Learning to Love the Research Paper Or… at least learning to do it well!

Getting Started Finding a Topic Developing an Effective Research Question

Finding a Topic Whenever possible, seek out a research topic that Write about what you know. Whenever possible, seek out a research topic that 1. Interests you and that you care about. Aim to build on 2. Knowledge that you already have. If the topic is assigned, try to 3. Develop an angle that will interest you, then run the idea by your instructor.

Developing an Effective Research Question The best research papers begin with a question because they help you to… 1. Find direction. 2. Narrow your scope. (*These help create thesis) Be careful of questions that are too broad. Make sure that your question is 3. Relevant to the length of your paper. Most students use research questions that are not 4. Focused enough.

Too Broad: ----Why is Oprah such a famous figure to society? More Focused: ---- Why is Oprah considered a famous humanitarian for her charitable work with others?

Think about this: A good research paper comes from wanting to know more about something. A good research paper contains 1. Facts, quotes, and 2. Statistics; however, these have to be 3. Blended into your own thoughts and ideas to be effective. Research is a hard concept to master and takes much practice, which is why you must take notes and learn the basic 4. Foundation NOW, so you can build your skills each year from here on up! 

Points to Remember (About Writing a Research Paper) Writing a research paper is not the same as writing a 1. Report. It focuses on one side or 2. Aspect only. Overall purpose is to 3.Prove your 4.Thesis statement through your thoughts and ideas, 5.Supported by the research you conduct.

What Are Sources? A source is what you turn to for information about your topic. A source can include any of the following: a book a magazine or newspaper article a scholarly journal article a film, television show, or radio program a web site a personal interview They generally fall under 1. print sources, non-print sources, and 2. electronic sources.

CREDIBILITY AND RELIABILITY How do you know if a source is credible and reliable? When determining if you should use a source you need to ask yourself the following: Who 1. wrote the information and can they be trusted to give clear and accurate info? What 3. qualifications does the organization or author possess? When 4. was the information published? Is it current and relevant?

CREDIBILITY AND RELIABILITY Can the information be 1. verified across multiple sources? Is consideration given to multiple points or only one? Does the author use 2. opinionated language? Is the source 3. electronic? Is it a .com, .gov, or .edu source ? (you have to be careful with .com sites because they are commercial sites, which are easy for anyone to attain and use. This is when it is crucial to find qualifications for publishers and authors of sites.)

EVALUATING SOURCES http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/103-oprah http://www.myhero.com/go/hero.asp?hero=Oprah_Academy07 http://www.fembio.org/english/biography.php/woman/biography/oprah-winfrey/ http://oprahsangelnetwork.org/about-us/overview *Determine which would be appropriate to use!

What is a Citation? When you bring research (quotations, paraphrases, facts, statistics, etc.) into your paper, you must give credit to the source and its author (attribution.) This is done through a 2. parenthetical in-text citation. Direct Quote-material pulled 3. directly from source and quoted exactly as it appears with 4. quotation marks around Paraphrase-material pulled from source but 5. rephrased into your own words-does not contain quotation marks

ATTRIBUTION Citations must include Attribution, which is where you give credit to the author within the citation REMEMBER: AUTHOR TRUMPS EVERYTHING! IF YOU HAVE AN AUTHOR, THEIR NAME IS IMPORTANT! IF YOU DO NOT HAVE AN AUTHOR, THEN USE THE TITLE AND PAGE NUMBER. NOTE, THE PAGE NUMBER IS NOT THE NUMBER OF PAGES IT TOOK TO PRINT YOUR SOURCE (1 OF 1 OR 2 OF 2!) (Author and page) (Wilson 32). (“Title” and page) (“Defying Gravity” 32) (“Title”) (“Land of the Lost”)

USING CITATIONS *The first time you mention an author or article, you should use their FIRST and LAST name and give some background information about them. One way to cite an author is to write their name in the sentence as shown below. When you state the author’s name this way, you do not need the citation at the end because you have already given credit. Example: According to Elie Wiesel, founder of the Elie Wiesel Foundation, which works to combat prejudice, intolerance and injustice through youth focused programs and the promotion of equality, said “Oprah the public figure and Oprah the friend are one and the same person, never violating the covenant she made with society: to help the helpless and give a voice to the voiceless.”

MORE CITATIONS According to the article, “Oprah is a Role Model for Girls,” by opening the school for girls in South Africa, she will be helping over 150 disadvantaged girls and giving the community a sign of hope they desperately need. By opening a school for disadvantaged girls in South Africa, Oprah is helping over 150 young girls and giving the community a sign of hope they desperately need (“Oprah is a Role Model for Girls”).