The Research Paper

1. The Research Paper Charity I. Mulig

2. Steps • Planning • Conducting Library Research • Organizing the Research Paper • Writing the Research Paper • Revising & Editing the Research Paper

3. Planning Set a Schedule and Follow it • Choose a suitable research topic or question. • Prepare a preliminary bibliography • Develop a preliminary thesis and make a working outline • Take accurate and complete notes • Arrive at a final thesis and modify your outline • Write a first draft, citing sources. • Revise your paper and proof citations including the list cited. • Prepare your final copy, in correct form, and proofread.

4. After choosing a topic it is good to generate information by… • Asking questions (5W’s and H) • Brainstorming • Clustering • Keeping a Journal • Freewriting • Researching

5. Conducting a Library Research Prepare a preliminary bibliography.

6. Conducting a Library Research

7. Conducting a Library Research Systematically take complete and accurate notes of your reading. • Summary – capture the essential idea in a highly condensed form and in your own words • Paraphrase – restate the information in your own words and sentence structure but with approximately the same number of words in the original text

8. Conducting a Library Research Systematically take complete and accurate notes of your reading. • Quotation –copy the words from the source exactly putting all the quoted material in quotation marks • Quotation and Summary

9. Note Card Elements of a Note Card • Topic heading • Notes • Source • Comment

10. Organizing the Research Paper • Formulate the Final Thesis • Develop a Working Outline

11. In formulating the thesis statement it is good to… Determine your purpose for writing. Analyze your audience. Who are my audience? What do they know about my subject? What is there knowledge level? What does my audience need to know that I can tell them? Will my audience have any misconception that I can clarify? What do I want my audience to do? How can I help them? • Writing from experience -express personal thoughts and feelings • Writing to inform • Report, explain, analyze, define, classify describe a process or get to a cause & effect relationship of the objective or real world • Writing to persuade • Attempt to influence others thoughts, feelings & actions towards a subject or situation

12. Outline Informal Outline Formal Outline

13. Writing the Research Paper • Document your sources using the MLA (Modern Language Association) or APA (American Psychological Association) • Integrate Quotations Smoothly • Unannounced quotation • Integrated quotation • Set off long quotations • Avoid Plagiarism

14. In revising… revise the largest elements first • Is my topic well-focused? • Does my thesis statement clearly state the point of my composition? • Do I have enough supporting details and are my examples well-chosen to support my thesis? • Is my organizational pattern the best one given my purpose? • Are my paragraphs effective? • Do I accomplish my purpose?

15. In Editing… • Check grammar, punctuation and mechanics (capitalization and word spelling). • Prepare the final copy.

16. …then revise your sentences & diction Check your sentences… Revise your sentences & diction. Is my diction exact, with each word meaning precisely what I think it does? Do I use appropriate language, avoiding slang, regional language, and doublespeak? Is my language unbiased? Is my writing fresh and forceful or burdened by unnecessary words? • Do my sentences convey my thoughts clearly? • Do I subordinate less important ideas to more important ones? • Do my sentences emphasize the more important parts of my thoughts? • Are my sentences complete sentences?

17. Sources • The Library: http://www.lynnfield.k12.ma.us/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=1741