Research Papers

AAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!!

How to be successful with research?

• Follow directions

• Keep up

• Turn things in on the due date

The Process

• Preparation

• Research

• Drafting

• Revising

• Submitting

How do I even start?• Choose a topic

– If you’re interested, it will be interesting

• Survey resources– What’s out there– HELP…I CAN”T FIND ANY INFORMATION…

What do I do?

• Create a Working Thesis– What is it you want to learn about with this topic?

• Keep track of sources– If a source looks like you will use it, write it down

Thesis Statements

Working

Very general

Identify topic

Speculate on causes, influences, etc…

Not research based

Finalized

More specific (refined)

Identifies topic and areas covered in the paper

Research based

Thesis Statement

• Statement of your position---be sure you know which side of the issue you are on.

• Should be clear and concise---use effective language (avoid being repetitive)

• These statements should be arguable, defendable, or debatable (that is, can someone state the opposite opinion?)

How do I make a thesis?

• Ask a question about your topic.• Use words from the question and restate

the question as a statement.• The statement is your thesis

(Formulating Thesis Worksheet)

You decide: Are these good thesis statements for the topics?

• School Uniforms: School uniforms are stupid and are therefore dumb, so they should not be allowed in any school.

• Exit Exams: Schools should require all high school students to pass an exit exam before graduation.

• Open Campus: Have you ever tried to eat lunch in just 15 minutes?

• Thesis Statements 1 & 3 are NOT STRONG statements.

• 1 is repetitive, uses poor language, and not concise

• 3 is a question, so it is not a statement

• Thesis Statement 2 would be a STRONG thesis statement because it is clear, states the position, and uses effective language without giving all the specific information away.

How can we fix Statements 1 & 3?

• School Uniforms: School uniforms are stupid and are therefore dumb, so they should not be allowed in any school.

• Open Campus: Have you ever tried to eat lunch in just 15 minutes?

Research(note cards and source cards)

• Min. of 50 note cards

• Min. of 5 sources– 3 different types

• Books • Reference books• Periodicals (print and online)• Websites

– Magazines & newspapers found on the web are not considered websites

Note cards

• Paraphrase information– If you don’t put it in your own words, you are

plagiarizing whether you mean to or not.

• It’s not a good fact if you don’t know what it means or how to use it.

• Complete all parts of a note card• DO NOT NUMBER YOUR CARDS!!!!!!!

Remember, in order to be successful you have to follow directions!

Paraphrasing

• Putting what you read into a sentence that you understand

• Your note cards will not help you if you don’t know what they say!

• See Paraphrasing Practice in note card packet handout

Elements of a Note card

I. Slug Source Number

Paraphrased note---make sure it makes sense to you

(Author’s Last Name and page number)

Citation

No author, use article title, No article title, use web address

Not the number of the note card, but the number of the source card

Source Cards

• Where you got your info. from

• There is NO WAY to memorize all of the different types of sources and how to make a card for them…..SO…..

• Know where to find the information – Research Packet (pgs. 10-24)– Online source card supplement

Want an A on your Source Cards?

• Follow the format of the samples given.

• If you don’t have information (like say on a website) make sure you double check.

• Make sure you follow ALL PUNCTUATION– Article titles are in quotes “Name of the title”– Periods go where they go.– Hanging indent– Information is LEGIBLE

Source Card Numbers

In the upper right hand corner of your source cards, NUMBER them.– For example, the first source you use is

number 1, the second is 2, etc…

Research Process (cont.)

Creating an Outline

• Read all of your note cards and group them by heading (slug)

• Reread each card within the group and create a subheading (create smaller groups in the bigger group)– For example, your slug might be Background

of Harper. You then have some cards about early life and some about later life so put them into those groups.

• Put all cards in order based on info.

Final Outline Rules• Capitalize every 1st word only• Used only topics or only sentences, not both in one

outline• If I used sentences, I also used periods at the end.• If I have an A., I do have at least a B.• If I have a 1., I do have at least a 2.• I have a title on my outline • My header is my last name and lower case i for the

page number• All main categories (roman numerals) are broken

down to at least A. and B. AND 1. and 2.

Haskins iCrisis in Rwanda Outline

I. Main CategoryA. Sub-category of the main one

1. Support/Details for sub-categorya. More specific examples for supportb. More specific examples for support

2.Support/Details for sub-categoryB. Sub-category 2 of the main one

1.2.

II. Racial tensionsA. Hutu

1. Interahamwe2.Killed 800,000-1,000,000 Tutsi

B. Tutsi1. Rwandan Patriotic Front2. Pogroms