Composition

Lesson Forty: Research Paper

 What Is a Research Paper
A Research Paper is
the result of
painstaking
investigation and
discovery of facts
 What Is the Importance of a
Research Paper?
- It is a vital part of
every occupation.
- It is used to gather
information, and
make informed
judgments, and
- It is a skill and easy to
perform.
 Where Can We Do Research?
- library (journals,
periodicals,
magazines, catalogs,
etc.,
- on-line
- internet search
engines
 Criteria for Writing Research
Reports
• recognize audience
• choose an effective
style
• use formatting
techniques
Audience for Research Reports
Those people, who
need
• to understand a
technical term or
concept better
• to find supporting
data
• to narrow down the
focus of a topic
 Effective Style Appropriate for
Research Reports
• formal
• compiling, organizing,
and presenting
information with
documentation
• tone not too friendly
and not too distant
• more objective than
subjective
 Formatting Techniques for
Research Reports
• highlighting
• bullets
• numbers
• headings
• subheadings
• graphics (tables and figures)
• abc format
• parenthetical citation
• works cited
• internal organization
 What Is the Process of Doing
Research?
- Identify a Significant Topic: involves
investigating some problem, its
importance, its impact, and how to
resolve, reverse, or contain it.
- Limit the scope of your topic: focus on
that aspect that has immediate relevance
to you and your colleagues.
- Identify the location of materials of your
research: all kinds of sources
- Know how to use the sources you find
- Familiarize with the research materials
and their organization
- Know how to evaluate sources: be
prepared to ask the right kinds of
questions
- Document the borrowed information
 Prewriting Techniques
• select a general topic
• spot check sources for information
• establish a focus
• research the topic
• isolate main points
• write a statement of purpose
• create an outline
 Sources for a Research Paper
- Instructor (assignment given by him/her)
- Textbook (assignment at the end of a
chapter)
- Television program (an issue raised by
thought-provoking documentary)
- Your own curiosity (one that has
captivated you)
 Selection Criteria for a Subject for
Research Paper
Subject for the assignment must
- Suit the audience
- Comply with the assignment
- Be easy
- Require a limited number of sources
- Have material available easily
- Be limited in scope
Guidelines for Choosing a Topic for
Research Paper
- narrow the scope
- avoid personal opinion
- avoid trivial topics
 Importance of Purpose
A Research Paper should answer a question
that has not been adequately answered in
the past, e.g.,
The effects of Green House gases on our
sources of oxygen.
The influence of sport heroes on a nation’s
youth.
The sources of bird flu
What Is the Place of Argument in a
Research Paper?
- Argument is the logical purpose of a
research paper
 Example Topics for a Research
Paper
- The mystery of the building of the
pyramids.
- Is there water on Mars?
- The mystery of the Bermuda Triangle
- Do dreams mean anything?
- How reliable is astrology?
- The effects of atom bombs on Nagasaki
and Hiroshima
 Research Materials Available in a
Library
- Primary (eye witness accounts, letters,
diaries, speeches, literary works, and
autobiographies, transcript of a trial, poem,
etc.,)
- Secondary (reporter’s interpretation of an
event, literary critics’ assessment of a
poem, etc.,)
 Resources in the Library
• The Computer and the Database
• The Internet
• The Card Catalog
• The Stacks
• The Reference Room
 What Are the General Works
Available in the Library?
- Encyclopedias
- Biographies
- Handbooks and Manuals
- Atlases and Gazeteers
- Almanacs and Yearbooks
 How to Collect Pertinent
Information?
• Compile a Bibliography
• Evaluate the Evidence
• Take Notes
 Note--Taking
Note
• Prepare Bibliography Notes
• Write down direct quotation
• Paraphrase the quote
• Summarize the information
 How Should We Formulate a Thesis
Statement for a Research Paper?
- coming up with a one-sentence summary
of the main idea and the author’s view
point
 Working Outline
Thesis Statement
1. Controlling idea one
two secondary sources
2. Controlling idea two
two secondary sources
2. Controlling idea three
two secondary sources
 Introduction
• begin with something to arouse reader’s
interest by asking a series of questions, an
anecdote, a quote, or data pertinent to the
topic
 Discussion
• organize paragraphs to focus on one main
point
• provide supporting details
• use secondary sources as needed
• acknowledge sources
 Conclusion/Recommendations
• summarize findings
• draw conclusion about the significance of
discoveries
• recommend future course of action
 Citing Sources
• document sources correctly
• avoid plagiarizing
• follow the discipline’s format
 Rewriting
• add new detail for clarity
• delete dead words and phrases that do not
support main ideas
• simplify words for easy understanding
• move information to produce better
organization
• reformat text to make it user-friendly
• correct errors, if any