How Many Sources in your Writing Sample??

[barilicious]

Hey all! I keep being paranoid about my works cited page - if it is too long, too short, or what not. My writing sample is about 20 pages, and I thought I had an adequate works cited page until I started over thinking things. So my question to you is, how long is your works cited page? How many sources do you have listed on it? And to put it in perspective, how long is your writing sample all together? Best of luck everyone as app season is definitely in full swing!

[jacib]

Hey all! I keep being paranoid about my works cited page - if it is too long, too short, or what not. My writing sample is about 20 pages, and I thought I had an adequate works cited page until I started over thinking things. So my question to you is, how long is your works cited page? How many sources do you have listed on it? And to put it in perspective, how long is your writing sample all together? Best of luck everyone as app season is definitely in full swing!

It will completely depend on the type of writing sample. If you are doing a quant analysis of a single data set, an entire paper could have half a dozen citations. My writing sample was based on a comparative study of dictionaries over time, and every dictionary needed a separate citation, plus I had to pick up all my theory from all over, and had to use terms defined in a third set of literature, so I ended up with a lot of citations. It really depends on your project. Don't worry. Do you have every potentially questionable fact and assertion cited? Every quote? Every referenced source? Every idea from someone else? Great. Does your paper have some theoretical grounding that ties it to a larger body of literature? Even better. Does it need more? I don't think so.

Oh and I sent in 20 pages of a roughly 35-40 project that was my BA paper. In retrospect, I probably sent the wrong 20 pages (I wanted to show the cleverness of my method and I think I should have striven to show the cleverness of analysis and conclusions; I sent the middle, when I think I should have sent the beginning and the end). Did it matter? No. I lucked out with a good match and am at my top choice school (Am I asking too many rhetorical questions? Yes. It's late and I can't sleep).

Edited October 12, 2010 by jacib

[barilicious]

It will completely depend on the type of writing sample. If you are doing a quant analysis of a single data set, an entire paper could have half a dozen citations. My writing sample was based on a comparative study of dictionaries over time, and every dictionary needed a separate citation, plus I had to pick up all my theory from all over, and had to use terms defined in a third set of literature, so I ended up with a lot of citations. It really depends on your project. Don't worry. Do you have every potentially questionable fact and assertion cited? Every quote? Every referenced source? Every idea from someone else? Great. Does your paper have some theoretical grounding that ties it to a larger body of literature? Even better. Does it need more? I don't think so.

Oh and I sent in 20 pages of a roughly 35-40 project that was my BA paper. In retrospect, I probably sent the wrong 20 pages (I wanted to show the cleverness of my method and I think I should have striven to show the cleverness of analysis and conclusions; I sent the middle, when I think I should have sent the beginning and the end). Did it matter? No. I lucked out with a good match and am at my top choice school (Am I asking too many rhetorical questions? Yes. It's late and I can't sleep).

Thanks for your reply jacib. You have always been beyond helpful on this forum. Hope your first year of graduate school is treating you well!