BAGUIO COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY

Baguio City, Philippines

SUBJECT TITLE : ENGLISH FOR ACADEMICS AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES

MODULE TITLE : Common Research Skills
MODULE NO :2
NOMINAL DURATION : 4 Hours – August 24 – 29, 2020
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: At the end of this module, the students are able to:
1. identify research skills practically used in accomplishing academic and professional papers;
2. apply research skills and techniques to avoid plagiarism; and
3. summarize an article using correct technique.

MODULE CONTENT:

RESEARCH SKILLS

● are the ability to search for, find, collect, analyze, interpret and evaluate information that is relevant to the
subject being studied.
● Research skills show companies you're able to suggest new ideas and help the business adapt to the ever
changing world we live in.

SUMMARIZING

Summary is a condensation of significant facts from an original piece of writing. A chapter condensed into
a page, a page with a paragraph or a paragraph into a sentence retaining the essential facts of the original. Typically,
a summary is a third of the original text, but this may vary depending on the purpose of the writer.

When to summarize:

● To emphasize that the length is less important than the content

● To condense the material
● To simplify the material

To summarize adequately, writer must:

● Make sure to avoid keeping the same idea structure or sentence structure.
● Be careful not to inject your idea into the summary.
● Decide what ideas need to retain and which one need to omit.
● Be careful to change some words as they may distort the meaning of the idea.
● Make sure you have documented the sources of the original material.

Paraphrasing - To paraphrase is to restate the passage using one's words. This way to summarize is usually the most
frequently used type of notes in a research paper.

When to Paraphrase:

a. When the passage contains difficult, too complicated or too technical content.

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 BAGUIO COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY
Baguio City, Philippines

b. When the author wants to establish credibility before his readers, instead of copying verbatim, he
clarifies the idea in the passage for the convenience of his readers.
c. When the writer wants to highlight his tone or his individuality as he maintains the flow of the writing.
d. When the writer wants to be selective about the information he wants to share or omit from the
passage.

To paraphrase effectively, a writer must:

1. Read and understand the meaning of the text.

2. Record the original idea using notecards.
3. Write his or her rendition or understanding of the idea or concept.
4. Compare the two ideas.
5. Make sure that the ideas derived from the original idea never deviate from the original one.
6. Proofread and rewrite his or her final copy.

Direct Quotation

The quotation reproduces an author's words exactly as they were spoken or written, preserving even
peculiarities of spelling, grammar or punctuation. The use of quotation marks is necessary when the exact words of
the author copied.

When to Copy Direct Quotation:

a. When the writer wants to show that an authority supports his idea most especially in research.
b. When the author wants to present a position or argument to evaluate or comment.
c. When the quote has symbolic language historically.
d. When a quote's meaning is distorted when summarized or paraphrased.

To use direct quotation effectively, the writer must:

a. Choose his quotation.

b. Discuss it.
c. Use active verbs to introduce it. (assert, affirm, remark, declare, etc.)
d. Put it in the most strategic place in the composition.
e. Sometimes, leave out some words to condense the quote.
f. Use parenthetical documentation or in-text citation to avoid plagiarism.

THESIS STATEMENTS

What is a Thesis Statement?

● A thesis statement is the main idea of an essay.

● It is often a point you want to argue or support in an essay.
● The thesis statement explains to a reader the main idea of an essay, and the writer’s opinion on that
idea.
● A thesis statement is usually one sentence. Often placed in the introductory paragraph of an essay
● A claim that could be argued.
● The essay will contain evidence and opinions that support the argument.

Thesis statements avoid the following:

● The first person (I believe, In my opinion, etc)

● Unclear language (It seems)
● Attempting two topic at once (even if they seem relaxed). Pick one and stick with it.
● Just stating a fact- A thesis is something you plan to make an argument about.

A Thesis Statement should:

● Contain a topic (main idea of what you are writing about)

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 BAGUIO COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY
Baguio City, Philippines

● Contain an opinion about the topic (what your attitude is toward the topic)

A Thesis Statement should not be too broad.

TOO BROAD: The world is a magnificent place to live

BETTER: Good teachers make Mountain City Elementary a fantastic school.

Which sentence is too broad to be a good thesis statement?

A. One reason to live in Mountain City is acces to many wonderful places to fish.

B. Mountain City is a great place to live

A thesis statement should not be too wordy.

WORDY: So. E problems with Mountain City Elementary School is that it needs a larger playground, an air
conditioned gym, an auditorium, running water in the classrooms, and a number of other physical changes to the
building.

BETTER: Mountain City Elementary needs several changes to its facility to make it a better school.

Which sentence is too wordy to be a good thesis statement?

A. Abe Lincoln was one of the best presidents the United States has ever known.

B. Abe Lincoln was a n excellent speaker, the 16th President of the United States, a liberator of slaves, and
united North and South at the end of the American Civil War.

A thesis statement should not be too general.

TOO GENERAL: Mountain City Elementary is a good school.

BETTER: Daily writing practice has led to improved writing skills for the students at Mountain City Elementary.

Which sentence is too general to be a good thesis statement?

A. Music makes people happy

B. Music therapy is useful in relieving stress and other conditions.

A thesis statement should not be a fact.

A FACT: The average temperature for Mountain City in winter is 34 and in summer is 75 degrees.

BETTER: The climate in Mountain City is ideal for outdoor sports.

Which sentence would not be a good thesis statement because it is a fact?

A. The recycling of one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours

B. Recycling is one of the most important jobs a person can do to protect our environment.

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