Source: T1-Brainstorming Beginning Research Worksheet, Grand Canyon University
Tags: expository essay, brainstorming, free writing, pre-writing, topic selection, Boolean search, keywords, sub-topics, English composition, UNV-104
Difficulty: Beginner | Prerequisites: None. This is a foundational pre-writing module. No prior coursework is assumed.
Before you write an expository essay, you need a structured plan. This module walks through the full pre-writing pipeline: choosing a topic, generating ideas through brainstorming, extracting research keywords, defining sub-topics, and using an academic library to find peer-reviewed sources. If you skip these steps, you end up staring at a blank page or writing a disorganised essay that drifts off-topic. Every section of a well-built essay traces back to work done here.
This fits at the very start of the English Composition course sequence. The skills covered (Boolean searching, reading abstracts, using permalinks, citing in APA) come up repeatedly in later assignments.
Pre-writing for an expository essay has five stages: pick a topic, brainstorm with free writing, pull keywords and build Boolean search phrases, define three sub-topics, then use a library database to find and cite peer-reviewed journal articles. Each stage feeds the next, and skipping any of them weakens the final essay.
Expository essay
An essay that explains, informs, or describes a topic using facts, examples, and logical structure rather than personal opinion or persuasion. Think of it as "teach your reader something," not "convince your reader of something."
Pre-writing
All the planning and research you do before drafting. In simple terms, it is every step between receiving an assignment and writing your first real paragraph.
Brainstorming
A technique for generating ideas without self-editing. You write (or map, or list) whatever comes to mind around a topic, then sort through it afterwards.
Free writing
A specific brainstorming method where you write continuously for a set time (typically 10 minutes) without stopping to correct grammar, spelling, or logic. The goal is volume and flow, not polish.
Boolean search
A way to combine keywords using logical operators (AND, OR, NOT) to narrow or broaden database results. In simple terms, it tells the search engine "I want results that include both of these ideas together."
Sub-topic
One of the main supporting ideas you will use to explain your overall essay topic. In a three-point expository essay, each sub-topic becomes a body paragraph.
Peer-reviewed article
A journal article that has been evaluated by other experts in the field before publication. In simple terms, other scholars checked the work before it went to print, which makes it a more credible source.
Abstract
A short summary (usually 150 to 300 words) at the beginning of a journal article that tells you the purpose, methods, and main findings. Think of it as a trailer for the article: enough to decide whether the full text is worth reading.
Permalink (persistent link)
A permanent URL tied to a specific article in a database. Unlike the address bar URL, which is temporary and session-based, a permalink will take you (or your instructor) back to that exact article at any time.
APA reference
A formatted citation following the American Psychological Association style guide. It includes the author, date, title, source, and sometimes a URL or DOI, and it belongs on the References page at the end of your essay.
An expository essay assignment typically gives you a fixed list of topics. You choose one.
Each topic on the GCU worksheet follows a "Three [things] that [do something]" pattern, which tells you the essay will have three body paragraphs, one per point.
Example topics from the worksheet: three services veterans need to return to civilian life, three characteristics of good leaders, three ways bullying impacts children, three ways technology impacts communication, three issues in a large classroom, three services the Christian church can provide the community.
Your choice should be a topic you can research and have enough to say about. Pick something where you can find peer-reviewed sources, not just personal opinion.
Free writing means setting a timer (10 minutes is standard) and writing without stopping.
Do not edit, do not worry about grammar, do not go back and fix anything. The point is to get ideas on the page.
After the timer runs out, you read back what you wrote and look for usable ideas, themes, and keywords that relate to your chosen topic.
Free writing works because it bypasses the inner critic that stalls most students at the blank-page stage.
After brainstorming, extract keywords: specific terms and phrases that came up during your free write and relate to your topic.
Combine those keywords into Boolean search phrases using the AND operator.
Example: if your topic is about technology and communication, and your keywords are "social media" and "interpersonal skills," your Boolean phrase would be: Social Media AND Interpersonal Skills.
Boolean AND narrows results. It tells the database: only show me articles that contain both of these terms.
You need at least three keywords and three corresponding Boolean phrases.
Sub-topics are the three main supporting ideas for your essay.
Each sub-topic becomes one body paragraph.
They should be distinct from each other (no overlap) and directly explain or support your main topic.
For example, if your topic is "Three ways technology can impact communication," your sub-topics might be: (1) technology reduces face-to-face interaction, (2) technology enables faster long-distance communication, (3) technology creates new forms of miscommunication.
Students often think brainstorming and drafting are the same thing. They are not. Brainstorming is raw idea generation with no structure. Drafting comes later, once you have a plan.
Students often think any Google result counts as a research source. For academic essays, you need peer-reviewed journal articles found through a library database, not blog posts or Wikipedia.
Students often confuse the browser address bar URL with a permalink. The address bar URL is session-based and will break later. The permalink is permanent and found through the database's Tools column.
Students often assume the database citation tool produces a perfectly formatted APA reference. It usually gets close, but you must check it against the current APA style guide and fix any errors before submitting.
This worksheet is a graded assignment. Every section must be completed. Leaving any part blank costs marks.
The free writing box must show evidence of a full 10-minute brainstorm, not a few bullet points jotted in 30 seconds.
Boolean search phrases will appear again in later assignments. Understanding AND, OR, and NOT now saves confusion later.
You will be expected to locate peer-reviewed articles, read their abstracts, and cite them in APA format throughout the course. This worksheet is where you practise all three for the first time.
Knowing the difference between a permalink and a regular URL is tested implicitly: if your submitted link does not work, your instructor cannot verify your source.
True or False: Free writing requires you to stop and correct spelling errors as you go. (False)
Fill in the blank: Boolean search phrases use the operator ___ to combine two keywords so the database returns results containing both. (AND)
True or False: The URL in your browser's address bar is a reliable permanent link to a database article. (False)
Fill in the blank: A short summary at the beginning of a journal article that describes its purpose and findings is called an ___. (abstract)
True or False: An expository essay is designed to persuade the reader to agree with your opinion. (False. It explains or informs.)
Q: What is the purpose of brainstorming before writing an expository essay?
A: Brainstorming generates raw ideas and helps you identify key themes, supporting points, and research directions before you start drafting. It prevents you from sitting down to write with no plan.
Q: Explain how Boolean search terms work and give an example.
A: Boolean search terms use logical operators like AND, OR, and NOT to combine keywords for a database search. For example, "Bullying AND Children" tells the database to return only results that discuss both bullying and children together.
Q: Why is it important to use peer-reviewed journal articles rather than general websites for academic research?
A: Peer-reviewed articles have been evaluated by experts in the field before publication, which makes them more reliable and credible. General websites, blogs, and wikis do not go through this vetting process.
Q: What is an abstract and how does it save time during research?
A: An abstract is a brief summary of a journal article's purpose, methods, and findings. Reading the abstract lets you decide quickly whether the full article is relevant to your essay, so you do not waste time reading articles that turn out to be off-topic.
Q: What is a permalink and why should you save it instead of copying the URL from your browser's address bar?
A: A permalink is a permanent, stable link tied directly to a specific article in a database. The browser address bar URL is temporary and session-based, so it will stop working after your search session ends. A permalink will always take you back to that article.
Q: According to APA style, where do you include full reference information for sources used in your essay?
A: On the References page at the end of the essay. Each source cited in the body of the essay must have a corresponding full reference entry on that page.
This connects to essay structure and outlining because the sub-topics you define here become the body paragraphs of your essay. It also connects to APA citation and academic integrity, since the library research skills practised in this worksheet (finding peer-reviewed sources, copying permalinks, generating APA references) are the same ones you will use in every research-based assignment going forward. Finally, Boolean searching is a transferable skill used across disciplines whenever you need to search academic databases efficiently.
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