singing and dances, sometimes with masks or regalia, such as Chilkat blankets, the barter of wealth through gifts, such as dried foods, sugar, flour, or other material things, and sometimes money. For many potlatches, spiritual ceremonies take place for different occasions. This is either through material wealth such as foods and goods or non-material things such as songs and dances. 

As a Negative Primary, Money can be a crippling need for wealth at the cost of others' lives:  slavery is one example.  Greed, miserliness, and the abuse of others at any price is another.  The monetary system in general (not barter) has many examples of how financial means can become an abusive method of controlling people.

Power as a Positive Primary brings out the best in creative visualization and faith in one's values if they are used to help and assist others and life in general.  This is the realm of believing in one's goals, as well as helping others to reach theirs.  It is more than physical strength; this is spiritual strength and empowerment, and the purpose of having a dream to pursue.  Some people go into various methods of Life Coaching, including sports, in order to help others fulfill their destinies.  The late college basketball coach, John Wooden of UCLA, is a great example.  Jaime Escalante, the high school math teacher who encouraged his students to break free of the poverty mentality of their East Los Angeles upbringing and go on to college, is another.  

As a Negative Primary, Power can certainly be seen as a control factor.  The use and abuse of Love, Money, and Fear to frighten and weaken others can be seen throughout the history of Mankind through the works of literature and other means of expressing and recording the stories of people and their efforts.  Domination, tyranny, and competitiveness that overwhelms others at the price of their freedom (again, slavery and conquest being two examples) finds justification in the eyes and minds of people who believe that "Might Makes Right."

Fear as a Positive Primary is often misunderstood as a weakness, but it has a proper place.  Caution, security, and deliberate, proper planning are excellent ways of being sure and confident of one's plans or position in life.  Such people are often slow to respond, but are determined and successful.  I would place investor Warren Buffet here because of the rules he follows regarding his strategies about money:  don't lose it, and don't take unnecessary risks.

As a Negative Primary, Fear is used by people who are afraid; the word "afraid" itself often appears in their language.  They can be intimidated easily and reduced to positions of self-doubt and worry.  I consider such people to "drive with one foot on the gas and one foot on the brake"; they often are hesitant to take control of opportunities for themselves, and can be overwhelmed by emotional factors and insecurities.  Death as a topic and the fear of the unknown after death is another part of a Fear-based Negative Primary; it has been used for centuries as a means of controlling people's values and resources. Rejection and struggles with society can also be a Fear-factor. I realize after 65 years of life that I'm on the autism spectrum as a high-functioning adult; yet I still struggle to overcome matters when dealing with the public-at-large and in personal encounters.

I personally respond to Love and Power--and to my dismay, Fear. A lifetime of loss has left a mark on me.  I know I'm someone who has sought Love throughout my life; it's brought me many broken hearts and much growth.  I also have issues with Power; I realize that my inferiority complex as a child was the result of being too smart and unable to find a comfortable place with my family's position (they were very motivated by Power and Money).  I never related well to Money; it's a false entity to me, and one that has been used for centuries to control and manipulate people. I can be very brave, but Fear still sounds like a plucked bowstring in my soul that leaves a note I feel with anguish. Such is Life, even though I am grateful for the challenges I've faced because it's brought me Wisdom.  

"Sex, society, marketing, and psychology"

“Sex, society, and psychology is the assignment,” he proclaimed. 

Mmmph. 
That got everyone’s attention. You DID notice that first picture was a pair of feet, right?  You thought what?  

I guess now when I say, “Read the assignment," it’ll get done! Okay, today’s guest speaker is Havelock Ellis, and we’re going to use his Studies in the Psychology of Sex as our platform. We’ll peruse a short sample from a biographical essay and look for a thesis statement wrapped inside of an assertion, as well as topic sentences, transitional phrases, action or signal verbs, and a summarizing conclusion.

Yes, those were feet!
No, that's your own fault for having a vivid imagination.
And no: the man in the tub didn't have twisted legs.  
 

No, you may not go back and look!
Now pay attention!!
  

     When, as a young man in Australia, Havelock Ellis resolved to become a physician and devote himself to a lifetime study of sexual phenomena, the subject was surrounded by social taboos. Ellis became the first notable English writer to discuss sex openly and with detachment. Starting with Ellis and Sigmund Freud, late in the 19^th century, human physiology began to be seriously investigated and sex to be studied not as if it were a disgraceful function, but as something normally common to the human race. That everything related to sex could be freely discussed in the mid-20^th century is owing largely to the work of these two trail-blazing scientists.
===================
(Got that? You either say Yes right now and get a chance to help keep the human race going, or just say No and stop here. Literally.)
--------------------------------------
(Ok. Continue)
  

     While Ellis undertook a certain amount of original investigation for Studies in the Psychology of Sex, his writings are based chiefly upon already published work scattered through hundreds of learned journals and innumerable books, many of them exceedingly obscure. To the study of sex, Ellis proposed to apply the same objective research methods followed by other scholars in anthropology, politics, and the social sciences. His seven-volume work was directed primarily at the education of normal people--the general public--to persuade them that a rational attitude toward sex is essential to human happiness. Only incidentally was Ellis concerned with the problems of medical practitioners and with sexual abnormalities.
   
(Key points here:)

Summing up Ellis's achievements, the American psychiatrist Karl Menninger concludes: Substantially, he did three things. In the first place, he made a careful, thorough, and honest collection of data relating to a phase of biology which the hypocrisy and prudery of medical science had, until Ellis, caused to be ignored for the most part. In the second place, he evolved and advocated a hedonistic philosophy of life tempered if not determined by the sane, scientific attitude toward sex which his studies engendered. 

In the third place, he presented his scientific findings and philosophical beliefs to the world with that artistic combination of directness and delicacy which made them acceptable to non-scientific readers.  

    H. L. Mencken described Ellis as "undoubtedly the most civilized Englishman of his generation," a judgment that has won wide concurrence. Ellis has been more responsible than any other man for lifting the Puritan taboo upon sex, for bringing the subject into the clear light of science, and for preparing public opinion for objective research in the field of sex and marriage. He paved the way for the reception of Freud and Jung in psychological theory, for such literary figures as Joyce and Proust, and for such further investigation in his own chosen field as those of Alfred Kinsey.
   

Okay.
What is the heart (and thesis) of this paper? Why does the subject being "pitched" have an impact, or WHY was this person's life significant?

Havelock’s importance as a leading pioneer in the study of human sexuality and its impact on our social values.  His contributions regarding the dynamics of humanity’s primal drive to perpetuate are profound for their ground-breaking avenues of thought and research methods. His impact on the intellectual-philosophical dimensions of sexual research (breaking away from narrow-minded restrictive attitudes and values) broke open a logjam of ideas about human behavior (women are humans and not second-class creatures), and also likely influenced the Suffragette movement in America. 

(Easy answer: he made us learn about our bodies and how we function as a species.) Why does he (it) matter? Oh, THAT 3-letter word. It also has a sense of power unto itself, yes? Mighty important part of our lives; we devote a considerable amount of our economy on sex, yes?
Marketing, advertising, and movies? Clothes? Music? Automobiles? Vacations and travel? Medicine, including pediatrics and the process of being born right and unto death? Our housing boom trends and real estate? Toys, games, and entertainment?   
 

I’ll stop there.
You’d better know the rest of the details or else you’re gonna be extinct. And college won't matter.

The annotated bibliography: giving detail to your sources

You may be required by a professor to produce an annotated bibliography. This is NOT a works-cited page, but it does have that format included at the end of each source. Just for reference sake, there should be a double-spaced line between sentences in the MLA format. 

Also, there should be a 5-space indentation (or one tab stroke from the keyboard) on the second and following sentences of the source; same thing.) 

Also, do not split up dates as indicated. (You can go into “Paragraphs” in MS-Word and use the “special” box and the response for a “hanging” indentation.)

WHAT IS AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY?
An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited.

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ANNOTATIONS VS. ABSTRACTS
Abstracts are the purely descriptive summaries often found at the beginning of scholarly journal articles or in periodical indexes. Annotations are descriptive and critical; they expose the author's point of view, clarity and appropriateness of expression, and authority.

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THE PROCESS
Creating an annotated bibliography calls for the application of a variety of intellectual skills: concise exposition, succinct analysis, and informed library research.

First, locate and record citations to books, periodicals, and documents that may contain useful information and ideas on your topic. Briefly examine and review the actual items. Then choose those works that provide a variety of perspectives on your topic. Cite the book, article, or document using the appropriate style.

Write a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book or article. Include one or more sentences that (a) evaluate the authority or background of the author, (b) comment on the intended audience, (c) compare or contrast this work with another you have cited, or (d) explain how this work illuminates your bibliography topic.

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CRITICALLY APPRAISING THE BOOK, ARTICLE, OR DOCUMENT

For guidance in critically appraising and analyzing the sources for your bibliography, see How to Critically Analyze Information Sources. For information on the author's background and views, ask at the reference desk for help finding appropriate biographical reference materials and book review sources.

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CHOOSING THE CORRECT FORMAT FOR THE CITATIONS
Check with your instructor to find out which style is preferred for your class. Online citation guides for both the Modern Language Association (MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) styles are linked from the Library's Citation Management page.

Here's an annotated bibliography that I did for an online English class; the subject was African-American studies:

Jefferson and Hemings

     Murray, Barbara, et. al. “Jefferson’s Secret Life.” USNews.com. 9 Nov. 1998. 3 June 2005

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/culture/articles/981109/archive_005152.htm

By pinpointing the results of dedicated forensic genetic sleuthing, the authors buttress the legacy of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: he fathered at least one son and likely two daughters. The British journal Nature presents the results of scientific tests that show a conclusive DNA match between them that was directed by Dr. Eugene A. Foster, technically retired after a distinguished career as a pathology professor at the Tufts University School of Medicine and the University of Virginia. 

Confirmation of the Jefferson-Hemings affair could provoke a fresh examination of the American experience of slavery, and of relations between the races. Additionally, it may help heal the disparate perceptions of blacks and whites of their common heritage. Orlando Patterson, a professor of sociology at Harvard University and author of the forthcoming book on slavery, Rituals of Blood, states that this will establish concretely that mixed families were part of the Colonial Fathers’ legacy.

This well-designed article also discusses the resistance and cooperation met by ancestors of both families, as well as technical obstacles that needed resolution, including family roots that had no heirs. It will highlight the meaning of Sojourner Truth’s “Address” and the ties to black nurses who raised young southern children. 

Middle Passage

Lemrich, Greg. “The Middle Passage – Slaves at Sea.” Home Page. 4 June 2005. http://beatl.barnard.columbia.edu/students/his3487/lembrich/

As an assignment for a spring 2005 Early American Maritime Culture seminar at Barnard College, Lembrich’s site offers a specifically detailed research of the Middle Passage, the wretched conditions experienced by the captured Africans who were shipped as human cargo, representing one of the great evils of the slave trade. Referring specifically to the journey across the Atlantic, the Middle Passage was the longest, hardest, most dangerous, and also most horrific part of the journey of the slave ships because of deaths due to infectious disease, drowning, and the packed below ships quarters where the slaves were shackled.

This was the best site I found, even within a college database, for the variety of sources and specific links that target key areas of the Middle Passage conditions experienced by slaves. My reference for this in assignments will be the readings on Phyllis Wheatley as well as Frederick Douglass.

Nat Turner

Asante, Molefi Kete. “The Real Nat Turner.” Molefi Kete Asante Web Site. 4 June 2005. http://www.asante.net/articles/Real-Nat-Turner.htm

The author’s credentials as the premier authority theorist of Afrocentricity are the platform for his challenge of white southern novelist William Styron (The Confessions of Nat Turner) and crucial in understanding Nat Turner. Asante asserts Styron’s novel demeans the meaning of Turner’s life and legacy and condemns Styron’s version of a mentally disturbed and violent man bent on revenge. Assante reverses the polarity of guilt by poignantly specifying the atrocities of whites against blacks, including the physical, mental, emotional, and psychic traumas, and regards Turner as an organic man who was justified by conscience and purpose.

I’ve used Asante before; I hold him and Henry Louis Gates in the highest esteem as historians. This web page is worth the assignment, but I’ll look again at Douglass’s life. 

Underground Railroad

“Retracing the Route to Freedom.” National Parks Conservation Association. www.npca.org. 4 June 2005. 

    http://www.npca.org/walk.html

A diary of events chronicled on this website supplements the efforts of a great-grandson of a slave who wanted to bring public awareness to the Park Service’s efforts to honor the Underground Railroad. Desiring to keep his journey authentic, Anthony Cohen undertook a 60-day trip by foot, boat, and rail to reach Amherstburg, Ontario, from Sandy Spring, MD—a trek of 1500 miles. As part of his reenactment, he follows the method of Henry “Box” Brown and has himself nailed into a crate to be shipped.

I chose this site for the remarkable narrative that Cohen kept: it brings a powerful level of realism. 

(Alice) Walker’s “Am I Blue?” banned or censored

“Ain’t I a Woman.” Home Page of Dr. Kathleen L. Nichols. Pittsburg State University Web site. Pittsburg State U. 4 Jun 2005. http://www.pittstate.edu/

Finding this site is only a doorway to a link with a small online paragraph on Banned, a book that exposes the ridiculous circumstances regarding this issue. The endorsement of the American Library Association bolsters authoress Patricia Holt of the San Francisco Chronicle Book Review’s synthesis of news articles. However, the site’s major value is its comprehensive atlas of African American writers and topics. This site offers an enterprising array of links and sites dedicated to the written art of black writers and thinkers, and heavily weighted scholarly articles. This site should be a staple in future classes—it will be strongly supported by me in my future classes as an outstanding opportunity. This was also the last—and hardest—one I did. Well worth it as a reminder to keep with the task.

"What do you do?" in life that took effort--and made a difference for you

"What do you do?" That's the first writing assignment I want from you as my student. But I don't mean "what job do you perform."  I mean "What have you learned to do because you were persistent; because you tried; because you were determined to succeed. And WHY did it make a difference in your life because you stayed with it--even if it was hard-tough-took up your time, etc.? And in the long run, you're better for it. It's something you're proud of; an accomplishment that means a lot to you; it makes a difference in WHO you are now. It built character in you--and you're a better person for it." In other words, "What do you do well that you once-upon-a-time didn't, or couldn't--but you were willing to stay with it and master it?"

I want to know WHAT you learned to do because it was difficult but you had to stay with the job, or the idea, or the lessons to master it.  I want to know WHY this particular skill, talent, or ability was--and is--so important to you--that you are happy to tell me about it BECAUSE it made you smarter, stronger, or more confident.

Can you cook?  Are you skilled at preparing food?  Are you musically inclined?  Can you read music?  Perform on an instrument?  Do you learn by moving: are you a dancer, or do you find martial arts to be your skill?  How about mechanical talents:  can you assemble, build, or figure out the complex ideas of operating something and what makes it work?  

How about building:  can you see spatial plans and assemble or create?  Are you artistically inspired to draw, paint, carve, or release something from your imagination into a tangible?  

Are you a people-person?  Do you work with ideas, thoughts, images, or coaching?  Can you motivate, inspire, encourage, or promote?  Have you sales skills, the ability to make people believe in your ideas?  Are you motivated by the need to nurture, heal, or save something or someone?  Are you creative with words, sounds, colors, or textures?  Can you do things with available space or organize?

What IS it you do well because you had a goal, a dream, or a determination to be "good" at something; tell me about this.  Tell me WHY this matters to you and HOW it came to be; tell me WHO was the person who showed this to you (or did you come by this yourself?) WHO made you do this? WHO inspired you; who put the idea in your mind, or where did you go for support and help to get better at this.  HOW did you learn things about this idea, job, skill, or talent, and HOW was it valuable:  HOW have you used it or done it?

HOW LONG has this been a part of your life, and HOW do you see this playing a part in your future?  I want to know--and it will be useful for you to learn how to make your answer a part of your future--and the future of others who may learn by you. And you just may find this answer VERY useful in a job interview when you explain this idea--because it shows you have DETERMINATION, ENDURANCE, AND PERSEVERANCE to not only learn something, but because you were motivated, had initiative, and had a drive for success and achievement that you WANT to offer to your potential employer.

Got that?

Transitions: words that connect ideas to time, space, and relevance

Transitions connect! Use them to bridge and link ideas in a flow of thought--ESPECIALLY details and facts that support a topic sentence (and thesis). (And for the simple reason that they add more words to your paper--which will help UNLESS you've been told to do a "one-page paper or else!" assignment like I saw in graduate school.)

Joining Phrases
•    also, and, again, as well as,

•    furthermore, in addition, moreover

Comparing Phrases
•    also, likewise, in comparison,

•    in the same way, similarly
 

Providing an Example

•    for example,

•    for instance, namely, specifically,

•    the following example..., to illustrate
 

Contrasting Phrases

•    conversely, despite, even though, however,

•    in contrast, in spite of, instead, nevertheless, nonetheless,

•    otherwise, regardless, still, to the contrary,

•    yet, in this case, for what it’s worth

•    notwithstanding, on the contrary, on the one hand, on the other hand

Making a Concession
•    although it is true that,

•    Granted,

•    I admit that, it may appear that,

•     naturally, of course

Summarizing ideas
•    after all, all in all,

•    as I have said,

•    as we have seen,

•    in any event, in brief,

•     in closing,

•    in conclusion

•    in short, in summary,

•    in retrospect,

•    on the whole, therefore,

•    to conclude,

•    to sum up, to summarize

Situating Phrases in Time
•    after a while, afterward,

•    as soon as, at length,

•    at that time, before, briefly, consequently,

•    finally,

•    in the meantime,

•    meanwhile, next,

•    soon, then, thereafter, until, when

•    shortly, simultaneously, subsequently, so far,

•    now, presently,

•    first (second, third, etc.)
 

Showing Conclusions

•    Accordingly

•    as a consequence, as a result

•    because, consequently,

•    then, thereupon, so,

•    then, therefore, thus

•    “What should be done about this?”