Exploring a topic in depth . . .From Reading to Writing The drama Antigone was written and performed 2,500 years ago in a society that was very different from ours. You probably have many questions about it. How much influence did the gods have in the daily lives of the people in ancient Greece? Who was the audience for these plays? How were the plays staged?

Exploring a topic in depth . . .A research report can help you find the answers to questions like these. Research can not only help you understand literature, but it can also help you investigate a science problem, understand a historical event, or choose a career.

B a s i c s i n a B o x

RUBRIC Standards for Writing

A successful research project should• include a strong introduction with a

clear thesis statement

• use evidence from primary and secondary sources to develop and support ideas

• credit sources of information

• follow a logical pattern of organization, using transitions between ideas

• synthesize ideas in a strong conclusion

• provide a correctly formatted Works Cited list at the end of the paper

Research Report at a Glance

Writing Your Research Report1 Prewriting and Exploring

Begin by brainstorming topics that interest you.

Put your unique spin on the subject by creating a cluster diagram with the topic in the center. What related ideas come up?

Try narrowing some of the related topics even further.

Planning Your Research Report

1. Evaluate your topic. Is your topic broad enough so

you can find enough information? Is it narrow

enough so you can cover it adequately? You might

do preliminary research to answer these questions.

Making a cluster diagram can help you either

broaden or narrow your focus.

2. Establish a goal. What do you want to accomplish

in your report? Do you want to analyze the topic?

inform your readers?

Planning Your Research Report

3. Identify your audience. Who will read your report?

What does your audience already know about the

topic? What do they need to know?

4. Consider your purpose. How can you express

your purpose in a single sentence? That statement

can help you stay on target as you do research.

Later on, you can revise this to become your thesis

statement.

Writing Your Research Report2 Researching

Use the following ideas to gather information:

Make a list of questions you have about your topic based on the purpose of your report and what your audience needs to know.

Begin your search in the library.

Writing Your Research Report2 Researching

Look for primary sources, which give eyewitness accounts of events. Primary sources include letters, journals, historical documents, and original works of fiction.

Also look for secondary sources, which present information compiled from or based on other sources. Secondary sources include works of criticism and commentary and most newspaper and magazine articles.

Writing Your Research Report2 Researching

Create Source Cards

Make a source card for each source you use. Record complete publishing information on index cards. Number the cards so that you can easily refer to them as you take notes and prepare your Works Cited page. For library books, list the call number as well.

Writing Your Research Report2 Researching

Take Notes

Record the information you gather on index cards. Write one idea on each card so you can easily reorder your cards as you organize your report. Label each card with the number of the source card and the page number in the source.

Writing Your Research Report2 Researching

Paraphrase

Unless you are quoting material directly, paraphrase what you read: that is, write it in your own words. That way, you will be less likely to accidentally plagiarize, or use someone else’s material without permission, and you can reduce the information to fewer words.

Writing Your Research Report2 Researching

Quotation

If you quote a source, use quotation marks and double-check the accuracy of your quotation. Quote material that is particularly well stated or that helps you emphasize a point.

Writing Your Research Report2 Researching

Organize Your Material

One way to begin organizing your research information is to group your note cards according to key ideas. This will help you see how the information is related. Try several arrangements of ideas, such as chronological and cause-and-effect order to see which works the best.

Writing Your Research Report2 Researching

Organize Your Material

Create an outline, using the key ideas as the main headings. Label these with Roman numerals. Subheadings, which summarize smaller groupings of note cards in each group, are labeled with capital letters.

Writing Your Research Report3 Drafting

As you begin writing, keep in mind that your goal in drafting is to get your ideas down on paper in a reasonably organized manner. Use your outline as a guide and write from your note cards. At some point, write a thesis statement that expresses the main idea of your report. You will support your thesis with the information gathered in your research.

Writing Your Research Report3 Drafting

Choose Writing Strategies

You may want to use some of these strategies for developing your ideas.

Narration. Presenting material as a narrative can add interest and drama to your report.

Definition. Identify and define terms or concepts that your audience may not know.

Writing Your Research Report3 Drafting

Choose Writing Strategies

Description. You might imagine what an eyewitness would see and describe this using sensory details.

Classification. Discuss the characteristics of your topic by comparing it to similar topics or by breaking it into logical parts and examining each one.

Writing Your Research Report3 Drafting

Organize Your Report

Think of your report as having three parts:

Introduction. The introduction should include a hook that captures your readers’ interest and should clearly state your thesis.

Writing Your Research Report3 Drafting

Organize Your Report

Body. The body should present the information that supports your thesis. Some information might be organized in chronological order, other information in order of importance, spatial order, or cause-and-effect order, for example.

Writing Your Research Report3 Drafting

Organize Your Report

Conclusion. End your report with a memorable conclusion that summarizes your thesis, draws a conclusion, or points out topics that need further examination.

Writing Your Research Report3 Drafting

Document Your Sources

Document each quotation, paraphrase, or summary of information in your report by citing the author and page number of the source in parentheses. Your readers can refer to your Works Cited list for full information.

Writing Your Research Report3 Drafting

Evaluate Your Draft

Think about these questions as you review your draft.

How can I rework my report to better achieve my purpose and goals for writing?

Writing Your Research Report3 Drafting

Evaluate Your Draft

Does all of my information support my thesis statement? What information should I add? What information should I delete?

What facts, quotations, and other information do I need to check and document?

Writing Your Research Report3 Drafting

Evaluate Your Draft

How can I better communicate my interest in this topic?

How can I improve the organization of my report?

Writing Your Research Report4 Revising

TARGET SKILL

ELABORATING WITH FACTS AND STATISTICS

As you revise, look for opportunities to

elaborate on your ideas by adding facts and

statistics. A fact is a statement that can be

proved either by the use of reference

materials or firsthand observation. Statistics

are facts expressed in numbers.

Writing Your Research Report53

Editing and Proofreading

TARGET SKILL

PARALLELISM

When parts of a sentence have parallel

functions, the structure of the sentence

parts should also be parallel. For example,

when connecting two or more similar ideas,

use the same part of speech for both.

Writing Your Research Report63

Making a Works Cited List

When you have finished revising, editing, and proofreading your report, make a Works Cited list and attach it to the end of your paper.