Writing Research Papers A Complete Guide

The definitive research paper guide, Writing Research Papers combines a traditional and practical approach to the research process with the latest information on electronic research and presentation.

This market-leading text provides students with step-by-step guidance through the research writing process, from selecting and narrowing a topic to formatting the finished document. Writing Research Papers backs up its instruction with the most complete array of samples of any writing guide of this nature. The text continues its extremely thorough and accurate coverage of citation styles for a wide variety of disciplines. The fourteenth edition maintains Lester's successful approach while bringing new writing and documentation updates to assist the student researcher in keeping pace with electronic sources.

Preface

Chapter 1   Writing from Research

            1a Why Do Research?

            1b Learning The Conventions of Academic Writing

            1c Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism

            1d Understanding a Research Assignment

                        Understanding the Terminology

            1e Establishing a Research Schedule

Chapter 2   Finding a Topic

            2a Relating Your Personal Ideas to a Scholarly Problem

                        Connecting Personal Experience to Scholarly Topics

                        Speculating about Your Subject to Discover Ideas and to Focus on the

                        Issues

2b Talking with Others to Find and Refine the Topic

            Personal Interviews and Discussions

            Online Discussion Groups

2c   Using Online Searches to Refine Your Topic

            Using an Online Subject Directory

            Using an Internet Keyword Search

2d   Using the Library’s Electronic Databases to Find and Narrow a Subject

2e   Using the Library’s Electronic Book Catalog to Find a Topic

2f   Developing a Thesis Statement, Enthymeme, or Hypothesis

2g   Drafting a Research Proposal

            The Short Proposal

            The Long Proposal

Your Research Project

Chapter 3   Organizing Ideas and Setting Goals

3a Using a Basic Order to Chart the Course of Your Work

3b Using Your Research Proposal to Direct Your Notetaking

3c Listing Key Terms and Phrases to Set Directions for Notetaking

3d Writing a Rough Outline

3e Using Questions to Identify Issues

3f Setting Goals by Using Organizational Patterns

3g Using Approaches across the Curriculum to Chart Your Ideas

3h Using Your Thesis to Chart the Direction of Your Research

Your Research Project

Chapter 4 Gathering Sources Online

4a Beginning an Online Search

            CHECKLIST: Evaluating Internet Sources

4b Reading an Online Address

4c Using Keyword and Boolean Expressions

            Subject Directory Search Engines

            Robot-Driven Search Engines

            Metasearch Engines

            Specialized Search Engines

            Educational Search Engines

            Educational Search Engines Maintained by Libraries

4d Using RSS and Social Bookmarking

            RSS Feeds

            Web and Social Bookmarking

4e Searching for  Articles in Journals and Magazines

            Online journals

            Online  Magazines

4f Searching for Articles in Newspapers and Media Sources

4g Searching for Photographs and Other Visual Sources

4h Accessing E-Books

4i Using Listserv, Usenet, Blogs, and Chat Groups

            E-mail News Groups

            Real-Time Chatting

4j Examining Library Holdings via Online Access

4k Finding an Internet Bibliography

4l Conducting Archival Research on the Internet

            Go to the Library

            Go to an Edited Search  Engine

            Go to a Metasearch Engine

            Go to a Listserv or Usenet Group

            Utilize Newspaper Archives

Your Research Project

Chapter 5   Gathering Data in the Library

5a Launching the Search

5b Developing a Working Bibliography

5c Finding Books on Your Topic

            Using Your Library’s Electronic Book Catalog

            Using the Library’s Bibliographies

5d Finding Articles in Magazines and Journals

            Searching the General Indexes to Periodicals

            Finding Indexes by Topic in Appendix B

            Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature

            Social Sciences Index

            Humanities Index

            Searching for an Index to Abstracts

            Searching for Abstracts of Dissertations

5e Searching for a Biography

            Biography  Index

            Current  Biography Yearbook

            Contemporary Authors

            Dictionary of Literary Biography 

5f Searching for Articles in the Newspaper Indexes

5g Searching Special Subject Directories

5h Searching for Government Documents

5i Searching for Essays within Books

Your Research Project

Chapter 6   Conducting Field Research

6a Investigating Local Sources

            Interviewing Knowledgeable People

            Writing Letters and Corresponding by E-mail

            Reading Personal Papers

            Attending Lectures and Public Addresses

6b Investigating Government Documents

6c Examining Audiovisual Materials, Television, and Radio

6d Conducting a Survey with a Questionnaire

6e Conducting Experiments, Tests, and Observation

Your Research Project

Chapter 7   Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism

7a Using Sources to Enhance your Credibility

7b Placing Your Work in Its Proper Context

7c Understanding Copyright

7d Avoiding Plagiarism

            Common Knowledge

            Correctly Borrowing from a Source

7e Sharing Credit in Collaborative Projects

7f Honoring and Crediting Sources in Online Classrooms

7g Seeking Permission to Publish Material on Your Web Site

Your Research Project

Chapter 8   Reading and Evaluating Sources

8a Finding Reliable Sources

8b Selecting a Mix of both Primary and Secondary Sources

8c Evaluating Sources

            Evaluating the Key Parts of an Article  

            Evaluating the Key Parts of a Book

            Evaluating the Key Parts of an Internet Article

8d Outlining a Source

8e Summarizing a Source

8f Preparing an Annotated Bibliography

8g Preparing a Review of the Literature on a Topic

Your Research Project

Chapter 9   Writing Effective Notes and Creating Outlines

            Gathering Printouts, Photocopies, Scanned Images, and Downloaded Data

            Writing Notes of High Quality

9a Creating Effective Notes

            Honoring the Conventions of Research Style

            Using a Computer for Notetaking

9b Writing Personal Notes

9c Writing Direct Quotation Notes

            Quoting Primary Sources

            Quoting Secondary Sources

9d Writing Paraphrased Notes

9e Writing Summary Notes

9f Writing Précis Notes

            Use the Précis to Review Briefly an Article or  Book

            Use the  Précis to Write an Annotated Bibliography

            Use the  Précis in a Plot Summary Note

            Use the  Précis As the  Form for an Abstract

9g   Writing Notes from Field Research

9h Creating Outlines Using Academic Models

            A General All-Purpose Model

            Model for Advancing Your Ideas and Theories

            Model for the Analysis of Creative Works

            Model for Argument and Persuasion Papers

            Model for Analysis of History

            Model for a Comparative Study

9i   Writing a Formal Outline

            Using Standard Outline Symbols

            Writing a Formal Topic Outline

            Writing a Formal Sentence Outline

Your Research Project

Chapter 10   Drafting the Paper in an Academic Style

10a Focusing Your Argument

            Maintaining a Focus on Objective Facts and Subjective Ideas

10b Refining the Thesis Statement

            Using Questions to Focus the Thesis

            Adjust or Change Your Thesis during Research if Necessary

10c Writing an Academic Title

10d Drafting the Paper from Your Research Journal, Notes, and Computer Files

        Writing from Your Notes

        Writing with Unity and Coherence

        Writing in the Proper Tense

        Using the Language of the Discipline

        Using Source Material to Enhance Your Writing

        Writing in the Third Person

        Writing with the Passive Voice in an Appropriate Manner

10e Using Visuals Effectively  in a Research Essay

            File Formats

10f Avoiding Sexist and Biased Language

Your Research Project

Chapter 11   Blending Reference Material into Your Writing by Using MLA Style

11a Blending Reference Citations into Your Text

        Making a General Reference without a Page Number

        Beginning with the Author and Ending with a Page Number

        Putting the Page Number Immediately after the Name

        Putting the Name and Page Number at the End of Borrowed Material

11b Citing a Source When No Author Is Listed

        Citing the Title of a Magazine Article

        Citing the Title of a Report

        Citing the Name of a Publisher or a Corporate Body

11c Citing Nonprint Sources That Have No Page Number

11d Citing Internet Sources

        Identify the Source with Name or Title

        Identify the Nature of the Information and Its Credibility

        Omitting Page and Paragraph Numbers to Internet Citations

11e Citing Indirect Sources

11f Citing Frequent Page References to the Same Work

11g Citing Material from Textbooks and Large Anthologies

11h Adding Extra Information to In-text Citations

        One of Several Volumes

        Two or More Works by the Same Writer

        Several Authors in One Citation

        Additional Information with the Page Number

11i Punctuating Citations Properly and With Consistency

        Commas and Periods

        Semicolons and Colons

        Question Marks and Exclamation Marks

        Single Quotation Marks

11j Indenting Long Quotations

11k Citing Poetry

        Quoting Two Lines of Poetry or Less

        Quoting Three Lines of Poetry or More

        Indenting Turnovers for Long Lines of Poetry

        Retaining Internal Quotations within a Block

        Providing Translations

11l Handling Quotations from a Play

11m Altering Initial Capitals in Some Quoted Matter

11n Omitting Quoted Matter with Ellipsis Points

11o   Altering Quotations with Parentheses and Brackets

            Parentheses

            Brackets

Your Research Project

Chapter 12   Writing the Introduction, Body, and Conclusion

12a Writing the Introduction of the Paper

        Provide the Thesis Statement

        Provide the Enthymeme

        Provide a Hypothesis

        Relate to the Well Known

        Provide Background Information

        Review the Literature

        Review the History and Background of the Subject

        Take Exception to Critical Views

        Challenge an Assumption

        Provide a Brief Summary

        Define Key Terms

        Supply Data, Statistics, and Special Evidence

12b Writing the Body of the Research Paper

        Organize by Chronology

        Compare or Contrast Issues, Critical Views, and Literary Characters

        Develop Cause and Effect

        Define Your Key Terminology

        Explain a Process

        Ask Questions and Provide Answers

        Cite Evidence from the Source Materials

        Use a Variety of Other Methods

12c Writing the Conclusion of the Research Paper

        Restate the Thesis and Reach beyond It

        Close With an Effective Quotation

        Return the Focus of a Literary Study to the Author

        Compare the Past to the Present

        Offer a Directive or Solution

        Discuss Test Results

Your Research Project

Chapter 13   Revising, Proofreading, and Formatting the Rough Draft

13a Conducting a Global Revision

        Revising the Introduction

        Revising the Body

        Revising the Conclusion

        Participating in Peer Review

13b Formatting the Paper to MLA Style

        Title Page or Opening Page

        Outline

        Abstract

        The Text of the Paper

        Content Endnotes Page

        Appendix

        Works Cited

13c Editing Before Typing or Printing the Final Manuscript

            Using the Computer to Edit Your Text

13d   Proofreading on the Screen and on the Printed Manuscript

Your Research Project

13e Sample Research Papers in MLA Style

        Short Literary Research Paper

        Sample Research Paper

Chapter 14 Works Cited: MLA Style

14a Formatting the Works Cited Page

            Index to Works Cited Models: MLA STYLE

14b Works Cited Form – Internet Sources

14c Works Cited Form – Citing Database and CD-ROM Sources

            Other Electronic Sources

14d Works Cited Form – Books

14e Works Cited Form – Periodicals

14f Works Cited Form – Newspapers

14g Works Cited Form – Government Documents

14h Works Cited Form – Other Sources

Chapter 15 Writing in APA Style

15a Writing Theory, Reporting Test Results, or Reviewing Literature

        Theoretical Article

        Report of an Empirical Study

        Review Article

15b Writing in the Proper Tense for an APA Research Paper

15c Using In-text Citations in APA Style

15d Preparing the List of References

        Index to Bibliographic Models: APA style

        Book

        Periodical

        Abstract

        Review

        Report

        Nonprint Material

        Internet Sources

        World Wide Web Sites

        Article from a Library Database

        CD-ROM

15e Formatting an APA Paper

        Theoretical Article

        Report of Empirical Research

        Review Article

15f Writing the Abstract

15g Sample Paper in APA Style

Chapter 16   The Footnote System: CMS Style

16a Inserting a Superscript Numeral in Your Text

16b Formatting and Writing the Footnotes

16c Writing Footnotes for Electronic Sources

16d Writing Subsequent Footnote References

16e Writing Endnotes rather than Footnotes

16f Writing Content Footnotes or Content Endnotes

16g Using the Footnote System for Papers in the Humanities

16h Writing a Bibliography Page for a Paper That Uses Footnotes

16i Sample Research Paper in the CMS Style

Chapter 17   CSE Style for the Natural and Applied Sciences

            Guide by Discipline

            Index to Bibliographic Models: CSE style

17a Writing In-Text Citations Using the CSE Citation-Sequence System

17b Writing a Reference Page

17c Writing In-Text Citations with Name and Year

17d Using Name-Year with Bibliography Entries

17e Sample Paper Using the CSE Citation-Sequence System

Chapter 18   Creating Electronic Research Projects

18a Beginning the Electronic Project

18b Building Electronic Presentations

18c Research Paper Web Pages and Sites

            Creating a Single Web Page

            Importing, Entering, and Modifying Text

            Citing Your Sources in a Web Research Paper

18d Using Graphics in Your Electronic Research Paper

            Graphic File Formats

            Creating Your Own Digital Graphics

18e Using Sound and Video in Your Electronic Research Paper

18f Preparing a Writing Portfolio

18g Presenting Research in Alternative Formats

Your Research Project

Appendix A   Glossary: Rules and Techniques for Preparing the Manuscript in MLA Style

Appendix B   Finding Reference Works for Your General Topic

        Historic Issues of Events, People, and Artifacts

        Scientific Issues in Physics, Astronomy, and Engineering

        Issues of Health, Fitness, and Athletics

        Social and Political Issues

        Issues in the Arts, Literature, Music, and Language

        Environmental Issues, Genetics, and the Earth Sciences

        Issues in Communication and Information Technology

        Issues in Religion, Philosophy, and Psychology

        Issues in Business and Economics

        Popular Culture, Current Events, and Modem Trends 

Credits

Index

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