Research Paper Basics.

ABOUT RESEARCH WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Writing a research paper develops skills you are going to need in order to
succeed in whatever profession you choose. Here are just a few of the skills
you develop by writing a research paper:
Engaging a topic, and researching what others have said or discovered.
Synthesizing information to form a position of your own that is logically
derived from your research and your own thoughts
Articulating that position in a logical discussion that can be easily
followed and understood
WHY WE USE STYLEGUIDES.
Style guidelines provide standards that help writers present information in
an organized, uniform manner. Rules for margins, font size, and spacing, help
ensure that all 5 page essays are the same length. Instructions for the format-
ting of bibliographic references make certain readers can identify the type of
source being cited.
WHY WE DOCUMENT SOURCES
The bibliographic citations you include in your papers serve a number of
purposes:
Provide evidence that your position is well-researched and carefully consid-
ered.
The references you provide your readers allow you to demonstrate that your
position or argument is thoroughly researched and that you have referenced, or
addressed, the critical authorities relevant to the issues. Researching what others
have written about your topic allows you to support your own position with the
opinions of experts, shows that you are able to address the opinions of those
who might disagree with you, and generally illustrates that you have educated
yourself by consulting experts in the field.
Give credit to the author of an original concept or theory presented.
Giving proper attribution to those whose thoughts, words, and ideas you use
is an important concept in scholarly writing. For these reasons, it is important
to adopt habits of collecting the bibliographic information on source works
necessary for correct citations in an organized and thorough manner. Under-
standing and adhering to the guidelines for attributing concepts and ideas
to others, too, is an important part of the research writing process. Direct
quotes, paraphrased passages, and summaries of general research findings
should ALL be cited.
Help readers identify and locate the source work.
Readers often want to locate a work you have cited, either to verify the infor-
mation, or to learn more about issues and topics addressed by the work. It is
important that readers should be able to find the works you have used to
inform your research easily and efficiently from the information included in
your citation.
WHAT KINDS OF MATERIALS NEED TO BE REFERENCED
The following types of research materials must be documented:
An original idea, opinion, theory, or research finding expressed, either
verbally or in writing, by another person
Facts, statistics, graphs, drawings, and other pieces of information
that are not generally recognized as common knowledge
Direct quotations of another persons spoken or written words
Paraphrase of another persons spoken or written words
If you have any questions about the need to cite a particular source work, it is
generally advisable to err on the side of caution: cite the source. Understanding
which materials to cite, and citing them correctly, will help you get the most out
of your assignment -- and ensure that you avoid plagiarism.

APA Format Basics.

PARTS OF AN APA STYLE PAPER
APA Style requires that manuscripts include the following sections, in the follow-
ing order:
A cover or title page
An abstract page (optional: usually, this is required only for papers over 15
pages, or articles submitted to journals)
Body of the paper, with section headings and quotations properly formatted.
Any additional materials (Appendixes, Tables, Author note, Figures)
Reference List
TITLE OR COVER PAGE
Page header and page number
1/2 inch from the top of page, aligned to the right margin, type the page header:
this should include the first two or three words of the paper title, and the page
number. The cover page is page 1.
Running head
The running head is an abbreviation of the title; it should be typed on the line
below the page header, flush left, in UPPERCASE, following the words Running
head:. It should not exceed 50 characters, including punctuation and spacing.
Paper title
About a third of the way down the page, type the title of the paper, centered on the
page. Capitalize all the significant words in the title.
Author name and affiliation
Beneath the title, your name (author), and your school should be typed, centered,
on separate lines.
ABSTRACT PAGE
An abstract should be a brief summary of the papers primary premise and find-
ings, no more than 120 words.
For the abstract page, center the word Abstract at the top of the page, and then
include the abstract for the paper, double spaced, and flush against the left mar-
gin.
BODY OF THE PAPER
Margins. The margins for your paper should be uniform on all sides, set to at least
1" or 2.54 cm on all sides: top, bottom, left and right. Line length for each typed line
should be no more than 6.5" (16.51 cm), and the maximum number of lines of text
per page is 27.
Spacing. Double space all portions of the paper. This means you should leave a full
line between each line of text in the paper.
Page headers. 1/2 inch from the top of each page, include a header, with the first
two or three words of the title, and the page number.
Page numbering. Page numbering begins with the cover or title page.
Typeface. Use an easily readable seriffont (such as Palatino, Courier, or Times New
Roman) in 12 point size.
Text alignment. Set the text alignment to Left, so that the right edge of the text
on the page is uneven.
Paragraph indentation. Set the paragraph indentation to 5 spaces, or about 1/2
inch.
Punctuation. Space once after periods, question marks, commas, colons, and semi-
colons. Do not space once after internal periods in abbreviations.
SECTION HEADINGS
Section headers help readers follow the organization of a discussion, and are an
essential aspect of APA Format. To determine the format for the headings in your
papers, you will need to consult your outline.
One or two levels of section headings.
For short articles and most student papers, only one or two levels of section head-
ings are needed:
Centered Uppercase and Lowercase Top Level Heading
Flush Left, Italicized, Uppercase and Lowercase Second Level Section Heading
QUOTATIONS
For short quotations (less than 40 words):
A quotation of less than 40 words should be enclosed in double quota-
tion marks and should be incorporated into the sentence.
For long quotations (more than 40 words):
Longer quotations should be set apart from the surrounding text, with-
out quotation marks, in block format, indented five spaces from the left
margin, and double spaced. If the quotation is more than one paragraph,
indent the first line of the second paragraph about 1/2 inch (5 spaces).
Illustrations.
thewritedirection.net
Smart software for research and writing from
APA and MLA Format Made Easy.
REFERENCES
CITATIONS IN TEXT OF PAPER
Citations in the text of your paper should include the authors last
name(s), the year of publication, and be enclosed in parentheses (Wolf
& Masters, 2006).
When you are including a direct quote from a source work, include
a specific page reference (Anderson, 2004, p. 223).
If the author(s) names are mentioned in the same sentence, include
only the year of publication. If the year of publication is mentioned in
the text, include only the authors name in the cite.
Two authors
For works by two authors, always include both author names:
(Anderson & Bjorn, 2003)
As Anderson and Bjorn (2003) illustrated in their recent study
As recently as 2003, a prominent study (Anderson & Bjorn) illustrated
Three, four, or five authors
When a work has 3, 4, or 5 authors, include the names of all the authors
the first time the work is cited:
(Anderson, Myers, Wilkes, & Matthews, 2003)
For all subsequent citations of this work, use et al.:
(Anderson et al., 2003)
Six or more authors
When a work has 6 or more authors, use et al.:
(Bell et al., 2003)
Unsigned works
For unsigned works, include the title, enclosed in parentheses. Put quota-
tion marks for short work titles, and italicize the titles of reports, books,
and other significant works:
(Recent Developments, 2004)
(Dictionary of Tetrathalocigistic Diseases, 2004)
REFERENCE LIST
The citations in the text of the document should point to an entry in the
Reference List. The Reference List should be the last page of the paper,
with the word Referencesat the top of the page, centered. Entries in the
Reference List should be alphabetized. Double space the entire page.
EXAMPLE REFERENCES
Article in a scholarly journal
Wolf, E. (1990). Distinguished lecture: Facing power. American Anthro-
pologist, 92, 586-596.
Article in a journal, magazine, or newsletter, no author listed
Understanding the new regulations. (2002, May 1). Scioto Valley News-
letter, 9, 3-4.
Letter to the editor, published in newspaper.
Mays, E. S. (2001, June 11). The business of business [Letter to the edi-
tor]. Wall Street Journal, p. 3.
A basic book
Anderson, F. J. (1977). An illustrated history of the herbals. New York: Co-
lumbia University Press.
An edited book
Gilbert, H. S., & Hart, L. N. (Eds.). (2000). Racism and mapmaking: Never a
straight line? New York: Preston Press.
Book, an edition other than the first
Massey, W. R., & Jameson, W. M., Jr. (2001). Organizational behavior and
the new internet logic (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Chapter or section in a book
Gardener, E. D., Miner, E., & Royans, G. D. (1988). Heretics. In S. Nevins & L.
Bointer (Eds.), 16th Century England (pp. 327-384). London:
Methaneon.

Internet article, based on a print source

Lessing, J. P. (2001). The physics of cultural magnets. Journal of Anthropological
Studies, 8, 273-299. Retrieved July 3, 2002, from http://jas.org/2001-8-
lessing.html.
Article in a journal published on the internet
Mercer, K. R. (2001). The matter at hand: Chaos is nothing. Atomic Psychology, 6,
Article056a. Retrieved January 21, 2001, from
ftp://www.atomicpsychology.edu/mercer.
Article in a journal, retrieved from online service (ProQuest, EBSCO)
Jameson, M. M., Wilson, A. E., & Myers, B. R. (2003). Managing managers in the
changing workplace. Journal of Management and Culture, 43, 423-450. Re-
trieved April 15, 2003, from alaJOURNALS database.
Stand-alone web page, no author, no date
TechNos adolescent quotient questionnaire. (n.d.). Retrieved August 5, 2002, from
http://www.asnu.edu/TechNo/AQQ.htm.
Web page published as part of a website
Reibel, J. H. (1994). Pedagogy for the 21st century. Retrieved January 1, 2002, from
Columbia University, Institute for Learning Technologies Web site: http://
www.ilt.columbia.edu/publications/papers/ILTpedagogy.html.
Web page in a topical section of an organizations web site
Petrie Environmental Watch Center. (2002, Aug. 2). Recent conservation legisla-
tion. In Law and land use in Petrie County (section 2). Retrieved August 3, 2002,
from http://www.petriecenter.org/landuse/legislation/2.htm.
Abstract of a technical report
Celifano, C. R., & Roland, W. M. (2001). Measured rates of glacial melting in 4 loca-
tions (ORSI Polar Research Institute Report No. 14). Abstract retrieved May 5,
2002, from http://www.orsi.edu/npri/14.htm.
Multipage document created by a private organization
Commit to be fit! Arlington Chapter. (n.d.). Heart helps: Ten 10 minute workouts.
Retrieved August 5, 2002, from http://www.fitcommit.org/10minuteworkouts.
US Government report
United States Sentencing Commission. (n.d.). Federal sentencing statistics by state.
Retrieved Aug 2, 2002, from http://www.ussc.gov/JUDPACK/JP2000.htm.
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Checklist for research writing assignments.
1. Make absolutely certain you understand the assignment.
Read the assignment description carefully, and make sure you understand
exactly what you are being asked to do. If you have any questions about the
assignment, due date, or anything else associated with this paper, ask your
professor questions now, before you start.
2. Research the general subject.
If you have a subject or topic assigned to you, begin researching that topic
or subject. If you are being asked to choose your own topic, you will prob-
ably want to to start by researching sources dealing with the general
subject(s) covered in the course. The internet can be especially helpful for
this: online encyclopedias (such as Wikipedia) can provide background in-
formation on subjects, online search engines (such as Google) and book-
stores (such as amazon.com) can give you an idea of what others have writ-
ten on the subject. Its also a good idea to ask your librarian to help you
identify resources you may not have found on your own. Your librarys
website, too, will have listings for research sources that are available to you.
3. Choose a topic that is appropriate to the length & type of assignment.
If you are being asked to choose your own topic, take care that the topic
you choose is appropriate to the required length of the assigned paper.
4. Identify potential research sources.
Research your topic, using your university library services, and put together
a list of sources pertinent to your topic. It is important, during this stage, to
understand the importance of evaluating a source. Try to make certain you
are consulting experts who are recognized by others in their field.
5. Compose a working thesis, and start reading.
Your working thesis should crystalize the main point of your paper, and help
you organize your discussion. Dont worry about the exact wording of the
thesis -- you can refine the thesis as you get further into the research phase.
6. Take careful notes as you are reading.
As you are reading through your list of potential sources, take careful notes,
and make certain you collect correct and complete bibliographic informa-
tion for all the works you read. Cutting corners in this step can lead to an
incorrect entry in your Reference List, or worse, accidental plagiarism.
7. Draft an outline.
Your outline should summarize the main points of your discussion, and in-
dicate the details you will use to support each of the main points.
8. Write a first draft. Include intext citations as you write.
Use your outline to guide you as you write a first draft. Include Author-date
references to sources for materials that need to be documented as you are
writing.
9. Proofread your draft. Edit, do any follow up research that needs to be
done, reread, and then make final revisions.
After carefully reading your draft, make editing changes. As you are writing,
you may discover portions of your discussion that need additional details
or support, and that require further research. Run your spell checker! Read
the paper out loud; have a friend read it, sleep on it, and then make your
final revisions.
10. Write the Reference List for the sources youve cited in your paper.
Every source work cited in your paper should be included in your Reference
List.
PLANNING IS THE SECRET TO SUCCESS
Use our Paper Calendar to write your own schedule for completing your
paper, complete with target deadlines for each step, additional tips, and
useful links to research websites, by going to this website:
http://papercalendar.net
Just type in the date you will begin your assignment, and the date it is due,
and the Paper Calendar will write out a personalized schedule for you.