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Basic Information about the Research Paper

Fear of the Research Paper

• Research paper provokes anxiety• A research paper is an excellent tool. It is a mini-

classroom intended for your benefit.• It is an intense learning process focused on a topic you

choose (a test of the writer’s judgment).

• Research techniques will help you later in life , such as writing a business/marketing paper.

• Choose a subject you really like , which will also be easier to write.

Definition of the Research Paper

• A Research Paper• From the French word rechercher, which means to

seek out. • Requires you to seek out information about a subject,

take a stand on it, and back it up with opinions, ideas, and views of others.

• Usually between five and fifteen pages long.

Format of the Research Paper

• Every research paper must conform to a format• Modern Language Association (MLA) – a society

of language scholars www.mla.org• Example pg. 4 of text

• American Psychological Association (APA) – a society of scientific scholars

• Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) – created by a board of editors

Reasons for the Research Paper

1. Forces you to learn a lot about your chosen subject

2. Teaches the conventions of scholarly writing

3. “Learning by doing” method (learn researching skills)

4. Other benefits:1. Use logic, imagination, common sense

2. How to track information/organize

3. Use internet for searching, discriminate opinions

4. Budget your time, learn to conceive/manage a research project from start to finish

The Report Paper and the Thesis Paper

• Report Paper summarizes and reports your findings on a particular subject• No judgment or evaluation of findings• Just logical sequence

• Thesis Paper takes a definite stand on an issue• A proposition or point of view that your are willing

to argue against or defend

• More likely to be assigned a Thesis Paper

Report Paper or Thesis Paper?

• How the Beatles got started as a rock group.• Report Paper

• The Beatles’ lyrics gave hope to disenchanted youth in the 1960’s.

• Thesis Paper

• The steps involved in passage of federal government legislation.

• Report Paper

• Lobbyists wield disproportionate influence on federal legislation.

• Thesis Paper

Drafts of the Research Paper

• Takes a minimum of 3 drafts• 1st Draft – rough and scribbled over, rewriting, back

and forth (recursive) supposed to be messy! (See Text pg. 6)

• 2nd Draft – fewer and smaller changes (but can involve big changes – writing is unpredictable and rarely smooth) (See Text pg.7)

• 3rd Draft – final draft to submit (See Text pg. 8)

Writing the Research Paper: Steps and Schedule

What You Must Do What you Must Produce

When It Is Due

1. You must select a topic that is complex enough to be researched from a variety of sources but narrow enough to be covered in 10 or so pages.

Two acceptable topics, one of which the instructor will approve

At the end of the first week

2. You must do the exploratory scanning and reading of sources on your topic.

At the end of the second week

3. You must gather information on your topic and assemble it into some usable sequence.

Notes, a thesis statement, and an outline

At the end of the third week

4. You must draft a thesis statement expressing the major idea behind your paper.

5. You must outline the major parts of your paper.

6. You must write a rough draft of the paper arguing, proving, or supporting your thesis with information uncovered by your research. You must acknowledge all borrowed ideas, data, and opinions.

A rough draft of the paper

At the end of the fourth week

7. You must prepare a bibliography listing all sources used in the paper and you must write the final draft.

The paper, complete with bibliography

A the end of the fifth week