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The Research Paper

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Title: The Research Paper


1
The Research Paper
  • I  Process1.       Choosing a topic 2.      
    Collecting information3.       Analyzing the
    information, organizing ideas, and working out an
    outline 4.       Writing the first draft and
    5.       Revising the draft and finalizing it.
    (Ding 296-97) 

2
1.Choosing a topic pp297-300
  • Dont get married to a topic.
  • If you dont like it.
  • If it is not working out for any reason --Get
    rid of it, change topics.

3
Requirements for final topic.
  • 1) It should be a topic that is meaningful and
    serious.
  • Important topic (It should have some value, i.e.
    sth. new, different, or original).
  • Should have depth (Not shallow, not fluff/light
    or waste).
  • 2)  It should be a topic within the range of your
    abilities.
  • Within your ability to discuss.

4
Requirements for final topic.
  • 3)It should be a topic for which sufficient
    materials are available.
  • You should have plenty of resources.
  • 4) It should be a topic that can be treated
    objectively.
  • You should have an objective treatment (to your
    thesis).(Though we cant be purely objective,
    well try to put our bias aside. If you dont
    know the other peoples views, you cant do it
    well. Anyway its not research.)

5
Requirements for final topic.
  • 5) It should be a subject that is not too topical
    to draw conclusions on.
  • A conclusion should be possible (You should take
    firm stand).
  • 6)  It should be a clear thesis statement.
  • Narrow down focus (clear thesis statement)
  • Neither too broad nor too narrow 

6
2. Collecting information pp. 300 309
  • Begin collecting information immediately

7
A-Using the library,
  • Using the library, internet everywhere in China.
    (with your ID card or work card)
  • Visit universities libraries, looking for the
    information concerning your subject and author
  • Look up in the card catalogue drawers. (You can
    find the books you need, if they are available,
  • according to the last names of the authors
  • or the first word of the titles of books, which
    are all arranged alphabetically.)

8
Using the library,
  • You can also go to the subject catalogue to find
    out what has been written on your topic, or at
    least find some titles which seem to be related
    to your topic. (Literature, Language, Education
    etc.)
  • Read encyclopedia which may give you some help.
    (Read all the articles on or related to your
    subject in it).
  • Look at the brief bibliographies and reference at
    the end of each article you will be able to
    collect a number of titles.

9
Using the library,
  • Copy all the titles, preferably on cards.--- For
    bibliography forms see pp.341-52-----Bibliography
    cards for books pp.342-345



10
B-Reading
  • First scan (a book)
  • Table of contents
  • Index
  • Bibliography
  • Skim the irrelevant pages rapidly until you find
    the information you need.
  • Reliable information 

11
C-Taking notes
  • While reading take the information down as you
    go
  • Take notesyour memory will fail you.
  • Use professionally printed note cards
  • Look for any fact, idea, or opinion not generally
    known but relevant to your topic

12
Taking notes
  • One note /one fact/ one thought /one idea per
    card (easy for you to shuffle or rearrange)
  • Take more information first sort later
  • Get a focus on the material soon so that you can
    become more selective in the notes you take.

13
Taking notes
  • Make sure that documentation is complete.
  • The information,
  • he authors last namethe page number
  • Abbreviated form of the works title

14
Three kinds of notes
  • Quote (direct /exact/use ellipses)
  • Paraphrase (words very similar to the original)
  • Summary (general statement of authors idea)
  • Put Quote, Paraphrase, Summary on the
    card. 

15
Quotation of sources
  • Copy the quotation exactly as it appears in the
    original. ( sic, the Latin word for thus)
  • Underline sic when you type or write the word.
    In print, the word would be italicized.
    Non-English words are usually underlined.
  • Place spaced dots all the way across the card to
    indicate the omission of a whole paragraph or two
  • Place three spaced dots (an ellipsis) where the
    sentence or part of the sentence has been left
    out.

16
Caution about using the ellipsis
  • Never alter the meaning of the original by using
    an ellipsis
  • e.g. This was not the most important cause of
    the war. If the original statement reads like
    this and it would be dishonest if we use an
    ellipsis to omit the word not.
  • Do not omit from the sentence important elements
    such as the subject and the verb.

17
Caution about using the ellipsis
  • Make careful notes (make sure that pronoun is
    clear and context is clear) by putting the
    information in brackets not parentheses.
  • e.g. He Marx suffered extreme hardship.
  • In that year 1848, Karl Mark and Fredrich
    Engels published the Communist Manifesto.
  • Be very careful about assuming that just because
    sth. is published, that it is then true. (Just
    because sth. has been published does not mean it
    is true.) 

18
Arrangement of notes
  • Put your notes in order
  • When you feel you have collected enough material
    to start planning your paper, and when you find
    that additional references are merely repeating
    the information you already have, it is time to
    stop reading awhile and put your notes in order.

19
Arrangement of notes
  • Put your notes into groups under different
    headings
  • Reread your notes to refresh your memory and at
    the same time put them into groups under
    different headings.
  • e.g. For your notes on Ernest Hemingway, your
    heading might include
  • Hemingway and the Lost Generation,
  • Hemingways Life,
  • Hemingways Works, and
  • Hemingways Contributions to American
    Literature.
  • You may want to subdivide some of these headings,
  • e.g Hemingways Works,--Hemingways Themes,
    --Hemingways Style and Techniques,
    --Hemingway on Writing.

20
Arrangement of notes
  • Use pencil when making note headings
  • Write a brief heading in ink in the upper right
    hand corner of each card (so that it can be seen
    quickly as you shuffle through your cards)
  • Arrange note cards (logically before starting to
    write)
  • Rearrange note cards if necessary 

21
Here is a note card for your reference Page 309

  • Hemingways ThemesR.E. Spiller, p. 200In one
    sense Hemingway was more limited in scope than
    most of his contemporaries, for he had but a
    single themehow man may meet death in a world
    stripped of all values except that of
    intensity.

22
3) Analysing the information, organising ideas
and working out an outline
  • After you get sufficient information, you can
    start to write.
  • Brainstorming / speed writing is for breaking
    writers block.
  • Writers block (when you dont know what to
    write) Whatever comes in your mind, you just
    write down. Any idea.
  • Write thesis statement.
  • Complete affirmative declaration.Consider
    brainstorm thoughtsEliminate irrelevant Retain
    relevantLogical order

23
Write an outline / contents
  • topic outline
  • sentence outline (Dont mix them. )

24
e.g. Food
  • I.    FruitA. Apples B. OrangesC. Green
    beansII.  VegetablesA. B.C.III. MeatA.B.
    C. 

25
e.g. Transportation
  • CarsTrucksAutomobilesTrainsPlanesBicycles
  • The items should have equal importance. 

26
4) Writing the first draft
  • Once you have your thesis statement and outline,
    you are ready to begin writing your first draft.
    You may have to write more than one draft before
    you have your final paper done. 
  • All the rules of good writing you have learned
    apply to the writing of your paper. Here are a
    few points that deserve special attention

27
Effective paragraphs
  • three major concerns / areas
  • Unity--content--theme (thesis) (beginning,
    middle and endEvery sentence should be related
    back to the theme (thesis.)

28
three major concerns / areas
  • Coherence / cohesion --form / organization
    --logical progression

29
three major concerns / areas
  • Transition --Parallel structures /
    Parallelism --Repeated words / groups of words
    --Pronoun /Antecedents --Consistency in
    person, number of nouns / pronouns and verb
    tense --Perspective, the 3rd person in academic
    writing always. --transitional expressions
    P85-p87

30
Notes
  • Using your own words (Page 313)--Dont string
    together a branch of quotations--Do remember not
    to quote more than 10 percent of your paper.
  • To use your own words in writing your paper is
    not always easy. You may be tempted to quote a
    great deal. Lets look at the example pp.313-314
    in which the writer merely strings note or
    borrowed material together.

31
Notes
  • Using the proper tenses
  • When you are dealing with an event or a concept
    of the past, the past tense should be your basic
    tense.
  • Biographical details of a persons life should
    normally be reported in the past tense.

32
Notes
  • If you mention events in a story in chronological
    order, use the simple present for all of them.
  • But the simple past or the present perfect
    should be used for an event that happened before
    one that has been mentioned.

33
Notes
  • The present tense should also be used for your
    comments on the content of a book or the language
    and style of an author.
  • When you quote from an authority, the reporting
    verb can also be in the present tense. So instead
    of Richard Chase said, Professor Cowley
    wrote, or T.S. Eliot stipulated, you can write
    Richard Chase says, Professor Cowley writes,
    and T.S. Eliot stipulates.

34
Notes
  • Uniting facts and views
  • A paper is weak if it is crowded with facts which
    do not prove or disprove a point of view. The
    reader will certainly wonder what all those facts
    are there for. He will not be enlightened on the
    subject even if many of the facts are
    interesting.
  • A paper is just as weak, however, if it expresses
    a lot of views, even original ones, without
    supporting facts. The reader may be struck by
    those views at first, but very soon he will begin
    to doubt if they are really sound. He will even
    think that the writer is not serious or honest in
    producing such a paper.

35
Notes
  • A research paper must combine both facts and the
    assessment of facts, both authentic, verified
    factual information and views firmly founded on
    it.
  • Good papers are invariably marked by the unity of
    facts and ideas.

36
Notes
  • Paying attention to logic and the organization
  • Composition/ Paper should be unified--Unity,
    coherence and transitions are important.--Remove
    irrelevant--The whole composition is composed of
    several / many paragraphs.--Each paragraph
    should have a central idea.--Arrange your work
    logically.--Hook together your sentences and
    paragraphs.--Everything should be separate but
    related.--Proportion (art)

37
If the introduction is too big, and the body is
too small, its out of proportion.
38
Proportion
  • Introduction 5-10 of the whole paper
  • Introduction includes your thesis and some of
    background of your material. (AC attention
    catcherbackground thesis)
  • Body 75-80
  • The main parts of your paper, the body
    (Presentation of facts/ ideas/ proposals)
  • Conclusion 5-15
  • Tell us what you told us.
  • Conclusion should be short and powerful.
  • Have some backbone. State it clearly and
    powerfully. Not maybe. It should be strong.

39
Notes
  • Spaces necessary for correction (Page setup,
    spacing)
  • Double space allows you to do some editing.
  • Make your tone objective rather than
    personal--objective facts--relevant data--no I
    or we, no personal experience
  • Choosing the right style--use formal written
    style--do not use contractions --need not be
    pompous and difficult to understand

40
5) Revising the draft and finalizing the paper
  • Dont turn in first draft
  • Allow time for objective reflection
  • first draft means expression of ideas in words.
    Writing is art. (Our words should paint the
    pictures in our minds. They should give images.)
  • Check grammar / spelling and punctuation
  • Microsoft word contains a lot of tools. Green
    line means grammar problems.

41
Editing is necessary for all good writing.
  • All good writing is the result of much revision.
  • Some thoughts you need to think about Page
    151-page152-page153QuestionsIs the thesis
    clear? --Is the content related?
    --Does the content support? So after
    the draft is finished, you revise it and see that
    your essay reaches sth.Check words, structures,
    spelling, and grammar. For a fair tone, wed
    better avoid sex discrimination, using he/she,
    chairperson etc. 
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