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Goal: Preparing for the assignment and getting ready to choose a topic..
Read over the instructions for the assignment. On what basis will you be graded? Did you get a rubric? What kind of a paper have you been asked to write? What is the purpose of the paper or project and the expectations of your instructor? What will your final product look like? 1.2 Consider the process you'll use Research is an extensive process. If you focus too quickly on the end product, you may miss some of the important research steps and waste your time looking at unimportant information. 1.3 Set your deadlines for each step of the assignment Usually, your teacher will have specific requirements for each stop of the research process. Various stages of the paper may be at a certain time as assigned by your teacher. Write in your planner or calendar when you will complete these stages. No procrastinating. Write down when you will complete your outline, identify sources, complete note cards, write rough draft, evaluate and revise, and proofread. Don’t forget to proofread!! 1.4 Think about possible topics The term topic is broadly defined, while focus means a narrower perspective on the topic, and thesis statement is the main point of your paper, which cannot be determined until after research and analysis is complete. 1.5 Info Search - browse, read, relax Visit your library and read a summary about the topic you want to consider. Try reading an encyclopedia article. Browse some of the subjects listed at the end of the encyclopedia article. 1.6 Jot down your questions and ideas about possible topics What do you need to know about your topic? Write down a list of questions (at least 10) so you can see how broad the topic is. 1.7 Brainstorm, alone and with others Talk about your topic to one of your classmates, your teacher, your siblings, and parents to get their reactions and ideas. Many times another person will have a fresh perspective you might not have thought of, or something they say will trigger an idea for you.
Goal:
Find sources Make a list of possible sources. Your librarian should be able to suggest books, encyclopedias, databases, and websites. 2.2 Evaluate the possible sources Which ones are available and easy to use? How many sources are there on your topic? If there is not much information available, you may want to change your topic.
Goal:
Access the article or item that you will use as a source in your paper.
Write down the call numbers of the books and materials in your library. Check them out. Save the articles and web site locations to a file for future reference. Do not waste paper by printing off items you might use. Wait until you are sure you need the article before printing it off. You're looking for an issue, an aspect, a perspective on which to focus your research paper. If you gather information on the topic as a whole, you'll waste a lot of time doing it and have way too much to sort through when you are ready to write your paper. Resist the temptation to "gather" until you've chosen a focus. 3.2 Information gathering Be a smart reader. There may be an abundance of information on your topic. How can you read it all? Don’t. Determine what the focus of your paper is. Read the Contents page, chapter headings, summaries of articles, abstracts of articles. Electric Library has a feature called “Go To Best Part” of the articles. Do web and database searches using words that narrow the topic. For example, when searching “sports injuries”, you may add the word “knee” to narrow the focus further. Goal: Narrow and organize your topic. 4.1 Record your sources After selecting the most helpful sources, it is time to carefully record your sources in the bibliographic format required by your instructor. Every piece of information you collect should have bibliographic information written down before you leave the library. You should also pay attention to the quality of the information you find, especially if you're using information you find on the internet. 4.2 Think about clarifying or refining your focus As you gather information about your focused topic, you may find new information which prompts you to refine, clarify, extend or narrow your focus. Stay flexible and adjust your information search to account for the changes, widening or narrowing your search, or heading down a slightly different path to follow a new lead. 4.3 Start organizing your notes Make a general outline. Start organizing your notes into logical groups which will parallel with the outline of the paper. Remember to follow the note taking guidelines required in this assignment. 4.4 Think about what your thesis statement will be The thesis statement is the main point of your paper. The type of thesis statement you'll be making depends a lot on what type of paper you're writing--a report, an issue analysis, an advocacy paper or another type. As you gather specific information and refine your focus, intentionally look for a main point to your findings. Sometimes, a thesis emerges very obviously from the material, and other times you may struggle to bring together the parts into a sensible whole. The tricky part is knowing when to stop gathering information--when do you have enough, and of the right kind? Seeking a main point as you research will help you know when you're done.
Goal: Analyzing and organizing your information and forming a thesis statement. 5.1 Analyze and organize your information As you take notes, analyze the information that you found. The word "analyze" means to break something down into its parts. A meaningful analysis identifies the parts and demonstrates how they relate to each other. Some organization patterns are: compare and contrast, advantages and disadvantages, starting from a narrow premise and building on it, cause and effect, logical sequence. This step will increase the depth of your outline. Here is an example of a general outline for a 3-4 page paper written to describe a problem:
Introduction
Your teacher may require a specific outline using Roman numerals. 5.2 Construct a thesis statement and try it on for "size" Before beginning to write the paper, write the thesis statement. Boil down the main point of your paper to a single statement. A well-written thesis statement, usually expressed in one sentence, is the most important sentence in your entire paper. It should both summarize for your reader the position you will be arguing and set up the pattern of organization you will use in your discussion. A thesis sentence is not a statement of accepted fact; it is the position that needs the proof you will provide in your argument. Your thesis should reflect the full scope of your argument--no more and no less; beware of writing a thesis statement that is too broad to be defended within the scope of your paper. Another way to summarize the nature and function of the thesis statement is that it is a single sentence, usually in the first paragraph of the paper, which: · declares the position you are taking in your paper, · sets up the way you will organize your discussion, and · points to the conclusion you will draw. 5.3 Weed out irrelevant information Guess what. Now that you have all those wonderful notes and citations from your research, you're going to have to get rid of some of them! No matter how profound and interesting the information is, if it doesn't relate to and support the thesis you've chosen, don't try to cram it into the paper--just sigh deeply and set it aside. You'll have an easier time writing if you do this weeding before you start. 5.4 Write the paper or develop the project The paper is now ready to write. Just follow your outline, filling in the details for each paragraph with the notes that you took. Cite this information in the form requested by your teacher. (Try the Slate Citation Machine at the end of step 6) Goal: Revising and finalizing the paper. 6.1 Judge the product Before turning in your assignment, compare it to the requirements that your teacher gave you. * Did you do everything and include all that was required for the assignment? *Did you give credit to all of your sources, written in the way your teacher requested? 6.2 Judge your information problem-solving * How well did you organize your information? *How could you have been a better time manager? *What materials were the most helpful?
6.3 Have others read and critique the paper Read your paper out loud, to yourself. See if the arguments are coherent, logical and conclusive when read aloud. Have several experienced people read and critique your paper. If your only choice is other students, make sure they're A students! 6.4 Revise and proofread Do not leave out this important step. By proofreading and correcting the mistakes, many papers will improve an entire letter grade. Congratulations! You made it through all the steps to researching and writing a paper. We hope your instructor agrees!
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