writing_research_paper_handout(goerzen2011)
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This document outlines the 8 steps for writing a research paper at the University of British Columbia. It provides guidance on understanding the assignment, selecting and focusing a topic, writing a thesis statement, designing a research strategy, finding and evaluating resources, creating an outline, drafting and revising the paper, and putting it into final form. Resources are recommended for each step to aid students in the research and writing process and properly citing sources to avoid plagiarism.
writing_research_paper_handout(goerzen2011)
- 1. THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA Writing the Research Paper - Student Hand-out Based on UBC Library’s Assignment Calculator http://assignmentcalculator.library.ubc.ca/ Learning Outcomes • Steps for writing a research paper • Best practices to maintain academic integrity • Tools to properly track and cite your sources • Resources to get help Step 1 - Understand your assignment • Intro and format (i.e. margins, font, word count/# pages) • Questions to address (Find out if you need to answer all/some/one of these) • Note key verbs that indicate how to structure your writing A research paper is not a summary of others’ work on your topic. You should consult other sources, but these are used to support your statements and provide evidence for your analysis. The goal is table a unique perspective. The 2 most common approaches are: 1. Argumentative research paper - A thesis statement that makes a claim supported with evidence (can be controversial, debatable) 2. Analytical research paper - Often begins with a question and explores/evaluates/interprets the evidence. More resources: o Terms Frequently used in Writing Assignments- Queen’s University Writing Centre http://www.queensu.ca/writingcentre/handouts/Terms.pdf o Understanding Assignments - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Centre http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/readassign.html Step 2 - Select and focus your topic • Conduct preliminary research (initial sources for background info are not the ones used for works cited) • Refine your topic More resources: o UBC research subject guides http://guides.library.ubc.ca/ o Internet Search Tools (beyond Google Scholar, and Wikipedia) http://www.library.ubc.ca/home/isearch.html for graduate student researchers: o Finding the Right Information Sources For a Literature Review http://toby.library.ubc.ca/webpage/webpage.cfm?id=502 o FAQ: Dissertations and Theses http://toby.library.ubc.ca/webpage/webpage.cfm?id=37 Step 3 - Write a working thesis • What is your thesis statement? (argumentative) • What question(s) are you trying to answer? (analytical) Often, a more focused question/thesis yields better research and better writing. More resources: o UBC Writing Centre’s Thesis Statements: Beginnings http://www.writingcentre.ubc.ca/workshop/tools/thesisst.htm
- 2. THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA Step 4 - Design a research strategy The quality of information you use to support your arguments will contribute significantly to the quality of your work. You need to learn about: • effectively searching library resources • using citation management tools UBC Library homepage- Summon Your research strategy just got a lot easier. Summon is a discovery-style search tool (i.e. like Google) that allows you to search UBC’s catalogue, ebooks (to the chapter level), databases, ejournals, cIRcle (UBC’s repository including theses and dissertations, etc.) all in one search. Citation Management More resources: o UBC librarian Dean Giustini’s comparison of 3 citation tools: Refworks, Zotero and Mendeley http://www.slideshare.net/giustinid/ref-works-mendeley-zotero Plagiarism Plagiarism may be accidental or unintentional, blatant or self (re-using your own work). Even accidental or unintentional plagiarism is subject to disciple. Your are responsible for familiarizing yourself with UBC’s policies http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/index.cfm?tree=3,286,0,0 How to avoid plagiarism • Start early • Take careful notes • Acknowledge all sources (direct quotes as well as paraphrased or summarized material) • Ask yourself: - Is the idea or argument presented mine? - Are the words my own? - Can my work be clearly distinguished from the work of others? Step 5 Find, review, and evaluate resources More resources: o UBC Librarians online (AskAway) http://learningcommons.ubc.ca/get-study-help/research-and-writing/chat- with-a-librarian/ o UBC Subject librarians http://toby.library.ubc.ca/libstaff/subjectlibrarians.cfm Step 6 Create an Outline Creating a useful outline - brainstorm, organize, order, label More resources: o Text2Mindmap http://www.text2mindmap.com/ o Owl Purdue. How to create a useful outline. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/544/02 Step 7 Draft, revise and rewrite (conduct additional research as necessary) Step 8 Put paper in final form More resources: • UBC Writing Centre http://www.writingcentre.ubc.ca/index.html o Writer’s Toolbox http://www.writingcentre.ubc.ca/workshop/toolbox.htm o Drop-in tutoring (free) http://learningcommons.ubc.ca/get-study-help/tutoring-and-learning- support/#fragment-1-1
- 3. THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA • UBC Learning Commons – Research and Writing http://learningcommons.ubc.ca/get-study-help/research-and- writing/ • Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) https://owl.english.purdue.edu/