How to write a Research Report

1. How to write a Research Report Let's face it: writing a research report can feel like wrestling a big, hairy monster into 5 paragraphs. But if you make and follow a plan from the beginning, you'll write a paper to make yourself proud.

2. Content Objective: Today you will be able to identify, define and apply the writing process to a research assignment about the Middle Ages. Language Objective: Students will use content knowledge to research a social studies topic from the Middle Ages time period and then write a five paragraph research paper about that topic.

3. Divide your time 10% Brainstorming25% Researching and taking notes20% Making an outline25% Writing15% Revising and polishing

4. Research Papers are written by following these steps: • Establish your topic and look for sources of information. • Read your sources and take notes. • Organize your ideas using some type of an organizer or outline. • Write a first draft of your research paper using a five paragraph format. • Use footnotes or endnotes to document your sources. • Write a bibliography • Peer edit paper • Revise the first draft based on the edit feedback • Proofread the final draft and if you don’t find any mistakes print it and submit it as your final product.

5. Establish your topic and look for sources of information. *You will be given a list of approved topics from the Middle Ages to pick from. Once you choose a topic you then need to narrow it down from there – get specific. Too general: Ancient Egypt. Revised: The building of the pyramids of Ancient Egypt.

6. Looking for Sources of information: Try to use as many different types of sources as you can, including books, magazine articles, and internet articles. Don't rely on just one source for all your information. Keep a list of all the sources that you use. Include the title of the source, the author, publisher, and place and date of publication. This is your preliminary, or draft of your bibliography. Use picture note worksheets - one fact or idea per note box. This way related ideas from different sources can be easily grouped together or rearranged. On each index card, be sure to note the source, including the volume number (if there is one) and the page number. If you wind up using that idea in your paper, you will have the information about the source ready to put in your footnote or endnote. If you copy something directly from a book without putting it in your own words, put quotation marks around it so that you know it is an exact quotation. This will help you to avoid plagiarism. Before you sit down to write your rough draft, organize your note cards by subtopic (you can write headings on the cards) and make an outline.

7. Taking Notes: Good Note Card: WB, 2, p.133 Star players become national heroes Many Americans could name every major league player, his batting average, and other accomplishments. (What batting records were set?) This note card: Lists source (World Book, Volume 2, page 133) Includes heading or subtopic. Is limited to one fact. Has personal note/question. Check out the differences between these two note cards for a research paper on baseball: Bad note card: Baseball becomes popular Ty Cobb (Detroit Tigers) outfielder one of the great all-time players. Another star was Honus Wagner, a bowlegged shortstop. "Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball." Source not indicated in top right corner Heading too vague Too many facts No name after quotation

8. Below is a partial sample outline for a research paper entitled The Early Days of Baseball. • Paragraph 1: Topic sentence:____________________________________________________________________ • Thesis Statement:______________________________________________________________________________ • Paragraph 2: Baseball is born • I. Rounders • Originated in England in the 1600s. • Differences between rounders and baseball. • II. The Abner Doubleday theory • Many people think Abner Doubleday invented baseball in 1839. • Doubleday's friend, Graves, claimed he was a witness. • A commission credited Doubleday with inventing the game. • Historians say theory is bogus. • · Baseball becomes popular • Paragraph 3: • I. Interest soars after 1900 • Kids' favorite warm-weather sport. • Crowds follow pennant races and World Series. • Star players become national heroes. • Known as "the national pastime." • Quote from philosopher Jacques Barzun: "Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball." • Paragraph 4: • I. The Babe Ruth era • Babe Ruth joins NY Yankees, 1920 • Plays outfield. • Hits more and longer home runs than anyone before. • Other heroes • Lou Gehrig. • Rogers Hornsby. • Radio stations begin broadcasting game • Paragraph 5: Concluding Paragraph: Recap the three major ideas: Baseball is born, interest soars and Babe Ruth Era

9. Every essay or paper is made up of three parts: (With this paper we will follow a standard five paragraph paper format). Introduction – 1st Paragraph Body – 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Paragraphs Conclusion – 5th and final paragraph

10. Introductory Paragraph:The introduction is the first paragraph of the paper. It often begins with a general statement about the topic (A TOPIC SENTENCE) and ends with a more specific statement of the main idea of your paper (A THESIS STATEMENT). The purpose of the introductory paragraph is to: 1. Let the reader know what the topic is 2. Inform the reader about your point of view 3. Arouse the reader's curiosity so that he or she will want to read about your topic. You can catch your readers attention a number of different ways with your topic sentence. You can: 1. Shock your reader: Mark Twain once said that All congressmen are idiots and I see no reason to disagree with him. 2. Relate to your reader: Have you ever wondered what has happened to…. 3. Use statistics: Four out of five Americans are frustrated with our economy. 4. Use humor: A funny thing about…

11. Body paragraphs:The body of the paper follows the introduction. It consists of a number of paragraphs in which you develop your ideas in detail. When using the five paragraph format, the body paragraphs consist of paragraph 2, 3 and 4. Limit each paragraph to one main idea. (Don't try to talk about more than one idea per paragraph.) Prove your points continually by using specific examples and quotations from your note cards. Use transition words to ensure a smooth flow of ideas from paragraph to paragraph. Transition Words and Phrases Transition words and phrases help establish clear connections between ideas and ensure that sentences and paragraphs flow together smoothly, making them easier to read. Use the following words and phrases in the following circumstances.

12. Concluding Paragraph: The conclusion is the last paragraph of the paper. Its purpose is to: 1. summarize your points, leaving out specific examples 2. restate the main idea of the paper

13. Use Footnotes or Endnotes to Document Sources • As you write your first draft, including the introduction, body and conclusion, add the information or quotations on your note cards to support your ideas. • Use footnotes or endnotes to identify the sources of this information. If you are using footnotes, the note will appear on the same page as the information you are documenting, at the bottom (or "foot") of the page. If you are using endnotes, the note will appear together with all other notes on a separate page at the end of your report, just before the bibliography. • There are different formats for footnotes (and endnotes), so be sure to use the one your teacher prefers. In this class we will be using footnotes.

14. Sample of Footnotes in use: 1 Jon Krakauer, Into Thin Air (New York: Villard Books, 1997), p. 10. 2 Roberta Reynolds, The Vanishing Cultures of the Himalayas (San Diego: Harcourt, 1991), p. 23. 3 Reynolds, Vanishing Cultures, p. 24.

15. Writing a Bibliography A bibliography is a list of the sources you used to get information for your report. It is included at the end of your report, on the last page. You will find it easier to prepare your final bibliography if you keep track of each book, encyclopedia, or article you use as you are reading and taking notes

16. General Guide to Formatting a Bibliography For a book: Author (last name first). Title of the book. City: Publisher, Date of publication. For an encyclopedia: Encyclopedia Title, Edition Date. Volume Number, "Article Title," page numbers

17. General Guide to Formatting a Bibliography For a magazine: Author (last name first), "Article Title." Name of magazine. Volume number, (Date): page numbers. EXAMPLE: Online Resources Internet: Author of message, (Date). Subject of message. Electronic conference or bulletin board (Online). Available e-mail: LISTSERV@ e-mail address EXAMPLE:

18. General Guide to Formatting a Bibliography World Wide Web: URL (Uniform Resource Locator or WWW address). author (or item's name, if mentioned), date. EXAMPLE: (Boston Globe's www address) For a person: Full name (last name first). Occupation. Date of interview. EXAMPLE:

19. Peer edit and Revise your Paper • Peer editing – trade papers with a classmate and use your editors marks to catch any grammatical and spelling mistakes. Use your rubric and knowledge of the assignment to see if the five paragraph format has been followed and the essay contains appropriate topic sentences and a thesis statement. Your job as a peer editor is to let your classmate know if there is anything that is unclear or confusing. • Revising involves rethinking your ideas, refining your arguments, reorganizing paragraphs, and rewording sentences. You may need to develop your ideas in more detail, give more evidence to support your claims, or delete material that is unnecessary. • Read your paper out loud. This sometimes makes it easier to identify writing that is awkward or unclear.

20. Proofread the Final Draft • Look for careless errors such as misspelled words and incorrect punctuation and capitalization. Errors are harder to spot on a computer screen than on paper. If you type your paper on a computer, print out a copy to proofread. Remember, spell checkers and grammar checkers don't always catch errors, so it is best not to rely on them too much. Once you feel good about your paper and you think you have caught all of the mistakes, print out a final copy to turn in. If you are typing your paper use a standard 12 inch, black font and if you are handwriting it then use your neatest handwriting and a blue or black ink. Final drafts are never completed in pencil.