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Research paper structure
Overview of a Research Paper (RP)
Introduction (I)
Title
Abstract
General
Specific
Introduction
Methods
Methods and
Materials (M)
Results
Discussion
Acknowledgements
Results (R)
References
Discussion (D)
Specific
General
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List of references
Language issues
Many different styles. Popular one: Chicago Manual of Style:
American or British English?
Author. Year. Title of work. Source.
Be consistent. Synonyms not often a good idea …
Passive or active voice?
Tense usage?
Swales, J.M. and C.B. Feak 2000. English in today’s research
world: A writing guide. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan
Press.
Learn “connectives” that can make your text cohesive.
Use proofing tools and other people for reviewing your text.
Cass, S. 2001 MEMS in space. IEEE Spectrum, July, 56-61.
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Linköpings universitet
Proofing tools
Spell checkers
Grammar tools
Hyphenation
Many false alarms
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Reports as examination
Scientific writing – building your work on the writings of
somebody else.
Examination – convincing your assessor that you understand
what you're writing about.
Improved considerably the last ten years! Use them!
An automatically grammar checked text is far from being a good
text.
But … best “proofing tool” is probably a colleague.
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Reports as examination
Reports as examination
Potential problems
How? Give credit where credit is due!
Collaboration when not permitted
Be clear about sources, use citations when quoting,
paraphrasing or borrowing ideas.
Plagiarism
Collaborative writing or not?
Charges of cheating are brought before the Disciplinary Board
and may result in suspension.
Managing your sources
Quotations
Using citations (Ragnemalm, 2007), (Ragnemalm 2007) or
[1]
When you use another's exact words.
and references:
Quotation marks ”indicate exactly what words were written or
said”.
Ragnemalm, Eva L. Talk given at Linköping University on the 15th of
October 2007.
The citation (Ragnemalm, 2005) or [12] indicates from where.
[1] Ragnemalm, Eva L. Talk given at Linköping University on the
15th of October 2007.
Use quotations sparingly.
Paraphrases
When you rewrite a piece of text using your own words but
retaining the general message.
Paraphrasing is plagiarism if the citation is left out OR if the
wording is too close to the original.
To use another’s exact words without indicating it is plagiarism.
Paraphrasing examples
Original text (from Lu, 1997):
Descartes introduces the possibility that the world is
controlled by a malicious demon who has employed all his
energies to deceive him.
Paraphrase:
Descartes suggests that the world is controlled by an evil
demon who may be using his energies to deceive (Lu, 1997).
Comment: Plagiarism: even though the citation is provided, the
sentence still has exact wording (italicized).
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Paraphrasing examples, cont'd
Paraphrasing examples, cont'd
Original text (from Lu, 1997):
Original text (from Lu, 1997):
Descartes introduces the possibility that the world is
controlled by a malicious demon who has employed all his
energies to deceive him.
Paraphrase:
Descartes introduces the possibility that the world is
controlled by a malicious demon who has employed all his
energies to deceive him.
Combination of paraphrase and quotation:
Descartes suggests that the evil power who rules the world
may be attempting to mislead him (Lu, 1997).
Descartes suggests that the evil power who rules the world
may be using “all his energies to deceive him” (Lu, 1997).
Comment: Not plagiarism: the language is fully rewritten, and a
citation is provided.
Comment: Not plagiarism: the paraphrased portion is fully
rewritten, the exact language is quoted, and a citation is
provided.
Borrowed ideas
When not to cite?
Somebody else’s new concept
Your own ideas
Somebody else’s observations
Your own conclusions
Somebody else’s general idea
Your own reflections
Somebody else’s chain of reasoning
Your own analysis
Somebody else’s diagram
Your own experience
Somebody else’s table
Your own observations
Somebody else’s figure
etc.
etc.
When using “common knowledge”
Choosing when to cite, exercises
Choosing when to cite, exercises cont'd
Do you have to give credit? If so, how? If not, why?
Do you have to give credit? If so, how? If not, why?
Situations:
Situations:
➢
You are reporting new insights about your own experiences.
➢
➢
You are using an editorial from your school's newspaper with
which you disagree.
You mention that many people in your discipline belong to a
certain organization.
➢
➢
You use some information from a source without ever quoting
it directly.
You want to begin your paper with a story that one of your
classmates told about her experiences in Bosnia.
➢
➢
You have no other way of expressing the exact meaning of a
The quote you want to use is too long, so you leave out a
couple of phrases.
text without using the original source verbatim.
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Urkund – discovering plagiarism
Bibliography
Björk & Räisänen (2003), Academic writing: A university writing course. Third
edition. Studentlitteratur.
Urkund is a service provided for Swedish universities.
•
Reports are submitted to Urkund
•
Comparisons with database and the web
•
Teacher is informed of similar documents
Zobel, Justin (2004), Writing for computer science. Second edition. Springer.
The trustees of Hamilton college, 2005. Hamilton College Writing center;
Using Sources.
http://www.hamilton.edu/academics/resource/wc/usingsources.html (visited
2008-10-31)
OWL at Purdue, 2005. Online Writing Lab at Purdue University, Avoiding
Plagiarism. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html
(visited 2008-10-31)
Swales, John M. & Feak, Christine B. (2004), Academic Writing for Graduate
Students - Essential Tasks and Skills, .University of Michigan Press .
Berndtsson, M. & Hansson, J & Olsson, B & Lundell, B. (2002), Planning and
Implementing Your Final Year Project with Success! - A Guide for Students
in Computer Science and Information Systems. Springer-Verlag London Ltd.
– Also available in a Second edition now.
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