The Research Unit English III

What exactly is a research paper/project? A research paper/project has a topic that is narrow enough to research. It has a clear thesis statement that answers a question. It is based on YOUR opinion on a topic. It uses a variety of outside sources and includes direct quotations with parenthetical documentation. It utilizes a clear organizational pattern. It uses formal language that is grammatically correct. It has a works cited page listing research sources used in your paper/project.

What a research paper/project is NOT: It is not just a regurgitation of facts. It is not just a culmination of information from different sources.

Topics for Research: What’s wrong with these as topics for research? Technology Education Wildlife Health Environment Politics Science Psychology Media

Instead do this: Technology: Does texting have an influence on language? Education: Is there a connection between school uniforms and student behavior? Wildlife: Is enough being done to save the endangered Florida Manatee? Notice that all of these questions require one to take a position on an issue. In a research paper, you will take side to an issue and then support it with research facts. Research is not an expository text.

Now it’s your turn: Choose 2 topics from the list and come up with researchable topics Technology Education Wildlife Health Environment Politics Science Psychology Media

Now what? It’s time to begin researching information. Research will help you come up with an answer to these questions. After doing research to better answer your question, you will come up with a thesis. Remember, your thesis may change several times during the research process Take notes over the sources that you used to help you form your answer and make sure to document your sources by creating a bibliography. You must have at least 5 sources and one of those sources must be a primary source.

Primary Vs. Secondary Source Primary Source – also known as an original source/document. Examples: artifacts, document, diary, manuscript, autobiography, recording, or other source of information that was created at the time under study. Secondary Source – any source about an event, period, or issue that was produced aft that event, period, or issue has passed.

Primary vs. Secondary Source: Which is which? History: Recording interview with Choctaw American Indian; Journal article about Native Americans who served in WWII Social Science: Book about diaries kept during the Holocaust; Diary of Anne Frank Art: Magazine article about 20th century female photographers; Photographs by Diane Arbus

What is a bibliography: Handout and discuss Another great source to use is easybib.com. This will generate your bibliographies and works cited page for you. You will need a bibliography for each of your source (5) that you took notes on.