LIBS 7001 PUBLIC SERVICE ANOUNCEMENT
For your research paper:
1. Use the “Writing Your
Research Paper Checklist”
on pp. 426-8 of Strategies for
Successful Writing.
2. Use ch. 17 of Strategies for
Successful Writing as your
style-guide
*End of Announcement*
1
What is Research Writing?
 gathering information from a variety of sources
 focusing, organizing, presenting it in a formal paper
that documents your sources.
 can be open-ended: a tentative exploration of a
position or idea related to self and society
 common both in the classroom and on the job:
 analyze potential of a new product
 evaluate different exercise programs following
arthroscopic surgery
* from Strategies for Successful Writing, Ch. 19-21; and * in Writing in the
Academic Disciplines 1870-1991, quoted by R. Davis and M. Shade,
“’Building a Mystery’: Academic Research Writing & the Academic Art of
Seeking,” CCC 51:3, Feb. 2000, 424.
2
Persuasive Research Paper
(adapted from Davis)
 presents your position (reasoned argument) on a topic
of interest to you professionally and as a citizen
 can draw on your experience and interests
 like an “essay” ~ trial, an exploration: creating new
knowledge (via an original thesis) can be approached
 requires use of the major argumentative appeals
(credibility/ group values, reason, emotion) & all the
developmental methods discussed in LIBS 7001 so far
 Constructing a researched position paper is both
rigorous and creative -- not just presenting facts &
ideas from other sources.
3
Planning a Research Paper
(SSW; Diana Hacker. A Canadian Writer's Reference , Sec. C)
1. Establish staged completion dates:
 topic due
 draft & refs. due
 final due
2. Determine
2a. subject (topic) of your essay
2b. purpose and audience
2c. sources of information
3. Explore ideas.
4. Develop a thesis statement.
5. Organize/write/revise paper; document sources.
4
Avoid research topics that are...
 based entirely on personal experience
 “my trip to Nepal”
 can’t be supported by external research
 fully explained in a single source
 explanation of CPR
 research sources will give similar information
 brand new
 (a very current event, new technology, etc.)
 may not be enough information about them
5
For persuasive paper topics, also...
 avoid "common sense” topics – e.g.?
 [NO! Perfectly fine]
 why we should exercise / eat healthily / recycle
 behaviour can be changed without logical arguments
 present a clear position on an topic - avoid
 “Whether or not you support the War in Afghanistan
depends on where you stand on the issues”
 neither side will be persuaded by a triusm
 take care to establish credibility relative to
topic
 someone writing on why emergency waiting room times
must be reduced, without citing her status as a nurse
 her credibility on the topic, as expert or interested
citizen, is persuasive (ethos)
6
(2b) Define Purpose & Audience
(Hacker, Section C)
 Why are you writing? MAINLY
- to inform?
- to entertain?
- to call readers to action?
- to explore?
- to persuade?
Persuasive purpose can include all the above but must go
beyond simply giving information
 Who are your readers?
 How well informed are they about the subject?
 What do you want them to learn about the
subject?
 How interested and attentive are they likely to be?
 What resistance will they offer to your ideas?
7
Audience, cont.
 What’s your relationship to the audience:
 Employee to supervisor?
 Citizen to citizen?
 Expert to novice?
 Scholar to scholar?
 How much time are they willing to spend
reading?
 How sophisticated are they as readers?
 Do they have large vocabularies?
 LIBS 7001: assume as audience a classmate
who’s NOT a specialist in your topic area
8
(2c) Identify Information Sources
(SW, Ch.15-16; Hacker, Section C)
 Where will your information come from:
 Reading (books / articles / Internet)?
 Personal experience?
 Direct observation?
 Questionnaires? Interviews? (actual, not
composite)
 Viewing / Listening (radio, films, tv)?
 What documentation of your sources is
required?
 LIBS 7001 requires use of a recognized
system of documentation.
9
Library & Other Resources
 Familiarize yourself with library resources
 People: consult reference and subject-area
librarians
 Library Catalogues: on-site and via Internet
connections - for BCIT and other libraries
 Computerized databases: listing of newspaper /
magazine article titles &/or full text
 “Hard copies”: stacks, periodicals, reference
section
 Know limits and snares of Internet
research.
10
Your Research Sources Should Be…
authoritative (credible)
 having experience, qualifications, background on the
subject you are researching
representative (fair sample of the source’s
expertise)
 e.g., Wayne Gretzky on hockey, not pick-up trucks
current (presenting the most up-to-date research)
 most of your sources: within the past five years
 exceptions: influential “classics:” e.g., Aristotle on
political theory; J.K. Galbraith on economics; Watson
& Crick on genetics
11
(3) Explore Ideas
(SSW, CH. 3; Hacker, Section C)
 using clustering or branching as visual
techniques
 listing: list ideas in the order in which they occur
to you: a.k.a. “brainstorming”. Later, you can
rearrange the order.
 asking questions to generate ideas: (who,
what, when, where, why, how)
 freewriting: - a version of brainstorming: take 10
minutes or so to write, nonstop, on the topic
without pausing; loosen up, see what emerges;
organize later.
12
(4) Formulate Your Thesis
(SSW, p. 46-49; Hacker, Section C)
 Settle on a tentative central idea, asserted in one
sentence (thesis), usually containing a key word or
controlling idea that limits its focus.
 Your thesis will express your position on the topic.
 Draft a tentative thesis early on in the writing process;
refine it for the final version of your paper
tentative: Government cutbacks killed people in
Walkerton, Ontario in 2000.
final: Provincial government financial cutbacks to
municipalities were a major contributing cause in
2000 of the Walkerton, Ontario tainted-water health
crisis and deaths.
13
(5) Organize, Write & Revise (SSW,
Ch. 2-3)
 Determine your thesis
 Create a formal or information outline
 Write the first draft
 Revise and edit - consider
 the whole essay - overall organization
 paragraph development & transitions
 sentences and words
 Refine your Introduction and Conclusion
 Properly and fully document all your sources
 Proofread. Proofread. Then proofread again.
14
Internet Research:
Limits & Snares
 Not all knowledge / information is “on the Internet.”
 Biases and defects of Internet sources may be hard
to detect, especially outside of your own discipline:
polished layout and graphics can conceal flaws.
 Ease of access to Internet sources can make you a
lazy researcher; you may overlook key hard-copy
sources or become convinced they are not
needed.
 Web sites can use material from other sources
without attribution, leaving you open (unwittingly)
to charges of plagiarism if you quote from the site.
15
Evaluating Internet Sources
- also see SSW, 412
 Check accuracy and validity of information
obtained from the Internet. Does the site have:
 a source identified as a reputable professional organization?
(City of Richmond; BCMA)
 an identifiable author whose credentials can be checked?
 professional tone? professional spelling, layout, etc.?
 information consistent with other material you’ve found?
 explanations of how site data were obtained?
 any data that are misused?
 use primary & secondary sources; avoid tertiary ones
 Primary: an interview with specialist who conducted a study
 Secondary: a specific published scientific study
 Tertiary: a newspaper report discussing the study
16
Using Internet Sources
 Use only reliable WWW sites.
 Download links and documents of interest: the site might
change / you might mistranscribe the URL.
 Sturdily resist the temptation to “cut and paste” 2ndary
source material into your paper.
 for web sites, you must record in “References” section
 Title, Author, URL of exact page you use
 (if present) date site was created or revised
 page # or paragr. # from which you’re quoting
 date YOU ACCESSED the site
**Using downloaded text from Internet sites without using quotation marks
and giving credit is plagiarism, a serious professional and academic
offence.
17
Guidelines for Citing Sources
(SSW, Ch. 17)
 “Citing sources”: using established formats & conventions
for documenting others’ words and ideas
 You must document any summary, paraphrase, or
quotation, statistics or graphics used in your paper.
 Exception: you don't have to cite . . .
 common knowledge (Thousands ski Whistler each year)
 your own conclusions
 facts found in many sources (year of Gordon Campbell’s birth)
 standard terms (DVD, CD, download)
** see exercises in SSW, pp. 478-479
 Use accepted documentation systems: e.g., APA or MLA
18
As researcher, cite sources to…
 strengthen your argument by presenting authoritative
evidence
 give credit to the people whose information you use
 provide easy access to research you use so readers can
verify / read more
 avoid putting you (and your organization) in the illegal
situation of violating intellectual property rights – a specific
form of theft
 increase your credibility by using citation “language” that’s
universal to scholars / researchers
 show your membership in a discourse community of
professionals and scholars (credibility)
19
Two Main Types of Citation:
inter-connected
1.
2.
citations within your main text
 parenthetical citation
 footnotes, endnotes
citations listed at the end of your text
references, works cited
BOTH (1) and (2) are needed in a scholarly or
professional paper
A paper with notes and/or in-text citation also
needs a reference section.
20
Parenthetical Citation
 system of cross-reference between citation
within the text, and list of references
 in-text citation - gives basic info about the source
and provides a link to your references section
 references / works cited section - gives full
bibliographic information about your source
 virtually eliminates need for notes
 used with a signal phrase, which may or may
not contain the author’s name (see SSW, 373-76).
21
Integrating Quotations
(SSW, 485-88)
 always use a signal phrase with a quote, giving
source information
 In the words of Gordon Campbell, ...
 According to sociologist John O’Neill,...
 As Kofi Annan has noted,
 “….”, claims linguist Noam Chomsky
 Don’t lose YOUR voice and weaken your argument
by starting a paragraph or sentence with a direct
quotations within “ “ marks.
 Set off long quotations from main text (>5 lines of
prose, >3 lines of poetry): indent 10 spaces from the
left.
 Use an ellipsis mark “…” and brackets “[ ]”to show
changes you make in a quote.
22
References (APA) or
Works Cited (MLA)
 appear at the end of the paper
 You’ll list
 ONLY works you refer to in your paper (sorry!)
 full bibliographic details about source
 sources listed in alphabetical order, by author
 Documentation formats other than APA & MLA may list
sources on references page by number.
 A paper with parenthetical citations or
footnotes/endnotes ALSO needs a reference list.
 Check up-to-date sources for information on how to cite
electronic sources; listing a URL alone isn’t sufficient.
23
Three Types of Plagiarism
(Diana Hacker, A Canadian Writer’s Reference, p. 261)
1. “failing to cite
 quotations and
 borrowed ideas,
2. failing to enclose borrowed language in
quotation marks,
3. failing to put summaries and paraphrases in
your own words.”

See BCIT policy on Plagiarism in Policy #5002, Student
Regulations Policy
24
4 Reasons People Plagiarize
(J. Rodgers* )

One is intentional, done knowingly, while the other three
can be termed “stupid plagiarism.”

Reasons 2-4 don’t justify plagiarism or protect one from
consequences.
(1)
deliberate attempt to pass off another’s ideas as
one’s own.
(2)
ignorance of why and how to cite
(3)
sloppiness, laziness -- failure to keep a record while
researching
(4)
“cryptomnesia” -- a forgetting of the source of
one’s ideas, thinking them original
J. Rodgers, “Why and How People Commit Plagiarism.” http://condor.bcm.tmc.edu/MicroImmuno/courses/igr/whyplag.html(May 9, 1999)
25
Avoiding Plagiarism
(SSW, 488-90;Hacker, 262 ff.)
 Cite quotations and borrowed ideas.
 includes direct quotes, paraphrases of sentences, chapters,
paragraphs, diagrams, stats, tables.
 exception: common knowledge (e.g., Freud’s theory of the
unconscious)
 Enclose borrowed language in quotation marks.
 omitting quotation marks is plagiarism -- suggests that the
words are your own
 Put summaries & paraphrases in your own words.
 it’s plagiarism if you “half-copy” the author’s phrases without
using quotation marks
** see exercise re: citing / plagiarizing
26
How to Cite & Take Notes
(adapted from John Rodgers*)
 Before starting, be clear on what constitutes
plagiarism.
 At the library or computer terminal
 always write down references in your notes
 always put quotes around a copied text
 note when you paraphrase: paraphrases need
citations
 photocopy the front page of the source
 download /print out electronic source material (CL)
 use your own initials to distinguish your comments
from those of the text you’re reading (CL)
*
John Rodgers, “Plagiary and the Art of Skillful Citation.”
http://condor.bcm.tmc.edu/Micro-Immuno/courses/igr/artcite.html (May 9,
1999)
27
How to Cite & Take Notes, cont.
 At word processor / while composing
 (Brian Fiero): stay away from the primary source
when composing, to avoid direct quotation or
paraphrasing
 re-read your sentences and decide if they’re your
own or if they need citations
 Using @ref: -written something that needs a
reference but you don’t have the original?
 type “@ref” where you should place the reference
 later, search your document for “@ref” string, add
the complete reference, and delete the “@ref.”
28
Common Citation Concerns
 I've researched everything in the essay.
I'll have to cite everything I wrote.
Most (at least 60%) of the essay should be in
your own words. You show your creativity &
organization by how you select from other
sources, and how you order your information.
 They (the outside sources) say it so much
better than I can say it.
But they're not writing on your specific topic.
Select the information you need for your
essay's purpose and audience. Quote
selectively, but mainly use your own words.
29
Common Citation Concerns, cont.
 I don't know when I'm paraphrasing, and
when it would be considered my own
words.
Check with the APA Manual or MLA Style
Guide in the library. When in doubt, cite.
 Isn't everything on the Internet in the
public domain?
No; information on web sites, for example, is
intellectual property, like hard-copy data.
Even if the site allows use of material, you must
still reference what you are using.
30
Common Citation Concerns, cont.
 I put the source in parentheses in the essay;
why do I have to list them in the references /
bibliography too?
The reader needs to know at all points in the essay
what are your words/ideas, and what are those of
others. Listing ALL your sources at the end is
important for readers & gives your work credibility.
 What about this chart / photo / schematic
from a book (or Internet)?
Illustrations must be cited like other sources. Put the
source in small type underneath the illustration, and
ALSO list the source in the References section.
31
Common Citation Concerns,
cont.
 I can never remember the exact format
for the different kinds of sources.
Very few people remember the formats! Most
of us have to consult the reference books.
 These are just theoretical requirements
that students have to suffer through.
 It takes too long; the essay is due
tomorrow.
 I didn’t know about the plagiarism policy.
32
Researching your topic

Take at least 30 minutes to search the library either
physically or through the online catalogue or other online
sources.

For your essay topic, find and document (e.g., use APA
format, as noted in Strategies textbook) as a possible
source at least ONE of each of the following
1.
scholarly or professional book
2.
journal article from a scholarly or professional publication
3.
scholarly or professional web site
4.
(time permitting) relevant article from a popular newspaper
or journal

If you’re not sure, ask your instructor.

Show your completed source list to your instructor and
discuss your research paper topic before the end of class.
33


DEGREES OF
CREDIBILITY & AUTHENTICITY
SCHOLARSHIP
For any source of fact and valid
information, the absolute
requirements are two:
 CREDIBILITY: (credo= L.
‘belief’)
 AUTHENTICITY: (OED: reliable,
trustworthy, of established
credit.)
o Credibility & Authenticity are
the twin guarantors of
reliability.

These are two necessary
conditions for scholarship
WIKIPEDIA
Popular
 Convenient
 Accessible
 ‘Up-to-Date’
 Seemingly ‘Open’
 Links-rich
Formally antithetical to the
longstanding ethos of
Academic Scholarship

#1: Credible and Authentic
 A published resource written and supervised by
credentialed experts and validated by authorised
gatekeepers; such as Universities, government agencies,
International bodies like the Royal Society, etc.
o
o
o


The Encyclopedia Britannica
The Oxford English Dictionary
American Medical Association Complete Medical Encyclopedia
This type of encyclopedia is the ONLY academically and
intellectually credible and acceptable knowledge source.
These are the necessary conditions for safeguarding TRUTH
#2: Partisan or Idiosyncratic
 (i.) a resource published by a self-proclaimed partisan
source. The biases and orientation are plainly and openly
declared.
o
o
o

The Roman Catholic Encyclopedia
Feminist Majority Foundation Research Centre
Fraser Institute + Canadian Centre For Policy Alternatives, Etc.
(ii.) a one-person prescriptive reference publication on a
specialised subject.
o
o
o
Fowler’s Modern English Usage
Roget’s Thesaurus (the real one, that is).
Winston Churchill’s History of the Second World War
#3: Selective Open-Source Authorship Controlled by an Oligarchy
(e.g. WIKIPEDIA )
 provenance of any piece of fact or information is absolutely
unknown.
 expertise and certified credential has absolutely no value for
contribution
o
o
o

Contributors are a limited demographic elite
Governance is by an even tinier self-selected sub-demographic elite
comprised of… people who spend a lot of time on the open-source .
rules & standards are made up by its oligarchy to match the
preferences and advantages of that oligarchy
the aggregated list of enclosed links in a Wikipedia entry has
the same deficiency as the entire project:
o
“poisoned fruit of the poisoned tree”
1.
2.
3.
4.
You already know the answer: i.e. you are an expert on the
topic that you are looking up.
You don’t care about the answer being true or false.
The topic is trivial: e.g. popular culture.
You want to know “what is everybody thinking?” about a
topic:
o
5.
i.e. you need to see the populist weather-vane on a topic.
You are doing research about Wikipedia
o
you are writing a scholarly article or credible essay where
Wikipedia—or some specific section, text, or aspect in, or
controversy about Wikipedia—is your subject-matter.