Basic Information about the Research Paper

9410801a Iris

9410101a Carol

9410077a Jasmine

1a. Fear of the research paper

• Q:

How can I make writing a research paper more enjoyable?

• A:

Choosing a subject you like.

1d. Reasons for the research paper

Q: why are research papers assigned, anyway?

1. Learning a lot of information about your chosen subject

2. Learning the convention of the scholarly writing, the styles of documentation and the ethics of research.

3. Familiar with the library.

• How to search information

• How to organize

• How to use the Internet in your research

• How to discriminate between useless and useful opinions

• How to summarize

• How to budget your time

• How to conceive of and manage a research project from start to finish.

1c. Format of the research paper

• (MLA) Modern Language Association

• (APA) American Psychological Association

• (CMS) Chicago Manual of Style

• Q:

Why is format so important?

• A:

The format governs the entire paper, from the placement of the title, to the width of the margins, to the notation used in acknowledging material from other sources.

MLA tip

• Ex :

Brashear, William. The Living Will. The Hague: Muton,1969.

1e. The report paper and the thesis paper

Report paper:• Summarizes and reports your findings.• Neither judge nor evaluate the findings.• Relate them in a logical sequence.

ex1: describe the opinions of experts in the debate over global warming.

ex2: chronologically narrate the final days of Hitler.

Thesis paper:

• Take a definite stand on an issue.

• A proposition or point of view that you are willing to argue against or defend.

ex1: argue for the legalization of stem cell research.

ex2: attempt to prove that air bags save live.

• Report paper: How the Beatles got started as a rock group.

• Thesis paper: The Beatles’ lyrics gave hope to a disenchanted youth during the 1960s and 1970s.

Q: What is the difference between the re

port paper and the thesis paper?

A: Writing a thesis paper requires you to

exercise judgment, evaluate evidence a logical argument ;writing a report paper does not.

1f. Drafts of the research paper

• Writers have to take a minimum of three drafts.

• Q: What does a first draft look like?

• A: First draft are supposed to be messy.

1g. Writing the research paper: steps and schedule

• Q:

How can I avoid being late with my paper?

• A:

Follow the seven distinct steps.

Must do　

Produce　

Deadline

　 Select a topic 　 Prepare at least two topics 　 First week

Scanning and reading of sources on your topic

　　 　 Second wee

k

　 Gather informationNotes, a thesis statement, and a

n outline (APA format requires an abstract instead of an ou

tline ) 　　 Third week　 Draft the major idea

　 Outline your paper

　 Writing a rough draft.

Be honest. 　 A rough draft of the paper 　 Fourth week

Writing a rough draft.

Be honest.　

　 The paper, complete with bibliography

Fifth week