e n t a ls o f

Fund a m
h W r i t in g
Resea rc
 Fundamentals of Research
Writing
Research writing is nearly a universal requirement for most of the subjects in
many courses. It is not just a traditional academic requirement but it also serves
as preparation for students for a more complicated research writing which they
will experience as a student and as a professional.

One of the finest achievements you will experience as college students will be to
write a research paper. Writing research paper demands that you "put it all
together": thinking, speaking, reading and writing. More than that, the research
paper challenges you to take charge of your own education. You are the leader. It
is your topic, your curiosity, and your energy that make it happen. It is really a
great accomplishment for you. So, if you can write a good research paper, you
can be trusted with many other complex and time-consuming tasks without losing
your wits
A Personalized Approach in Writing
Research

Get Involved
Start by selecting a subject that really interests you and then carry out your
1 research personally, using both primary and secondary sources,

Keep a Journal
Consider writing in a journal during your research. Thinking and writing about your
2 work will help you make sense of and evaluate new information.

Personalize It
Present the results of your searching in light of your own thoughts and decisions
3 about what information means. Your readers want to consider a new twist on your
topic, not just look at facts they could gather themselves.

Follow the Steps

follow the steps in researching suggested in the following pages to make
4 researching easier for you.
Steps in the Process of
Researching
 1. Finding a Research Topic
Meaningful research project starts with a personal need
or desire to know. You may ask yourself these
questions:
a. What are the best career opportunities for young
people today?
b. What are the real costs and benefits of a college
education?
c. Are we doing our responsibility to protect our
environment? d. Are we doing enough (or too much) to
protect our endangered
species?
If you have the need to know, you may already
have a good subject for your research paper. If
your are not sure, think about it. Think about
the subjects you have studied in school, the
hobbies you have enjoyed, the materials you
have read, the movies or television programs
you have seen. Think about the controversial
topics, recent stories in the news, the political
and social conditions of a city, the interest of the
young people, and things that are important in
your life. What do you need to know? To do
good research, you need to find a subject that
interests you and seems practical for the time
and resources available.
 2. Think about your Subject

Once you have selected a general subject, you need to explore it further. You can start
by taking out your journal and writing down
everything you know (and do not know) about your subject. Use the who, what, when,
where, why and how questions.

You may talk with other people about your subject-(professors,parents, grandparents,
local leaders, local experts) whoever is available. Do not forget to some exploratory
reading. Even an encyclopedia article can offer a reliable overview of your subject and
lead you to many related topics. You may also choose to review magazines,
newspapers, videos, CD's, and online sources of information.
 3. Limit your Subject

Once you have done all your preliminary thinking, you need to take steps to find a limiting subject. Let us say
you have always been interested n wildlife and that recently your saw a special on televisions about
endangered species. You were surprised to learn that many of the programs set up years ago to help
preserve certain species have actually done more harm than good. And since you need a topic for your
research paper, you have decided that writing a paper on some phase of this topic would be a good idea.
Clearly, it is a timely, worthwhile subject, and because you also have a personal interest in it, it makes perfect
sense as a research topic.

So with a general subject area in mind, you are ready to begin the process of zeroing in one a specific,
limited topic, one you can adequately cover in a specific time.

Take a look at the example below:

Broad - Transportation
Limited - Types of Transportation
More Limited - Types of Transportation in the City
 Write a Thesis Statement
With a limited subject in hand, you will want next to compose a sentence to serve as the controlling idea for your
research. This is called the thesis statement-as sentence that states what you believe your research will prove. Even
though your original thesis statement may change as you do more research, it will guide you and make your research
more productive.

Here are some tips to help you develop a useful thesis statement:

a. Consider carefully the general information you have already gathered about your subject and decide what specifically
you would like to cover in your research.

b. Put your idea in the form of a question. Example: What programs are currently in effect to help endangered species
of eagles?,
3. Now turn your question into a sentence that states exactly what you would like to say about your subject.

Example: The current program to reintroduce the eagles into the forests of the country are not achieving the desired
results.
Tips in Writing a Thesis Statement

A good thesis statement tells the readers what

your subject is and more importantly, it tells them
how you plan to treat your subject. It also serves
as a personal guide to help you focus on your
subject throughout the research project. In
addition, your thesis helps you to prioritize your
research as you decide whether to read a
particular book or just skim it, photocopy an
article or take a few notes on it, view a video or
interview people.
 The Process at Work

➢ A thesis statement is usually a single sentence that

contains two main elements-a limited subject plus a
specific attitude toward the subject. To arrive at a final
thesis, you may follow this process:
 The Process at Work

1 Select your subject. Endangered species

2
2. Narrow your subject. Programs to protect the eagles in the country

3 Select a working thesis. The effectiveness of programs to protect the eagles

4 Put your thesis in the form of a question. How effective are programs to protect the eagles?

5 Compose a final thesis statement The programs to protect eagles in the forests are not effective
 Thesis Checklist

1. Make sure your thesis statement focuses on a single, limited subject.

2. Make sure your thesis is stated in a clear, direct statement or sentences

3. Make sure your thesis conveys your point of view or attitude about the topic.

4. Make sure you have access to have enough information to support thesis statement.your

5. Make sure your thesis directs you to write a paper that meets all the requirements of your subject.

6. Prepare a preliminary bibliography.

Continue to look for information related to your thesis statement. To do this, simply head to the library or
media center. As you find good sources of information, keep track of them on your computer or on 3-by 5
inch cards. Arrange the cards in alphabetical order by author's last names.
 Thesis Checklist
7 Read and take notes.
As you begin reading the materials you
have listed in your bibliography, take notes
and write down quotations related to your
specific
thesis.
8 Collect information from primary sources.
If possible, collect first hand information by
conducting interviews, passing out
questionnaires or making observations in
advance and put your subject at ease. If
you use a questionnaires, design it
carefully so the results will be valid.
9 Preparing an outline.
Organize your note cards into their most logical
order and use them to construct a working outline.
An outline is an orderly listing of related ideas. It
serves as a guide so that you do not get lost in the
arrangement of your topics.
There are two common types of outline usually used
by writers - the topic and the sentence outline. In a
topic outline, the entries are words or phrases. It is
easier to prepare and a time saving device. It is also
a practical guide for writers. In sentence outline, it
contains more detail than the topic outline because
the entries are expressed as a complete sentence.
It is more difficult to prepare since writers should
conform to correctness in the construction of each
sentence.
Sample of a Topic Outline

Genetic Engineering: Its Impact on People

Thesis Statement: Genetic engineering has different effects on people.
1. Introduction

II. The Technology of Genetic Engineering A. Gene Manipulation

B. Gene Copying and Transferring

C. Gene Recombination and Cloning III. The Uses of Genetic Engineering

A. Unpredictable in the Past

B. Unpredictable Now C. More Potential in the Future

IV. The Fears about Genetic Engineering A. Release of Dangerous Organisms

B. Lack of Trust in Scientists

V. Conclusion
Sample of a Sentence Outline
Genetic Engineering: Its Impact on People
Thesis Statement: Geneticengineeringhasdifferenteffects on people.

I. Genetic engineering is a new biotechnology

A. Scientists can manipulate genes.
B. Genes can be copied and moved to cells in other copies. C. Scientists can recombine genes
and clone entire organisms.
II. Genetic engineering affects animal and plant breeding
A. Past species improvement effects took decades and proved unpredictable.
B. New development time is cut dramatically with better results.
C. Animals are potential chemical factories, and new animals can be created and patented.
III. Genetic engineering is feared by some.
A. Dangerous organisms could be released.
B. Public confidence in scientists has been undermined.
IV. Genetic engineering remains a challenge to scientists
10. Revise your outline.
Revise your working outline as necessary when you find new information. Your outline should serve as a blueprint for your final paper, but a
blueprint that changes as improvements occurs to you.

11. Writing the first draft.

a. Write the introduction. The introduction should specific focus or thesis of your research.
b. Give the important background information.identify the
c. Provide important definition of terms used in the research.

12. Write the body.

The next step is to write the main part of your research paper, the part that supports or proves your thesis. There are two ways to proceed. You may
write freely and openly, or you may work systematically, and

carefully following your notes and your working outline. Writing freely and openly means you are to put your outline and note cards aside and write
as much as you can on your own. Refer to your note cards only when you need a quotation, specific facts, or figures.

After you have completed this first writing, review your outline and note cards to see if you have missed or misplaced any important points. Then
continue writing, filling in or reorganizing ideas as you go along.

You may also write the body of your paper more systemically, carefully following your working outline and note cards right from the start. Begin by
laying out the first section of your note cards (those covering the first main point in your working outline). Then write a general statement that
covers the first main point. Using the note cards you have in front of your, add supporting facts and details. Repeat this process until you have dealt
with all the main points in your outline.
13. Revise your outline

first draft at least twice. Revise once to make sure you have covered all the main points and
effectively supported them. Revise the second time to make sure all of your sentences are clear and smooth.

14. Write the conclusion.

The final section, or conclusion, of your paper should leave readers with a clear understanding of the importance of your research.
Review the important points you have made and draw a final conclusion.

15. Document your sources.

Put the Works Cited section (bibliography) together, listing all the sources you have cited in your paper. Give credit in your paper for
ideas and direct quotations that you have used from your sources. Also make sure that you have represented the ideas and copied the
quotations accurately.

16. Edit your final revision.

Check and correct punctuation, reworking and refining that you do will naturally bear the stamp of your personal style. You must also
look closely at your revised writing to make sure that all your ideas speak clearly and correctly. The following list of basic reminders
will help you
check your writing for style and correctness
Thank You
 Group Member

Cabilogan,Hannah Jean M.
Anoche, Karen D.
Capuz, Joy Francia
Peñero, Angeline
Zalceta,Kate Genniel