1. Research Papers AAAGGGGGHHHHH!!!!

2. How to be successful with research?
Follow directions
Keep up
Turn things in on the due date

3. The Process
Preparation
Research
Drafting
Revising
Submitting

4. How do I even start? Choose a topic Survey resources
If you’re interested, it will be interesting
Survey resources
What’s out there
HELP…I CAN”T FIND ANY INFORMATION…What do I do?
Create a Working Thesis
What is it you want to learn about with this topic?
Keep track of sources
If a source looks like you will use it, write it down

5. Thesis Statements Working Very general Identify topic
Speculate on causes, influences, etc…
Not research based
Finalized
More specific (refined)
Identifies topic and areas covered in the paper
Research based

6. Thesis Statement
Statement of your position---be sure you know which side of the issue you are on.
Should be clear and concise---use effective language (avoid being repetitive)
These statements should be arguable, defendable, or debatable (that is, can someone state the opposite opinion?)

7. How do I make a thesis? Ask a question about your topic.
Use words from the question and restate the question as a statement.
The statement is your thesis
(Formulating Thesis Worksheet)

8. You decide: Are these good thesis statements for the topics?
School Uniforms: School uniforms are stupid and are therefore dumb, so they should not be allowed in any school.
Exit Exams: Schools should require all high school students to pass an exit exam before graduation.
Open Campus: Have you ever tried to eat lunch in just 15 minutes?

9. Thesis Statements 1 & 3 are NOT STRONG statements.
1 is repetitive, uses poor language, and not concise
3 is a question, so it is not a statement
Thesis Statement 2 would be a STRONG thesis statement because it is clear, states the position, and uses effective language without giving all the specific information away.

10. How can we fix Statements 1 & 3?
School Uniforms: School uniforms are stupid and are therefore dumb, so they should not be allowed in any school.
Open Campus: Have you ever tried to eat lunch in just 15 minutes?

11. Research (note cards and source cards)
Min. of 50 note cards
Min. of 5 sources
3 different types
Books
Reference books
Periodicals (print and online)
Websites
Magazines & newspapers found on the web are not considered websites

12. Note cards Paraphrase information
If you don’t put it in your own words, you are plagiarizing whether you mean to or not.
It’s not a good fact if you don’t know what it means or how to use it.
Complete all parts of a note card
DO NOT NUMBER YOUR CARDS!!!!!!!
Remember, in order to be successful you have to follow directions!

13. Paraphrasing Putting what you read into a sentence that you understand
Your note cards will not help you if you don’t know what they say!
See Paraphrasing Practice in note card packet handout

14. Elements of a Note card
Not the number of the note card, but the number of the source card
Source Number
I. Slug
Paraphrased note---make sure it makes sense to you
Citation
(Author’s Last Name and page number)
No author, use article title, No article title, use web address

15. Source Cards Where you got your info. from
There is NO WAY to memorize all of the different types of sources and how to make a card for them…..SO…..
Know where to find the information
Research Packet (pgs )
Online source card supplement

16. Want an A on your Source Cards?
Follow the format of the samples given.
If you don’t have information (like say on a website) make sure you double check.
Make sure you follow ALL PUNCTUATION
Article titles are in quotes “Name of the title”
Periods go where they go.
Hanging indent
Information is LEGIBLE

17. Source Card Numbers
In the upper right hand corner of your source cards, NUMBER them.
For example, the first source you use is number 1, the second is 2, etc…

18. Research Process (cont.) Creating an Outline
Read all of your note cards and group them by heading (slug)
Reread each card within the group and create a subheading (create smaller groups in the bigger group)
For example, your slug might be Background of Harper. You then have some cards about early life and some about later life so put them into those groups.
Put all cards in order based on info.

19. Final Outline Rules Capitalize every 1st word only
Used only topics or only sentences, not both in one outline
If I used sentences, I also used periods at the end.
If I have an A., I do have at least a B.
If I have a 1., I do have at least a 2.
I have a title on my outline
My header is my last name and lower case i for the page number
All main categories (roman numerals) are broken down to at least A. and B. AND 1. and 2.

20. Crisis in Rwanda Outline
Haskins i
Crisis in Rwanda Outline
I. Main Category
A. Sub-category of the main one
1. Support/Details for sub-category
a. More specific examples for support
b. More specific examples for support
2.Support/Details for sub-category
B. Sub-category 2 of the main one
1. 2.
II. Racial tensions
A. Hutu
1. Interahamwe
2.Killed 800,000-1,000,000 Tutsi
B. Tutsi
1. Rwandan Patriotic Front
2. Pogroms