Writing the Research Paper: Part 1 Senior Projects

Research Paper: Definition A research paper is the culmination and final product of an involved process of research, critical thinking, source evaluation, organization, and composition. The research paper serves not only to further the field in which it is written, but also to provide the student with an exceptional opportunity to increase her knowledge in that field.

Why You Should Be Excited Your work as a researcher will contribute to what others know, understand and believe about your topic. You are creating knowledge for the benefit of others.

That Means… A research paper is not simply an informed summary of a topic by means of primary and secondary sources. The goal of a research paper is To draw on what others have to say about a topic To engage the sources To thoughtfully offer a unique perspective on the issue at hand

Two Types of Research Papers Argumentative research paper: Goal is persuasion, which means the topic chosen should be debatable or controversial Analytical research paper: Goal is to offer a critical interpretation of primary and secondary sources throughout the paper And…analyze!

Before You Begin: Understanding the Assignment Do not hesitate to approach the instructor with questions if there is any confusion. A clear understanding of the assignment will allow you to focus on other aspects of the process, such as choosing a topic and identifying your audience.

Before You Begin: Understanding the Audience The instructor should be considered only one member of the paper's audience. He or she is part of the academic audience that desires students to investigate, research, and evaluate a topic. Try to imagine an audience that would be interested in and benefit from your research.

Understanding Your Audience Who is most likely to be interested in the research I am doing? What is it about my topic that interests the general audience I have discerned? If the audience I am writing for is not particularly interested in my topic, what should I do to pique its interest? Will each member of the broadly conceived audience agree with what I have to say? If not (which will likely be the case!) what counter-arguments should I be prepared to answer?

Primary vs. Secondary Research Research isn't limited to published material that can be found on the Internet or at the library. Many topics you choose to write on may not have an abundance of sources and hence may require a different kind of approach to conducting research. This approach involves collecting information directly from the world around you and can include interviews, observations, and surveys; this is called primary research.

Identifying Secondary Sources What kind of information are you looking for? Do you want facts? Opinions? News reports? Research studies? Analyses? Personal reflections? History? Where would be a likely place to look? Which sources are likely to be most useful to you? Libraries? The Internet? Academic periodicals? Newspapers? Government records?

Identifying Secondary Sources Online vs. Print Publications The Internet may be the most convenient place to begin your research, but it is not always the best.

Gathering Information Skimming Summarizing Highlighting Quoting ALWAYS cite your sources before you begin

Conducting Primary Research Interviews: A conversation between two or more people in which one person (the interviewer) asks a series of questions to another person or persons (the interviewee). Surveys and questionnaires: A process of gathering specific information from people in a systematic way with a set series of questions. Survey questions usually have pre-specified or short responses. Observations: Careful viewing and documenting of the world around you.

Gathering Information Do your homework before going into the field Arm yourself with a list of questions. What do you want to know? Keep careful notes, and be sure to obtain contact information for follow-ups Ask yourself: Is this person/place the best possible source of information for my project, or simply the most convenient?

Organizing Your Information As you conduct your research, ask yourself: What information am I discovering that is surprising or interesting? What patterns do I find emerging? What questions have I answered, and what do I still need to know? Does my primary research support or contradict the results of my secondary research?

Organizing Your Information Notebooks Index cards File folder Wiki Use a method that provides you with speedy, well-organized access to the information you need

Creating an Outline At the most basic level: What have other people said or discovered about this topic? What did you hope or expect to discover about the topic? Did your research confirm, support or challenge these conclusions? What new conclusions can you draw? What would you – or others – still like to discover?

Looking for Holes Constantly scrutinize your research. What’s missing? What or whom have you forgotten to ask?

Congratulations – you’re ready to write! You can improve the quality of your paper by giving yourself: Plenty of time, and An outline with reference to well-organized notes

Don’t panic! Becoming an experienced researcher and writer in any field or discipline takes a great deal of practice.