Matakuliah
Tahun
Versi
: G1112, Scientific Writing I
: 2006
: v 1.0 rev 1
Module 13
Composing and Editing
A Research Paper
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What’s inside
1. Improving your work
2. Editing your work
3. Finding mistakes and correcting your
work
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Editing a Research Paper
Checklist
• Does the introduction or beginning adequately introduce the
research topic or "set the stage" for the reader?
• Does it grab the reader's attention by answering the question "SO
WHAT"?
• Is the purpose of the research well defined and clearly explained?
• Are the setting, history, and background thoroughly explained and
described?
• Does the scope explicitly delineate what is to be included or
excluded in the research?
• Does the importance or significance of the research explain the
value of this research?
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Editing a Research Paper
• Does the introduction orient the reader to the topic and the
literature?
• Are transitions smooth and adequate preceding and following each
quotation, paraphrase, or summary from a source?
• Is there a lead-in before each citation that lets the reader know why
this particular source was cited?
• Are all quotes, paraphrases, and summaries relevant to the
research topic?
• Does the literature review adequately cover the research topic?
• Is there a summary or restatement of ideas that concludes the first
section?
• Are the research conclusions logically presented?
• Are recommendations clearly defined and supported?
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Editing a Research Paper
If Research Includes Data Collection (Survey,
Questionnaires, Interviews, etc.)
• Are measurable objectives clearly stated?
• Is the research model to be used identified along with reasons why
the particular model was selected?
• Are any interventions thoroughly explained?
• Are the method and manner of data collection identified?
• Are results adequately and clearly presented in an organized
manner?
• Are graphics that are used pertinent, well explained, and easily
understood?
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Editing a Research Paper
Format:
• No title page
• 8-10 full pages of text, plus a works cited page (see APA handout for
format)
• 12-point font
• ALL double-spaced--from your name to the last . on your works cited
page
• justifying font such as Times New Roman
• Name, class, lecturer, date (4 lines) in upper left-hand corner
• skip one line
• title centered
• skip one line and begin paper
• no extra space between paragraphs
• You may use illustrations, diagrams, charts, etc., but they will not
count in the 8-10 pgs.
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Editing a Research Paper
Quotations:
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Do not begin or end a paragraph with a quotation unless you have a VERY
good reason!
Do not use excessive quotes--you should have 8-10 pages of mostly your
own words.
Provide a citation whenever you use another person's ideas
Provide a citation and quotation marks whenever you use another person's
words
Use an elipsis to indicate omission within a quote "John was . . . a decent
bass player."
Use square brackets to add information/clarification to a quote: "John was . .
. a decent [electric] base player."
Use 'single quotation marks' for a quotation within a quotation: "Duke said,
'John was a base player.'"
commas and periods always go inside close."
colons and semicolons always go outside close":
? and ! go inside if the quotation is a ? or !--otherwise, put them outside"!
See APA Handout for long quotation format, spacing, and punctuation
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Editing a Research Paper
Works Cited Page
• See APA Handout
• Alphabetize and double-space
• Force breaks in URLs to make websites maintain right-hand margin
Words and Phrases to edit out
• I and You (avoid 1st and 2nd person pronouns unless you have a
reason)
• There is . . . (or any form of "to be")
• It is . . . (or any form of "to be")
• In conclusion . . . (find a better, less mechanical way to wrap it up)
• "of"--use possessive nouns instead when possible (the man's
house, not the house of the man)
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Punctuation
1. Ellipses. An ellipsis is three periods with a space between each
period. Ellipses mean that some of the material in the original source
has been omitted in the direct quotation. "In the middle of a
sentence it looks like . . . this. When the last words of the sentence
are being omitted, it incorporates the period and looks like this. . . ."
The first dot is the period ending the sentence and is not part of the
ellipses. An ellipsis should not be used to begin a quote.
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Punctuation
2. Brackets. Brackets are used in direct quotations to show the
insertion of any word or words that are not in the original but were
added by the writer. Two occasions may call for the use of brackets.
First, if there is any kind of typographical, grammatical, or factual
error in the original source, it should be quoted exactly as it is, with
the insertion of the word “sic” in brackets immediately after the error.
"This indicates that the original source, not the writer, is to receive
the blaim [sic] for the error." If the writer has a special reason for
wanting to italicize (or underline) a part of a quotation that is not
italicized in the original, s/he must indicate that the italics were not in
the original by inserting a phrase within brackets or in a footnote.
"Using brackets is preferred because it eliminates unnecessary
footnotes [italics not in the original]."
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Common errors
Common errors that can be avoided:
1. Periods and commas should always be placed inside quotation
marks.
2. A dash essentially means "that is," and it requires two hyphens to
make one dash (--).
3. Avoid using the first and second person ("I" and "you"), with the
possible exception of the introduction and conclusion.
4. Avoid using contractions and colloquial or inflammatory language
(e.g. "this author is an idiot").
5. Foreign language words are to be printed in italics.
6. Endnotes and bibliography entries always end with a period.
7. Bibles and raw data (e.g. Webster's Dictionary and Strong's
Concordance) normally do not appear in the bibliography.
http://faculty.occ.edu/markmoore/StyleSheet.htm
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