RANIA EL KHAYAT Tips for Research Writing

Length: Remember that the length of the research paper is : words

Format: Remember to use Times New Roman, size 12. Double-space the document. Write your own name and ID as headers.

Title: You should create an attractive and formal title in the document. It should be: -Not too long -Eye-catching -Explains the topic For example: Saving People, Killing Animals: The Dilemma of Animal Testing

Thesis Statement: The thesis should be very clearly stated in the introduction. Underline it and write it in bold in the first draft.

Length of Paragraphs: Make sure that each paragraph addresses only one idea. If the same idea is long, then you can write it in more than one paragraph.

Evidence: Your research will not be credible unless you support your claims with evidence (facts, studies, opinions of experts in the fields, statistics, …etc).

Language: You should be using academic formal style of writing. Do not address the reader: (you, your) Do not be subjective (I, we, us, our) except for the conclusion.

In-Text Citation: In the introduction: Do not add in-text citations unless it is a definition. In the conclusion: No in-text citations are allowed in the conclusion.

In-Text Citation Any idea or fact or numbers you will take from the sources (or from a colleague) should be put in in-text citations, or they will be considered PLAGIARISM!! The penalty of Plagiarism is “F” in the course.

Types if In-text Citation There are THREE types: Quotation Paraphrase Summary

In-text Citations It there is an author, then the author’s name has to be mentioned. If this is the first time you are mentioning this author, then his full name should be mentioned: According to Naguib Mahfouz… If you are repeating his name anywhere else in the paper, then simply mention his family name According to Mahfouz… If the source has a page number, then it has to be mentioned at the end of the citation between brackets (45).

What you should quote Key points: Passages that sum up the main idea in a clever way. Quote subtle ideas: Passages whose meaning would be lost if you tried to paraphrase or summarize them. Expert opinions: They carry weight in your paper and make it persuasive. Powerful writing: If the passage is memorable or famous, it gives your research paper authority.

What you should Summarize Commentaries. Explanations. Evaluations. Background information.

What you should paraphrase: Material that readers might otherwise misunderstand. Information that is important but too long to include in the original form.

Works Cited: Remember to add a Works Cited page or else the paper you will be submitting will be incomplete and you will lose marks. Mention ONLY the sources you have used in the first draft in alphabetical order. You can copy and paste them from the Annotated Bibliography.