Research Writing PDF

# How to Plan a Research Project ## Getting Started 1. Choose topic 2. Narrow it down 3. Draft your research question ## Finding & Evaluating Sources 1. Locate & Evaluate Sources 2. Take notes 3. Outline ## Writing the Research Paper 1. Draft the paper 2. Document correctly 3. Revise, edit, proo...

# How to Plan a Research Project ## Getting Started 1. Choose topic 2. Narrow it down 3. Draft your research question ## Finding & Evaluating Sources 1. Locate & Evaluate Sources 2. Take notes 3. Outline ## Writing the Research Paper 1. Draft the paper 2. Document correctly 3. Revise, edit, proofread # Research Question - Not actually written in the paper. - It just keeps you on track. - The main question that your paper provides its answer - **Written in the form of a question** - Precise & Concise (Short and straight to the point) - Includes the title of your topic - Shows the angle from which you'll approach your topic - Should point out the objective (the answer). # Thesis Statement - The body of the paper proves the thesis - Written at the end of the introduction - The central statement helps you - Identify key themes, hypothesis, theory, opinion, points of view to defend, advocate or argue. - Written in focused and specific lanuage. - The claim you intend to prove using well reasoned arguments # Research Paper Writing Style ## Research Paper 1. **Continuity in presenting ideas** - Flow of ideas - Thematic Development - Gradual elaboration of key themes - **Can be achieved by** - Punctuation marks - Transitional words - Pronouns - Time links - Cause effect links - Addition links - Contrast links - Part, present perfect, part tense: Describe literature review & results, procedure. 2. **Smoothness of Expression** - **Avoid** - Ambiguity - Irrelevancies - Abandoning an argument before finishing it. - Sudden shift in tense - Present, conclusions & implications of results, part tense: Describe literature review & results, procedure. 3. **Tone** - Professional & formal - **Avoid** - "Like" - "Thing" - "Lots of" - "Get" phrases - Informal expressions - Contractions - Abbreviations - Question forms - "Good", "bad" - "You", "your" - "Etc.", "Soon" ## Writing Style 4. **Economy of Expression** - Say only what needs to be said. - Avoid redundancy. Make sure that every word means exactly it intends. - Avoid "about" 5. **Precision & Clarity** - Use 1st person pronoun when expressing your own view. - Avoid - "Approximately" - "This, that, those, there" by themselves - Editorial "We" to refer to people in general. 6. **Cautious Language** - Avoid making statements that are too general. - Not always true - Use words like: - May - Tends - Frequently to # Abstract - Like a summary - Gives you an idea of what is in the paper - Written in a separate page immediately after the title page - Should not be written before the rest of the paper - Complete and informative - It should be - Specific - Self-sufficient - Was part tenure to report what was done. - States what was done & the results - Makes you understand what is inside the paper without delving into details. # Summary: Sources 1. **Identify key words** "and", "or", "+" - You get results including forcast, both words together. - You get results forcast, same exact word - you get results separately. 2. **Identify database** - Reliable, Verified Sources - Google books, Google scholar EKB - JSTOR, ERIC SCI - A&HCI PROQUEST - Britannica 3. **Conduct the search** - **Evaluate and analyse the results/sources** - Types of sources - Evaluation texts - Primary, original work - CRAAP CAFe - Secondary - Not original, reliable & academic, can be cited - Tertiary - Least reliable, can't be cited # Evaluating Information - **CRAAP Test** - Currency: Timeline of the info - Relevance: The importance of the info for your needs - Authority: The source of the info - Challenge: Asking and checking evidence - Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness, correctness of the info - Purpose: The reason the info exists - **CAFÉ**: Adapt, File, Evaluate # How To Evaluate Sources - **Quality** - You want highest quality info to fit for your topic - Check the qualifications of the writer and the source. - **Bias** - Bogus Claims: Speaker promises more than they can deliver, vague references, unidentified studies, "well-known" information. - Loaded Terms: Words with strong connotations (emotional responses) carry more emotional weight than its context can support. - Misrepresentation: A writer can lie, invent fake data, twist what their opponents said. - **Appropriateness** - A source to be used has to fit your purpose (tone, audience) # Internet Sources - You can't cite sites published anonymously. - **Identify** - Author or contact person - Where the source comes from (URL) - **Access** - Link to home page and institution - Purpose of information - **Com** - Commercial - **Edu** - Educational - **Gov** - Government - **Int** - International Organization - **Mil** - Military Organization - **Net** - Internet Administration - **Org** - Non profit - **Aca** - Non Academic - **Gov** - Non Governmental - **Sa** - Special knowledge newsgroup # The Purpose of a Literature Review - Describe the relationship between each source and information. - Identifying new ways to interpret prior research - Reveal any gaps within the work. - Resolve conflict between previous studies. - Identify areas of prior studies to avoid duplication. - Locate your own research within the existing previous studies # Development of a Literature Review 1. **Problem formulation** - Which topic is being examined? 2. **Literature search** - Find material relevant to the subject. 3. **Data evaluation** - Determining which info contributes to the understanding of the topic. 4. **Analysis & Interpretation** - Discuss, findings and conclusions. # Organizing The Literature Review 1. **Chronology of events or publications** 2. **Methodology** 3. **Theme** 4. **Current situation** - Info necessary to understand the topic 5. **Selection methods** - The criteria used to select the sources in your literature review. 6. **Questions for further research** - How will you further your research as a result of the review? # Common Mistakes to Avoid in a Literature Review - Sources dont' relate to the research problem - You don't take time to identify the most relevant sources to put in - Relying on secondary analytical sources - Accepting another researchers findings without criticizing and examining them - You don't describe the search procedure - Only including research that validates assumptions without considering alternative interpretations # Outline - Jotted: - A sketch of an outline: Jotted - A list of major points: Jotted - **Working** - Expanded into topics - Working and Divided into subtopics - Helps you draft your paper # Quoting - **Quotation** is the exact words of a source between quotation marks. - Used to avoid plagiarism - If used effectively can give a note of authority to your research - Can help support your claim - If used too often (more than 25% of the research is quotes) - It becomes a patchwork piece of writing - Your paper will lack coherence - Shows lack of thought & development. - Do not cite (quote): Your own ideas, words, experiences, conclusions, findings. - Common widely knowledge held belifs - Current or historical events reported as news # Enhance the Meaning By - Using quotations significant to the message you're trying to convey. - Use context setting information to clarify why you used this quotation. - Do not start a paragraph with a quotation - Start with context, setting information then place the quotation. - Only if it supports or elaborates what you said. # Integrating Quotation - Use quotations from authorities on your subject. - Quote each word correctly: The idea is hard to paraphrase correctly. - Make sure the quotation fits your grammar, style, logic. - Choose a quotation if the source's words are open to different interpretations. - **If quotations is out of context** - Adding a word or two between brackets to make the wording of the quotation work grammatically with the rest of the sentence. - **Ellipsis** - Deleting some words of the quotation to make the quotation more concise and focused. # Reporting Verbs - Help you integrate quotations: Paraphrase summarize. - Some verbs imply your position and view of the info - Gives off the feeling of a neutral stance. # Paraphrasing - Writing someone's ideas using your own words and style. - Not copying. - **Your own interpretation of someone's ideas** - A legitimate way to borrow from a source. - Its process helps you grasp the full meaning of the original text. - **Good paraphrase** - Says exactly what the source said. No more, no less. - Just in your own words - Don't change the source's meaning - Avoid plagiarism - **Bad paraphrase** - Only changing the order of the original sentences - Not citing the original text - Few words or phrases # Ways to Paraphrase - **Use synonyms for non key words** - **Change part of speech from one category to another** - **Change verb form.** - **Change nouns and pronouns from singular to plural.** - **Change style from personal to impersonal** - **Reversal of the order of the ideas themselves, not the sentences** # Plagiarism - Representing other people's work as your own. - Borrowing short phrases from sources without citing them. - Paraphrasing an idea without citing the source. - Turning in a previously submitted assignment for another class # Structure Of A Research Paper In Linguistics (APA) 1. **Introduction** - Frame the argument why the research is worth doing. - To show why the research is worth doing in terms of your research question. - Provide necessary background. - State the research problem - State the context of the problem. 2. **Literature review** - Shows the "gap" your work will attempt to fill. - Clarifies why your position on the problem differs from other researchers. - All researchers need to be addressed. - Don't just list issues and findings 3. **Methodology** - Complete description of methods used to conduction research - What you did and why you did it. - **Data design** - Collection process - Participants' relevant characteristics, detils - Material used: Survey, interview, questions, etc. - **The procedures** - State a purpose and rationale for the research. # Research Paper (APA) - Sections 4. **Results** - Stat the main results - Explain whether they support or reject your claim. - Use visual representations of your data. 5. **Discussion** - Tell the reader how to interpret the results and why. - Provide explanations for your results. - Relate to the literature review - Summarize the most important findings - Then relate them to broader arguments - Addresses research question 6. **Conclusion** - Reference your claim - State how well your results met those results, reflect on the body of the paper - Summarize key findings - It may contain optional section about future directions. - Don't include new info. - In the introduction and literature review # References - Works cited, info to locate and retrieve any source you cite. - Each cited source must be in the reference list - Each source in the reference list must be cited in text. - Contains supplementary material. - Not an essential part of the text. # Appendix (Optional) - Provides more comprehensive understanding of the problem or info. - A separate appendix should be used for each topic