SJCS Writing Handbook

Drafting

Drafting marks perhaps the most dicult part of the writing process: getting started. During this phase, individuals work to articulate their ideas in the written form It is vital that in pulling together ideas from multiple sources, students are careful to paraphrase, properly quote, and cite their sources appropriately. The process of documenting and organizing sources can be complicated and is an area of instructional emphasis Plagiarism is considered a significant violation of academic integrity. Plagiarism is the presentation of the ideas or writing of another person as one’s own.

Revising

Although the drafting process is time intensive, it is by no means the end of the writing process Revision is as much a part of writing as drafting is During this time, writers review their drafts to consider ways in which they might be more clear, thorough, or eective in their writing. The revision process is as much about clarifying one’s thoughts as it is writing. There are numerous tools that can be utilized when revising including peer editing, the use of checklists, reverse outlining, and plagiarism scanning software. Students will be introduced to these tools over the course of their studies at St. Joseph’s.

Editing

Editing is closely related to the revision process but is more oriented to the spelling and grammatical aspects of the writing

Formatting

Formatting is the process whereby students ensure that their writing is depicted in a standardized form. St. Joseph’s students should utilize either Chicago style or MLA style for their formatting as directed by their teacher. All substantive writing assignments must be typed