1. From Notes to Research Paper. Pathways to Success
Tuesday Tech Topics– March 27, 2018, 4:00 pm
David Cox, Skeen Library Director, SKEEN ROOM 208

2. Presumption- you have done your research.
Research Strategy, Question processes, Reading an Academic Paper, and determining your topic are all in other Tuesday Tech Talks.
If you want to go through those, hit the web site for Tuesday Tech Talks, or talk with a librarian after the presentation!
Today is about taking what you have, what you have researched, what you have acquired.

3. Create an outline
Papers usually follow a basic flow or format, much like the Academic Presentations of Research Papers. These may include the following:
Abstract
Introduction
Materials and Methods
Results
Discussion and Conclusion
Further References, Works Cited, Information or Bibliography Index

4. Abstract Essential concept tool
You help yourself, and your reader, by creating an abstract
IN A PERFECT WORLD, the abstract gives the focus, ultimate conclusions drawn, the raison d’etre of what you are writing and why.
The Abstract IS the best thing to create to show your work cleanly and well. Start with your abstract before you write down your results. It is a guide for you as well as for your reader.

5. The Introduction
This is usually found in the first paragraph or two of the paper. It should have more information than the abstract, as there is often a “Literature Review” section included.
A Literature Review is a summary of previous research by other scholars on a similar topic, or a means to discuss your rationale for writing.
Introductions are second only to Abstracts for catching the attention and the focus YOU provide as the scholar to other scholars

6. Questions you may use within the Introduction to get started
Who has done work on this?
Where can I find their work
What unique or peculiar work, or protocols are shown?
Can I squeeze out the new? How might this section give me support in my research for pursuing the paper further?
Am I ready to describe my work succinctly after bringing the reader of the paper into my processes?

7. Materials, Methods—the Protocols
The process of the scholar is to be presented here. If done well, then you should have a clear presentation of what was done, and how it is repeatable.
A poor Materials and Methods section doesn’t give enough information to be able to repeat the Protocols and Process. To be honest, “why did they waste my time!?”
Be clear in presenting the process in shorter sentences rather than run on sentence construction. Otherwise the paper is less helpful and appears to be floating ideas of possible results to a process. You want to show sequence. Show sequence in your process by clean, crisp prose.

8. Here is the REAL Question
Do I have enough information to present the paper, and also repeat the work?

9. Results
With Unbiased words, the Results section tells you the findings of the work.
This is where the Data will provided from your work and help make your argument as strongly as you can.
Sometimes Results and Discussion section become enmeshed. Such combinations are rare, but do happen.
The questions to ask here: Are the results conveyed in a factual, unbiased manner? Are you able to see the data presented and given in a clean, informational manner? What does this data, as presented, provide insight and conclusions you can draw from the work?

10. Discussion and Conclusions
About hundredths of a time, this section is a statement that somehow ties things together and gives analysis of the work.
The scholar seeks to indicate the significance of the results or work done.
Analysis is given about the data, the implications of the work, and the what the data tells the scholar as is suggested or proposed.
Suggestions of what might be considered in future work, or directions as to what the work may support in academic argument or put forward as a theory to be followed up upon may be present.
In writing this section, the questions may include the following:

11. What Do You Think from Evidence Based process and research?
Does the analysis presented appear to agree with the DATA?
Does the conclusion appear valid, and is it supported by the DATA?
What appears weak in the argument, discussions and conclusion?
Does the DATA and what you have read prompt you to further research?
What else might, should, could, be done as research /work on this topic or examination. What might you do with this? Can you replicate, or take this further along the journey of scholarship or insight?

12. Enough Already!!!! Thanks for coming. Hope this was helpful.
Next week, same time, same anthology of esoteric and erudite information, different discussion topic.
Got any ideas from this presentation that you would like to more about?