Writing Your Research Paper

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Writing Your Research Paper
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Graphic Organizerof the Paper
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Introduction
1.Thesis statement
The number of body paragraphs is dependent on
your collected information and analysis. Each
paragraph should have a power 2 (main idea) and a
number of power 3s (supporting details and
explanation).
Body
1.Restatement
Conclusion
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Purpose of an Introduction

• Catch the readers
• attention
• Introduce the subject
• Lead up to the body
• Sometimes give
• background info

Establish the thesis
Please note Most introductions in a research
paper are one or two paragraphs long.
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Important Tips on Introductions

• Your introduction sets the tone for the paper.
  It tells the reader your attitude or how you feel
  about the subject.
• Carefully consider which introduction to use and
  how you develop it in order to establish your
  thesis.
• Never include such phrases as in this research
  paper I will try to prove or My thesis is

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Types of Introductions

• Inverted pyramid or funnel (broad to narrow)
• Short anecdote
• Quotation/Proverb
• Comparison/Contrast
• Relevance

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Inverted Pyramid or Funnel

• Begin your introduction with general, broad
  statements, adding more and more specific
  information, then work down to the thesis, which
  is the last statement of the introduction.

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Example of Broad to Narrow

• Tourette Syndrome, a disorder affecting some
  20,000 people in the U.S., was first diagnosed in
  1885. It still remains, however, a mystery to
  most of the general population and is often
  misdiagnosed by those in the medical field. It
  is a debilitating illness causing involuntary
  movements and sounds that are often repulsive to
  those who do not understand what is happening.
  According to the National Organization for Rare
  Disorders, TS also has no known cure, affecting
  boys four times more than girls (3). It is bad
  enough to have the disorder, which is obvious,
  but to face the repercussions from others is
  worse. Some with the disorder have been disowned
  by family members, fired from their jobs, or
  expelled from their schools because of lack of
  understanding and support.
• As the 21st century dawns, it would seem that a
  disorder affecting so many people would be
  accepted more, but the truth is that little is
  known about the disease except by those who are
  affected. Such little study has been made of TS
  by the medical field and by associated groups
  that few are aware of what it is and how to deal
  with it. They often treat the individual for
  symptoms of other diseases, which only aggravates
  the problem. Because of the frequent
  misdiagnosis of TS by physicians or psychologists
  and the lack of information by the general
  public, the person with TS too often has severe
  problems that also affect those associated with
  him or her.

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Short Anecdote

• These are accounts of interesting incidents or
  events
• Tells a little showing not telling story that
  relates to and leads up to the thesis

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Example of Anecdote

• The husky man pushes open the door of the
  bedroom and grins as he pulls out a .38 revolver.
  An elderly man wearing thin pajamas looks at him
  and whimpers. In a feeble effort at escape, the
  old man slides out of his bed and moves to the
  door of the room. The husky man, still grinning,
  blocks his way. With a face of a small,
  frightened animal, the old man looks up and
  whispers, Oh God, please dont hurt me. The
  grinning man then fires four times. The
  television movie cuts now to a soap commercial,
  but the little boy who has been watching the set
  has begun to cry. Such scenes of direct violence
  on television must surely be harmful to children
  for a number of psychological reasons.

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Quotation/proverb

• Quote an authority on your subject, explain why
  the quote relates and then lead up to your thesis
• A proverb doesnt require referencing the author
  as it is a truism or familiar to most audiences.

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Example of proverb

• The adage water is life is usually cited when
  someone is expounding on the benefits of water
  and its relation to physical health. The
  Lehniger text, Principles of Biochemistry, tells
  us the human body is comprised of 70 water and
  survival is thus dependent on it. But recent
  discoveries by noted Japanese scientist Dr.
  Masaru Emoto have provided surprising evidence
  that water may play a critical role in mental
  health as well. In his book, The Hidden Messages
  in Water, startling photographs depict the impact
  of negative and positive words on the crystalline
  structure of water at the molecular level. The
  implications of this for human kind may be
  significant words then, may possibly affect
  someone at the cellular level. If this is shown
  to be so, the importance of positive inner
  dialogue looms large. Heretofore, positive
  self-talk has been steadily gaining awareness in
  the public arena and its role in fostering
  optimistic and intrinsic motivation is recognized
  and discussed in most self help books on the
  subject. More than ever, it seems, techniques to
  enhance positive inner dialog are being developed
  and taught to individuals struggling with
  motivation. The time seems right, too, to
  encourage the acquisition of positive self-talk
  during the formative years of childhood, up to
  and including old age.

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Comparison/Contrast
Shows how two or more similar or dissimilar
ideas will be presented in
the paper.

• Comparison
• Shows the similarities of ideas, people, or
  objects

• Contrast
• Shows the differences without the similarities

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Example of comparison/contrast

• Syndrome is a word used describe
  an illness or disorder that is known because its
  symptoms are considered characteristic of a
  particular disease. There are many syndromes
  identified in the medical field, but two that
  affect the general public, perhaps more than
  others, are Tourette Syndrome, or TS, and Chronic
  Fatigue Syndrome, or CFS. Both of these
  syndromes are debilitating, and both are
  mysterious. That is where most of the
  similarities lie. However, the differences are
  manifold. For example, TS is known to be
  genetic, whereas according to the web page, CFS
  from Yahoo! Health, CFS has no known cause. Some
  believe it to be caused by a virus, or from a
  compromised immune system. TS has no cure while
  some with CFS do return to normal within 5 years,
  others become dramatically worse (Schweitzer 1).
  The symptoms of TS are highly visible with vocal
  and motor ticks, while, according to Yahoo!
  Health, the symptoms of CFS are much like those
  common viral infections such as muscle aches,
  headache, and fatigue. In addition, treatment
  for TS consists of medication to calm the person.
  Currently, no treatment has proven effective
  with CFS, which has resulted in only treating the
  symptoms (CFS Yahoo! Health).
• TS and CFS do share many similarities
  and differences, as shown, but one of the most
  interesting points about the 2 disorders is that
  with TS there seems to be feelings of guilt or
  resentment or embarrassment. With CFS there is
  none of this, only sympathy and encouragement.
  Possibly the difference is the misunderstanding
  and misdiagnosis of TS by physicians and
  psychologists coupled with the lack of knowledge
  of TS by the general public that causes problems
  for the person with TS as well as those around
  him or her.

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Relevance

• Why your audience should be concerned or care
  about your subject.

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Example of Relevance

• Ask any grade school child what it means to be
  smart, and they will probably tell you, it means
  getting good grades in school. In fact, if you
  ask anyone what it means to be intelligent, they
  will, more than likely, mention a high IQ rating
  or academic success.
• But should we accept this narrow definition of
  the highest sort of human capability? Or does
  our experience give us reasons to question it?
  Consider the numbers of people encountered in
  your own life, who, while not considered
  academically brilliant, perform brilliantly in
  some other field, say music or art. Are they not
  intelligent? Perhaps we should expand our
  definition of intelligence to include proficiency
  in areas other than academics.

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Questioning

• Ask two or three questions about your subject,
  then give some general information that leads up
  to your thesis.

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Example of a Questioning

• Are history books wrong? Do English textbooks
  around the world contain false information? Are
  all readers of Shakespeare unwitting dupes of a
  four hundred year old conspiracy? There is a
  group of scholars who believe so. They are
  adherents of a two hundred year old school of
  doubt, that Shakespeare did not write the works
  attributed to him. Numerous publications have
  appeared arguing both sides of the controversy.
  There has even been a Frontline video
  documentary, aired on public television, that
  addresses this issue. But, after analyzing both
  sides of the argument, the most compelling view
  lies with the acceptance of Shakespeare as the
  true author.

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Tips on Developing Body Paragraphs

• Body of the paper should follow the outline.
• Each main point (power 2s from your Power
  Outline) should become the topic sentence of each
  body paragraph.
• The remaining sentences should be organized to
  support the topic sentence. These are your
  supporting details (power 3s) and further
  explanation.
• Use transitions to enable your reader to follow
  your thinking easily (refer to the link
  concerning transitions found on SP website).
• Vary your sentence structure different
  beginnings and lengths.
• Use formal language (no slang 3rd person
  preferred)
• Body paragraphs are generally 8 10 sentences to
  provide a solid support for the main point.

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Tips for Incorporating Note Card Material

• Be sure to document all information, quotes, and
  ideas that are not your own.
• Do not document information that is regarded as
  common knowledge.
• It is better to paraphrase and cite information
  than over-quote material. Use quotes sparingly.
• Be sure quoted material is placed in a relevant
  and appropriate section of your paper.

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Examples of Documented Information

• Using a quotation to finish a sentence you have
  begun
• Dr. Laura Meyers, a specialist in language,
  theorizes that the computer is giving the
  children control over their own meaning as they
  practiced with word processing (224).

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• Quoting only a few words/phrases within your
  sentence
• The computer names, in a low-pitched electronic
  voice, the object pictured on the key the child
  has pressed (Meyers 45).

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• Paraphrasing or summarizing information from a
  source
• The computer gives the name of an object
  pictured on the screen in low computerized voice
  (Meyers 45).

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Tips on Conclusions

• Should give the paper a nice closure
• Should not be abrupt
• Should restate the thesis statement (without
  using exactly the same words)
• Should make a point!
• Possibly summarize main points (though this is
  considered elementary)
• OR

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• Instead of summarizing, try one of the following
• Call for action
• Give a warning of a present or impending disaster
• Forecast the future
• Discuss larger issues from the piece
• Consider using one of the following methods to do
  this
• Show an anecdote
• Tell a personal narrative
• Ask a rhetorical question or questions
• These are considered more sophisticated
  approaches to concluding your paper.

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Writing your Title

• Write a title that relates to the topic and
  thesis statement without giving away your
  arguments.
• DO NOT use all caps for the title (only where
  appropriate)
• DO NOT use quotation marks or underline it,
  unless some portion of the title is part of a
  published work
• DO NOT call your paper My Research Paper. Your
  title should simply provide a clue to the paper.

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• Research is like sailing off the edge of the map
  into unknown territory.

Enjoy the journey!