Exploring a topic in depth . . .

1
(No Transcript)
2
Exploring a topic in depth . . . From Reading to
Writing The drama Antigone was written and
performed 2,500 years ago in a society that was
very different from ours. You probably have many
questions about it. How much influence did the
gods have in the daily lives of the people in
ancient Greece? Who was the audience for these
plays? How were the plays staged?
3
Exploring a topic in depth . . . A research
report can help you find the answers to questions
like these. Research can not only help you
understand literature, but it can also help you
investigate a science problem, understand a
historical event, or choose a career.
4
B a s i c s i n a B o x
Research Report at a Glance
RUBRIC
Standards for Writing
A successful research project should

• include a strong introduction with a clear thesis
  statement
• use evidence from primary and secondary sources
  to develop and support ideas
• credit sources of information

• follow a logical pattern of organization, using
  transitions between ideas
• synthesize ideas in a strong conclusion
• provide a correctly formatted Works Cited list at
  the end of the paper

5
Writing Your Research Report

• Begin by brainstorming topics that interest you.

• Put your unique spin on the subject by creating a
  cluster diagram with the topic in the center.
  What related ideas come up?

• Try narrowing some of the related topics even
  further.

6
Planning Your Research Report
1. Evaluate your topic. Is your topic broad
enough so you can find enough information? Is it
narrow enough so you can cover it adequately? You
might do preliminary research to answer these
questions. Making a cluster diagram can help you
either broaden or narrow your focus. 2. Establish
a goal. What do you want to accomplish in your
report? Do you want to analyze the topic? inform
your readers?
7
Planning Your Research Report
3. Identify your audience. Who will read your
report? What does your audience already know
about the topic? What do they need to know? 4.
Consider your purpose. How can you express your
purpose in a single sentence? That statement can
help you stay on target as you do research. Later
on, you can revise this to become your thesis
statement.
8
Writing Your Research Report

• Use the following ideas to gather information
• Make a list of questions you have about your
  topic based on the purpose of your report and
  what your audience needs to know.

• Begin your search in the library.

9
Writing Your Research Report

• Look for primary sources, which give eyewitness
  accounts of events. Primary sources include
  letters, journals, historical documents, and
  original works of fiction.

• Also look for secondary sources, which present
  information compiled from or based on other
  sources. Secondary sources include works of
  criticism and commentary and most newspaper and
  magazine articles.

10
Writing Your Research Report
Create Source Cards Make a source card for each
source you use. Record complete publishing
information on index cards. Number the cards so
that you can easily refer to them as you take
notes and prepare your Works Cited page. For
library books, list the call number as well.
11
Writing Your Research Report
Take Notes Record the information you gather on
index cards. Write one idea on each card so you
can easily reorder your cards as you organize
your report. Label each card with the number of
the source card and the page number in the source.
12
Writing Your Research Report
Paraphrase Unless you are quoting material
directly, paraphrase what you read that is,
write it in your own words. That way, you will be
less likely to accidentally plagiarize, or use
someone elses material without permission, and
you can reduce the information to fewer words.
13
Writing Your Research Report
Quotation If you quote a source, use quotation
marks and double-check the accuracy of your
quotation. Quote material that is particularly
well stated or that helps you emphasize a point.
14
Writing Your Research Report
Organize Your Material One way to begin
organizing your research information is to group
your note cards according to key ideas. This will
help you see how the information is related. Try
several arrangements of ideas, such as
chronological and cause-and-effect order to see
which works the best.
15
Writing Your Research Report
Organize Your Material Create an outline, using
the key ideas as the main headings. Label these
with Roman numerals. Subheadings, which summarize
smaller groupings of note cards in each group,
are labeled with capital letters.
16
Writing Your Research Report
As you begin writing, keep in mind that your goal
in drafting is to get your ideas down on paper in
a reasonably organized manner. Use your outline
as a guide and write from your note cards. At
some point, write a thesis statement that
expresses the main idea of your report. You will
support your thesis with the information gathered
in your research.
17
Writing Your Research Report

• Choose Writing Strategies
• You may want to use some of these strategies for
  developing your ideas.
• Narration. Presenting material as a narrative can
  add interest and drama to your report.

• Definition. Identify and define terms or concepts
  that your audience may not know.

18
Writing Your Research Report

• Choose Writing Strategies
• Description. You might imagine what an eyewitness
  would see and describe this using sensory details.

• Classification. Discuss the characteristics of
  your topic by comparing it to similar topics or
  by breaking it into logical parts and examining
  each one.

19
Writing Your Research Report

• Organize Your Report
• Think of your report as having three parts
• Introduction. The introduction should include a
  hook that captures your readers interest and
  should clearly state your thesis.

20
Writing Your Research Report

• Organize Your Report
• Body. The body should present the information
  that supports your thesis. Some information might
  be organized in chronological order, other
  information in order of importance, spatial
  order, or cause-and-effect order, for example.

21
Writing Your Research Report

• Organize Your Report
• Conclusion. End your report with a memorable
  conclusion that summarizes your thesis, draws a
  conclusion, or points out topics that need
  further examination.

22
Writing Your Research Report
Document Your Sources Document each quotation,
paraphrase, or summary of information in your
report by citing the author and page number of
the source in parentheses. Your readers can refer
to your Works Cited list for full information.
23
Writing Your Research Report

• Evaluate Your Draft
• Think about these questions as you review your
  draft.
• How can I rework my report to better achieve my
  purpose and goals for writing?

24
Writing Your Research Report

• Evaluate Your Draft
• Does all of my information support my thesis
  statement? What information should I add? What
  information should I delete?

• What facts, quotations, and other information do
  I need to check and document?

25
Writing Your Research Report

• Evaluate Your Draft
• How can I better communicate my interest in this
  topic?

• How can I improve the organization of my report?

26
Writing Your Research Report
TARGET SKILL ELABORATING WITH FACTS AND
STATISTICS As you revise, look for opportunities
to elaborate on your ideas by adding facts and
statistics. A fact is a statement that can be
proved either by the use of reference materials
or firsthand observation. Statistics are facts
expressed in numbers.
27
Writing Your Research Report
Editing and Proofreading
TARGET SKILL PARALLELISM When parts of a
sentence have parallel functions, the structure
of the sentence parts should also be parallel.
For example, when connecting two or more similar
ideas, use the same part of speech for both.
28
Writing Your Research Report
Making a Works Cited List
When you have finished revising, editing, and
proofreading your report, make a Works Cited list
and attach it to the end of your paper.