1. How to Write a Research Paper

2. Why do you need to learn how to write a research paper?
Because in high school and college you will be asked to write many research papers, and you need to learn what goes into writing a successful paper.

3. Learning Targets: You will learn how to choose a topic.
Depends on the length of your paper, choose a narrower topic for a short paper, and a broader topic for a longer paper.
You will learn how to write a thesis statement.
One sentence that summarizes what your paper is about, or what you are trying to prove. (Last sentence of your introduction)
You will be able to understand the difference between plagiarism and acceptable paraphrasing.
You will be able to learn how to edit your paper, and make necessary changes.
You will learn how to use “parenthetical notations.”

4. Step-by-step instructions on how to write a research paper
The topic
The thesis or introductory statement
The outline
Selecting and analyzing sources & selecting websites
Compiling information on index cards or in Microsoft Word
Plagiarizing, paraphrasing, and direct quoting
Bibliography & the proper format
Proofreading & the cover page
Rubric

5. I’ve just stolen other author’s work!
You should also have:
1. A note-taking handout. As we go through the assignment, take notes, or write down any questions you have
A sample outline
Examples of plagiarizing v. paraphrasing
I’ve just stolen other author’s work!
“Plagiarizer”

6. Where Do We Begin?

7. How to write your research paper: Follow these
Overview:
Requirements (What you need for your paper) √
Topic Questions (What you need to put into your paper) √
Choices (The disasters you will research) √
How to write your research paper: Follow these
instructions step-by-step!
1. Your outline should be written before you start your paper. It organizes your thoughts and creates a plan so you know how your paper will look.
2. Your introduction or thesis statement tells the audience what you will explain in your paper. It will let the audience know what to expect from reading your paper.
3. You are required to use a minimum of three sources. (online or book format) *No Wikipedia, or youtube.com

8. Paraphrase!!!

9. Plagiarism v. Paraphrasing Samples
Direct quote from research:
“Japan’s beautiful Mount Fuji last erupted in 1707 and is now classified as dormant. Dormant volcanoes show no signs of activity, but they may erupt in the future.”
Non-plagiarized paraphrase:
Mount Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan, is actually a dormant volcano. Dormant means that it is not active. The last time Mount Fuji erupted was in 1707, and there is always the possibility of a future eruption.
Direct quote from research:
“Three weeks after Katrina, warnings of the arrival of Hurricane Rita sent residents of cities such as Houston, Texas, rushing to evacuate, fearing for their lives. Fortunately, Hurricane Rita turned out to be much less severe than Katrina. However, mass evacuations like this bring hazards of their own, as panicking drivers may cause accidents on the jammed roads.”
Non-plagiarized paraphrase:
Shortly after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of Houston, Texas, a warning for a new hurricane named Rita was broadcast, which caused many people to panic and flee the city. However, the mass departure of people leaving Houston at the same time could have caused many car accidents, even though the hurricane turned out to be not as dangerous as Katrina.

10. “How do I QUOTE an author?”
If you quote an author, insert “quotation marks” around the text you are using.
At the end of the quotation, parenthetical notations are needed.
Simply write the quote and then put the author’s name and page number:
(Williamson, 148)
You will cite the entire source when you get to the bibliography page of your paper.
“I WILL NOT PLAGIARIZE I WILL PUT MY PAPER INTO MY OWN WORDS.”

11. "Battery." Encyclopedia Britannica. 1990.
Works Cited      
"Battery." Encyclopedia Britannica
"Best Batteries." Consumer Reports Magazine 32 Dec. 1994:
Booth, Steven A. "High-Drain Alkaline AA-Batteries." Popular Electronics 62 Jan. 1999: 58.
Brain, Marshall. "How Batteries Work." howstuffworks. 1 Aug <
"Cells and Batteries." The DK Science Encyclopedia
Dell, R. M., and D. A. J. Rand. Understanding Batteries. Cambridge, UK: The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2001.
"Learning Center." Energizer. Eveready Battery Company, Inc. 1 Aug <
"Learning Centre." Duracell. The Gillette Company. 31 July 2006 <

12. Thesis Statements
A thesis sums up what the paper will tell the reader. It is not the topic.
The topic is the subject of the paper, the thesis tells the reader something about the topic.
The thesis should be at least one complete sentence, it must be logical, and the writer must make a claim that he or she can prove with the content of the paper.

13. Rules for Writing a Thesis Statement
It must be a complete sentence.
It can not be a question.
It should be provable with facts, anecdotes, stories, etc.
It needs to represent you and your ideas.
Do not generalize.
Do not use first or second person pronouns.
Do not use clichés.

14. Sample Thesis Statements
Topic: The Battle of Gettysburg
Thesis: The Battle of Gettysburg changed the momentum of the Civil War.
Topic: Mike Piazza
Thesis: With his leadership skills, offensive output, and work ethic, Mike Piazza excels as the best Major League catcher in the history of baseball.
Topic: Basketball
Thesis: Winning basketball games requires a solid team of skilled athletes, not just one superstar.

15. Research paper Outline – Follow these steps
Starting our paper.
Outline
Introduction/Thesis
This paragraph exists for two purposes:
to make me want to read your paper (and no, just being an English teacher does NOT make me want to spend my time at home reading high school papers.), and
To set up your paper and tell your reader what it is going to be about.
Let's look at these two things. How do you grab my attention? Well, since attaching $100 bills to your paper is unethical, let's try an approach that actually relies on your writing skills. First you need a "hook" to catch my attention.

16. Consider using these techniques:
 Open with some unusual detail - (Movies like The Avengers and Man of Steel exist today because a man named Frederick Wertham convinced everyone that comic books cause little kids to act violently.)
Open with a strong statement - (A book about censoring comics books written in the 1950s is the reason that comic book companies were able to sell $475 million worth of comics in North America in 2011.)
Open with a quotation - (Frederick Wertham once said, "In comic books life is worth nothing; there is no dignity of a human being."
Open with an anecdote - (I once threw away a comic book I had bought with allowance money because I was ashamed. My father thought I had wasted my money something worthless. That same comic book is now selling for $ )
Open with a question - ("How does Wonder Woman find her invisible plane?")
Your thesis statement should be somewhere in your introduction. Where? Well, that is up to you. You will probably find it easier (and quite effective) to make it your last sentence. Start broad, get narrower, then hit the reader with your thesis.
Here is my example to my introduction on social injustice research paper.
In the United States and internationally, there is a multitude of indicators that the racial environment is changing. Environmental pollution and racism are connected in more ways than one. The world is unconsciously aware of environmental intolerances, yet continues to expose the poor and minorities to physical hazards. Furthermore, sociologist continue to study “whether racial disparities are largely a function of socioeconomic disparities or whether other factors associated with race are also related to the distribution of environmental hazards” (Mohai and Saha 2007: 345). Many of these factors include economic positions, health disparities, social and political affairs, as well as racial inequalities. 

17. The Body
This is the easy part. In fact, I suggest that you start with your body and write your introduction later. Don't forget to put in your in-text citations as you write.
How is there social injustice in the world?
What are some examples of social injustice?
How does social injustice currently occur in the USA?
What are some examples of social injustice in the USA?
How has America tried to solve social injustice from occurring?
How have these methods been effective and ineffective?
**** NOTE: If you listed your topics in your thesis statement, then write your paper in that order.
III. Transitions - these help your reader to realize that you are moving from one idea to the next. If you've ever been talking to someone who abruptly changes topic without letting you know that they were now talking about something else, then you understand how annoying a lack of transitions can be.

18. Some transition words:
Yet,  However,  Still,  Nevertheless,  On the other hand,  In contrast,  Instead of,  Notwithstanding, To be exact,  To be specific,  More specifically, More precisely
Similarly,  Besides,  Furthermore,  Further,  Moreover,  In addition, 
As a result,  For this reason,  Therefore,  Hence,  Consequently,  Accordingly

19. III. The Conclusion
This is the last paragraph of your paper. You wrap up all your ideas in a neat little package.
DO NOT start your conclusion with these words: LASTLY, IN CONCLUSION, or FINALLY. We can see it is the last paragraph. You do not need to insult your reader by telling them that.
You will want to summarize your main points and reassert (note that I did not say restate) your position.
Do not end your paper with a question. You can end with a quotation (especially effective if you tie that quotation in with a quotation from the introduction), a prediction, a recommendation, or a reference to something mentioned in the introduction.

20. Proofread, Proofread, & Proofread!!!
Are all words spelled correctly? (Use a paper or online dictionary is unsure!)
Did I capitalize the beginning of each sentence and all proper nouns?
Did I punctuate correctly?
Do I use grammar correctly?
Did I answer all of the topic questions, and fulfill all of the requirements on my rubric.
Did I include an introduction and conclusion?
Did I type the paper using the correct font type, size, line spacing and margin requirements?
Did I paraphrase all content?
Did I use parenthetical notations for quotes?
Do my sentences make sense when read aloud?
Have I had my paper peer edited?
Does my paper flow well?
Did I include a bibliography page?

21. Finished!!! You did it!!!