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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).