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Writing a Research PaperStep 2: Limit your topic and make the Step 2: Limit your topic and make the
purpose of your paper clear.purpose of your paper clear. Remember, research papersresearch papers generally have one of two
purposespurposes:1: to make and defend a pointto make and defend a point of some kind
(e.g., elected officials should be limited to elected officials should be limited to a single term in officea single term in office);
2: to present informationto present information about a topic (e.g., the the most recent scientific findings about the most recent scientific findings about the effect of diet on heart diseaseeffect of diet on heart disease).
Writing a Research PaperStep 4: Plan your paper and take Step 4: Plan your paper and take
notes.notes.• Prepare a scratch outline for your paper that shows
both its thesisthesis and the areas of supportareas of support for the thesis.Thesis: There are things parents can do to There are things parents can do to
overcome the negative influences hurting their overcome the negative influences hurting their familiesfamilies..
Support: (1) (1) Create quality time with familiesCreate quality time with families(2) (2) Increase families’ sense of Increase families’ sense of
communitycommunity(3) (3) Minimize the impact of media and Minimize the impact of media and
Writing a Research Paper• Write your notesnotes on index cardsindex cards or
loose-leaf paperloose-leaf paper, or type them into computer filescomputer files.• Notes should be in the form of–direct quotationsdirect quotations–summariessummaries in your own words–a mixa mix of direct quotation and summary
Writing a Research Paper•Direct quotations Direct quotations must be reproduced
faithfully: if you omit unnecessary words, supply an ellipse ([. . .])ellipse ([. . .]) in their place; if you supply a word or capitalize a letter to clarify meaning, you must indicate that you have done so using [[bracketsbrackets].].
• Otherwise, quotes must be written exactlyexactly as they appear in the original.
Writing a Research PaperKeep in mind the following:Keep in mind the following:
• Write on only one sideone side of each card or piece of paper, and only one kind of informationone kind of information on each. (If using a computer filecomputer file, decide whether each file should contain notes on a single topicsingle topic or from a single sourcesingle source.)
• Write a topic headingtopic heading at the top of each card.• Identify the source and page numbersource and page number at the
“We cannot guarantee that bad things will happen, but we can argue that good things are not happening[. . .]. [I]ncreasing numbers of young people are left to their own devices at a critical point in theirdevelopment.”
Medved and Medved, 62
topic heading
ellipse: indicates omitted material brackets: indicate
Study conducted in 1996 showed that of PG-13 movies, 91 percent had crude language, 89 percent had obscene language, 45 percent had actual or suggested sex. Worrisome because most parents assume PG-13 movies are OK for their kids.
introductionintroduction into the main main bodybody and conclusion, strive for–UNITYUNITY–SUPPORTSUPPORT–COHERENCECOHERENCE–SENTENCE SKILLS!SENTENCE SKILLS!
Writing a Research PaperStep 6: Document accurately.Step 6: Document accurately.• You must tell the reader the sources
of the borrowed material in your paper. • The documentation style used by the
Modern Language AssociationModern Language Association is relatively simple and widely accepted. Follow the rules for this system described in your text, unless your instructor specifies another.
Writing a Research PaperSample In-Text CitationSample In-Text Citation
Book with a single authorBook with a single author
Other parents work at home, even if it means earning less money than before. “[H]eading home is a real possibility for those parents who can master the new home-office technology [. . .]. If enough people can manage to do this, the neighborhoods might once again come alive for workers and their children” (Louv 285).
start of quoteellipse: indicates omitted material
source, page number
end of quote
capital in brackets indicates capital not in original