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Information Literacy

This guide will help students to understand what information is useful for their research papers, as well as provide a step-by-step guide for the use of that information.

Avoiding Plagiarism

Writing Center

UNK Writing Center logo

Assistance with all writing projects, including help with citing sources, is available at the Writing Center, which is part of the Learning Commons located on the Library's 2nd floor. 

Appointments are recommended and may be scheduled in-person or by telephone at 308-865-8905. 

Click here for more information about the Writing Center's services.

Applying Your Knowledge

Now that you have assembled your research, it is time to apply your knowledge in your paper. 

Write that paper and don't forget your in-text citations as well as your citation page! 

TIps for Writing a Well-Thought Out Paper: 

For assignments which research a topic and then write about it,  first of all really READ the information. Many students make the mistake of skimming materials, and then attempting to write a paper, without really assimilating and understanding the information.

ASSESS the information -- did you find out information that was new to you? Did your preconceived notions match the articles you chose? Are there certain parts of the information that were very meaningful to you, that you especially want to talk about or highlight?

REFINE: Consider making an outline, a mind map, or organizing information in the best and most useful way to you before starting to put it on paper. As you organize, it may help you to make a note pointing out which articles you may want to use in which sections of your paper.

START WRITING a rough draft to help pull your thoughts together. Have a peer, or someone in the Writing Center review that with you. Ask them to point out places where the information does not flow, or other flaws or errors. Also ask them to note anything that was very meaningful or powerful. 

Then on to step 5!

Spelling and Grammar Checks

Students love their spelling and grammar checkers -- but these tools simply do not always get it right. They are great tools, and generally catch most errors.  It is always best to have another person check over your work, to ensure that errors are corrected.