Preparing A Research Paper
Preparing A Research Paper
Preparing A Research Paper
1. Choosing a Topic
2. Preparing a Working
Bibliography
3. Collecting Information
4. Outlining the Paper
5. Drafting the Paper
6. Preparing the Final Copy
THE TOPIC
3. STATING THE TOPIC AS A
QUESTION OR
CHOOSING A TOPIC
HYPOTHESIS
1. CHOICE OF TOPIC
2. POSSIBILITIES FOR
FUTURE RESEARCH
POSSIBILITIES OF FUTURE
RESEARCH
RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS
NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN CURRENT EVENTS
CAN AFFORD NEW INSIGHT INTO EXISTING
IDEAS AND THUS LEAD TO OPPORTUNITIES
FOR RESEARCH
INTEREST IN THE SUBJECT
YOUR ABILITY TO BE OBJECTIVE
ESPECIALLY IF THE TOPIC IS
CONTROVERSIAL
TIME AVAILABLE FOR COMPLETING THE
ASSIGNMENT
POSSIBILITIES OF FUTURE
RESEARCH
EVALUATE THE POSSIBILITITES
ACCORDING TO THE FF
CRITERIA
1. IMPORTANCE AND INTEREST
2. MANAGEABILITY
3.AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES
MANAGEABILITY
IF THE TOPIC IS TOO NARROW:
MANAGEABILITY
IFTHE TOPIC IS TOO SPECIALIZED OR
TOO TECHNICAL:
> IT MAY DEMAND KNOWLEDGE YOU
CANNOT ACQUIRE IN THE TIME
ALLOTTED
>
MANAGEABILITY
AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH
MATERIALS
HOLDINGS OF THE
LIBRARY
* TIME
AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES
PREPARING A
WORKING
BIBLIOGRAPHY
WORK IN THE LIBRARY TO DETERMINE
HOW TO SHAPE AND LIMIT THE TOPIC
WITH THE MATERIALS AVAILABLE
LIST OF SOURCES THAT APPEAR
RELEVANT AT THE INITIAL STAGE OF
YOUR RESEARCH
PREPARING A WORKING
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX:
ALPHABETIZED LIST OF NAMES OR TOPICS
FOUND AT THE END OF MOST NONFICTION
BOOKS
DESIGNATES A KIND OF REFERENCE WORK
THAT CAN BE VALUABLE IN FORMULATING
A WORKING BIBLIOGRAPHY LIKE JOURNALS
NEWS ARTICLES
GENERAL INDEXES
FOCUS ON SPECIFIC FIELDS AND
SUBJECT AREAS, OFTEN COLLECTING
MATERIAL FROM A WIDE RANGE OF
PERIODICALS AND BOOKS
SPECIALIZED INDEXES
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
NATURE OF THE SOURCE
OBJECTIVITY OF THE SOURCE
QUALIFICATIONS OF THE
AUTHOR
LEVEL OF THE SOURCE
CRITICAL EVALUATION OF
SOURCES
ARE BASIC MATERIALS WITH
LITTLE OR NO ANNOTATION
OR EDITORIAL ALTERATION
EX: MANUSCRIPTS, DIARIES,
LETTERS, INTERVIEWS, AND
LABORATORY REPORTS
PRIMARY SOURCES
DERIVE FROM PRIMARY MATERIALS AND
INCLUDE ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION,
AND COMMENTARY ON PRIMARY
MATERIALS.
SECONDARY SOURCES
LACK OF BIAS OR PREJUDICE IN
SOURCES
EVALUATE AUTHOR’S
AFFILIATIONS
OBJECTIVITY
MAY BE FOUND IN PRELIMINARY OR
APPENDIX MATERIALS IN THE SOURCE
ITSELF, IN A BIBLIOGRAPHICAL
DICTIONARY, OR IN AN ENCYCLOPEDIA
LEVEL
IDENTIFICATION OF SOURCES ON NOTE
CARDS
SUBJECT HEADINGS
RECORD INFO IN ONE OF TWO BASIC
FORMS
> DIRECT QUOTATION
> SUMMARY
NOTE TAKING
ISAN EXACT COPY OF A PORTION OF THE
ORIGINAL TEXT
MAY ENCOMPASS ONE OR MORE WORDS,
PHRASES, CLAUSES, COMPLETE
SENTENCES OR PARAGRAPHS
GOOD WHEN QUOTING A PASSAGE
DIRECT QUOTATION
FORCES YOU TO COMPREHEND
AND LEADS NATURALLY INTO
THE PROCESS OF WRITING THE
PAPER
IS A BRIEF RESTATEMENT OF
THE ORIGINAL MATERIAL IN
YOUR OWN WORDS
SUMMARY
RESTATEMENT OF AUTHOR’S IDEAS IN
ABOUT THE SAME NUMBER OF WORDS AS
IN THE ORIGINAL
PARAPHRASE
WRITE A SUMMARY WITHOUT LOOKING
AT THE SOURCE THEN LOOK AT THE
ORIGINAL AND MAKE A CRITICAL
COMPARISON