present organized, relevant data; summarize or explain the topic; develop a stance on the thesis; present well-founded opinions, interpretations, logic; and clarify sources used in arriving at conclusions.
write this down, keep by your laptop while writing so I can see it as a reference guide to what is happening when I dump out my ideas or organize the sources. It would suck to have a good source and underutilize it when writing. It would also support me to stay on topic and keep a clear argument. Too much of anything can confuse myself and the reader on what the point of the writing is, even if interesting, may not be relevant in the closest way at the time.