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What is research? Research is finding meaningful paths through overwhelming amounts of information; the ability to use appropriate navigational skills in the information age. Research is acquiring, processing and applying information effectively. Research is persistence, patience, and pertinence. Research is examining information as opposed to just answering questions; it enables the participant to "use" information for learning. Research is limited; it is only as good as the information on hand and the participant is able to comprehend and to apply.
So, what are you going to research for your paper? Obviously you are going to spend considerable time and energy on this paper, so I suggest that you choose something you like and would enjoy researching. There are several ways to go about finding the perfect topic for you. But remember that you are not writing a report. I do not want to read about the state of Idaho or Woodstock or the dangers of drinking and driving. Rather, I would like to see you think of HOW and WHY questions. Look for problems that are solvable or issues on which you can take a stand. I know that I told you that you cannot use I or at all refer to yourself in your paper, but that does not mean that you can not express your views, beliefs, opinions, or values. Know that if you are writing the paper and you do not document it as someone else's then I know it must belong to you. So if you want to say-- professional wrestling is popular with today's youth because it shows the classic battle of good and evil, allows them to vent their frustrations in a non-violent way, and is funny because of the twisted story lines and crazy characters--say it! Just don't start with: I think that... or In my opinion... or I believe that... So where do you begin? The first thing is to make a list of things you are interested in researching. For example, my list might include things like teaching, professional wrestling, dogs, the environment, and gender communication. Create your list. Now, think about things you are interested in studying in college. For example, if you know that you want to be a teacher, then you might find doing a research paper on an issue in education helpful. Those of you wanting to study medicine might finding doing something in the health care / medical area fascinating. Still no ideas? Try reading the newspaper or skimming Time magazine. What issues plague our society? Environment, politics, terrorism, the economy. If you are still struggling, try one of these options. Go to a search engine like Yahoo or Google. Pick a category that is of interest to you and continue to narrow in on that topic until you find something of interest. The Internet even includes some web sites designed for searching for research paper topics. Check on some of these: Remember to type your topic
in the form of a question. For example, I might choose one of the
following questions for my paper: All topics must be approved. Hint: Your thesis statement will actually be your answer to the question you pose for your topic.
A thesis statement is like the topic sentence for the entire paper. It provides direction for both you the writer and for the reader. This sentence explains what you believe your research will prove. When you began your research paper, you asked a question. Essentially, you can consider your thesis statement the answer to the question. For example, in Writer's Inc., the subject of a paper was reintroducing gray wolves into the lower 48 states. The writer asked this question: What programs are currently in effect to reintroduce the gray wolf into the lower 48 states? The thesis statement for that paper then became this statement: The current programs to reintroduce the gray wolf into the lower 48 states are/ are not achieving the desired results. Based on the research, the writer would either state the programs are working or that they are not meeting the goals. Here are some other sample thesis statements on various topics:
Regardless of the topic, Writer's Inc. suggests following these guidelines for writing a thesis statement:
Then check your statement using this list:
Once you compose your thesis, make sure that you use it as a guide while you are researching and writing. For example, if you were writing a paper using the thesis statement about wolves, you would not want the bulk of your paper to be about why we should protect wolves. Instead, you want to focus on whether or not current programs are protecting and reintroducing wolves into the continental United States. Your thesis will be a guide--a compass--that directs the course of your paper. However, some of you may find that you have to adjust or fine tune your thesis throughout the process to better reflect the route your paper takes. That is fine; however, I strongly recommend that you do not change topics completely. Remember to put your thesis statement at the top of your outline. For more information on
writing a thesis statement, check out one of these sites:
Once you have found your research, the best way to work on the structure is to create an outline. The more detailed the outline the more helpful. Then, the outline will guide you in your writing. Remember that on the typed outline you turn in to me, you need to have your thesis statement at the top. Make sure that you follow proper outline format. The Roman numerals in an outline should designate main topics. Underneath are letters. Usually each of this represents a paragraph; however, you may find that you have so much information you will subdivide the letters into numerals. Each section of the outline builds on the other. The first statements are the most general (Roman numerals) then get more and more specific. Outlines can be done in complete sentences or in phrases. See the following example-- Thesis: Microcomputer programs can
have a positive effect on students' writing if both the potentials and
limitations of the programs are understood. The outline continues in this form to address all aspects of the paper and to fulfill the ideas in the thesis statement. Please note that if you use an A then you must have a B. If you need to go beyond a then use small roman numerals (for example i, ii, iii). A good outline will not only guide you through your writing but will also help you in finding places where you need additional research and evidence to support your statements.
You must revise and edit your paper. There is no simple way to do it, but I will offer some suggestions. First, please remember that revising deals with content, structure, and style. Editing involves spelling, grammar, mechanics, and usage. For both revising and editing, I suggest that you do the following things. These steps will help you find mistakes that your eye may not see.
Do all of these not just one or the other. When revising, watch for the following problems:
Editing, on the other hand, deals with a different set of concerns.
Research Paper Specific Checklist
How
to Write an Essay
Sources: On obtaining sources (internet, newspaper, book, etc.) and citing sources are up to the individual teacher. Organization: Paper must include a beginning, middle, and end. Make sure you use the proper heading, a centered title, and page numbers. Thesis statement must be underlined in the first paragraph. Point of View: Paper should be written in third person. Do not use I or you. Avoid slang, clichés, and colloquial contractions. Documentation: Any fact or idea that is not general knowledge or has not originated with the writer of the paper must be documented with parenthetical references. Paraphrases, summaries, and direct quotations must be documented. No more than 10% of the paper may be directly quoted. Any direct quote of five lines or longer should be done in block format. Block format means that it is indented ten spaces from the left margin and quotation marks are not used. All number, percentages, and statistics must be documented. Please attribute for clarity.
So, you have found a topic and now you wonder where to begin. How do you find the information and accumulate the resources to start searching? The first step is to understand the basics of searching. When researching ask yourself
these questions:
You are fortunate because with the bridge program you have access to UE's library. While you can access the catalogue of books from any computer in the world (use ACE), you can only access their on-line database on campus. In addition to accessing our school media center, you can also use the public library. You may access both their on-line databases and catalogues from off site computers as well as requesting Inter-Library Loans, material from other libraries across the country. Finally, the Internet allows you to access a wealth of knowledge. Reliability is a key issue. If anyone can create a web site, then you must be a smart consumer of information. Just because someone has access does not mean they know what they are doing. Many of the sites available on the Internet include faulty or misleading facts. When in doubt, check it with another source, determine the reliability of the creator of the site, or ask. While the Internet provides easy access to lots of material, please do not use this technology as your only resource. Books, periodicals (magazines, journals, and newspapers), films, and interviews will all prove helpful sources of information. Choose what best fits your topic not what is easiest to use. Since most of you are Indiana residents, for example, you will find using Inspire a handy tool for tracking down periodical articles. Many of these are available in full text, which means that the article itself is on the page. If it is not available in full text, copy down the source information and we can find it. When using Inspire, you can search through several databases, I personally prefer linking to the Ebsco Host.
Classification
Systems
Organization is a crucial part of both the researching and writing of your research paper. In terms of researching, you need to keep up with what sources you are using, what information you are finding, and where you are finding it. When you write, you not only need to have all this information accessible, you also need to keep your paper structured so that it fulfills the guidelines set by your thesis statement and presents evidence in a clear and concise format. Organization begins the moment you first start researching and continues throughout the writing of your paper. We will address two key organizational strategies: taking notes and maintaining a working bibliography. Taking
Notes: A note card is simply an index card. At the top left, you put a brief note as to where you got the information so that you can find it again if necessary. At the top right, you put a note as to how this information relates to your topic. Then you put your notes on the card. Put only one piece of information per card. For example, you might have a quote, a statistic, or a paraphrase. Remember to put page numbers for that information so that you may document appropriately. Writers, Inc. offers these suggestions for taking notes:
When taking notes, you may use direct quotations, paraphrases, or summaries. Summarizing, is when you reduce what you have read to a few important points in your own words. Paraphrasing is when you restate what you have read using your own words. Direct quotes are when you record a statement or idea word for word. Remember to put quotation marks around these. All information--summarized, paraphrased, or directly quoted--must be documented. Working
Bibliography: With books, I find it particularly helpful on my working bibliography to also include where I found the source (what library) and the call numbers, so that I can retrieve that book again quickly if needed. Some people find that doing bib cards is helpful. Just like note cards, bib cards are index cards with all the bibliographic information for a particular source. One source per card. Then, when preparing your bibliography, put those cards in alphabetical order and then just flip through cards as you type.
Others find that just keeping a notebook of sources is most helpful. For more information on taking notes or creating note and bibliography cards, check out one of these sites:
Remember that you are using MLA format. HEADING TITLE PAGE
NUMBERS FORMAT
ISSUES THE
PAPER The Introduction should grab your reader's attention or interest and include your thesis statement. You may begin with a quote, a story, background information, facts, statistics, or definitions. Do something that makes your reader want to read more. The Body is the major part of your paper. It supports or proves your thesis. Everything you say here should provide evidence that makes your thesis strong. Work on clarity and use good transitions between paragraphs. This is where you will use most of your sources. The Conclusion is the final part of your paper. It should leave your readers with a clear understanding about your topic and you view. Do not introduce new information in the conclusion but restate your thesis. OTHER
INFORMATION FOR WRITING PAPER
Writers Inc. and Little, Brown Handbook are other great resources.
Plagiarism is cheating. It is stealing someone else's work and is a serious offense. At the college, level, plagiarized papers will be failing papers and can cause a student to fail a course and even be removed from the university. In this class, plagiarizing will result in a minimum of zero on the paper and double detentions for cheating. Take the following information very seriously. The Everyday Writer explains
it this way: The book goes on to explain that deliberate plagiarism is coping materials directly, knowingly cheating. Unintentional plagiarism, on the other hand, usually results from mistakes in using quotation marks, paraphrasing or citing sources (282). These suggestions are offered to help prevent plagiarism:
Good researchers also know what does not need to be documented:
So, how do you avoid plagiarism? INTEXT CITATIONS. The first step is to keep a good working bibliography. When taking notes, remember to write down the source and get the page number. Most of your information will be in one of the following forms: DIRECT QUOTATIONS SUMMARIES AND
PARAPHRASES Notice that you do not use quotation marks. You could identify the source at the beginning or just start with plagiarism. Since the author is not mentioned in the selections, he or she must be identified in the parenthetical reference. YOUR OWN WORK You
might write-- Plagiarism is one of the most important things about writing. You must avoid copying another's work without giving him or her credit. The penalty both in this class and at the college level is severe. Seek help when in doubt.
Writing a research paper
is not easy. It requires patience, attention to detail,
perseverance, organization, good writing, logic, and considerable time
and effort. For more information on any of the topics discussed, these sites (many of which have already been mentioned) will be helpful. In addition, I have included links to sites with additional links, grammar help sites, and some books that will prove handy resources. SITES BOOKS |
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For more information on outlining, check out one of these sites: