Research
Paper
Introductory stuff
Research requires:
Asking good, then better, then best
questions
Searching for answers/resources
Evaluating sources of info/ideas
Reading
Evaluating info/ideas
Collecting/organizing resources/info
Process at a glance:
Question
Search
Read
Organize
Write
Definitions
Subject
:
a BROAD
category or area of
study
(NOT the topic of your paper)
Subject examples:
Russia’s economic
troubles
Rain forests
Illegal immigration
Definitions
Topic
:
a NARROW,
CLEARLY
-
DEFINED area
of interest.
(NOT the topic of your paper)
Topic examples:
The role of U.S. policies in the
collapse of the Russian economy
The effect of U.S. policies on the
depletion of rain forests in South
America
The effect of illegal immigration
on unemployment in the
Southwest
Definitions
Thesis:
a general statement
that announces the major
conclusions you reached through
thoughtful analysis of all your sources.
(THIS is the focus of your paper and what it will spend
the rest of its pages proving)
Thesis examples:
In the 80s and 90s, former Russian president
Mikhail Gorbachev implemented a
decentralized and market
-
neutral economic
reform model that not only undermined
Russia’s short
-
term chances for economic
growth but also compromised the country’s
ability to sustain and grow its own industrial
base resulting
in a collapsed Russian
infrastructure and a severe encumbrance
on the world’s trade economy.
Definitions
Hypo
thesis
:
a prediction,
made before you begin reading
sources (and one that may shift as you
read) regarding what you believe you
will discover through your research
Opinions change. It’s okay.
Topic selection
Start with a question
—
it
will guide your research
Ask more specific,
compelling questions as
you proceed
Topic selection
The best topics have no
simple solutions
http://teachersites.scho
olworld.com/webpages
/JWhite11/class_info.cfm
READ
and
take notes
Keep
your
hypothesis in mind
, but
look for
sources that disagree
READ
and
take notes
Wikis are only good for general info and
locating BETTER resources
READ
and
take notes
Capture bibliographic
info RIGHT THEN!!
READ
and
take notes
The
more and more varied
your
sources
are,
the
better
.
Books
Periodicals
Internet
Online periodical index
Audiovisual
Field research
Self
(see Mrs. White first)
Digital search strategies:
.
com
.org
.net
.
gov
.
uk
.
edu
.mil
Suspicious sources:
No author
No title
No copyright
No bibliography
No independent source
backers
Unprofessional language
Digital search strategies:
Type your hypothesis
Type key words only
Boolean search: AND, NOT,
OR
Genetic engineering AND corn
Genetic engineering NOT agriculture
Genetic engineering OR corn
Genetics AND corn NOT livestock
Capturing bibliographic data
Do it.
Be thorough.
Be consistent.
Don’t lose it.
Capturing bibliographic data
Author (all of them, editors, too
Title of article (in “ “)
Title of source (book, mag, newspaper,
website, webpage)
Website/page sponsor
Copyright (correct one)name and
date
Print sources: page numbers and publication data
Digital sources: date of access, PDF or webpage
Got sources? Got info?
READ
What to notice while reading:
Relevance of content
Currency of content
Depth of content
Bias of content
Reliability of content
Coverage of content
Primary v. secondary v. tertiary
Tomorrow:
MEET in library
(better have your login up
-
to
-
date or
you’ll lose an automatic 10 points)
EBSCO lesson and
data/bib collection
Thursday:
MEET in Writing
Lab
(better have your login up
-
to
-
date or you’ll lose another automatic 10
points)
Research all hour
Friday
Meet in CLASSROOM
Note taking tools
(15
pts
)
Summary, paraphrase,
direct quote lesson and
practice
Bring your raw source
material
Friday
First 15 “note
cards” due
before you leave
class
(30 points)
Monday
1.
4
5
GOOD
note
“cards” due
(
9
0 points)
2.
5
GOOD
source
“cards” due
(15
pts
)
Let’s work on
good
research
questions…
Good question:
Fresh and interesting
Complex solutions/answers
Multiple, credible viewpoints held by
experts
Holds significance beyond your
bubble
Good amount of independent
research to support claims
How to question:
How does it fit into larger system?
How does it affect other entities?
What has been done already?
Short
-
and Long
-
term benefits/issues
Historical context?
Precedent?
Ask “what if?”
Take the opposite stance and argue
Who cares?
How to question:
What do
you
want to know?
How? Why? What if? To what degree?
In the future? In a different location?
In a different culture? In a different
era?
Question template:
I am studying
_________________________
because I want to find out
(how/who/what/when/where/whether/why)
___________________________________ .
Question template:
I am studying
Russian economy
over last 40 years
because I want to find out
(
how
/who/
what
/when/where/
whether
/
why
)
Why
it hurt the
Global
Economy,
whether
or not its new direction will
help to
resolve
the
g
lobal
e
conomic
crisis, and if so,
how
this will happen
.
Your turn…
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