Planning a Research Paper Milly Grillone FAO Consultant

Writing as a Process The essay 2 Revisions: Text and Editing/Self Assessment First Draft (Mistakes, Punctuation) Research/Reading The Outline Choosing a thesis Brainstorming Choosing a Topic The communication of complex ideas is a process that requires thinking and rethinking, working and reworking

Before writing…. Brainstorming write down your ideas just the way they come in your mind Brainstorming Choosing a Topic

….organize your ideas Imposing order on your ideas make the information easier to understand and easier to understand and easier to remember. easier to remember. If you choose a clear, recognizable pattern (on the level of the paragraph and also on the level of the whole essay body) you guide your reader in discovering relationships that connect things.

Thesis Statement Choosing a thesis Brainstorming Choosing a Topic FOCUS or CORE 1.The Thesis Statement is that sentence or two in your text that contains the FOCUS or CORE of your essay 2.Try to narrow your topic. Example: “Agricultural Policy” “Agricultural Policy in the EU” “Agricultural Policy Changes in the EU” 3.The TS should remain FLEXIBLE until the paper is finished. If you discover new information that ought to be included in the TS, you’ll have to rewrite your TS. On the other hand if you discover that the TS appears to include things that you haven’t addressed, then you need to limit your TS.

Structure of the Essay Outline INTRODUCTION-ARGUMENT-CONCLUSION Construct your Outline by listing all the important points you want to cover in your essay Construct your Outline by listing all the important points you want to cover in your essay Provide one main point for each paragraph Provide one main point for each paragraph Start with the introduction under which you will write out your TS and work through LOGICALLY, point by point until you reach the conclusion Start with the introduction under which you will write out your TS and work through LOGICALLY, point by point until you reach the conclusion The Outline Choosing a thesis Brainstorming Choosing a Topic

Structure of the Essay Outline (2) Group related ideas together under general headings and arrange them so they flow logically Group related ideas together under general headings and arrange them so they flow logically Each point in your outline should connect with the next Each point in your outline should connect with the next Each main category should be linked to your thesis Each main category should be linked to your thesis Focus your outline by discarding anything not useful or pertinent Focus your outline by discarding anything not useful or pertinent Categorize your points according to their importance, keeping in mind the method of organization you intend to use Categorize your points according to their importance, keeping in mind the method of organization you intend to use The Outline Choosing a thesis Brainstorming Choosing a Topic

Principles of Organization: Transition between Ideas Organize your information according to a: Chronological Order (Order of Time) Chronological Order (Order of Time) Following the order in which events occur Spatial Order Spatial Order Items are arranged according to their physical position or relationship Climactic Order (Order of Importance) Climactic Order (Order of Importance) Items are arranged from least important to most important

Principles of Organization (2) General to Specific Order General to Specific Order Specific to General Order Specific to General Order Simplest to Most Complex Order Simplest to Most Complex Order Topical Order Topical Order

5 Golden Rules…… Try to be always Clear Clear Simple Simple Brief Brief Coherent Coherent Logical Logical

RESEARCH Reading or/and Field Research Reading or/and Field Research Collecting and verifying data Collecting and verifying data Research The Outline Choosing a thesis Brainstorming Choosing a Topic

RESEARCH (2) Selection of information Selection of information Summary of information Summary of information

Ready to start…

Some Simple Rules... No comma between subject and verb No comma between subject and verb Agriculture, is one of the main component of GDP Subject-Verb Agreement: the subject and the verb must agree in number, both must be singular or both plural ( ≠ Arabic!) Subject-Verb Agreement: the subject and the verb must agree in number, both must be singular or both plural ( ≠ Arabic!) Syria have a comparative advantage The media was biased in it’s reporting of the event