Tips for Writing Research Papers EMG 2000, Introduction to Emergency Management

Brainstorming a Topic Before beginning your research, you need to select a topic. You can choose your own topic for this assignment, but it does need to be on the course content. Consider what topics you found to be the most interesting and want to know more about.

Topic Examples Disaster preparation and planning at the local and national levels The transition of the emergency management field The reasons why education is so important in the emergency management field The responsibilities on the emergency manager during the disaster life cycle The possible disasters that could happen in your community and how to prepare for them The myths of disasters

Conducting Research You can use either the Waldorf Online Library or conduct an Internet search for your research. The Waldorf Online Library is a great source because it contains professional sources that you know will provide reliable information. Some databases to consider for this particular research paper include: Academic OneFile Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Reference Center ProQuest Research

Conducting Research Cont. If you choose to research using the Internet, check the reliability and validity of the cite. Avoid unreliable sites (such as Wikipedia), outdated sources, and sources that are lacking a large part of the citation/reference. Some reliable sites that you may want to consider while you research are: http://www.fema.gov/ http://www.emergencymgmt.com/ http://rems.ed.gov/

The Writing Process: Introduction Every research paper needs to start with a clear introduction. For this paper, your introduction should include a clear explanation of your topic and a thesis statement. Your thesis statement should indicate what you will prove throughout your paper, or the purpose. Thesis statement example: Although many people may think that theft is common during a disaster, this is simply a myth because disasters usually bring out the charitable side of people. Through the above example, the reader can easily see what the student will prove: the myth of theft during disasters and how people are generally charitable.

The Writing Process: The Body In the body, you will present the information you researched and your explanation of what it all means. Each new idea should start a new paragraph. Each paragraph should have a topic sentence, body, and closing or transition sentence. Feel free to paraphrase or quote material from your outside sources, but make sure that you have cited and referenced them correctly. In addition to presenting your findings, add your own analysis explaining what this means to the field of emergency management. Although you can add in your own opinion, do not use “I” statements. You should never use “I” statements in research papers.

The Writing Process: The Conclusion Wrap up your ideas for the reader in your conclusion. Restate your thesis, in different words, and remind your reader of your main points. Do not introduce new ideas in your conclusion.

APA Style Remember to format your research paper according to APA standards. Include: Title page Running head Reference page Additionally, double check to be sure that you have cited all paraphrases and direct quotes and that all sources cited in-text are included on your reference page.

Reviewing Your Work Before submitting your paper for a grade, be sure to review your work. Check to make sure what you used at least two outside sources and that your paper is at least three pages in length (not including your title and reference page). Review your work for spelling, grammar, and overall clarity. Some people find it helpful to read their papers out loud or to have a friend read over their papers for them. Review your APA formatting and referencing. Contract your instructor if you have any additional questions.

Success Center Waldorf College also offers students assistance through the Success Center, a free tutoring option for students. If you have additional questions about writing research papers, feel free to contact them through success@waldorf.edu.