RESEARCHING AND WRITING A TERM PAPER IN TEN WEEKS

 

Week One: Devising a Research Strategy
Week Two: Brainstorming and Topic Selection
Week Three: Developing a Research Question
Week Four: Beginning Library Research
Week Five: Formulating a Thesis Statemen
Week Six: Continuing Research
Week Seven: Outlining
Week Eight: Writing the Paper
Week Nine: Working with the Rough Draft
Week Ten: Examining the Final Proof

 


Week One: Devising a Research Strategy Strategy is the word for research writing--good writing requires forethought and planning. It also requires time. For week one, use a little thought and planning. Rather than running immediately to the library and gazing at rows of books, consider the following questions:

  • What am I interested in developing a paper on?
  • What subject do I possess a moderate knowledge on to research?
  • What subject has enough controversy or subject matter for a fully developed paper?
  • What issues have been raised in class that I might want to pursue further?
I'd suggest looking at the Table of Contents in your class textbook; often, you'll find interesting ideas there. Remember, you'll be wrestling with this research paper for several weeks: be sure to pick a subject you're interested in. Look at the end of chapters or at the end of the textbook, for many texts publish guides for research or bibliographies. If you're dealing with primary sources (such as novels, writings of key theorists like Freud or Locke, or historical documents), go immediately to those sources before deciding your subject. Be sure that your subject corresponds to the subject criteria for research of your instructor. If you aren't sure, always ask.


Week Two: Brainstorming and Topic Selection After isolating your subject of interest, you'll need to narrow that subject down to a topic, the specific aspect of a subject your paper will discuss. Narrowing the topic is crucial-it must be specific. Here are a few suggestions for honing your subject into a topic:
  • Brainstorm. Using a notebook or several sheets of paper, simply start jotting down all ideas associated with your subject. Don't worry about order, neatness, spelling, or punctuation. Be prepared to add ideas throughout the day.
  • Freewrite. Using a notebook, several sheets of paper, or a computer, write on your subject for an uninterrupted period of time (usually, fifteen to twenty minutes). Don't worry about punctuation or correctness in grammar: simply get something written. Allow your mind to carry the subject wherever it wishes to go.
  • Ask Questions. To start, try the old who, what, where, when, why, and how questions. For instance, try asking, "Who wrote the novel Great Expectations? What is it about? Where was it written? When was it written? Did place and time at all affect the novel's content? Why is it considered a 'classic'? Why was it written in the first place? How was it first published-did the author know the publisher?" These questions eventually lead to step three, where new, detailed questions are asked.

Week Three: Developing a Research Question Now that you've arrived at a topic, you're ready for the next step: refining that topic. Steer away from expressing your research topic in vague terms; for instance, "Charles Dickens wrote his novels in sections" doesn't offer much guidance for your research. Because a narrow, workable topic is so crucial to writing a research paper, you'll need to change your one-or-two word topic into a clear, well-stated question (or series of questions). For the writings of Charles Dickens, a student might ask, "If Dickens did publish his novels in sections, which works were published this way-and how did this affect the final product? Why did he do it this way? Did other authors during his time publish in sections, too?" This question focuses on one particular aspect of Dickens's writing, which significantly narrows the focus of research and discussion. After rephrasing the subject as a question, you're ready to proceed to preliminary research.


Week Four: Beginning Library ResearchResearch question in hand, you're now ready for research-and beware, this is the first of many trips to the library. For your initial plunge into research, I'd suggest simply acquainting yourself with the library's resources. Here are a few research strategies:
  • Know where books on your subject are shelved-and just browse through them for a few minutes, noting their authors, dates, titles, and contents.
  • Next, begin database hunting. In UAF's library catalog, try a subject search (on browse) first, pull up several records of interest, and note the subject heading each entry is filed under. Then, in a new search, try using these subject headings.
  • Also be certain to hunt in the specialized databases for the discipline you're researching. These databases (such as ERIC, PsychLit, or MLA) index publications for specific disciplines, including journal articles and dissertations. When at all possible, use academic journals-"magazines" published by professional organizations, with most essays written by scholars or professionals in the field-as part of your source material.
  • Don't be afraid to ask the reference staff for assistance!
  • Be sure to mark down full bibliographic information for all potential sources.

Week Five: Formulating a Thesis Statement Your next step is to formulate a clear thesis statement, which is your paper's main point as expressed in one (or two) sentences. Thesis statements control and govern your paper; they act as "road maps" for what you will be saying in any writing activity. They are not, however, questions: a thesis statement must be a statement, a sentence informing the reader where the paper is heading. Most theses are set at the beginning of a paper, usually in the last sentence of the first paragraph. Unless your instructor says otherwise, avoid stating intention in your thesis (such as "this paper will . . ."). In addition, avoid stating obvious facts as a thesis statement ("Great Expectations was written by Charles Dickens . . ."). The following theses work well for a research paper:
  • The Victorian novel is often criticized for its reinforcement of patriarchal ideology, particularly in its presentation of the Victorian wife's primary roles: the Angel in the House who can do no wrong and the evil seductress who can do no right.
  • The Victorian novel is often criticized for its reinforcement of patriarchal ideology.
  • While warfare is an often ritualized and nonfatal form of control in the animal kingdom, in human society warfare is often used with the intent to kill. After writing a thesis statement that reflects your ideas on your research, proceed to step six; however, don't be dismayed if your thesis statement changes as you discover new information. Research often changes our assumptions--this is one reason we do it.

Week Six: Continuing Research Now that you have a specific target for your paper, continue researching. Organize your research into main focuses or topics of discussion. As you research, compile a detailed bibliography. Develop a system for researching-and stick with it. Your system of notetaking will need to differentiate between the following types of notes:
  • Paraphrase. Paraphrase is a line-by-line "translation" or restatement of an original source. Since paraphrase is detailed and rather painstaking, use it only for highly complex, technical, or obscure language. Paraphrase is often used to reword texts written in the past, such as Jung or Shakespeare.
  • Summary. Most research notes summarize texts-that is, they condense source materials into shorter, more accessible "chunks" for the researcher to manage. A researcher might summarize a chapter into two paragraphs, essentially saving the most important or useful parts for later use.
  • Quotation. Direct quotation is word-for-word reproduction of an original text. Direct quotes are always placed in quote marks.
  • Always record the page number(s) and source information for all notes. If this is not done, you may mistake someone else's thoughts or words as your own--and inadvertently plagiarize a source.
Start reviewing your notes periodically, highlighting quotations or information you deem most important or persuasive. I generally keep them filed by subtopic.


Week Seven: Outlining Review your notes, looking for patterns of thought or idea. Review your thesis statement, evaluating its effectiveness in light of your most recent research. After you've reviewed your notes and thesis statement, you'll need to devise an outline for your paper: a "map" of the territory your paper will cover. Here are a few pointers:
  • Place your thesis statement at the beginning of an outline. If you check your outline's major points against your thesis statement, your paper shouldn't "sprawl" off course.
  • Devise a purpose statement for your paper. Do you plan to simply inform your audience of a particular issue? Do you plan to persuade an audience to do something?
  • Devise an audience statement for your paper. Who is this paper addressed to (besides your professor)? Often, research papers are targeted at a general audience; however, many are targeted at a discipline-specific audience.
  • Devise topic sentences for your paper. Essentially, topic sentences serve as "mini-thesis statements": they control and govern individual paragraphs. If you don't plan to develop topic sentences at the outline level, be sure to create topic headings-main sections your paper will be developed around.
  • Have some sort of introduction and conclusion in mind for your paper.

Week Eight: Writing the Paper So, you've isolated a topic, created a strong thesis, and developed an outline-now what? You're ready for the actual writing itself. Remember that your paper will change as you continue to develop ideas-this is normal. Also remember that a good paper requires time; thus, the difference between an "A" paper and a "B" paper can often be the amount of time spent actively engaged in writing and organizing. Keep the following in mind:
  • Writing. Be sure to begin with an appropriate style. In a college paper, you should assume that third-person ("he/she/it"), non-colloquial language is appropriate. College papers shouldn't use contractions, and they rarely (if ever) should use the first-person ("I") or second-person ("you") voices. Also watch for tone. In most situations, college papers should be written in clear, serious prose.
  • Organizing. Research papers should have three main sections: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion.
  • The introduction is typically one to two paragraphs (there is no rule on length-but it shouldn't be half of your paper); it announces your paper's topic, delivers the thesis statement, and entices the reader into the paper. Because it is the "first word" on your paper, put extra time into polishing it. Many introductions begin with excellent questions, quote an authority, or begin with a paradox.
  • The body of your paper develops your ideas; it is the largest part of your paper. Research papers should place the main arguments and rebuttals in the paper's body, including statistics, quotations, examples, and other evidence.
  • Finally, the conclusion has two main purposes: to summarize the paper's main points and to amplify the argument. While you may have known that papers should conclude with a brief summary of the main argument, you probably didn't know that they should also expand on that argument. A powerful conclusion will discuss the paper's implications-its impact. Because it is the "last word" on your paper, put considerable time into the conclusion.
Week Nine: Working with the Rough (or Very Rough) Draft Drafting is key to producing a polished, well-developed paper. This means you should be prepared to look at several copies of your paper "in transition"--and to change your paper as necessary. Essentially, after you've written your paper, there are three steps to follow when working with your rough draft:
  • Revise. Check the arrangement of your paper. Are there sentences or paragraphs that could be switched for better effect? If so, do it-just remember to change your thesis statement to reflect any changes in organization. Also check to make sure your best quotations are used in the most effective spots. Writing is about impact: what you say must have impact on your audience, and, frequently, what at first seemed the best place for a quote will change as a paper develops. Also make sure no quotations are potentially confusing or misleading.
  • Edit. Check the details of your paper. Does each paragraph tie back to the thesis statement? If not, either revise the thesis statement or chop your paragraph. Also make sure each sentence ties back to the paragraph's topic sentence, for this will eliminate sprawl in your writing. At this point, you'll also want to be sure your citations are correct. Check (and re-check) the spelling of each source's name and work-and the page numbers used! Make sure your quotations are carefully integrated into your text; check your formatting against the APA guidelines. You'll also want to check your References page, looking for errors in formatting or spelling.
  • Proofread. Look for mistakes in punctuation, spelling, or grammar. Do not rely on spell check or grammar check systems, for they will not detect the difference in usage between words-for example, between "roll" and "role"-which can lead to rather embarrassing results.


Week Ten: Examining the Final Proof Well, the paper is due in two days--what's next? Simply, this is when you re-read your paper. Preferably, you should also have someone else read your paper, asking that person to analyze for development and coherence. You'll want to make one final proof of your paper, this time scanning for stylistic issues (such as emphasis, rhythm, and concision) and any small errors still remaining in your paper. Be certain to read the paper with a copy of your instructor's assignment guidelines in front of you, making absolutely certain that each of these guidelines has been met. In addition, be sure your paper has an abstract and title page, if required. If time permits, put at least one day between the proofing of your paper and the day of paper submission.