The Online Writing Lab of Roane State Community College

 

Writing a General Research Paper

This document covers the most frequently asked questions students have when confronted with writing a research paper. Every effort has been made to keep these instructions brief, but writing a research paper is complex, so the first lesson is to give yourself plenty of time! Reading and following these tips, however, can save a student hours of unnecessary work.

 A list of other RSCC OWL Links with additional information appears below.

What Is a Research Paper and Why Am I Writing One?

Research papers are required in many college and university level courses. Research papers place an emphasis on the development of a student's critical thinking and writing skills. To write an effective paper, students must be able to incorporate the ideas of others with their own ideas and analysis. A successful paper is logically organized, fully developed, and free of error. Outside sources should be used properly.

 There are several types of research papers.

The research paper is not just busy work. It is through such writing exercises that students learn not only how to think, write, and organize, but how to pay attention to detail, how to communicate with others to get what they want, and how to meet deadlines. The skills used in a research paper are all transferable to the job market.

How Do I Start a Research Paper?

First determine what kind of research paper is required. More than likely, it will be one of the above. If there is any doubt, ask your instructor.

 Once you know the type of paper, it is time to decide on a topic. Always pick a topic you are interested in or that will help you in your field of study. You will be spending quite a bit of time with the topic, so you definitely don't want to write about something that doesn't appeal to you!

How Do I Decide on a Topic?

If you're having trouble deciding on a topic, spend some time browsing current newspapers and magazines or watch the national news. If you're a Web surfer, try the Media section of the RSCC OWL as a starting point. There are many topics of interest in the world, but it takes an active mind to decide on one. (In other words, a topic isn't going to walk up to you the night before the paper is due and yell "Pick me, pick me!")

 Once you've decided on a topic, it is important to make sure it fits the assignment and is not too broad to analyze adequately or too narrow to complete the assignment. If, for instance, you've been asked to write a 1,500 word research paper, it would be unwise to write about welfare reform in the U. S. The topic is simply too broad for the length of the assignment. However, narrowing the topic a bit might work. You could successfully write about how a specific welfare bill affects elderly immigrants, for instance. On the other hand, writing about the welfare bill without writing about its effects on others would be too narrow a topic and would probably not fulfill the assignment.

 It is important to come up with several ideas and check them out with your instructor, who may just have useful ideas on where you can start your research as well.

Are There Topics I Should Avoid?

It is always important to keep in mind your audience, so unless you've been instructed to write about a particular topic, avoid the ones your instructor has probably read thousands of times, such as argumentative research papers on gun control. It is also best to avoid topics which are often based on matters of individual faith, such as abortion, capital punishment, or the right to die. In addition to being weary of reading about these issues, your instructor has probably read every possible pro and con regarding these topics and therefore has an unfair advantage over you, making it very easy to spot holes in your logic. It is also very easy for a writer to slip into a tone of religious fervor or to develop a "better than thou" attitude which is obvious in the writing style. When this occurs, the essay becomes biased and loses its effectiveness.

OK, My Topic Has Been Approved. Now What?

Write an outline! (And don't jump to the next section because you hate outlines. This is the most important section on this page because what you do next determines the outcome of your paper.)

 Unless you've been instructed otherwise, your outline does not have to be perfectly typed with proper indentations and spacing and complete with roman numerals and periods. It can be written on a scrap piece of paper, in pencil, without any numbers at all, as long as it is written and used.

 It is the outline which will keep you on track while you are pulling together all the information required for your paper. Without looking at it occasionally to decide where your outside sources should be inserted, your writing will end up in a disorganized muddle.

 Depending upon the type of paper, think about your outline carefully. You know your paper will need an introduction, a body, and a conclusion, so leave space for that.

 Ask yourself what's logical. In your introduction, for instance, you know that you must introduce your topic. Write that in. Then think of further ways to analyze your topic. To analyze something, you divide it into parts. If you are writing about a problem, your outline might look something like this:

 Introduction

Statement of the Problem

Thesis Sentence


Body: Paragraphs 1 and 2

History of the Problem (Include, perhaps, past attempts at solutions. Work in sources.)


Body: Paragraphs 3 and 4

Extent of the problem (Who is affected? How bad is it? Work in sources.)


Body: Paragraphs 5 and 6

Repercussions of the problem (Work in sources)


Body: Paragraphs 7 and 8

Future solutions (not necessarily your own. More sources).


Conclusion

Summarize your findings.

 

 In large part, it is your questions which will determine the content of your paper. What you want to know is what your reader will also want to know!

I'm Having Trouble with My Introduction!

Introductions can be hard to write because most people start to write them without a clear idea of where they are going. For that reason, plenty of people write the body of the paper first and then go back and write the introduction later. Here are some useful tips to help:

Many people fail to consider how something thousands of miles away from them can affect their daily lives (very broad and general sentence). The world's rainforests, however, affect weather patterns all over the earth (introduces topic). The cutting of these endangered rainforests for wood products can cause drought in some places while causing flooding in others (even more specific). In addition, the destruction of the rainforests destroys millions of species of plants and animals which we need for our present and future lives (even more specific). Rainforests worldwide should be protected by governments so that these precious resources are protected and so that our lives are not threatened by adverse weather conditions (thesis sentence, which indicates that the writer will discuss governmental protection and why it is necessary).


 

What Kind of Sources Do I Use and Where Do I Find Them?

It depends upon your topic. Students have a wide variety of research options, including college and university libraries, Infotrac, the World Wide Web, and local city libraries. Students can interview others or conduct questionnaires, even over e-mail. They can use newspapers, magazines, and microfilm.

 The following general research principles usually apply, no matter what source students use:

How Do I Use Sources in My Paper?

This issue is explained in MLA: Using Sources Properly, which answers the most frequently asked questions about quoting others and how to go about doing it most effectively. This handout condenses information found in college handbooks to show the most common problems students encounter when using outside sources.

What Happens When the Sources Seem to be Writing My Paper For Me?

One of the most common problems the writer of any research paper has is learning how to handle a number of outside sources. It is poor form to use quotation after quotation, without a break, because the writer is not writing the paper--the sources are! Additionally, the paper loses the writer's own tone and ends up sounding like someone else wrote it. The solution?

Note that one of the differences in these introductions is partially in the choice of verb (writes, agree, emphasizes, discusses). Use the right verb for the right circumstance.

Remember that exact quotations must be quoted verbatim, while paraphrasing is putting into one's own words something another has said. Paraphrasing is not simply changing a word here and there, and it is best used when a writer is summarizing information from several chapters of a book or expressing an author's ideas more concisely than he/she has done. If you cannot improve upon the author's words, use a full or partial quotation.


 

Whether using paraphrasing or quotations, you must cite the source, and you should strive to stay faithful to your source's intent. It is unethical, for instance, to quote only part of a sentence and change its meaning to support your own assertions.

I've Finished My Rough Draft, Now What Do I Do?

Your last step, after you have typed your paper, is to revise and proofread. Many students don't know what to look for, however, so we've devised a checklist.

Are There Other RSCC OWL Links To Help Me?

Writing and research help on the Web is abundant. For starters, visit:

You can also check out other OWLs on the Web, by clicking here. These OWLs cover everything from grammar and punctuation to writing résumés, abstracts, and job application letters. There is additional information in writing conclusions and introductions. There are even handouts on overcoming writer's block and coping with writing anxiety.

 All RSCC students are welcome to come by one of the Writing Centers, located in Harriman and Oak Ridge. A consultant is available to help with your paper by appointment. Call 882-4677 in Harriman and 481-2026 in Oak Ridge.

Copyright 1996 Jennifer Jordan-Henley.
Updated August 2002.

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