WHAT IS A RESEARCH PAPER?
The research paper is a documented prose work resulting from an organized analysis
of a
PURPOSE OF PAPER:
The purpose of a research paper is to make a statement then attempt to prove it by
doing
THE THIRTEEN STEPS OF RESEARCH:
1. Choose a manageable topic or subject.
THE PAPER:
1. There must be two drafts of the paper, a rough draft, and a final draft. Some
instructors
2. Correct the rough draft for technical faults (spelling, grammar, punctuation,
3. Some instructors may require to see and critique one's note cards, the
rough outline,
PURPOSE OF AN OUTLINE:
1. Prevents wandering off the subject.
NARROWING DOWN THE SUBJECT:
1. Select a general subject that you find interesting and is within the scope of
the
2. Do some general "overview" reading to get an idea of what the selected
subject is
3. Select a small part of the general subject so that it can be handled in a
short
4. Look for controversy. What is there about the subject that will excite
people.
5. Identify the "controversial question" about the part of one's subject.
DEVELOPING A THESIS SENTENCE:
1. Select a single controversial question, about one part of the subject that
interests you,
2. Your answer, in the form of a single sentence, will become your thesis
sentence.
3. One has to take a position. One side or the other, the student has to choose.
One
4. One has to prove one's position in the Research Paper. The student is like
a lawyer in
5. The thesis is the only part of the research paper in which your opinion is of
any importance!
6. The thesis sentence is the single most important sentence in the research
paper. It
SUGGESTIONS AFTER YOU HAVE GATHERED YOUR FACTS:
1. Eliminate facts that do not support the thesis.
ARRANGEMENT OF THE PAPER (arrangement may vary for each instructor and or
class level).
1st page TITLE PAGE: Includes your name, instructor's name, class or hour,
and date; plus title of your
Next Section OUTLINE: The outline must contain one's thesis, the paper's
first paragraph and a general
Next Section BODY: (The Report)Begins on this page and continues through the end
of report. Start
Next Section APPENDIX: Be sure you include the source. The page number will be
the next number after
Next Section WORKS CITED This replaces both the old footnote page and
bibliography page.
NOTE CARDS: Some instructors may want one's Note Cards turned in before
one can go on
ROUGH DRAFT Some instructors may also want to see the rough draft before
they allow anyone
ROUGH WORKS CITIED PAGE This may be included with one's rough draft and
rough outline.
LENGTH: The length will be different depending on the instructor, grade
level, and value
SPECIAL SUGGESTIONS:
1. If the report is hand written, one must either use a blue or black pen. Do
not use a
2. NUMBERING PAGES: Place the proper number on each page, at the top right-hand
corner
3. Appendices are: Flags, pictures, maps, letters from famous people, graphs,
charts,
4. A student must use many sources for the paper. Try not to use encyclopedias -
unless
5. If the report is copied a student will receive an "E." A student must
use his or her own
6. Don't make the report too long. It is far better to be brief and to the
point.
7. Be sure to correct all of the spelling and grammar mistakes.
8. Be sure to use all of the research paper rules. Rules may vary because of
instructor
9. Be sure the report is neat! A messy report isn't worth grading.
10. Anytime one uses statistics or information that is not common knowledge and
the
11. Double space the body, if one is typing the report.
RULES FOR APPENDICES: (Remember this section is optional)
1. List the source used for your appendix on each appendix page. Put the author
('s) last
2. Place a page number at the top right-hand corner. If the last page of the
body is page
SPACING AND PUNCTUATION:
1. After commas (,) and semicolons (;), one space.
PLACEMENT OF PUNCTUATION WITH PARENTHESES:
If the context requires a comma (as this does), the comma follows the closing
parenthesis.
MARGINS AND LINE LENGTH: Leave uniform margins of at least one inch at the
top,
CORRECTIONS:
1. Keep corrections to a minimum on the final draft, ie. correction fluid. Make
them neat!
PREPARING THE WORKS CITED PAGE:
Be sure the Work Cited Page is arranged alphabetically! See examples.
USING THE INTERNET
The Internet can be a fantastic place to find a great variety of research and information. Knowing how to use the Internet is very important. Check out Berkeley University Guides before you begin searching on the Internet!
RULES FOR BOOKS
1. Author's last name; comma.
EXAMPLES FOR BOOKS:
Lewis, Allen C., The Eye of a Genius, New York, 1994.
Jordan, Robert P., The Civil War, Chicago, 1995.
RULES FOR MAGAZINES (PERIODICALS)
1. Author's name - followed by a comma -sometimes there are not any authors
listed or
EXAMPLES FOR MAGAZINES:
Weaver, Kenneth F., "The Incredible Universe," National Geographic,
Brown, Thomas R., "Social Studies is Fun," Time, February 25, (2001),
ENCYCLOPEDIA RULES
1. Topic; comma; enclosed by quotation marks (" ").
EXAMPLES FOR ENCYCLOPEDIAS:
"Washington, George," World Book Encyclopedia. Vol. XVIII, 1994,
"Anorexia," World Book Encyclopedia. Vol. I, 1995, p. 154.
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES
1. Author's last name - comma. Author's first name - comma.
EXAMPLE OF NEWSPAPER ARTICLE:
Brown, Thomas R., "A Study of Abraham Lincoln," The Detroit News, April 27,
1999,
EXAMPLES FOR RECORDS, TAPES, FILMSTRIPS, VCR, ETC.
War for Independence, (Filmstrip), Nobel Films, Inc., New York., 2000.
The Fight on Drugs, (Television), ABC, Detroit, February 17, 1993.
Straight At Ya', (VHS), National Education Association, New York, 2001.
QUOTATIONS:
Quotes should be used like a good spice - sparingly. A good quote should serve
to
When should one use quotes:
1. Copy something exactly - paraphrasing. (see Special Note #2)
Special Note:
1. If you are copying a direct quote within quotes you use (') instead of
("). 2. If you are copying more than four lines,
you do not need any quotation (" or' ) marks.
EXAMPLES OF ACTUAL QUOTATIONS IN THE REPORT (BODY)
EXAMPLE ONE: A sentence in which the first sentence is in the student's
own words At the battle of Monmouth, Mary Hayes won a great reputation. " In
the sweltering heat she carried pitchers of water to thirsty soldiers until
her husband was wounded" (Wilder 218)
EXAMPLE TWO: A sentence in which a student copied directly from the
source. In
"President Carter said, 'Our nation can be strong abroad only if it is strong
at home, and we
EXAMPLE THREE: A paragraph which uses more than four lines and has a
direct
Carter began his term as governor in January of 1971, and quickly made clear
Carter received national attention because of this speech. --------------- etc..
Some
EXAMPLE FOUR: Short quotations. Quotations of 40 words or fewer should
be
He stated, "The effect disappeared when behaviors were studied in this
manner"
EXAMPLE FIVE: If quoted material is from a magazine article that
doesn't have an
"In the Virginia convention of 1774, Jefferson submitted resolutions which,
although not
EXAMPLE SIX: It is also correct to include the author's last name
within the
Gardner found that "the effect which had been verified in previous studies
disappeared
PERMISSION TO QUOTE (Only if your work is going to be published or kept at
a college):
If a student uses a quote from a copyrighted work in material that is intended to
be
PARAGRAPHS: Indent the first line of every paragraph five spaces.
WHO, WHAT, AND WHERE TO RESEARCH?:
1. PEOPLE: School, city and college librarians, teachers, business people,
2. AUDIOVISUAL MATERIAL: Check school, city, and college libraries for
films,
3. WRITTEN MATERIAL: Check card catalogs for books and the Reader's
Guide for
4. HOSPITALS AND CARE FACILITIES: Hospitals have information on a wide
variety
5. POLICE DEPARTMENT: Many police stations have a variety of material
that one
6. PHONE DIRECTORY: Many private or governmental institutions, i.e.,
A.A. or
7. VISITS: If possible, visit places related to the topic. Often a
student can get a
8. C.D. ROMS AND THE INTERNET: More and more C.D's are available that
may be
Mr. Brown's Cyber School
subject. A documented work is one in which the source of material is
credited. The
research paper is sometimes called a library paper because its
preparation involves an
extensive use of the library. It is sometimes called
a term paper because the time allotted
is sometimes the greater part of a
semester or term.
current research. It is not just a collection of information. It is
suppose to enable the
student to pursue his own specific interests within a
given area of study. The paper also
enables a student to understand the
technicalities of a formal paper and to utilize
and combine all skills he or
she has learned. Finally, it enables students to gain experience
in
researching a subject.
2. Read a general article or two;
chose relevant sources.
3. Formulate a temporary thesis and a rough
outline.
4. Prepare one's (rough) works cited page.
5. Read, evaluate
and take notes from a variety of relevant sources.
6. Keep track of all
sources used.
7. Label note cards.
8. Organize the gathered material in
a revised outline that addresses itself to the chosen thesis.
9. Write the
first draft.
10. Correct all spelling and grammar mistakes.
11. Revise
the text; write an introduction and conclusion.
12. Document the sources of
information in the list of works cited.
13. Prepare the final draft and
proofread!
may only want to see the final draft. The rough draft is used
mainly to
help the person doing the research turn in a better finished paper!
capitalization, proper research paper rules etc.). Correct for sentence flow
and
vocabulary level. Eliminate repetitive use of the same word or phrase
(use a thesaurus or a dictionary of synonyms). One may want to read the paper
aloud, to see if it makes
sense.
and the rough draft, before they will allow
you to write
the finished research paper.
2. Gives a quick over-all view of a
paper.
3. Insures proportionate space to each part.
4. Aids in
organizing the paper.
5. Enables one to spot missing or irrelevant
material.
6. Enables one to spot repeated material.
assignment. It makes research much easier if one wants to know more about
a subject.
about. Reading from an encyclopedia may help.
research paper.
and ask yourself what is the question!
cannot sit on the fence and represent both sides (that is a report)!
a trial, the thesis sentence is one's client. One has to
assemble the evidence that proves
one's thesis sentence is correct.
However, your opinion must be supported with ample evidence
and facts!
defines the scope, direction, and limits of the research that a
student is going to engage
in, and states the position that he or she intends
to prove. The purpose of the research
paper is to collect facts, published by
authorities, that support one's thesis (the proof).
If a research fact
does not agree with the thesis, don't use it. If one finds all or most of
the facts disagreeing the thesis, one is probably supporting the wrong side of the
controversial question. Go back and write a thesis sentence that supports
the
other side.
2. Eliminate
duplications.
3. Rewrite each fact in your own words unless one is planning
to use it as a quote.
4. Remember to indicate, in the margin, the source
(where the information or fact was obtained).
paper. Do not number this page.
outline. Number the first page by placing a
little i at the bottom centered. Place corresponding
i i, etc. on the
remaining pages of the outline at the top right-hand corner.
numbering on the first page of the body and continue
numbering to the end of your entire paper
including the Works Cited section.
(see special suggestions about numbering pages)
the last page of the body. The Appendix section is
optional. Some instructors may not want this
section. (See the Appendix
Section on page four)
The Works Cited lists all the sources used in the paper.
to finish the paper.
to continue the paper.
Some instructors may not want this turned in!
of the paper. Five to twenty hand written pages (body only)
or three to ten typed pages are
an average length of a paper. Typing is
generally preferred and strongly encouraged! The
length does not include the:
The Title Page, Works Cited Page, or the Appendix
Section. It only includes
the actual paper!
pencil and do not print.
without parentheses, dashes, quotation marks, a period, or the word
page. One must also
include your last name before the number, ie. Brown 1 or
Brown 2. Do not number
the title page.
copied material from a Xerox machine, pamphlets, etc. The appendix is
not considered
part of the body.
one is just getting ideas to research. The more sources used, greater
variety, and the
use of current material will help improve the value of the
research paper!
words unless he or she is using a quote or using quoted
material. Copying is cheating
and is called PLAGIARISM.
preferences.
information is going to be used in the paper, one must give credit (list
the source)
where the information was obtained.
name in parenthesis ( ), followed by a comma, and the page
number. Enter the completed
source on the Works Cited Page.
"6", begin with page 7-A for the first page of the appendix. The
second appendix page
will then be numbered page 7-B, and the third page would
be 7-C, -etc.
2. After colons (:) two
spaces (exceptions - no space after the colon in ratios (e.g., 6:1).
3. After
punctuation marks at the ends of sentences: (.) (?) (!) two spaces.
4.
After periods that separate parts of a reference citation: two spaces.
5.
After periods of the initials in personal names: one space (e.g., J. R.
Jones).
6. After internal periods in abbreviations: no space (e.g., a.m.,
i.e., U.S.).
If a complete sentence ends with a parenthesis, the period
follows the closing parenthesis
(like this). (If a complete sentence, like
this one, is enclosed in parentheses,
the period is placed inside the closing
parenthesis.)
bottom, right, and left of every page. The length of each typed line is
6 1/2". Do not
divide words at the end of a line. Let a line run short or
long rather than break a word at
the end of a line. If one is using a
computer or a word processor, leave all the margin
settings set at one inch,
unless the instructions use different margin settings.
Be sure to check with
your instructor about his or her special requirements!
2. If one types or writes the report be sure to use correction
fluid to correct mistakes.
3. Retype or rewrite the page if it has two or
more corrections.
4. Using a computer or word processor helps eliminate most
careless mistakes.
5. Do not rely on spelling and grammar computer programs
to find all the mistakes.
One must proofread with your own eyes!
2. Author's first name.
3.
Author's middle initial; period; comma.
4. Title of the book underlined;
comma.
5. City of publication; comma.
6. Year of publication;
period.
given so you go to step number two.
2. Title in full, enclosed
in quotation marks, followed by a comma.
3. Name of magazine, underlined,
followed by a comma.
4. Volume number, in capital Roman Numerals, followed by
a comma.
5. Month and date, followed by a comma.
6. The year, enclosed
in parentheses, followed by a comma.
7. Page number (s), followed by a
period.
May, (1995), pp. 82-104.
pp. 37-51.
2. Name of
Encyclopedia; period.
3. Volume number; comma.
4. Year of publication;
comma.
5. Page or pages; period.
pp.
45-49.
2. Title
of article (in quotation marks) - comma within last paragraph.
3. Name of
newspaper, underlined - comma.
4. Place of publication, only if not in title,
- comma.
5. Date in full, (January 4, 1999) - comma.
6. Section and page
(Sec. D, p.2) - period.
Sec. B., P. 3.
emphasize or illuminate an important point. It should never be used to
fill up space or
meet an assignment. Crediting or acknowledging the source of
material that one uses
in a paper, is a must, whether the material is quoted
directly or paraphrased, the material
should be credited. The material is
credited to give credit to the source, to enable the
reader to verify such
things as statistics, to enable the reader to find additional material
on a
subject, and to give authority to the paper. General information that can be
found
in various places is not credited. Any direct quotation, regardless of
length, must be
accompanied by a reference citation that includes a page
number.
2. Copy
something that already has quotation marks.
3. Summarizing factual
information that is not common knowledge.
- See example #2.
This is called
paraphrasing. One just uses single spacing instead of double and indent ten
spaces for both the left and right margins. (See example #3) Some instructors
may want the
double spacing to continue instead of single spacing!
then the second sentence is a direct copy. Remember to DOUBLE
SPACE.
addition, a quote is being used within the copied material.
Notice that within the copied
sentence you begin and end with only one
quotation mark and all of it is enclosed with
double quotation
("...............") marks.
know that the best way to enhance this freedom is to
demonstrate here that our
democratic system is worthy of emulation' "
(Smith 77).
quote. Usually, colons (:) are used prior to the copied material.
Indent ten spaces for
both the left and right hand margins plus use single
spacing - some instructors prefer
double spacing. If there isn't a direct
quote within the copied material you don't
need any quotation marks.
Typing in one smaller font size is also very affective.
In 1970, James Earl
Carter became the Democratic nominee for the governor of Georgia
and was
easily elected:
that he would work to aid all needy Georgians. In his Inaugural Address, he
declared: "I say to you quite frankly, that the time for racial discrimination
is over.
No poor, rural, weak, or black person should ever have to bear the
additional burden
of being deprived of the opportunity of an education, a job,
or simple justice."
(White House Press 77).
instructors prefer that you don't single space but continue to double
space and
leave both margins set at ten spaces!
incorporated into the text and enclosed by double quotation marks
(").
(Gardner 276), but he did not clarify which behaviors were
studied.
author or from an encyclopedia or any other source that
doesn't list the authors name, you
simply put the first word from the Works
Cited. For example, if you were looking up
information about Thomas Jefferson
from an encyclopedia you simply would put
Jefferson inside the parenthesis.
adopted at the time, were published in pamphlet form as A Summary
View of the Rights
of British America and earned him a place among the
foremost advocates of revolution"
(Jefferson 521).
sentence. All you have to do is include the page number in
parentheses at the end
of the sentence.
when his own and others' behaviors were studied in this
manner" (276).
publish, one usually needs written permission from the owner of the
copyright.
reporters, parents, relatives, and doctors. Anyone with knowledge about the
topic.
If it is a controversial topic, try talking to people representing a
variety of opinions.
Consider interviewing people in person, on the
telephone, by letter, or by eMail.
filmstrips, kits, and other materials related to the topic. Keep an
eye on the television
guide for relevant programs, often on public TV.
Periodicals (magazines). If the library does not have a particular
book or magazine article,
see if the librarian can arrange to get the material
through an inter-library loan. Don't
overlook university or city
libraries. Good magazines to cover on future focus: The
Futurist, Omni, and
Discover. Keep in mind that magazines will often be a better source
than
books because of their recentness. Consider reading a variety of opinions. Check
copyright dates on books - some material may be outdated.
of subjects.
may use in research.
Green Peace have excellent material to use in research.
better feel and understanding by being there. It also gives
the student the opportunity
to interview people in a variety of roles related
to the topic.
useful. It is also possible to download information from just about
any library or research
facility in the world by going on-line on the
Internet. Just don't cut and paste
- this is cheating!