Quranic Archaeology

Series
11.11.11

A Guide for writing Research Articles in Humanities

(Comparative Religions, History and Archaeology)
By
Muzaffar Ahmad

archeohistorian@gmail.com

2011

Title: A Guide for writing Research papers in Humanities (Exegesis, Comparative Religions,
History and Archaeology)
Author: Muzaffar Ahmad
E Mail: archeohistorian@gmail.com
Published on Internet: November 2011

Muzaffar Ahmad 2011

5 ....................................................................................
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11 .....................................................................................

16 .........................................................................................

18 ......................................................................

99 ......................................................................
)plagiarism 11 ....................................................................
11 .............................................................................

Humanities

Humanities

1950

credentials

" "

John Corbett:
"

"

Graham Connah ) (Archaeology

)1983: 171
...

...

Anthony

"

Sinclair

")Sinclair 1989: 161

...

Contexts

...

)artifacts

)argument
patterns of evidence

Dartmouth

(exegesis

humanities

social sciences

secular tools academic conventions

:
Research is a systematic process of investigation, the general purpose of which is
to contribute to the body of knowledge that shapes and guides academic and/or
practice disciplines.5

: /

Anne Pyburn :
Try to find the CORE of the study: what are the central research questions, how are
these addressed methodologically, what did the researchers find (the results), and how did
?they interpret the results in terms of the original questions

:
:

Susan Frankel:

"

"

(Analytical

)Argumentative Humanities

Descriptive Research Paper

)Thesis

)limitations

research

writing manuals

10

)Critical Thinking
)Critical Writing
:
the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualising,
applying, analysing, synthesising and/or evaluating information gathered from, or
generalised by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning or communication,
"]as a guide to belief or action [or argument10

: [

11

:)Insight and in-depth knowledge of the subject

:)Vast study

:)Originality

11

):(note taking

12

( : )Preparations

):(Searching for appropriate material

)folio. No )(a or b

): (Copyrights

:)Primary Sources

) :(Secondary sources

):(Authenticity of the sources

)cross checking

):(Bias

) :(Accessing sources in different languages

topography

13

14

):(Studying foot notes and prefaces

) :(Working thesis statement

" "

working thesis statement

) : (Outlining

""

Your paper depends on your outline! A Good outline enhances the organization
and coherence of your paper. The outline can help you organize your material,
stay focused, be clear, discover connections between pieces of information that
you werent aware of, make you aware of material that is not really relevant to the
purpose of your paper, help you fill in gaps, etc12.

!
:

Majers :13

)points

)headings

):(Hypothesis

15

16

)
artifacts

:)Scholarly Conventions

Leoncio A. Gazra Valdes )artifact

)Charles Sides(1991

If you try to write and edit at the same time, you will do neither well14.

)draft

Graham Connah "

Thurstan Shaw"""" "15

: )Feed Back

17

18

3,5004,000
) :(Length

:)Paraphrasing

time and space

)Dead Sea Scrolls

)artifact

19

):(Title

descriptive

" """

APA16

MLA17

"

".

18

) : (Author

:)Address

:)Authors introduction

20

:)Date

):(Abstract

AB: absolutely
STR: straight forward
ACT: actual data presentation and interpretation

:
The abstract should state the purpose of the study or investigation, basic
procedures, main findings and the principal conclusion. It should emphasize the
new and important aspects of the study or observation.19

21

20

A statement of the problem

A description of the research procedure or method

An explanation of the results of the research

A summary of your conclusions.21

structured 100250-

300

unstructured 100150

" "" "

conclusions

22

Structured abstracts

James Hartley
23

): (Keywords descriptors

James Hartley

.24

:)Contents

:

:)Introduction

22

23

thesis statement25 problem statement "

"

thesis

24

SwalesFeak)(moves:
Move 1: The authors establish a research territory:
(a) by showing that the general research area is important, central, interesting, problematic
;)or relevant in some way (optional
(b) by introducing and reviewing items of previous researchin the area (obligatory).
Move 2: They then establish a niche by indicating a weakness in the
account so far:
(a) by indicating a gap in the previous research, raising aquestion about it or extending
previous knowledge in someway (obligatory).
Move 3: They then occupy the niche by saying they are going to putthis right:
;)(a) by outlining the purposes or stating the nature of thepresent research (obligatory
(b) by listing research questions or hypotheses to be tested
;)(optional
(c) by announcing the principal findings (optional).26

):(Methods

methods

25

The methods section should provide a detailed exposition of the research

design27

:)Results

):(Main body "the documentation of reasons to believe

"the conclusion

)discussion

key

findings

26

:)conclusion or Conclusions

conclusions

thesis statement :

"

"

28

:)Acknowledgments

):(Footnotes

) :(Quotations

): (Tables

) :(Figures

:)Statistics

:)Graphs

:)Pictures and Photographs

27

28

) : (Maps

:)Illustrations

)(Documentation

Parenthetical

citations

end notes

29

Ibid.

Ibid ibid.,

p.234"" Idem.

Ibid. Op.cit.

Loc.cit.

" "Heaphy, loc.cit. p.25 " "

:
" "et.al.,

29

Muzaffar.(2008). Presence of Silver Halides in Ointment of Jesus.

Retrieved August 9, 2009 from www.ointment of Jesus.org/Silver.html

bibliography

)(select bibliography

):(Appendixes

][sic

URL

end notes foot notes foot notes

30

31

)plagiarism

plagiarism
:

fabrication

: 37

38,39,40

32

33

Daniel. P. J. Soule, Lucy Whiteley, and Shona McIntosh .Writing for Scholarly Journals Publishing in the
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.E sharp 2007.16 University Gardens,
http://www.sharp.arts.gla.ac.uk/. P. 24
2
Graham Connah. Writing about Archaeology. Cambridge University Press. 2010. Pp.2-4
3
Writing the Historical Paper (from Internet)
17-25 1312
4

5
Powers and Knapp 1995: 148
6

http://indiana.edu/~arch/saa/matrix/amtp/amtp_paper1.html
7

Susan Frankel , Nina McHale. Writing the research paper. 2002. Pp.2,22
Guidline for Writing Essays and Research Papers. Demartment of Political Science
9
Scriven & Paul ,2001, p.1
10
NationalCouncil for Excellence in Critical Thinking Instruction (Scriven, p1.)
11
Barbra and Allen ., et .al
12
http://classweb.gmu.edu/WAC/philosophy/composing/outlining.html
13
Steps of Outlining (Majers 1997: 183)

14

Charles H. Sides. How to Write and Present Technical Information. Cambridge.1999.P.32

Connah at.al., P.6
16
Generally literature and language papers use the MLA (ModernLanguage Association) style. Susan.
17
Social sciences, science and nursing papersrequire the APA (American Psychological Association) style.
Susan. 24
18
Writing a scientific paper Chapter 11.P.131
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/emro/2004/9290213639_chap11.pdf
19
Janice R. Matthews, John M. Bowen, Robert W. Matthews Successful scientific writing. Cambridge. P.
212 2nd edition.
15

20

Abstract Writing GradWRITE! Workshop Student Development ServicesThe Writing Support Centre
University of Western Ontario http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/writing/gradhandouts
21
Doctoral Dissertation Handbook 2010 P.4
Masters Licentiate Thesis Hand book. P.4
http://graduatestudies.cua.edu/res/docs/currentstudents/mastersthesis.pdf
22
The title Abstract is centered and is the first page of the paper. The text then continues with the next
page number. Susan. P.49
23
Hartley and Benjamin (1998),ibid., P.32
24
Ibid., 37.
25
A statement of the understanding you have developed through your research, in your opening paragraph.
26
Swales and Feak (2004) P. 244. After Hartley, P. 41
27
Writing a scientific paper A practical guide for health researchers. P.132.
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/emro/2004/9290213639_chap11.pdf
28
Evaluating Credibility of Information on the Internet.P. 5. www.rbs0.com/credible.pdf
29
A Works Cited page (for MLA style) or a Reference Page (for APA style) is carefully organized and
thoroughly completed. Susan et.al,.P.22.