Writing the research paper General Directions

Research Paper Steps Choose a topic Research a topic Take notes based on your research. Create a thesis statement: a provable assertion [Analyze notes and see what type of information you have the most of and develop this into the supportable/ provable thesis.] Create an outline based on the thesis statement and note cards. Write a draft Proofread and Correct the draft Submit a final copy.

Note Card Format Book Bibliographical Info: article.” Title of book. Mary Publisher, copyright. Last, first name. “Title of Lou Retton, ed. City of Pub.: Note from source above pg# Note from source above pg# Note from source above pg# Note from source above pg#

Note Card Format Web Site Bibliographical Info: article.” Site responsibility. Last, first name. “Title of web url. Date of last update. Or printout. Note from source above Note from source above Note from source above Note from source above

The Outline Introduction Grabber: Thesis: Main Points: – I. – II. – III. First Body Paragraph Main Point I: Details: A: B: C: D: Last sentence should explain how this main point proves the thesis statement. Second Body Paragraph: MP 2, Details A-D [Do the same as above] Third Body Paragraph: MP 3, Details A-D [Do the same as above] Conclusion: Restate thesis, sum up the main points, and add a clincher (the last thought on your topic that you want your audience to think about ).

Composing a research paper You’ve done the legwork: taking notes and composing an outline. Now you need to use the outline and your notes to prove your thesis statement.

Writing introduction paragraphs Follow the details on the outline; they tell you what belongs in the introductory paragraph: – You must have a grabber [Get your reader’s attention.] Ask a question and link it to the topic Or, provide startling statistics or facts Or begin by setting up a scenario related to your topic. State your thesis in the form of a sentence. In separate sentences, provide the main points which will prove the thesis.

Writing concluding paragraphs Restate your thesis in the form of a sentence Restate your main points, in separate sentences Link the main points to the thesis statement End with a clincher sentence. – The clincher is the last thought you leave your reader about the topic It could answer the opening question It could offer a different set of statistics, or comment that the opening statistics would change as a result of … It could offer a different scenario from that which opened the paper.

Proving your thesis statement Each of your main points will contain details that prove your thesis statement. Your main points are in the form of a sentence. These sentences become the topic sentences of each body paragraph. The details from your outline (and others that you have on your note cards) will then be included to support the main point. At the end of each main point paragraph, add a sentence which links the information back to the thesis. This sentence must explain how the information in the paragraph proves the thesis.

In-text Citations [or, how not to plagiarize] If you are using information that did not originally come from your own brain, YOU must give credit to the person who originally had the info, or who inspired the thought. There are several ways to do this: – Direct quotation – Embedding – Paraphrasing All require citing your source.

Quotation “Criminals obviously have illegal ways of obtaining guns” (Cassidy 22). Long direct quotations: single space, 2” margins left/right Shortly after her husband left for work, a Waco Texas housewife heard the front door window break. A strange man reached in, unlocked the door, and entered the front room. The house- wife ran to the Bedroom. She locked the door and grabbed a handgun kept beneath the mattress. The intruder kicked the door. He saw the gun aimed at him. He left (Leddy 144). Let’s say this info is from a website: “Criminals obviously have illegal ways of obtaining guns” (Cassidy). Let’s say this info is from a website and has no author: “Criminals obviously have illegal ways of obtaining guns” (“Gun Control…”)

Embedding Embedding is a combination of your own wording of the sentence, and part of someone else’s words. – Daemmrich believes that the purpose of this amendment was to “secure each individual the right to keep and bear arms so that he could protect his absolute individual rights…” (110). Let’s say this info is from a website: There is a belief that the purpose of this amendment was to “secure each individual the right to keep and bear arms so that he could protect his absolute individual rights…” (Daemmrich). Let’s say this info is from a website and has no author: The purpose of this amendment was to “secure each individual the right to keep and bear arms so that he could protect his absolute individual rights…” (“Women Get…”).

Paraphrasing You take someone else’s words and rephrase them or put them in your own words: – Gun shops reported huge increases in sales prior to the new law’s implementation (Leddy, 20). Let’s say this info is from a website: Gun shops reported huge increases in sales prior to the new law’s implementation (Leddy). Let’s say this info is from a website and has no author: Criminals obviously have illegal ways of obtaining guns (“Gun Control…”).

How to put the bibliography page together: Alpha order Start at the margin, let the computer bring you down to next line, complete citation, then indent the 2 nd line. Single space within a citation Double space between citations.