Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
CHAPTER 30
B OX 3 0 - 1 S U M M A RY
Browse through textbooks. Pick a field that interests you, and look over a
textbook or two (in the bookstore, borrowed from a friend, orat some
collegeson reserve in the library). Read the table of contents and major
headings. Scan the text for material that catches your eye. Note the names of
important books and experts, often mentioned in reference lists at the end of
chapters or at the back of the book. See what catches your attention and
makes you want to keep reading.
Browse the Internet. Many Web search engines provide topic directories.
Click on some general categories and review subcategories until you locate
specific topics that interest you. Then try further subject searches or
KEYWORD SEARCHES (31c.4) to see where they lead.
Browse through books and periodicals. These are available when your
library has open stacks (fully accessible bookshelves). Browse books and
academic journals, as well as popular magazines, in fields that interest
you. Or you might spend some time in a good bookstore or at a public
library.
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B OX 3 0 - 2 S U M M A RY
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Some questions will interest you more than others, so begin with one of
those. If a question leads to a dead end, pursue another. Only when you find
yourself accumulating answersor in the case of questions without defini-
tive answers, accumulating viewpointsis it likely youre dealing with a
usable research question. Once you have an explicitly stated research ques-
tion, you can streamline your research by taking notes only from those
sources that help you answer your research question.
Stay flexible as you work. The results of your research may lead you to
modify the research question slightly. Actually, such modifying is part of the
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moving ahead and circling back that characterizes research writing. When
youve finished researching and notetaking based on your final research
question, you have a starting place for formulating the preliminary THESIS
STATEMENT for your research paper.
B OX 3 0 - 3 S U M M A RY
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are alike, adapt this schedule to your needs. You might, for example, need
only one day for some steps but two weeks for others. So, while you need to
stay flexible, you also want to keep your eye on the calendar.
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B OX 3 0 - 4 S U M M A RY
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react. Also, now is the time to begin thinking about the DOCUMENT DESIGN
you want for your paper (see Chapter 35).
One key to revising any research paper is to carefully examine the
evidence you have included. Evidence consists of facts, statistics, expert
studies and opinions, examples, and stories. As a reader, you expect writers
to provide solid evidence to back up their claims and conclusions. Similarly,
when you write, your readers expect evidence that clearly supports your
claims and conclusions. Identify each of the points you have made in your
paper; these will include your thesis and all of your subpoints. Then ask the
following questions:
As you work, pay attention to any uneasy feelings you have that hint
at the need to rethink or rework your material. Experienced writers know
that writing is really rewriting. Research papers are among the most
demanding composing assignments, and most writers revise several times.
Once youve produced a final draft, youre ready to EDIT (3d), format
(Chapter 35), and PROOFREAD (3e) your work. Check for correct grammar,
punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. (No amount of careful research and
good writing can make up for an incorrectly presented, sloppy, error-laden
document.)
Consult Box 3-5 in section 3c to remind yourself of the general princi-
ples of revising, and consult the revision checklist in Box 30-5 to verify that
youve remained aware of all aspects of research writing.
To see one example of the research writing process in action, turn to
Chandra Johnsons MLA-style research paper in section 33e. There youll
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B OX 3 0 - 5 CHECKLIST