Research Paper Dos and Don’ts Common errors

Research papers are written in THIRD PERSON The pronouns “I” or “you” are never used in a research paper. They are, however, allowed if you are quoting someone; in this case you must use quotation marks. Always use third person pronouns. INCORRECT: If you want to know how… CORRECT: If one wants to know how…

Formal Language The language of a research paper must never appear informal or casual. The writer must avoid stating opinion as fact. Remember that a research paper is based on facts, facts, facts and cannot give way to childish ranting and heavily stated opinions.

Thesis Statement The importance of a clearly written thesis statement cannot be over stated. The thesis statement is the primary organizational tool of the paper. If proper written, the reader has no problem knowing what your paper is about and what you plan to discuss within the paper

Outline As with the thesis statement, an outline will keep you organized. Create an outline that follows the thesis statement and your paper will reflect your thoughts professionally and in an organized manner.

THESIS STEMENT: Teenage stress, which is caused by overwork, family problems, and peer pressure, can be treated with medication and counseling. OUTLINE: I. Causes of teenage stress A. Overwork B. Family Problems C. Peer pressure II. Treatment for teenage stress A. Medication B. Counseling

Construction It is VERY important that the reader is able to follow your logic and organization. Therefore, it is imperative that the research paper have PARAGRAPHS. This allows the reader to easily follow your thinking as you discuss each topic and present your supporting material.

Word Choices Remember that this is a research project, a professional document. The language should be equal to the project. Shun using words like good, bad, lots and use words such as superior, dreadful, and abundance. The higher level vocabulary suggests a higher level of quality in your paper.

Check Your Spelling If you are using a computer, you most likely have some form of spell check. It is inconceivable that misspelled words appear in a research paper. There are examples of using the wrong word as their and there, or using a contraction such as it’s instead of the possessive its.

Contractions In most cases, it is inappropriate to use a contraction. Obviously, the use of possessives requires the use of an apostrophe mark as this is not considered a contraction. It should be noted that many pronouns do not require apostrophe to create a possessive.

Reread I cannot overstate the importance of reading your paper ALOUD. It is even more effective if you have someone else read your paper to you aloud.