WRITING RESEARCH PAPERS
From your initial idea through the final paper…
© Karen Conerly 2013
Choosing Your Topic
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Get instructor’s approval of topic if required
Pick one that interests you
Not too broad a topic – too much to cover
Not too narrow a topic – not enough to cover
© Karen Conerly 2013
Finding Sources
 Professor specified number of sources and type
 Make sure you comply with these specifications
 Bring your printed assignment to tutoring, the writing
lab, or the library for assistance
 Delta College’s Goleman Library
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Online Databases and tutorials – free
Reference Librarian to assist you
Library books you can check out
Magazines, periodicals, and other sources
 Research Online
 Reliable web sites only
© Karen Conerly 2013
Studying Gathered Materials
 Print your material that you have gathered
 As you read, highlight important key points
 Prioritize your selected key points
 Rewrite key points in your own words
© Karen Conerly 2013
Getting Ready to Write
 Think about what you learned from your sources
 What can your do to capture readers’ interest?
 Create a strong thesis statement
 Note main points for the body of the paper
 Restate your thesis and key points in conclusion
© Karen Conerly 2013
Make an Outline or Diagram
1. Introduction
Capture the reader’s interest
Include a STRONG thesis statement
2. Body of your paper
Each paragraph covers one main point
Main points go into your outline/diagram
3. Conclusion
Restate your thesis
Wrap up your most important main points
© Karen Conerly 2013
What Format to Use
 Whatever format specified by instructor
 American Psychological Association (APA)
 Often used by Social Sciences:
Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology
 Modern Language Association (MLA)
Often used for English, Literature, Humanities
 Other formats or modifications to these may
be made by instructor
© Karen Conerly 2013
Setting up for Writing
Know your format and set it up on your computer:
1. Attend another workshop here on APA /MLA
2. Check out the tutorials or more information at:
APA
http://www.apastyle.org
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/
MLA
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/
© Karen Conerly 2013
Set your Computer for the
Basic Format and Layout
 1-inch margins
 10-12-point font (Times New Roman or Arial)
 Double-spaced
 Paragraph indentation is ½ inch, using the Tab
key, not the space key
 All primary headings within the paper are in
bold.
© Karen Conerly 2013
Writing the First Draft
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Get as early a start as you can
Seek a place where you won’t be disturbed
Keep your outline visible for reference
Use the notes you wrote on key points
Don’t worry too much about format and style
Let your ideas flow into the keyboard
Make notes to yourself where citations will go
Be sure to save your work frequently
Take frequent breaks and walk around
© Karen Conerly 2013
Editing
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Print the first draft
Go to a comfortable place to read it aloud
Take a pen or pencil with you
Put yourself in the position of a reader
Ask yourself if you find it:
 interesting
 understandable
 Mark changes on your printout
© Karen Conerly 2013
Citing Your Sources
 Details on when, where, and how to do this
are in the APA/MLA workshop, given here, so
check the schedule
 Make sure you cite anything that is NOT
common knowledge, is a quote, or you
learned from your research
 When in doubt, cite your source
© Karen Conerly 2013
Works Cited or Bibliography
 After you have written all of your paper,
create a new blank page
 This page will hold the detailed information
required for each source you used and cited
 Make sure you inserted an in-text citation for
each of your sources listed in Works Cited or
Bibliography and each in-text citation has an
entry in the Works Cited or Bibliography list
© Karen Conerly 2013
Polishing Your Paper
 Review spelling and grammar for errors
 Don’t rely on the computer’s Spelling and
Grammar checker to always be correct
 Is the physical layout correct?
 Have you inserted in-text citations correctly?
 Do you have a correct “Works Cited” page?
 Make sure you have an entry on the “Works
Cited” page for every in-text citation, and use
every entry on the “Works Cited” page in your
paper
© Karen Conerly 2013
Have Others Read It
 Ask other people to review your paper
 Find out if they understand it
 Ask them to notice any errors
 Take it to the Writing Lab in Holt 201
 Get an appointment: 954-5586
 Make it a few days before the paper is due
© Karen Conerly 2013
Activity
 Using the Goleman Library Databases
 Pre-writing exercises
© Karen Conerly 2013