The Research Process

SEVENTH GRADE PRE-AP ENGLISH MONROVIA MIDDLE SCHOOL

Preparing for the Research Paper

A Research Paper is NOT
A

rearrangement or summary of information from different sources. A report that could be included in a general encyclopedia. A matter of cutting and pasting together from different resources. A result of one quick Database or Google Scholar search.

Preparing for the Research Paper

A research paper is
Your

own understanding of information found in scholarly resources. A chance to teach yourself something new. A chance to demonstrate to others what you have learned in an organized, professional, and scholarly manner FUN!

S.T.E.M +H
You will be allowed to

choose your own topic. However you will be asked to research the following areas of that topic:

Science Technology Engineering Math History

The Steps to Writing a Great Research Paper

Choosing and narrowing a topic. Gathering material

Notetaking, avoiding plagiarism, bibliography cards,

Writing a precise thesis statement. Pre-Writing

Outlines, webbing, or clustering. Integrating Secondary Sources: direct quotations, paraphrasing, and summarizing.

Drafting

Editing Work cited page. ***Reference your textbook*** Pages 654-673

Choosing a Topic
Ask Yourself Questions

Get Focused

What do I know about the topic? What would I like to learn? What will others learn from reading my paper?

Limit your subject.

Focus on something specific about your topic

General: Football. Focused: The football itself has a very interesting manufacturing process.

Research: Gathering Your Materials

There are multiple places Taking Notes

to find good information.

The Library
Books Reference Guides Journals

Experts in your topic area The Internet

Scholarly sources E-Books Journals Reliable websites

Make sure you get a good understanding of the material before deciding to use it. Skim for headings, photos, charts, and captions. Put only one piece of information on a source card (well go over this in more detail).

Thesis Statements
Thesis Statement

Its the BIG IDEA A 1-2 sentence summary of the paper. It must appear in the first paragraph. This will guide your entire paper. It must be direct, clear, and concise.

Pre-Writing
This is when we begin to

organize all of the information weve found. We can use many tools to help develop a cohesive paper.

Outlines Graphic Organizers Webs/Clusters.

Drafting and Editing

Drafting Editing

When you will

When you, a peer, or a

reorganize your information, ideas, and quotes in prose form.

teacher will check your work for mistakes such as grammar, usage, and mechanics.

Publishing
You will be creating a

visual presentation to share your research findings with your classmates, teachers, and parents. Your visual presentation will take the form of a PowerPoint, a Prezi, or other digital format.

One Last Thing

We will be using Edmodo

as a means of

Keeping track of our research materials As a source of information about how to write a proper research paper And to communicate with one another outside of the classroom about the research paper.