What is a Research Paper?
What is Documentation & Why is it Important?
Starting Your Research Paper
Research Topics for Paper 4
Topic Ideas
Intro to Thompson Library
Library Tips

This week you're going to start Paper 2: Research Your Birth Date and you need to start thinking about the topic for Paper 4: Research Paper.

In the past I always began this unit by asking my class two things:
1) How many of you have written a research paper before?
2) What documentation style did you use, MLA or APA?

Inevitably, most students said they had written a research paper before but couldn't remember which method they used for citing their sources. When I asked them to describe their research papers I quickly realized that we had very different ideas of what a research paper is. So to clarify things, let's start with what I mean by these terms.

What is a Research Paper?

A research paper is a paper which examines a subject, based on objective research. It reflects the author's ideas but is written in the third person, and the author's ideas are supported by evidence from sources (books, magazines, newspaper, interviews, etc.). A research paper is not simply a report of what the sources say about a topic (that's a report), but shows original thought.

A research paper always has a thesis and is never a string of quotes with no original thought.

By the way, this is what most professors will expect when they assign research papers. If you write reports instead, you could seriously damage your grade point average!

What is Documentation & Why is it Important?

Documentation refers to the method used to cite your sources. This is important because it shows the reader which ideas are yours and which come from your sources. To use ideas from a source without acknowledging it, even accidentally, is plagiarism. As you may recall from reading your Survival Kit this is a serious academic crime. If you are caught plagiarizing you will not only get a failing grade for that paper and that class, you can be expelled from the University.

By the way, don't be fooled by web sites that offer you research papers and claim you have the author's permission to use them. Turning someone else's work, whether you download it or buy it, is plagiarism. Also, in case you didn't know, most professors know all about those web sites… so it's pretty easy to catch plagiarists.

Documentation includes two components: in-text citations and a list of sources at the end. The format for these elements depends on which style of documentation you are using. We'll be using Modern Language Association (MLA) Style. This is distinctly different from the American Psychological (APA) Style used in the sciences. We'll learn more about these soon, but for now just know that they are two very different styles. When documenting your research paper, choose one style (MLA or APA) and stick with it. Always refer to your textbooks for how to write the in-text citations and the sources -- don't guess!

Starting Your Research Paper

"It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories,
instead of theories to suit facts." ~ Sherlock Holmes in "A Scandal in Bohemia"

How do you do start a research project? Usually, you decide on a topic, read lots of sources about it, then decide on your thesis and supporting points, decide what evidence from your sources will prove your points, and then start writing. You've probably noticed that this requires lots of work before you actually start writing!

Most of the readings this week in Writing the Modern Research Paper apply more to the final research paper than to Paper 2, but don't be afraid to apply some of the planning and research suggestions to Paper 2.

In Paper 2 you'll be researching what happened on the day, week, month, and year you were born. The paper will follow a specific format, and you will be required to use some specific sources. For those of you who haven't done many research papers, Paper 2 will be a good introduction. For those of you who are more familiar with research, Paper 2 will be a good refresher.

Many students tell me they don't like research papers. This is usually because they were not allowed to choose their own topics and were assigned topics in which they had no interest. That's why for Paper 2 the topic is something you are interested in: your life. Yes, you'll be doing library research and interviews, but you'll be looking at factors that influenced your life. This should be a fun way to begin research. You'll be learning skills you can apply to the big research paper later, but in the meantime you'll be learning more and writing about yourself.

Research Topics for Paper 4

This week, while you are working on Paper 2, start thinking about what you'd like to write your final research paper on (Paper 4). It can be any topic in which you are interested. The final research paper is 8-10 pages, so the topic has to be broad enough to explore in some depth, but not so broad that you can't do a good job.  Your goal is to inform your readers (and yourself!) about the topic in some depth.

The topic can be something you are already familiar with, or one that you would like to learn more about.  There's just one caveat: avoid papers on abortion, gun control, capital punishment, drug legalization, euthanasia, assisted suicide, or any other topic which requires you to make a moral, ethical, or religious value judgment. Your goal is to write an objective research paper; you can't do that if you are too emotional about the topic.

Topic Ideas

A historical event or person: what makes it/him/her so interesting?  Is it unusual, relatively unknown, misrepresented, etc.?

Examine the work(s) of a writer or artist: is there a common theme or influence?  You could examine one work in great depth (the subtlety of painting or novel, for example).  This would be a division and classification (examination of the parts and how well they work together).

A craft or hobby.  This could be something you like to do or would like to learn.  What would the reader need to know about this craft? What are the goals?  What tools or materials are required?  What skills are necessary?  Where do you get the tools and materials?  How can you learn the skills?  This could include a process analysis.

A medical condition or disease.  Perhaps you need to learn about a medical condition that effects you or someone close to you.

Other subjects you have read about (perhaps while researching other papers) but have never explored such as the Big Bang Theory, Black Holes, Stephen Hawking, John Glenn, the Titanic disaster (not the movie!), the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (not the song!), and the life of Edgar Allan Poe.

Start thinking about your topic.

Intro to Thompson Library

Paper 2 requires you to use the microforms room and other reference materials in UMF's Thompson Library.

For those who are not familiar with the library, the Web Links in Blackboard contain links to info about the library (where to find stuff, how to do research, etc.). This info is good, but is no replacement for a friendly librarian. Remember, any time you have a question, ask a library for help. That's what they are there for. They like helping students and enjoy a challenge -- so don't be afraid of bothering them when you need help.

If you have trouble finding book in the library, it might be because you are used to the Dewey Decimal system (which most high school and public libraries use). Our library, like most universities, uses the Library of Congress system. If you need help, you can get a list of topics and call numbers at the Reference Desk.

Library Tips

• If you've been looking for something for more than 10 minutes and can't find what you need, ask a librarian for help
• Tell the librarian how much time you have to work so he or she can use your time to your best advantage (“I only have half an hour before my next class and I need help finding X…”)
• The librarians can help you with any stage of your research, but don't expect them to do the research for you; they will help you find the kind of info or sources you need, but compiling and interpreting the info is up to you!
• If you need a book or article our library does not have, you can order it through interlibrary loan (ILL). This service is free, but it can take a week to 10 days to get your book or article, so start your research early
• The Thompson library now has some e-books available through the netLibrary (There's a link from the library's main page)