Writing Your Research Paper

• The bulk of the work on a research paper is  the note taking.
• As you read your sources, you may write down word-for-word what a source says (Direct Quote), put the ideas into your own words (Paraphrase) or , also using your own words, put the general idea of a larger piece in a shorter version (Summary).
• See “Documenting a Research Paper” for more discussion of these.

• You need to plan how you will store notes; there are three effective ways to choose:
  • 1) Use index cards (3 X 5 or 4 X 6) to write out A SINGLE NOTE PER CARD.
  • 2) Use a spiral notebook:  divide a page in two with a pen or marker top and bottom.  Put A SINGLE NOTE PER SECTION, that’s 2 notes per page.  Do not use the back of the page.
  • 3) Use a computer to keep notes.  Text boxes allow each note to be separated.

• It is essential to see these notes as separate and not to take notes as you normally would for a class.
• By making each direct quote, paraphrase, or summary a single note, you are able to manipulate them easily when it comes time to organize and write the paper.
• Gather your index cards, print out your notes from the computer and cut them apart, or cut the torn pages of the notebook in two; you are then able to put notes in categories or piles from which you can build paragraphs or sections of your paper.
• A big, empty table can help you visually “see” your paper.
• You can even color code your paper and think of sections of the paper as “green” or “yellow”  and then use stickers, highlighters, or markers to code the notes.

• It is essential that each note be clearly identified with the corresponding source for citation.  ALL DIRECT QUOTES SHOULD HAVE CLEAR QUOTATION MARKS AROUND THEM AS WELL AS “DQ” AT THE TOP OF THE NOTE.
• Each note should have the appropriate parenthetical reference so that you can find the source easily for reference and double checking.
• Be sure to be creating a working bibliography so that you have the full citation that corresponds with each reference. (See lesson on documentation).
• Each note should clarify if it is a direct quote, paraphrase, or summary.

DQ                                                                        (Abrams et al.  3)

“The Anglo-Saxon occupation was no sudden conquest but extended over decades of fighting against the native Britons.”

Paraphrase                                                      (Abrams et al. 6)

The language and speech of Old English poetry is more formal than the everyday language the Angle Saxons used; the language in poetry stayed rather consistent even as everyday language changed.

• Plagiarism is presenting another person’s ideas or words as your own work.
• Policies vary from course to course, but most consequences are quite serious and can result in failure for the course or even expulsion from a school.
• You need to understand how to keep from plagiarizing in order to receive a passing grade on a research paper.

• Accidental plagiarism:  this occurs when a student doesn’t really understand the way in which a research paper is cited.  The student doesn’t intend to cheat.
• Intentional Plagiarism:  is a form of academic dishonesty where a student passes off another’s work as his or her  own.  The work can be that of a published writer OR the work of another student.
• Neither is acceptable; college students are expected to learn how to properly cite a research paper.

• The Note taking process has to be done consistently and well in order for  students to know whether what they’ve written are their own words or those of the author.
• The information has to refer to the correct source.
• Most instructors will check your sources; some even require you to hand your sources in with the paper.

• Students who put off working on a paper and try to write it in too short a time are often careless and make mistakes or have no time for paraphrasing properly.
  

• It takes no skill to copy a direct quote from a source and paste it into a paper. 
•  Direct quotes have their place in a research paper, but students are encouraged to use primarily paraphrasing to develop a paper.
• Remember, paraphrasing is putting an author’s ideas or information into your own words.  By doing this you show your instructor that you have understood what you’ve read.  You are also able to choose from the source just the information relevant to your thesis or focus.

• The trick to paraphrasing is to do it as you are reading an article, while the context of the entire article is fresh in your mind.
• Read a passage once or twice until you feel you understand, then without looking back, write the general meaning.  If it is a complex idea, a little mini outline of key points can help.
• You then read the original and look at your paraphrase and make sure the language, syntax (order of words) and phrasing are different.

• DO NOT SIMPLY SUBSTITUTE SYNONYMS for words in a sentence; this is plagiarism.  For example:
  • Original:  “War and disease were prevalent throughout the Middle Ages but never more devastatingly than during the fourteenth century”(Abrams et al. 10).
  • Plagiarized:  Conflict and illness were common throughout the Dark Ages but were especially bad during the 1300’s (Abrams et al. 10).
  • Acceptable:  The fourteenth century was a time of extreme war and disease even when compared to the rest of the Middle Ages (Abrams et al. 10).
• As you can see, you may have to use some of the same basic vocabulary of the original, but by really explaining it in your own words, you can usually avoid plagiarism.   When you cannot, use direct quote either in part of the note or for the whole thing.
  

• For many students a perfect solution for technical subjects or for passages that seem really hard to translate any other way, is a combination of mostly paraphrase with direct quote mixed in.  For example:
  • Original: “Elizabethans had a taste for elaborate ornament in language as in clothing, jewelry, and furniture, and , if we are to appreciate their accomplishments, it helps to set aside the modern preference, particularly in prose, for unadorned simplicity and directness” (Abrams et al.  485).
  • Combo:  The complex “elaborate” language of the Elizabethans also existed in their taste for how they dressed and decorated their homes; it can help to “set aside” our “modern preference. . . for unadorned simplicity”  when trying to read and understand their literature (Abrams et al. 485).
    

• We all love highlighters, and they are quite useful.   I would never discourage a student from using this wonderful tool on sources printed out –never on library books.
• However, thinking that highlighting passages is a substitution for taking notes is a BIG MISTAKE.  The only “notes” you have are direct quotes when you highlight.  
• Paraphrasing takes time.  Once you’ve highlighted a source, it is best to write your paraphrases while the article is fresh in your mind or you will have to reread in order to refresh your memory, wasting time.

• Your notes, especially your paraphrases become the building blocks of your paper.
• In an informative paper your notes make up the majority of the work; you probably will not have much common knowledge of your subject.  However, how you connect these facts will be your contribution.
• In an argumentative paper your notes become your backup for your points of argument.

• Not every single fact needs citing, even if you didn’t know it before looking it up.
• For example, the date of the Pearl Harbor attack, Dec. 7, 1941; I double checked it and looked it up, but if I refer to that date in a paper, that information is common knowledge, it isn’t derived from research, or isn’t someone else’s idea. 
• Common facts, especially dates, general events that occurred, and  your own ideas aren’t cited.
• When in doubt always cite; it is better to cite too much rather than not to cite.

• When it comes time to draft your paper, organize your notes first and think of sections of your paper.
• You may have holes, places you realize you will need more research; that’s ok, get started on the most complete section first and go on from there
• Note taking can be a form of stalling; get to the draft in a reasonable amount of time.
• See lesson on Writing and Submitting Your Paper for more suggestions.