A SHORT 10-STEP GUIDE TO
WRITING A RESEARCH PAPER
By William Peirce, Prince George’s Community College ©October 2001
Note to students. This 10-step research does not substitute for your textbook. Read your
textbook carefully! The ten steps are
1. Understand the assignment and plan how to
do it.
2. Choose a topic you and your readers are
interested in.
3. Turn topics into issues and questions.
4. Plan a search strategy and use databases.
5. Evaluate sources for suitability and for
reliability.
6. Take notes: write summaries, paraphrases,
quotations, and personal comments.
7. Plan your paper; synthesize information
from a variety of sources.
8. Write a rough draft in your own voice; use
and cite sources in the rough draft; avoid
plagiarism in your use of sources.
9. Get feedback on the rough draft.
10. Assess your research process to improve it.
For all ten steps, there are questions which ask you to consider how well you are applying the
textbook advice to your own research assignment. For most of the steps there are exercises
which test how well you understand your textbook’s advice. Keeping up with the schedule
and completing the exercises and questions on time will keep you on track and confident that
you are doing each step well before moving onto the next one. Bring the guide to every class
to discuss your answers with your classmates and instructor.
Almost everyone who keeps up with the assignment schedule successfully finishes the
research assignment. Good luck!
STEP 1. UNDERSTAND THE ASSIGNMENT AND PLAN HOW TO DO IT
Knowing the purpose of the assignment is the single most important step in doing it. Your instructor will
make clear whether you are writing an informative paper, supporting a thesis about an issue you are
analyzing, or building an argument. Your instructor has given you the task of investigating sources,
evaluating sources, reading these sources, and using other writers’ ideas, evidence, arguments, and
interpretations to support your own thesis.
Answer these questions about Step 1, Understand the assignment and plan how to do it.
1-1. What does your instructor want you to do? Circle all that apply:
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Report information
Accumulate a series of summaries?
Find out what experts say about the issue?
Synthesize the views of several sources?
Compare/contrast two positions?
Discover both sides of the issue?
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Support one position and refute the
opposing view?
Develop your own argument?
Write for a specified audience?
Is there anything in the instructions that
should be clarified? If so, ask your
instructor.
1-2. On a separate page describe your previous experience writing research papers. Were they primarily
informative, analytical, or argumentative? What successes and difficulties did you experience? What
did you learn about the research and writing processes from your previous experience?
1-3. What difficulties do you foresee in completing this research assignment?
1-4. Complete the left column of the Timetable, with time allocated for each of the 10 steps. Bring it to
class. Does your planned time schedule allocate enough time for each step, and still allow you to get
the final paper done by the deadline?
Have you built in any contingency time if one or more of these steps takes longer than you predict?
Explain.
STEP 2. CHOOSE A TOPIC YOU AND YOUR READERS ARE INTERESTED IN
Turn your topic into engaging and significant questions worth your and your readers' time and energy.
Consider the advice in your textbook about choosing a topic. On most topics you can find some reason to
become engaged and to engage your readers.
These questions will help you find a topic that interests you:
1. Do you have personal experiences that connect with a potential topic?
2. Is there a current topic in the news (such as cloning or gene
experimentation) that you would like to learn more about?
3. Will the potential topic connect with your career or another course?
4. Has your instructor given you a list of topics to choose from?
Answer these questions about Step 2, Choose a topic you and your readers are interested in.
2-1. Did your instructor assign the topic or a range of topics (thus guaranteeing that he or she is
interested)?
2-2. Why did you choose your topic? Did any of the reasons in the Step 2 textbox above apply?
STEP 3. TURN TOPICS INTO ISSUES AND QUESTIONS
Unless you instructor has asked for a purely informative paper, you should write a paper that supports a
thesis that makes a point about an issue. You need to turn your topic into an issue that people disagree
about. To find this issue, you might need to combine the issue-finding step 3 with step 4, investigating
sources by using databases. You can often discover where people disagree about a topic by reading the
titles of books and articles uncovered in a database search. Your textbook provides an extensive list of
library and Internet references to explore.
Your task is NOT to locate the easiest sources to find and to string together a series of summaries. Instead
you should search a variety of databases, narrow your interest by skimming titles, and refocus the issue by
raising questions as you browse these databases. For example, if your topic is euthanasia, simply by
reading titles, you might learn that euthanasia can be defined as active or passive; that it raises conflicting
medical, legal, and ethical issues; that several plays and movies have dealt with the issue; and that
proposed laws in several states raise several political issues.
To turn a topic into an issue, pose questions about topics so that you can investigate the answers. Some
questions will occur to you with no special prompting before you start checking databases; other
questions will arise as you read titles. Be ready to modify your topic and issue as you read more sources.
These questions might help you turn a topic into issue about which people
disagree:
1. Can you narrow this topic by subdividing it into separate areas?
2. In what ways do people disagree about some aspect of this topic? Whether it’s
right or wrong? definitions? consequences? causes?
3. Are there policy issues about what should be done? Are you proposing a new
law or changes in an existing law? Are you proposing changes in how
something is managed or administered?
Do the following exercises about Step 3, Turn topics into issues and questions.
3-1. Which of the following illustrates a debatable issue suitable for a researched argument or analytical
paper, rather than an informative topic?
a. The life of Malcolm X
b. Why Malcolm X joined Elijah Muhammad’s Nation of Islam
c. Reviews of Spike Lee’s film about Malcolm X
d. Malcolm X’s journey to Mecca
e. None of the above
3-2. Which of the following illustrates a debatable issue suitable for a researched argument or analytical
paper, rather than an informative topic?
a. Assisted suicide should be legalized in Maryland.
b. Assisted suicide should not be legal in Maryland.
c. Assisted suicide should be legalized in Maryland only if the patient has a terminal disease, is
approved by the spouse and adult children (if any), and is administered by a physician.
d. Assisted suicide should not be legal because it could be abused by greedy inheritors, violates
the human right to life, goes against religious beliefs, and is an irrational act of depression not
made by a clear-minded person.
e. all of the above.
Answer these questions about Step 3, Turn topics into issues and questions.
3-3. Which topic or issue have you chosen?
3-4. Your textbook has advice about suitable and unsuitable topics. Explain how your chosen topic
matches this advice.
3-5. Use the questions in the textbox below for exercise 3-5.
These questions might help you turn a topic into issue about which people
disagree:
1. Can you narrow this topic by subdividing it into separate areas?
2. In what ways do people disagree about some aspect of this topic? Whether
it’s right or wrong? definitions? consequences? causes?
3. Are there policy issues? What should be done? Are you proposing a new
law or changes in an existing law? Are you proposing changes in how
something is managed or administered?
3-5. Before you search any databases, which of the questions in the box above can help you turn your
topic into an issue about which you can develop an argument in support of your position? (Some of
the topics on the list of approved topics are already restricted enough, while others need narrowing.)
Is the topic you chose already stated as a narrow issue without the need for further restriction.?
Briefly describe how you have turned a topic into a debatable issue, making reference to the relevant
questions above.
STEP 4. PLAN A SEARCH STRATEGY AND USE DATABASES
This step overlaps and extends the previous step. By finding out what databases are available for finding
useful sources and by designing a systematic plan to search for them, you can save a lot of time and still
make a thorough search. If at first you find too many titles, you can narrow the topic and focus by asking
the questions suggested above in step 3. These questions, in turn, will require more searches with
different search terms, which will lead to new titles which will inspire more questions until you feel you
have a good fix on an interesting and manageable issue.
Use the PGCC Library Databases Efficiently
The most thorough (and time-consuming) search starts at the most general level and continues through
more and more specialized resources. Your textbook and the PGCC library provide all the advice you
need to design a search strategy for locating useful titles of books and articles in the PGCC library, local
libraries, and their databases. The PGCC library subscribes to several comprehensive electronic databases
containing hundreds of thousands of articles you can print out at the library (for a fee) or download to
your own floppy disk. The most efficient way to search the library databases is by using Boolean
operators (AND, OR, NOT) that limit the number of hits you get from your search term. The college
library has several helpful handouts that guide your search, so they will not be repeated here.
These questions will help you to discover sources using a library.
1. What kinds of resources are available? General references? Bibliographies?
Online catalogs? Periodical indexes and databases? Newspaper indexes?
Full-text printouts?
2. Have you checked internal clues in the entry (such as subject headings and
other search terms) that can lead to other titles? Bibliographies at the end of
chapters, books, and articles? Tables of contents in the front of books?
Indexes in the back?
3. Would nonlibrary resources be helpful? Interviews? Museums?
Bookstores? Organizations?
Use the World Wide Web to Find Sources
If the library shelves and databases don't have enough information, try the World Wide Web. The Web is
often referred to as the Information Highway; but if you’re researching a controversial issue, it is more
like a garbage dump. Many search engines have been designed to search the portion of the Internet called
the World Wide Web. The trouble with using Web search engines is that they often locate thousands of
documents and Web pages—many of them repetitious and many just venting someone’s personal
prejudices with no reliable evidence to support them. A World Wide Web search in May 2001 using
“death penalty” as a search term produced 464,000 hits. A search for "abortion" produced 1,390,000 hits!
(A “hit” is a Web page located by the search.) To avoid getting too many hits, you need to refine the
search using strategies to reduce their number. The University of California at Berkeley has produced an
excellent tutorial for World Wide Web searches at "Finding Information on the Internet: A Tutorial"
<http://lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/FindInfo.html>. Another fine online tutorial is at the
University of Maryland University College Library at <http://www.umuc.edu/library/tutor/intro>.html.
Completing one of these online tutorials should be your first step in searching the Web whether you are a
new or experienced Web searcher.
Using conventional search engines to search the Internet is not always a good strategy for finding useful
articles. (Click on "Search" in your Web browser for a list of popular search engines.) The problem is that
if you are researching a controversial issue, using a search term such as "physician-assisted suicide" will
get thousands of hits—although you can reduce that number by using refined search techniques and
Boolean operators. For many issues appropriate for college papers, you can search the Web more
efficiently if you start with Web sites that provide databases designed especially for researching college
subjects. For academic subjects, your instructors can tell you about specialized databases such as SOSIG,
the Social Science Information Gateway. Your textbook has a good list. Start with those Web sites before
resorting to a general search of the Web. A longer list of academic databases can be found in the
electronic version of Research and Documentation in the Electronic Age at the Web site of the Bedford
Handbook at <http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/hacker.resdoc>.
Although the specific instructions might differ for different search engines, most use what are called
“logical operators” or “Boolean operators.” Use AND to find documents with all search terms in any
order. For example, for a paper investigating whether women should used in direct ground combat, use
women AND combat as search terms. Use NOT to exclude documents containing the search term; for
example, women AND combat NOT cancer (to eliminate articles about women combating breast cancer).
With many search engines, typing the search terms with quotation marks limits the search to documents
that contain the search terms only in that order. For example, typing “capital punishment” with quotation
marks will eliminate documents that have just the word capital (thus eliminating the thousands of
documents that mention the phrase state capital) and will also eliminate the thousands of documents that
mention the phrase punishment but are not about capital punishment. Search engines provide tips at their
sites for making your Web search more efficient and for advanced searches; be sure to read them.
After a search engine finds Web sites, you will need to evaluate their quality. Step 5, below, shows you
how to evaluate the reliability of information on Web sites. Brief reliability guidelines by Esther Grassian
of the UCLA College Library can be found at
<http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/instruct/web/critical.htm>.
Answer these questions about Step 4, Plan a search strategy and use databases.
4-1. Which library databases did you use? List them here, including databases at the PGCC library and
any others, such as the county public library or local colleges and universities.
STEP 5. EVALUATE SOURCES FOR SUITABILITY AND FOR RELIABILITY
Preview a source before deciding whether to take the time to read it carefully and take notes. You can
reject some sources without even reading them if they seem unsuitable because they are too old, too long,
too short, too technical, oversimplified, unavailable, or irrelevant. You can reject even more after quickly
previewing them to see if the author's purpose and intended audience seem too remote from your own, if
the author seems to lack expertise, and if the content duplicates information you already have in your
notes from other sources.
The chief criterion to apply at the previewing stage is immediate relevance to your research task. Look
for depth of factual detail and fully explained reasoning.
Do you detect bias at the preview stage? By bias is meant a preconception that blinds an author to
considering opposing views; bias in this paragraph does not mean an author writing to support a point, for
nearly everyone writes to support a point. If the purpose of your research is to discover the values,
reasoning, and worldview of both sides of an issue, then a biased source is relevant because it presents
one of the points of view you will be considering. The National Rifle Association and the Coalition for
Handgun Control are certainly going to argue in favor of their points of view in any article they produce,
and you will want to know both sides if you are writing about handgun control.
These questions about suitability and content will help you screen potential books and
articles by previewing them.
1. Do they qualify for a closer look or are they too old, too long, too short, too technical,
oversimplified, unavailable, or irrelevant?
2. Does the author seem to be an expert because of education, training, or experience?
3. Is there sufficient factual detail and explanation of the author's reasoning to warrant a
careful reading?
4. Does the author seem blinded by bias or are opposing views considered?
Do the following exercise about Step 5, Evaluate sources for suitability and for reliability.
5-1. Authors are considered reliable if they are experts because of education, training, or experience;
would you consider each of the following a reliable source to use in a paper supporting a position on
the issue of assisted suicide?
a. a physician in the Netherlands, where assisted suicide is legal, arguing in favor of permitting
assisted suicide
b. a physician in Maryland, where assisted suicide is not legal, arguing in favor of permitting
assisted suicide
c. a person whose mother is dying a slow and painful death from terminal cancer arguing in favor
of permitting assisted suicide
d. Dr. Jack Kervorkian, who has assisted the suicide of many patients, arguing in favor of
permitting assisted suicide
e. a reporter for the Washington Post writing an article about assisted suicide summarizing the
arguments on both sides for and against permitting assisted suicide
f. the President of the United States giving an opinion on permitting assisted suicide
g. the president of the American Medical Association giving an opinion on permitting assisted
suicide
h. a senator on a committee conducting hearings on permitting assisted suicide
i. a professor of ethics at the University of Maryland giving an opinion on permitting assisted
suicide
j. a Baptist minister giving an opinion on permitting assisted suicide
k. your instructor arguing against permitting assisted suicide
5-2. For each source you use in your paper and include in your bibliography, fill out the Source
Reliability Report. Bring them to the rough draft review, and turn them in when you submit your paper.
STEP 6. TAKE NOTES: WRITE SUMMARIES, PARAPHRASES, QUOTATIONS, AND
PERSONAL COMMENTS
Your textbook presents detailed advice on the purposes and mechanics of note taking, so taking notes will
just be mentioned briefly here.
Summaries and paraphrases should be accurate and fairly represent what the author said.
Your textbook explains what plagiarism is and how to avoid it at the note-taking stage. To avoid the
possibility of plagiarism, when you take notes be very certain that you are not half-copying. Either
paraphrase completely in your own words or use quotation marks when you copy the language of the
source. Here is a half-copied paraphrase of the previous sentence: Notetakers must either rewrite totally
in their own style or employ quotation marks when they duplicate in their records the words of the
original author. Although 14 words were changed in paraphrasing the 22-word original, the italicized
sentence is completely plagiarized because the sentence structure of the original was copied. Copying
the sentence pattern of the original by substituting synonyms within the original structure is plagiarism-even if the source is cited!
Quote accurately, using ellipses and brackets correctly. Be sure to copy the complete bibliographical
information you will need later to cite the source.
Do the following exercises about Step 6, Take Notes.
Here is paragraph about why some parents oppose sex education classes in high school from Anne M.
Hudson and Theodore Steven, “Why Parents and Principals Clash over Sex Education, in New Horizons
Magazine, May 2001, pages 162-170 (an invented source). It is followed by several summaries written by
notetakers. Answer the questions about the summaries.
Original source:
Sex education courses in high school are resisted for a variety of reasons—by a variety of parents. Some
parents are not comfortable talking about sex, even among themselves, and they assume that their
children would be equally uncomfortable in a classroom discussing sex. They wish to spare their children
this embarrassment. Other parents are concerned about the constant sexual stimulation in movies and
on television and are fearful that that a sex education class would be even more stimulating to their
young curious teenagers. These parents hope that if the subject of sex is not discussed, it will just go
away. Still other parents, often deeply religious, are strongly opposed to premarital sex and do not
believe that the public school teachers will tell their children that premarital sex is wrong and they must
completely abstain from sex until they are married.
Source: Anne M. Hudson and Theodore Steven, “Why Parents and Principals Clash over Sex
Education, in New Horizons Magazine, May 2001, pages 162-170.
6. Ex. 1. On separate page, write a four-sentence summary of the paragraph. The first sentence will be
your topic sentence; then write one sentence each for the three reasons parents resist sex education
courses.
6. Ex. 2. Summary A.
High school sex education courses are opposed for several reasons—by several
types of parents. Some parents are embarrassed talking about sex and they
suppose that their children would also be embarrassed discussing sex in
class. Some parents worry about the constant sex in movies and television and
worry that that a sex education class would be even more stimulating to their
children. Still other religious parents are opposed to premarital sex and do
not feel that public school teachers will tell their children that premarital
sex is wrong (Hudson and Steven, 162).
Summary A (above) is
a. accurate and fairly represents the author.
b. is not accurate or fair because the notetaker adds an opinion not in the source.
c. is not accurate because the notetaker has missed an important point.
d. is plagiarized because the notetaker has followed too closely the language of the source.
e. not acceptable because of reasons b, c, and d.
6. Ex. 3. Summary B
Parents mistakenly oppose sex education courses in high school for three
basic reasons. Discussing sex make some sheltered parents uncomfortable, so
they want to spare their children the same distress. Some parents foolishly
worry that a sex education class would feed their children’s curiosity. Some
religious parents doubt that public school teachers to tell their children
that abstinence is the best option (Hudson and Steven, 162).
Summary B (above) is
a. accurate and fairly represents the author.
b. is not accurate or fair because the notetaker adds an opinion not in the source.
c. is not accurate because the notetaker has missed an important point.
d. is plagiarized because the notetaker has followed too closely the language of the source.
e. not acceptable because of reasons b, c, and d.
6. Ex. 4. Summary C
Parents oppose sex education courses in high school for three reasons.
Parents who are reluctant to discuss sex wish to protect their children from
the same distress in a sex education class. Other parents worry that that a
sex education class would reinforce the sexual content already provided by
the popular media. Some religious parents don’t want their children to have
premarital sex (Hudson and Steven, 162).
Summary C (above) is
a. accurate and fairly represents the author.
b. is not accurate or fair because the notetaker adds an opinion not in the source.
c. is not accurate because the notetaker has missed an important point.
d. is plagiarized because the notetaker has followed too closely the language of the source.
e. not acceptable because of reasons b, c, and d.
6. Ex. 5. Summary D
Parents oppose sex education courses in high school for three reasons.
Parents who are reluctant to discuss sex wish to protect their children from
the same distress in a sex education class.
Other parents worry that that a
sex education class would reinforce the sexual content already provided by
the popular media. Some religious parents are concerned that public school
teachers will not emphasize strongly enough that teenagers should practice
abstinence until they are married (Hudson and Steven, 162).
Summary D (above) is
a. accurate and fairly represents the author.
b. is not accurate or fair because the notetaker adds an opinion not in the source.
c. is not accurate because the notetaker has missed an important point.
d. is plagiarized because the notetaker has followed too closely the language of the source.
e. not acceptable because of reasons b, c, and d.
6. Ex. 6. What’s the difference between a summary and a paraphrase?
6. Ex. 7. How are a summary and a paraphrase similar?
Answer these questions about Step 6, Take notes.
6-8. Look at several examples of your notes on sources.
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Are summaries and paraphrases accurate and representative of the author's point of view?
 Yes  No
Would the author agree that your summary represents his or her thinking?  Yes  No
Have you kept your own views out of the summary?  Yes  No
Do your summaries capture what is significant?  Yes  No
Are your summaries fair and free of distortion or oversimplification?  Yes  No
6-9. Look at several examples of your notes on sources. Have you avoided plagiarism by avoiding halfcopying and by putting borrowed words (except the most common and unavoidable) in quotation
marks?
6-10. Look at several examples of your notes on sources. Are quotations copied accurately, with ellipses
and brackets used correctly?
6-11. Look at several examples of your notes on sources. Is complete bibliographical information fully
cited in your notes (ready for transfer to the final version of your paper)?
STEP 7. PLAN YOUR PAPER; SYNTHESIZE INFORMATION FROM A VARIETY OF
SOURCES
Organizing a long research paper is not much different from organizing a shorter paper. Your textbook
suggests models for organizing papers according to their purpose or type. No matter what model you
select, do NOT proceed serially through your sources one after another, reporting what source A had to
say, followed by source B, followed by source C, and so on. (For example, about assisted suicide, the
Roman Catholic Church says X, the American Medical Association says Y, and another source says Z).
Reporting summaries of one source after another like beads on a string gives the impression that your
mind has not interacted with the ideas of your sources and that you are unable to understand and
synthesize several points of view into a paper supporting your own viewpoint.
Answer these questions about Step 7, Plan your paper.
7-1. On a separate page, write a detailed outline of your paper. Can a reader see from your outline the
main points of your paper?
STEP 8. WRITE A ROUGH DRAFT IN YOUR OWN VOICE; USE AND CITE SOURCES IN
THE ROUGH DRAFT; AVOID PLAGIARISM IN YOUR USE OF SOURCES
Your rough draft should be written in a voice that sounds like you. Since you have the ability to write in
several voices, write using the voice of discourse used by the academic community (not the
conversational voice you use at a party!). It isn’t easy, but don’t mimic your sources too closely in your
attempt to sound academic. On the other hand, don’t use your informal family voice. Try these strategies
for writing in your own appropriate academic voice:
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Write your rough draft from an outline, not with your sources in front of you; then revise later
using your notes and sources.
Write large sections of your paper by nonstop freewriting; then revise later to speak in your
academic voice and to incorporate sources.
Write with your notes and sources in front of you, summarizing and paraphrasing extensively in
your own academic voice.
Since your paper is based on the sources you read, you will need to cite all the sources that you used in
your paper. Most of your citations should be summaries and paraphrases in your own voice, not
quotations. If you quote too often, the reader gets the impression that you cannot think for yourself, that
you can only find good quotes and patch them together with a few transitions.
You need to identify your sources twice: first in the paragraphs of your paper (called in-text citations) and
again in the bibliography at the end. Your textbook shows you how to write both kinds of citations, so the
instructions will not be repeated here. Follow the models accurately and completely for in-text citations
and the bibliography at the end.
If you cite the source each time you use something that you read, you will not be plagiarizing. If you do
not, you will be. Sources need to be cited even when you write a summary or paraphrase of a source in
your own words. Remember the advice in step 6 to avoid half-copying when writing a summary or
paraphrase
Do the following exercises about Step 8, Write a rough draft in your own voice; use and cite sources
in the rough draft; avoid plagiarism in your use of sources.
8-1. Write a bibliography citation in MLA style for an article titled Why Parents and Principals Clash
over Sex Education, written by Dr. Anne M. Hudson and Dr. Theodore T. Steven. It appeared on pages
162-170 in a monthly magazine named New Horizons Magazine in May 2001, volume 22, issue
number 5.
8-2. Write a bibliography citation in APA style for the same article by Hudson and Steven.
Answer these questions about Step 8, Write a rough draft in your own voice; use and cite sources in
the rough draft; avoid plagiarism in your use of sources.
8-3. Does your paper sound like you using a voice appropriate for the academic community? What
strategies did you use to write in a personal voice?
8-4. Have you made clear when you are agreeing or disagreeing with the sources you summarize,
paraphrase, and quote? Identify the page and paragraph number of a few paragraphs that show this.
8-5. Is it clear from your in-text citations that much of your paper is based on your reading? Does every
paragraph in the main body of your paper have at least one in-text citation? Which ones do not?
Identify the page and paragraph number of paragraphs with no in-text citation and explain why you
do not need an in-text citation. Discuss these in class.
8-6. Do in-text citations follow the models in your textbook? Copy one below.
8-7. Have you checked the accuracy of all quotations? Are ellipses and brackets used correctly? Identify
the page and paragraph number of places where you used ellipses and brackets.
8-8. Are all sources identified by in-text citations also listed in the bibliography at the end of your paper?
8-9. Do all sources listed in the bibliography at the end of your paper also appear as in-text citations in
your paper?
8-10. Do all items in the bibliography exactly follow the models in your textbook? Copy a few below,
including your most complex one below and one citing an Internet source if you used one. Or bring your
working bibliography to class.
STEP 9. GET FEEDBACK ON THE ROUGH DRAFT
Your textbook has a great deal of good advice about reviewing drafts and especially reviewing the draft of
a research paper. Your textbook also has a model research paper and a guide to reviewing drafts. Use the
review form in your textbook or the one here, as your instructor directs.
On a separate page answer these questions about Step 9, Get feedback on the rough draft.
PEER REVIEW OF ROUGH DRAFT OF RESEARCHED ARGUMENT
INSTRUCTIONS. Jot notes to the questions below; then have a conversation with the author about the
draft.
Understanding the Writer's Intentions
9-1. Does the thesis state the main point clearly? Does it take a position?
Reconstructing the Writer's Development of the Thesis
9-2. Can you reconstruct the main reasons in support of the thesis from the topic sentences?
9-3. Do you understand the basic point of each topic sentence and understand how it supports the thesis?
Critiquing the Writer's Argument
9-4. How effective are the supporting details? Could additional support have been used?
9-5. Is each topic sentence supported with effective support (facts, examples, statistics, or expert
testimony, reasons)?
Critiquing the Organization and Clarity of the Writing
9-6. Does the draft follow its outline?
9-7. Identify places where the draft is unclear.
9-8. Does the introduction engage the audience, provide needed background, and announce the thesis?
9-9. At the rough draft stage, it is premature (unless you are asked) to comment on improving sentence
structure, reducing wordiness and repetition, correcting grammar and punctuation, and checking the
correct format for internal citation and bibliography. Were you asked?
If so, what are your comments?
9-10. Any additional suggestions for the writer?
STEP 10. ASSESS YOUR RESEARCH WRITING PROCESS TO IMPROVE IT
You can improve your skills at every step in the research process you experienced as you wrote this
research paper by considering how to do it better and more efficiently the next time you are assigned one.
Answer these questions about Step 10, Assess your research process on a separate page.
10-1. Overall, at which steps were you most satisfied with how you worked? When were you least
satisfied? Comment on the first nine steps.
10-2. What skills do you feel you improved? In what ways do you feel more capable of carrying out your
next research project?
10-3. What slowed you down? What could you have done to be more efficient? What were your chief
obstacles? What could you have done differently? What will you do differently next time?
10-4. How was the research process affected by your choice of the topic/issue to pursue?