Writing@CSU

Writing Guides

Working in Groups

Introduction

Why Work in Groups?

Writing Tasks Suited to Group Work

Fact and Fiction: Common Fears about Group Work

What to Expect in Group Work

Choosing Group Members

Guidelines for Group Work

Initial Decision-Making

Idea-Generating and Research Tasks

Writing the Paper Together

Using Group Time Profitably

Dealing With Problems in a Group

Addtional Resources


Related Resources View Related Resources
Print-Friendly Page Print Page
Authors & Contributors

 

Divide the Writing Tasks

When you divide the writing tasks, each member does research and writes a portion of the document. The group then reconvenes to suggest revisions, smooth over transitions, and even edit style inconsistencies. This model is the most efficient and quickest for most groups that have not worked together in the past. Consider the following:

  • This only works if you spend a lot of time discussing organization before writing; otherwise, sections tend to digress and/or repeat each others.
  • Plan to write the introduction, conclusion, and transitions between sections together to help the text "flow."
  • Edit/revise the draft for coherence; is it obvious how each section supports/leads to your main point? Skipping this stage could lead to an incomprehensible paper. People's ideas about the main point, no matter how much discussion, aren't always going to be the same.

Copyright © 1993-2009 Colorado State University and/or this site's authors, developers, and contributors. Some material displayed on this site is used with permission.