Matakuliah
Tahun
Versi
: G1112, Scientific Writing I
: 2006
: v 1.0 rev 1
Module 1
What is a research paper?
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Definition
“ A research paper is a piece of academic
writing that requires a more abstract,
critical, and thoughtful level of inquiry than
you might be used to” (Sarah Hamid)
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/ResearchW/what.html
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Reasons
Why do Research?
1. Research teaches methods of discovery
2. Research teaches investigative skills
3. Research teaches critical thinking
4. Research teaches logic
5. Research teaches basic ingredients of
arguments.
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Research Papers
Research papers come in all shapes, sizes,
forms, and disciplines.
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Genre of Research Writing
• To analyze or to argue?
A finished paper should be a presentation of
researcher’s own thinking backed up by the
ideas or information of others in the field.
However, whether the paper is ANALYTICAL
(uses evidence to analyze facets of an issue) or
ARGUMENTATIVE (uses evidence to attempt to
convince the reader of your particular stance on
a debatable topic), is definitely going to have a
bearing on the strategy from here on in. This will
determine the paper's purpose.
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Analytical Papers
“To analyze means to break a topic or
concept down into its parts in order to
inspect and understand it, and to
restructure those parts in a way that
makes sense to you.”
In an analytical research paper, you do
research to become an expert on a topic
so that you can restructure and present
the parts of the topic from your own
perspective."
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Analytical Papers
• A researcher have to go into the
researching stage with a specific topic
about which you have not made any kind
of conclusions. Often this is called as
research question.
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Analytical Papers
Task
• Your task is to survey the information and
views already out there--both before and
once you become familiar with the topic.
• That will require critical thinking and
reading, plus evaluation of the resources
you handle.
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Analytical Papers
Result
• By the end of the paper you will be able to
contribute your own thoughts to the
academic discussion by drawing some
conclusions about the topic you have just
analyzed.
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Analytical Papers
Conclusion
“Your task is to survey the information and
views already out there--both before and
once you become familiar with the topic.
That will require critical thinking and
reading, plus evaluation of the resources.”
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Argumentative (or Persuasive)
Papers
“In direct contrast to the analytical paper,
your approach here is to take a stand on
an issue and use evidence to back-up
your stance, not to explore or flesh out an
unresolved topic.”
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Argumentative (or Persuasive)
Papers
• Argumentative or persuasive papers, as
these names suggest, are attempts--after
all, essay does come from the French
word essai, or "attempt"--to convince the
reader of a debatable or controversial
point of view.
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Argumentative (or Persuasive)
Papers
• Convention has it that theses are generally
found in the introductory paragraph(s), which
makes sense considering your reader will get
frustrated if your persuading point isn't stated
early on. This is why guides to true ANALYTICAL
papers--even our short description above--avoid
using the word "thesis" altogether and describe
you as "drawing conclusions." They recognize
that your critical evaluations, insights, and
discoveries are going to be located toward the
end of the paper and so are not theses in the
true sense of the word.
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Who’s the audience
• Before writing, a researcher should
consider the audience:
• Do not make " Too narrow or too broad”
intention such as: "society in general,"
"everyone with a college education," or
"any scholar or academic.
• Deciding your audience will give you a
clear focus of your research.
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Who’s the audience
Example
...imagine your instructor as representing a larger
academic audience. That audience often
expects something like what appears in
academic journals that share original research
with members of the community. Writing should
make a new contribution to the knowledge of a
given field. Therefore, you need to appear
serious about the subject matter. You take on a
role as an entering member of the academic
community... You are establishing a relationship
between yourself and a larger audience, not
simply between you and your instructor."
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Conclusion
“The final product will be a unique and
appropriate integration of evidence you
have located outside yourself and
personal insights.”
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/ResearchW/what.html
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