Writing a Research Paper

Clarify the Assignment

Length Audience Type of research paper

Informational paper summarizes factual information from a variety of sources

Analytical or evaluative paper analyzes the information and presents conclusions; displays some of the elements of persuasive writing

Set a Schedule Ten weeks to complete the paper

Choose a topic one weekLocate sources three daysTake notes two weeksWrite a working title

and thesis statement three daysWrite a final outline one weekWrite the first draft one and a half weeksDocument sources two daysRevise two weeksProofread two daysPrepare the final three days

Select a Topic

Choose a topic that meets the following requirements:You can find enough material on the topic, but it is

limited enough to be covered in the time and space available to you

The topic interests youThe topic is objective, not subjective

An objective topic is factual A subjective topic is personal and influenced by

your opinions, feelings, and ideas Word your limited topic as a research question (or

questions) that you will investigate

Locate Sources

Source: anything that supplies information (books, periodicals, web sites, etc.)

Primary Source: an original text, document, interview, speech, letter, eye-witness account

Secondary Source: not an original text or document; someone’s comments or an analysis of a primary source

DO NOT depend solely upon the Internet for sources and thoroughly evaluate each source before you cite it!

Where to Find Sources Online catalog in the library

Search by author, title, and subject Some online catalogs will allow a Boolean search, which

uses key words Boolean operators: or, and, not Or will locate any title with either search term And will locate only titles with both search terms Not will locate only titles with the first search termBoolean operators can also be used online and in

databases Reference section in the library

encyclopedias, periodicals, atlases, almanacs, government publications, specialized books

Microfilm and microfiche—back issues of periodicals

Online SourcesDatabases and Encyclopedias

EBSCO Host available through the Carnegie Public Library

If you are taking classes through TSJC, other databases and encyclopedias are available free of charge

Free online encyclopedias and dictionaries Encyclopedia.com Wikipedia.com (great place to locate more reliable

sources)Periodicals—newspapers, magazines, journalsWebsites found through search engines such as Google Specialized Google searches: books, blogs, patents,

finance, scholar, search trendsLibrary of Congress <www.loc.gov>

Online Sources, cont. Pay attention to the domain in the URL (universal resource

locator) <.gov> = information posted by a government agency or

group <.edu> = an educational source; it may have been

created by a second grade class or someone associated with a college or university

<.org> = a nonprofit organization; usually reliable but look carefully for any bias

<.com> = a business; be wary of businesses that are trying to sell you a product; most major news organizations are reliable but look carefully for any bias

<.net> = network; used by a wide variety of organizations that offer Internet services

Other Sources Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature—index of articles in

magazines and newspapers Personal interviews Contacting an expert via letter or e-mail Conducting a survey Visiting a local museum or government office Documentaries

Evaluating a Source

Check the relevancy of the sourceIs it related to your topic?Is it recent? Does it need to be recent?

Who created the message of the text? Do you know who wrote it and what their qualifications are?Can you contact the organization or the author?On a website, are there advertisements?

What creative and/or persuasive techniques are used to attract your attention?

How might different people understand the message of the text differently?

What values, lifestyles, and points of view are represented in, or omitted from, the message of the text?

Is the information presented without bias or opinion?

Why is the message being sent?

Check for accuracy Can you find the information in any other source On a website, it is clear who the site belongs to? On a website, is the site well written and free of errors?

Bibliography or Source Cards

For every source that you will possibly consult, create a bibliography or source card on a 3” x 5” index card

Only one source should be recorded on each card record the author, title, and publishing information write each bibliography entry according to the style

required do no rely upon citation creators

You may also record your own notes or comments about the source

You will use these source cards to create your “Works Cited” page or “References” page, so recording information correctly now will save you time later

Assign each source card a number

Note Cards

Read each source with your research questions in mind

Formulate new questions as you gather information

You may want to create a working outline to organize your research questions

Avoid plagiarism! Plagiarism is the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language

and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work

Intentional plagiarism Accidental plagiarism occurs when you forget you are quoting a source

and don’t give proper credit

Avoid accidental plagiarism Cite: to quote, summarize, or paraphrase a source; to give credit to

the sources you have borrowed information fromParaphrasing: restating information in your own words; a paraphrase

will be approximately the same length as the original sourceSummarizing: telling the main ideas of a piece of writing briefly in

one’s own words, omitting unimportant detailsDirect Quotation: records the exact language used by someone in

speech or writing Common Knowledge: a body of information that is commonly known

and that can be found in a variety of sources; information that is common knowledge does not need to be cited; the rule of thumb is that if you can find the information in at least five credible sources, it is common knowledge

Guidelines for Taking Notes

Use 3” x 5” index cards Write the source number in the upper-right or upper-left-hand

corner of the card, and assign each card its own letter or number (1.1 or 1.a). On each card, take notes from only one source.

It is strongly recommended that you only write on one side of each card.

Write about only one main idea, fact, or detail on each card. Write a heading—a key word or phrase—at the top of the note

card. The heading indicates the main idea discussed on the note card and will usually be one of the topics or subtopics in your working outline.

Make an effort to use your own words. It may help to turn away from the source, explain to yourself what the author has written, then write that explanation on your note card. You do not need to use complete sentences; use abbreviations and symbols that are clear to you.

Enclose direct quotations in quotation marks. Make sure you have quoted word for word. If you wish to leave out any material, you must show that you have done so by inserting ellipses marks (more on this later).

At the bottom of each note card, write the page number(s) where the information was found.

Always double-check to see that you have written down the source number and any page numbers.

In-text Citations An in-text citation allows you to give credit to your sources in

the body of your paper. Most in-text citations will include the author’s name and a page

number (if available). If there is no author, you should put the title of the article. There are two means of writing in-text citations:

A signal phrase: begin your sentence with a reference to the author of the article and the title of the article; at the end of the sentence, put the page number in parentheses

Example: According to Clara Rights, the author of “Why 80’s Music Rocks!,” there has been no real music since December 31, 1989 (5).

A parenthetical reference: at the end of the sentence, put the author’s last name and the page number

Example: There has been no real music since December 31, 1989 (Rights 5).