Writing a Research Paper

Writing a Research Paper Chapter 22

Writing a Research Paper 1) Select a topicthat you can readily research. 2) Limit your topicand make the purpose of your paper clear. 3) Gather information on your limited topic. 4) Planyour paperandtake notes. 5) Writethe paper. 6) Documentaccurately.

Writing a Research Paper Step 1: Select a topic that you can readilyresearch. • Check your library’s catalog (or that of a major online library or bookseller) to be sure there are books on your topic; • Check periodicals indexes to be sure there are articles on your topic; • Do an online search to see whether reliable sites on your topic exist. If sufficient information exists, go ahead! Otherwise, modify your topic.

Writing a Research Paper Step 2: Limit your topic and make the purpose of your paper clear. • A research paper should thoroughly develop a limited topic -- one that can be developed fully in 10 pages or so. • Pay attention to subject headings as you research your general topic -- these can help you limit your focus.

Writing a Research Paper Step 2: Limit your topic and make the purpose of your paper clear. Remember, research papers generally have one of two purposes: 1: to make and defend a point of some kind (e.g., elected officials should be limited to a single term in office); 2: to present information about a topic (e.g., the most recent scientific findings about the effect of diet on heart disease).

Writing a Research Paper Step 3: Gather information on your limited topic. Try to gather all the information you need in one place: • Check out books you need from your library, or request them via interlibrary loan. • Make copies of relevant articles, or read them and make careful notes. (Some online articles can be printed out in their entirety.)

Writing a Research Paper Step 4: Plan your paper and take notes. • Prepare a scratch outline for your paper that shows both its thesis and the areas of support for the thesis. Thesis: There are things parents can do to overcome the negative influences hurting their families. Support: (1) Create quality time with families (2) Increase families’ sense of community (3) Minimize the impact of media and technology

Writing a Research Paper • Write your notes on index cards or loose-leaf paper, or type them into computer files. • Notes should be in the form of • direct quotations • summaries in your own words • a mix of direct quotation and summary

Writing a Research Paper • Direct quotations must be reproduced faithfully: if you omit unnecessary words, supply an ellipse ([. . .])in their place; if you supply a word or capitalize a letter to clarify meaning, you must indicate that you have done so using [brackets]. • Otherwise, quotes must be written exactlyas they appear in the original.

Writing a Research Paper • In summaries, you condense original material by expressing it in your own words. • Summaries may be written as lists, brief paragraphs, or both. • Inparaphrase, you also express the original material in your own words, but do not condense.

Writing a Research Paper Keep in mind the following: • Write on onlyone sideof each card or piece of paper, and onlyone kind of informationon each. (If using acomputer, decide whether each file should contain notes on asingle topicor from asingle source.) • Write atopic headingat the top of each card. • Identify thesource and page numberat the bottom.

Writing a Research Paper Beware ofPlagiarism! If you do notdocumentspecialized information or ideas that are not your own, you will beplagiarizing--stealing,in other words! When in doubt, DOCUMENT.

Writing a Research Paper Notecard: Direct Quotation Movie content “We cannot guarantee that bad things will happen, but we can argue that good things are not happening [. . .]. [I]ncreasing numbers of young people are left to their own devices at a critical point in their development.” Medved and Medved, 62 Topic Heading Ellipse: Indicates omitted text Brackets: indicates capital not in original Source, page number

Writing a Research Paper Notecard: Summary Movie content Study conducted in 1996 showed that of PG-13 movies, 91 percent had crude language, 89 percent had obscene language, 45 percent had actual or suggested sex. Worrisome because most parents assume PG-13 movies are OK for their kids. Medved and Medved, 62

Writing a Research Paper Step 5: Write the paper. • Make a final outline and use it as a guide to write your first full draft. • a topic outline contains your thesis plus supporting words and phrases; • a sentence outline includes the above expressed as full sentences.

Writing a Research Paper • In anintroduction, include a thesis statement expressing the purpose of your paper and indicating theplan of developmentthat you will follow.

Writing a Research Paper • As you move from yourintroductioninto themain bodyand conclusion, strive for • UNITY • SUPPORT • COHERENCE • SENTENCE SKILLS!

Writing a Research Paper Step 6: Document accurately. • You must tell the reader thesources of the borrowed material in your paper. • The documentation style used by theModern Language Associationis relatively simple and widely accepted. *Follow the rules for this system described in your text, unless your instructor specifies another.

Writing a Research Paper Sample In-Text Citation Book with a single author Other parents work at home, even if it means earning less money than before. “[H]eading home is a real possibility for those parents who can master the new home-office technology [. . .]. If enough people can manage to do this, the neighborhoods might once again come alive for workers and their children” (Louv 285). Capital in brackets indicate capital not in original ellipse: indicates omitted material Source, page number End of quote

Writing a Research Paper Sample Reference Entry Book with a single author • Louv, Richard. (1990). Children’s Future. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Publisher Indent second and subsequent lines .5 inch. Year of publication Title in italics Place of publication Author’s name, last name first

Writing a Research Paper