Writing the Research Paper: A Curriculum Web

What is a Research Paper?

Understanding the task at hand is an important part of the process. The purpose of a research paper is for you to find information on a given topic, read it, analyze it and synthesize it with your own thoughts and ideas on the topic. Use what others have said or written to support your views.

Writing the Research Paper: Selecting a Topic

The first step in writing the research paper is to brainstorm topics or ideas, select one and begin to narrow your topic. Researching topics which are too broad wastes time, and leads to disorganization and frustration! A topic which is too narrow may make finding enough information difficult.

Writing the Research Paper: Using Credible Sources

Once you have selected your general subject and narrowed it to a specific topic it is time to start gathering information to support and defend your text. Click on the books to learn how to determine the credibility of a source.

Credible Sources
Dont Listen to the Village Idiot

Definition: 1.capable of being believed; believable: a credible statement. 2.worthy of belief or confidence; trustworthy: a credible witness.

Credibility

Credibility is important!
If your research is flawed, so is your argument. If you use credible sources, you can believe them, and your readers can believe you.

How do I know if my sources are credible?

New York Times Charlotte Observer Washington Post

Most books you find in library nonfiction are credible. Most large newspapers are credible.

JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association)

Scholarly journals are usually credible.

American Cancer Society World Health Organization American Red Cross .edu websites

Most government publications are credible. Reputable organizations are usually credible.

Most information from colleges is credible.

How do I know if my sources are credible?

You can automatically rule out:

Wikipedia Myspace Geocities Blogs Friendster Personal sites

Using the Internet for Research

The internet offers the BEST information on MANY topics. The internet offers the WORST information on MOST topics.

You can use internet resources for research papers, but you have to be careful.

Credible Internet Sources

Ways to tell a credible internet source:

Looks professional
The website doesnt look like it was made by a 4year-old with a crayon All or most links are working

Information offered is easy to verify

The website offers links to where they found their information The sources of their information is also credible

Credible Internet Sources

It is easy to contact the owners of the website for more information or to ask questions The site is up to date
Information from 1991 is not listed as recent

There are no errors

The site uses proper spelling and grammar

The website is appropriate

There is no inappropriate language, graphics, or photos

Credible Internet Sources

These guidelines are not 100% When in doubt, ask for help from a teacher or librarian If youre still not sure, DONT use it Be careful with .com sites

All .com sites are trying to sell something, which means they are all biased in some way Sites with lots of advertisements are usually less credible

Jeopardy

JeopardyBase titanic.pptx

Citing Sources With MLA

Its not as hard as it used to be.

Citing Works in Research Papers

If you didnt say it yourself and you dont cite it, it is plagiarism. Plagiarism can result in:

Works Cited Page In-Text Citations

If you use ANY information from a source in your paper, you must CITE it.

A zero for the assignment A requirement to redo the entire assignment In college, plagiarism may fail you for an entire course In college, plagiarism may result in expulsion, with no tuition refund

Plagiarism
Is much easier to spot than it used to be Doesnt take very long for a teacher to check

A teacher can type 10 words of your paper into a search engine, and within seconds, compare it to tens of thousands of other papers that have already been written

In high school, many teachers believe that you are guilty until proven innocent of plagiarism Is easy to avoid

Citation makers MLA style sheets

How to Cite Sources

Citation makers will write your works cited page for you if you have the right information on your sources Books, articles, and websites are all cited differently The more information you have, the better When you find a source that you think you can use, you need to make sure you have several things

Making Citations

Your checklist:

You might not always be able to find all of this information, but get as much as you can.

Author Title Publication company Publication location Publication date Page numbers Date accessed online Editor ENTIRE web address

Citation Maker
Go to Son of Citation Machine http://citationmachine.net/ Click on MLA at the top left of the page. Click on the type of source you want to cite. Fill in the boxes for your source. Click Submit.

Voila! Your citation is written.

Questions and Answers

If you dont ask, youll never know.

Writing the Research Paper: the Thesis Statement

The thesis statement is perhaps the single most important written statement of the entire research paper; yes, it is that important!! A well-written thesis determines the direction of your writing and helps keep you focused. Click on the owl to learn more!

Topic Bank
School issues Local Issues State Issues National Issues Global Issues

Corporal punishment in schools Bullying and social media

School merger Pre K Funding

Gun in parking lots. Wine in grocery stores. Same sex marriage in Tennessee.

Gun Control Common Core Same- Sex Marriage Racial Profiling Immigration Laws Welfare Reform Should college athletes be paid? Pit Bulls

Russias anti-gay laws and the 2014 winter Olympics. Global Warming Adoption of children by different races.

OUTLINING
Making and Using an Outline

What is an Outline?

An outline is a way of organizing key ideas An outline helps to set up an essay or a research paper An outline is a tool to help revise an essay or research paper. An outline can be a study tool to help you summarize key ideas in reading

DEFINING THE FORMAL OUTLINE

A formal outline shows, in logical order, what you will be writing about. A formal outline helps you separate main ideas and supporting ideas A formal outline gives you a foundation from which to build an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. A formal outline often changes after you write your first draft. It will show you where you need to add more research or make other changes.

FORMAL OUTLINE
I. Thesis Statement II. Criteria for immigration A. Political refugees B. Relatives of citizens C. Other applications III. Screening Criteria A. Medical Screening B. Interview C. Psychological screening D. Background check IV. Students A. Purpose of study B. Commitment to study 1. How long will they stay? 2. How will they finance their education and support themselves? C. Value to our educational system V. Government oversight A. Obligation to have periodic checks on immigrants and students B. Reporting any legal violations or suspicious behavior C. The government needs to limit the number of immigrants VI. Conclusion Addressing Immigration after 9/11

Creating an Outline
Take several minutes to create an outline. Think about the given topic and make a scratch outline: Jot down what you already know about this topic. Think about what you want to learn or explore about this topic. Think about what conclusions you may reach.

Topic: Ensuring travel safety in (airports, train stations, bus terminals)

Writing the Research Paper: the Outline

While an outline may not always be a required component of a research paper, it is always a helpful component when writing the research paper. There are two different outline styles, the topic outline and the sentence outline, both of which are organized the same and act as a readers guide to the paper. Click the Outline to learn more!

MLA Style documentation and formatting is just one of many. Your teacher will inform you which style should be used. MLA has strict guidelines and requirements concerning: paper size, margins, spacing, indenting, headers, citing in text, and the Works Cited. Click MLA to find all the specifics!

Writing the Research Paper: Formatting MLA Style

Writing the Research Paper: Citations in Text

To avoid the risk of plagiarism, all information used in the text of the paper that is not your own must be cited. Citations must be used for direct quotes and paraphrased information. Click the light bulb to see examples

MLA uses parenthetical citations which include the authors last name and the page number where the information was found. With the increased use of the Internet correct citations are even more important.

Writing the Research Paper: Works Cited

All research papers, regardless of format, require the writer to provide a list of the sources used. MLA uses a Works Cited page at the end of the paper. A Works Cited page only lists those sources which were actually cited in the paper.

Click this icon to complete your worksheet.

Use either of the icons below for more examples and information.