The Rubrics of Business Writing
How to Improve Your Research Papers in All Courses
How will you be evaluated on your business, accounting, and economics research papers? Every draft of any research paper should meet the following normal expectations for college level papers:
Style will be business like, and to the point. Don't puff to meet artificial page count. Instead, after you have the appropriate number of pages, edit 10-30% of text to make a streamlined marvel of business writing. Document the reduction if it is substantial, showing your teacher that you wrote a longer paper and then took time to edit it! The more substantial, the better. Why edit? Save paper; save ink; and save the reader's time The criterion for good style can be summarized in the following six commands to the writer: Reduce word count. (E.g., The fact is, you don't need phrases like "the fact is".) Make parallel lists of two or more ideas ("instant style", as Strunk and White wrote in Elements of Style). Activate your writing, eliminating passive voice (except in committee reports or diplomatic writing). Specify your thoughts, substituting precise wording for vague phrases and statements. Illustrate your ideas, with examples, charts, statsitics, quotes of expert opinion, cases, and so on. Organize your ideas in good paragraph and section structure. (More on this follows below.)
Content will mix practical with theoretical ideas, resulting in valuable scholarlship. Would any of your Accounting, Business, or Economics teachers recognize that you had used ideas from the various fields that you have studied? Remember that this is a capstone to your major study at Houghton. Would a prospective employer be pleased with a brief summary of how you had