RESEARCH WRITING: WRITING A RESEARCH PAPER

WHAT IS RESEARCH? AN OVERVIEW

Research Defined: Research is a careful, systematic investigation of a subject in order to

discover or revise facts, theories, and applications, at the same time analyzing, interpreting,
and evaluating these facts, theories, and applications.

Primary and Secondary Research

Research can be done in two spheres: primary and secondary.
Primary research is research done when a researcher collects data or information firsthand
from original (primary) sources. Primary sources provide unfiltered information directly, not
through a second person’s explanation or interpretation. On the other hand, secondary
research is research done when a researcher collects data or information from sources of
research done by other people (a third person’s account). Secondary sources of research
provide information that has been filtered through the eyes of other researchers. Secondary
sources are less reliable than primary sources because they may contain biases and prejudices
of the researcher.
It is important for you to conduct both kinds research and use information obtained from
both sources in your research work.
Primary Sources of Research Secondary Sources of Research
✓ Diaries, letters, travel journals, etc. ✓ Books, Newspapers and Magazines
✓ Electronic Sources:
✓ Presentations (Internet, Radio, Television,
✓ Interviews DVD’s, VCD’s, CD-ROM’s, CD’s, Tape
✓ Surveys Recorder, Video, Cassettes, etc)
✓ Questionnaires
✓ References Sources:
✓ Observations and participation
(Dictionaries, Encyclopedias,
Almanacs, Periodical Indexes),
Assignment: Define the terms listed above Atlases, Directories, etc.
in the context of research writing.

Research Activities: Research writing is a form of problem solving that involves the
following activities:
i. Identify a problem;
ii. Form a hypothesis (an unproven thesis, theory, or argument);
iii. Gather and organize information from various sources;
iv. Assess and interpret data;
v. Evaluate alternatives;
vi. Reach conclusions; and
vii. Provide documentation.
Uses of Research
Research is used to do three things:
1. Inquire: A researcher gathers information in order to investigate an issue and explain
it to other people.
2. Advance Knowledge: Researchers, especially scientists, collect and analyze facts to
increase or strengthen our knowledge about a subject or to solve a problem.
3. Support an Argument: Research can also be used to support a particular side of an
argument while gaining a full understanding of the opposing views.

Goal of a Researcher: The goal of a researcher is to do the following:

i. Demonstrate how other researchers approach an issue;
ii. Show how they synthesize their most useful ideas;
iii. Show how the researcher treats the issue him/herself.

What is a Research Paper?

Research Paper Defined: A research paper is a form of report in which a researcher
synthesizes information from various sources on his/her topic, contributing his/her own
analysis, evaluation, and interpretation to the subject.

Kinds of Research Papers

Based on the uses or purposes of research, research paper can be classified into the following
three kinds:
i. Informative Research Paper: Explores information about a topic and presents it in
an objective manner; it ends with a logical conclusion drawn from the research.
ii. Problem-Solving Research Paper: Reports existing data and experts opinions on
an issue and evaluate alternatives for solving the problem. For secondary research,
recommendations may be made based on the majority of experts opinions in the
field, while the researcher may put forth his/her own recommendations in the
case of primary research.
iii. Research Paper of Argument: In research paper of argument, a researcher briefly
summarizes a controversy and then argues for a point of view, belief, or course of
action, using facts, reasons, and examples in support of his/her stand point on the
argument.

Nature of a Good Research Paper

A good research paper subtly blends the researcher’s own ideas and synthesizes the attitudes
and or findings of others.
Writing all three kinds of research papers requires substantial amount of reading,
summarizing, paraphrasing, quoting, and documenting sources used in the research.
THE RESEARCH PROCESS
The research process involves thinking, searching, reading, writing, and rewriting. The final
product – the research paper – is the result of your discoveries in and contribution to the
realm of ideas about your topic.

Phases of the Research Process

Research activities usually span over several phases. However, most research activities are
underscored across the four phases outlined below

Phase I Defining Your Objective

1. Choose a researchable topic.
2. Identify a problem inherent in the topic that gives you the reason for writing about
the topic.
3. Examine the purpose of or the benefits to be gained from conducting research on the
topic.
4. Think about the assumptions, interests, and needs of your audience.
5. Decide how you are going to limit your topic.
6. Establish a working hypothesis to guide and control the scope and direction of your
research.

Phase II Locating Your Sources

1. Decide on your methodology – the type or varieties of primary and secondary research
you plan to conduct; determine the method of collecting data.
2. Go the library and skim the general article or conduct a computer search to determine
if your topic is researchable and if your hypothesis is likely to stand up.
3. Develop a tentative working bibliography, a file listing sources that are relevant to
your topic.
4. Review your bibliography, and reassess your topic and hypothesis.

Phase III Gathering and Organizing Data

1. Obtain your sources, taking notes on all information related directly to your thesis
2. Analyze and organize your information. Design a preliminary outline with a tentative
thesis if your findings support your hypothesis.
3. Revise your thesis if your findings suggest alternative conclusion.

Phase IV Writing and Submitting the Paper

1. Write a rough draft of the paper, concentrating on the flow of thoughts and
integrating research findings into the texture of the report.
2. Write a first revision to tighten organization, improve style, and check on the
placement of data. Prepare citations that identify the sources of your information.
Assemble a list of references you have cited in your paper.
3. Prepare a manuscript using the format called for by the course, the discipline, or the
person authorizing the research project.
Evaluating Sources of Information
When you conduct research, you need to evaluate your sources of information in order to
ensure that they are accurate, balanced, and reliable. The questions below will help you to
determine whether your sources are credible.
• Is the source primary or secondary? Primary sources are often more reliable than
secondary sources.
• Is the source an expert? An expert in the field tends to know much more than other
people. Consult an expert opinion on the issue as oppose to others.
• Is the information accurate? Well-known and respected sources tend to be very
accurate because their reputation plays a role in providing the right information.
• Is the information fair and complete? A reliable source should provide information
fairly, covering all sides of a subject. A one-sided account on a subject may not be
accurate. Example, politicians and advertisers tend to be bias and prejudiced about
issues.
• Is the information current? Up-dated information on a subject is more reliable or
accurate because sometimes information changes and that contained in some sources
may be outdated.

Note: Be especially careful about information on the Internet, as there is not only lot of
misinformation, but also reliable and credible information available.

Phase I Defining Your Objective

The first step in research writing is to select a topic that is researchable, that interests you
and your audience, and that at the same time meets the requirements and expectations of
your assignment. Your approach, to maximize your time and efforts, should be to regard the
research project as a problem to be investigated and solved, a controversy to take a position
on, or a question to be answered. Formulate a hypothesis (thesis) and then determine
whether your task is to identify, illustrate, explain, argue, or prove the thesis. Of course,
before formulating your hypothesis, you will have to start with a general idea of what subject
you want to explore, what your purpose is going to be, and how you plan to limit your topic
from a broader subject area.
Considering your purpose and in formulating your hypothesis, your topic will produce a
researchable hypothesis if it...
• Meets the demand of your assignment,
• Strongly interests you,
• Engages knowledge you already know,
• Raises questions that require both primary and secondary research to answer,
• Provokes you toward an opinion or argument.

Strategies for Finding Researchable Topics

To help you find researchable topics, try the following strategies:
 • Reflect on the Assignment – Review the assignment to determine the purpose (look
for key words: solve, argue, discover, or present) of the research work. Ask your
instructor to explain issues that are not clear.
• Ask Questions – Ask yourself a series of specific questions about your subject.
Combine related ideas and ask question in such a way that will pose a problem that
demands answers. Then try to determine which topic best fits the demand of the
assignment.
• Freewrite and Brainstorm - Ideas generation strategies such as freewriting and
brainstorming (See Unit II) can help you determine what you already know, or believe
about a topic.
• Do Some Background Reading - Your goal purpose of doing background reading is to
generate ideas. Review the assigned texts for reading if your instructor suggested
some or provided a bibliography. Moreover, you should use the note-taking strategy
when taking note so that you can give credit to your sources.

In order to maintain a proper perspective of your research, focus on your specific purpose: to
solve a specific problem, to shed light on a specific topic, to state an opinion on a specific
controversy, or offer specific proof or solution.

Phase II Locating Your Sources

To begin locating your sources, you need a sufficiently narrowed topic and a working
hypothesis in order to know what type of information will be most useful for your research
paper. You must streamline your method for collecting data, as most research writing for
college courses rely on secondary research materials available in the library or online.
Develop a preliminary list of sources from general reference works or research reading
provided by your instructor.
Example of Subject and Specific Topic
Perhaps you might want to do research on the general subject “the Civil Rights Movement”.
You must bear in mind that the subject is very broad and covers several subtopics such as
“Voting Rights”, “Sit-ins”, “the Montgomery Bus Boycott”, “Women Suffrage” etc. Any one of
the concepts on the subject: “the Civil Rights Movement” constitutes a specific aspect (topic)
on the subject matter.

Where to Begin Your Research

The Internet offers o immense possibilities for information and is useful for background
readings and ideas generation; however, traditional research – both academic and
professional – is generally more productive and efficient if begun in a library. On the other
hand, if your topic calls for very contemporary or localized knowledge (a current political
campaign, a recent medical breakthrough, or trend in popular culture), you should opt to
begin your research online.

Search Online Materials

Depending on your topic, you can visit sources of materials online. There are subject-specific
web pages on the Internet that link you to everything you could want, including primary and
secondary sources.
Using the Library
Most often your research topic will require you to search for materials in the library. Your
library online or card catalog provides information by author, title, and subject, and key
words. The subject listings are the best places to look for source materials but not necessarily
the best place to start looking. There are a whole range of books and a wide variety of subjects
available and cataloged in a library. In addition to nonfiction books, there are various source
materials available.

Checking the General Reference Section

Check the general reference section to locate sources such as dictionaries, encyclopedias,
atlases, almanacs, handbooks, yearbooks, abstracts, bibliographies, and several resources of
scholarship in other fields. General reference sources can be useful background readings and
for an introduction of your topic.

Searching Indexes and Databases

Electronic, print indexes, and databases include up-to-date articles, journals, newspapers, and
magazines. Search the Readers’ Guide to Periodic Literature or the Vertical File to help you
find items such as magazines, newspapers, journals, or primary documents such as pamphlets
and government papers that could be useful to your topic.

Using Non Print Sources

Non-print sources include video recordings, works of arts, records of performance, CD ROMS,
micro films, slides, cassette recording, and other sources that may relate to your topic.

Developing Field Sources and Using Empirical Sources

Do some level of field research that involves primary sources of data collection. You may
interview an expert in the field or conduct firsthand observation of phenomenon to obtain
available data. Such activities include interviews, surveys, observations, case studies,
participation, and questionnaires – these activities can give you first-hand account of
happenings in the natural world.

Preparing a Working Bibliography

It is important to compile and prepare a working bibliography for the purpose of keeping track
of possible sources, to determine the nature and extent of the information available, to
provide a complete and accurate list of sources to be presented in the paper, and to make
preparing the final bibliography much easier. Include in your working bibliography all of the
sources you think will be potentially useful. As you locate relevant sources, write down the
complete information of each source on separate 3 x 5 note cards, or start a bibliography file
on your computer, if you use one for your research process.

General Information for Working Bibliography

Record the following information for books:
1. Name(s) of author(s)
2. Title of book, underlined
 3. Place of publication
4. Publisher’s name
5. Date of publication
6. Call number or location in library
7. URL, and date of access online

Record the following information for an article in a periodical:

1. Name(s) of author(s)
2. Title of article, in quotation marks
3. Title of periodical, underlined
4. Volume number or issue number
5. Date of publication
6. Page(s) number on which article appears
7. Call number or location in library
8. URL, and date of access online

Sample Bibliography Card:

Author Muller, Gilbert H.

Title The McGraw –Hill Reader: Issues Across the Discipline,
Place of publication Tenth Edition
Publisher Boston
Date of publication McGraw – Hill Higher Education
Location 2008
Call number: PR 2979. H8.D38.2008

Sample of Computer Bibliography:

Author’s last name: Pinker
Author’s first name: Steven
Book title: The Language Instinct: How the Mind
Creates Language
Publisher’s location: New York
Publisher (imprint): Harper Collins Publisher (Harper Perennial)
Date published: (original date): 1995 (1994)

To be continued
READING ASSIGNMENT
Read on the methods of documenting sources of information using both the MLA (Modern
Language Association) and the APA (American Psychological Association) documentation
styles. Note how to document sources from books (of one or several authors), newspaper,
magazine or journal articles, the Internet, personal interviews, and reference materials
(dictionary, encyclopedia, almanac, etc.). Prepare for the continuation of this topic in
Sophomore English II 202.