Writing a Research Paper Getting Started

1
Writing a Research PaperGetting Started

• Taken from
• Goldenberg, Phyllis. A Student Guide to
  Writing a Research Paper. New York
  Sadlier-Oxford, 1997.

2
Types of research papers

• Informational summarizes factual information
  from a variety of sources. Focus on a topic,
  find the information, produce an organized and
  coherent paper.
• Analytical -- analyzes the information and
  presents conclusions. Displays some elements of
  persuasive writing since it states the writers
  opinions and supports it with detailed evidence.

3
Brainstorm

• Pre-writing strategies

4
Getting Started

• Make sure you understand your assignment
• Choose a workable topic that meets all
  requirements for a research paper topic
• You can find enough material on the topic.
• The topic interests you, and you think you can
  make it interest your audience.
• The topic is objective, not subjective.
• The topic is limited enough to cover adequately
  in the space provided.

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Begin your research

• Evaluate the sources you find.
• Record complete information for every source you
  think you will use.
• Write each bibliography entry according to the
  style your teacher requires.
• Explore library resources
• Use Athena (card catalog) to locate books in the
  library
• Use the reference section to find information and
  sources
• Use academic databases including reference
  tabs, magazines, newspapers, multimedia

6
Taking Notes

• Before you start taking notes, make a working
  outline.
• Skim each source to locate information for your
  paper.
• Take notes in your own words.
• Enclose a direct quotation (the authors exact
  wording) in quotation marks.

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Hint
In your finished paper, keep direct quotations
brief and use them sparingly. No more than
one-fifth of your total paper should be direct
quotations.
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Guidelines for taking notes

• Write the source number and name of the source in
  the upper right-hand corner of your 3 x 5 card.
• Write only on one side of each card, and write
  about only one main idea.
• Write a heading a key word or phrase at the
  top of the note card.
• Make a conscious effort to use your own words
  when you take notes.
• Enclose direct quotations in large quotation
  marks.
• At the bottom of each note card, write the page
  number(s) where you found the information.

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Sample notecard
Source name and number
heading
4 Survival Guide
What mountain climbers need

• Interview w. Sir Edmund Hillary (first to climb
  Mt. Everest, 5/29/53)
• Strong motivation
• Technical skill
• Good planning
• Sense of humor

p. 65
Page number in source
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Three types of notes

• Direct quotation -- copy the quote EXACTLY word
  for word and enclose the quoted material in
  quotation marks.
• Paraphrasing restate the writers ideas in your
  own words. A paraphrase covers every idea in the
  same order as in the original but is usually
  shorter.
• Summarizing restate the MAIN ideas in your own
  words. A summary does not give all the details
  only the most important ones.

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Organizing and Evaluating Note cards

• Sort note cards into stacks having same heading
• Evaluate note cards
• Be selective too much information on one
  subject??
• Fill in the gaps not enough information. Go
  find more sources.
• Whats this doing here? -- not sure why you took
  this note

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Hint
You should end up with a stack of note cards for
each heading and subheading in your working
outline. If you dont have at least two cards
for each section of the outline, you may not have
enough information.
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Unity and Coherence

• Make sure that all information fits the scope of
  your paper.
• Arrange the information in a way that readers
  will easily understand.
• 1. Chronological the order of events in time
• 2. Spatial describing a place or object
• 3. Order of importance ideas and details
  arranged from most to least important or vice
  versa
• 4. OR in a clear and logical way

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Thesis Statement

• Draft a working thesis statement that tells what
  you will cover in your paper.
• A thesis statement is a single sentence. It
  should not be expressed as a question.
• It is a preview of what the paper is about. It
  states the topic and the writers focus. (Do not
  begin with The purpose of my paper is or In
  this paper I will write about)
• It should have a confident tone. Avoid using
  words such as probably, might, I think, seems,
  apparently, it seems to me, etc.