Research Paper Writing
What is Research Paper Writing?
What is the process of Research Paper Writing?
1) Assignment Clarification-
Selecting a topic can be the most challenging part of a research assignment. Since this is the very first step in writing a paper, it is vital that it be done correctly. Here are some tips for selecting a topic:
1) Select a topic within the parameters set by the assignment. Many times your instructor will give you clear guidelines as to what you can and cannot write about. Failure to work within these guidelines may result in your proposed paper being deemed unacceptable by your instructor.2) Select a topic of personal interest to you and learn more about it. The research for and writing of a paper will be more enjoyable if you are writing about something that you find interesting.
3) Select a topic for which you can find a manageable amount of information. Do a preliminary search of information sources to determine whether existing sources will meet your needs. If you find too much information, you may need to narrow your topic; if you find too little, you may need to broaden your topic.
4) Be original. Your instructor reads hundreds of research papers every year, and many of them are on the same topics (topics in the news at the time, controversial issues, subjects for which there is ample and easily accessed information). Stand out from your classmates by selecting an interesting and off-the- beaten-path topic.
5) Still can't come up with a topic to write about? See your instructor for advice.
Once you have identified your topic, it may help to state it as a question. For example, if you are interested in finding out about the epidemic of obesity in the American population, you might pose the question "What are the causes of obesity in America ?" By posing your subject as a question you can more easily identify the main concepts or keywords to be used in your research.
2) Time Management-
To be a successful researcher, it is important to remain focused on your work. This can be accomplished by effectively managing your time. Effective time management can make you more productive as a researcher and minimize the factors that drain your time such as procrastination and interruptions.
Effectively managing your time will help you experience:
- improved job satisfaction
- reduced stress
- increased productivity
3) Topic Selection
Choosing an interesting research topic is your first challenge. Here are some tips:
- Choose a topic that you are interested in! The research process is more relevant if you care about your topic.
- Narrow your topic to something manageable.
- If your topic is too broad, you will find too much information and not be able to focus.
- Background reading can help you choose and limit the scope of your topic.
- Review the guidelines on topic selection outlined in your assignment. Ask your professor or TA for suggestions.
- Refer to lecture notes and required texts to refresh your knowledge of the course and assignment.
- Talk about research ideas with a friend. S/he may be able to help focus your topic by discussing issues that didn't occur to you at first.
- Think of the who, what, when, where and why questions:
- WHY did you choose the topic? What interests you about it? Do you have an opinion about the issues involved?
- WHO are the information providers on this topic? Who might publish information about it? Who is affected by the topic? Do you know of organizations or institutions affiliated with the topic?
- WHAT are the major questions for this topic? Is there a debate about the topic? Are there a range of issues and viewpoints to consider?
- WHERE is your topic important: at the local, national or international level? Are there specific places affected by the topic?
- WHEN is/was your topic important? Is it a current event or an historical issue? Do you want to compare your topic by time periods?
4)Topic Brain Storm
5) Library Visit
- After Choosing one topic from the lists you have made. Spend some time writing down words, ideas, and phrases that come to mind when you think of that topic.
- Go to your library and check out the research topics and refences.
- Do some preliminary research on your topic.
- What would help with researching your topic?
- Does the library's online catalog list any books that appear to be on your topic?
- Can you locate any periodical articles that the library can access that pertains to the topic?
6) Locate/Select Sources
The type of information sources you use will depend upon your research topic and the requirements of your research project.
Ask yourself these questions to determine the types of information sources most useful for your research:
- Which sources will provide answers to your questions quickly and easily (It's not always the Internet!!)
- Which sources will provide reliable information?
- Do you need current or historical information on my topic?
- Do you need primary or secondary sources?
- Do you need descriptive or analytical sources?
Think about the types of information you need to find on your topic.
IF YOU NEED:
- General information - choose nonfiction books, reference books/encyclopedias or reference/encyclopedia databases or web pages
- Academic, Peer-reviewed, Scholarly - choose academic books, scholarly and peer-reviewed journal articles
- Facts and Statistics - choose handbooks, yearbooks, or almanacs (print or from databases or online) and U.S. government information available on the web
- Historical information - choose nonfiction books, reference books, encyclopedias, online archives
- Opinions - choose magazine and newspaper articles (print or from databases) or online
- Maps, Images, Charts - Choose web pages, almanacs/reference books (print or from databases)
- Breaking News - Choose news web pages, social media sites, magazines or newspapers
You should always use a variety of sources in your research so that you get the best, most complete and current information and can validate information across different sources.
7) Survey sources
8) Topic Focus
9) Read Articles-
Reading a scientific paper is a completely different process than reading an article about science in a blog or newspaper. Not only do you read the sections in a different order than they’re presented, but you also have to take notes, read it multiple times, and probably go look up other papers for some of the details. Reading a single paper may take you a very long time at first. Be patient with yourself. The process will go much faster as you gain experience.
Most primary research papers will be divided into the following sections: Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, and Conclusions/Interpretations/Discussion. The order will depend on which journal it’s published in. Some journals have additional files (called Supplementary Online Information) which contain important details of the research, but are published online instead of in the article itself (make sure you don’t skip these files).
Before you begin reading, take note of the authors and their institutional affiliations. Some institutions (e.g. University of Texas) are well-respected; others (e.g. the Discovery Institute) may appear to be legitimate research institutions but are actually agenda-driven. Tip: google “Discovery Institute” to see why you don’t want to use it as a scientific authority on evolutionary theory.
As you read, write down every single word that you don’t understand. You’re going to have to look them all up (yes, every one. I know it’s a total pain. But you won’t understand the paper if you don’t understand the vocabulary. Scientific words have extremely precise meanings).
10) Preliminary Thesis
Let's look at our own example. We think we want our paper to be about sustainability, so we come up with a topic:
Topic: Plastics are harming the environment.
We want to take that topic and turn it into a research question, so we do some preliminary research on plastic and find that disposable plastics are harming the environment and people are turning to recycling as an answer. Now we want to create a research question with this information:
Research Question: Is recycling of disposable plastics doing enough to combat the harm that these plastics cause to the environment?
Now we want to answer this research question to determine our thesis:
Thesis: The use of disposable plastic is harming the environment and recycling is not enough to combat this.
11) Outline
12) Draft Paper
The draft should include:
- a statement of your research question
- an organized presentation of your analysis according to themes or concepts
- evidence from the data to support your analysis
- reflection on how your analysis emerged, perhaps including your preconceptions and how these changed
- reflection on how well you have been able to answer your research question with the data you have
- reflection on your contribution to the existing literature
