PS490 Research Studies Directions: Be sure to save an electronic copy of your answer before submitting it to Ashworth College for grading. Unless otherwise stated, answer in complete sentences, and be
Lecture Notes
Writing a research paper is an indispensable aspect of academic life. It is understandable that this is usually met with much anxiety and intimidation; however, this is only because you have not gone through the process.
Writing such a scholarly paper takes a lot of practice and discipline. But the rewards are great for your self-satisfaction and as a mark of your academic achievement. Even seasoned academics still wrestle with the process and struggle with writing but with good organization, scheduling ample time, focus, concentration and a willingness to learn, you will succeed.
Organizing your Paper
One of the biggest challenges when starting to write, particularly when you have loads of material that seems relevant in some way to your study, is determining what to include and what can be dispensed with. A good rule to follow is to figure out the degree of relevance; does it speak to the core of the issue or does it just touch on the issue? You will discern as you read more material how close to the issue they are. The closer they are, the more important that they be included.
One very good practice is to develop an outline. The outline will keep you on track and prevent your writing from traveling off the center or addressing the question. Your research proposal may be expanded as an outline where you can incorporate headings and subheadings and bullet points. This will be beneficial in guiding your thought and writing process.
Another helpful organizational practice is called mapping. When you are unsure where specific content or ideas should fall in the structure, or even if something needs to be included at all, running the idea through a visual map such as the one diagrammed below can guide your decision.
(Figure adapted from Writing Center, Cleveland State University, Invention Techniques. http://www.csuohio.edu/academic/writingcenter/invent.html)
Make sure every paragraph you write contributes to, supports, answers or solves your inquiry. It must be of consequence to your study; otherwise, it does not belong in the paper. Always keep the research question or problem statement or research objective in focus.
Two Approaches: To analyze or to argue? That is the question
It is important to determine early in the research process whether your topic lends itself to a research paper that is analytical or argumentative in its substance and form. Knowing this will strongly guide your strategy of what to research, how to organize, and what to include in your paper.
An ANALYTICAL paper uses evidence to analyze facets of an issue. Here you would create a research question research. You would then identify secondary sources that could contribute to arriving at a finding or conclusion. Your insights, findings, and conclusion (and sometimes recommendation) after you analyze all relevant materials dealing with your question will be your contribution to the academic discussion on the topic. This method requires critical thinking and reading.
An ARGUMENTATIVE or PERSUASIVE paper is an approach where you take a stand on an issue and use secondary research to support your argument. Your argument would include a problem statement, as well as supporting evidence culled from your secondary research. You would select only evidence which directly supports your thesis or argument. Most important here are the insights upon which your argument is built.
Writing the Parts of the Research Paper
Clear writing requires thought, structure and coherence. The notes below will help guide you towards scholarly writing.
Introduction
Remember from Lesson 2 the introduction should establish a frame of reference for the reader by providing the background information for the paper. It informs the reader what your paper is trying to do (research question or problem statement) and how you are going to do it (support your question or statement through evidence that will be discussed throughout the body of the paper). It provides a historical overview of your paper, states its significance and limitation, and includes definition of terms. These should all have been identified in your research proposal. The introduction should also be effective enough to entice and lead the reader towards the entire paper.
Your research proposal is the starting point for writing the Introduction. Your research question or problem statement should guide your writing.
Body of the Paper - Research Method: Literature Review/Secondary Research
Begin your discussion of relevant literature from a broad perspective. As you proceed, narrow the perspective, leading to specific ideas and studies that focus on your question or statement. Imagine this approach as being like an inverted pyramid.
Clear structure: Throughout your literature review, your structure should be clear. Start with an overview of a specific study and establish the relationship or association of the study with your focus. You can achieve this with the help of organizational devices such as headings, subheadings, and transitional sentences.
Must be related: It is important to constantly emphasize how the literature you are discussing is related to your research question or problem statement. Point out clearly why they are related to your study. If you cannot establish the relationship, there is no point to including the material. If you use sources other than literature, it is just as important to identify why you are using such material in relation to your research question or problem statement.
Credit where due: You must always acknowledge the authors whose ideas you are using and/or whose research you are referencing. Use both citations in parenthesis next to their name and reference their work in the bibliography. In cases of using the author’s actual words, you use quotations for phrases or sentences, or indented paragraphs for a longer quotation.
Conclusion
We discussed the conclusion in earlier lessons. It is important to mention that perhaps the most important question a conclusion should answer, after all the reviews and analysis of sources is, “what does it all mean?” The conclusion should include a brief summary of all that has been said about your topic and describe its importance in terms of the research question or problem statement. It should be a synopsis of how the existing literature contributed to an understanding of the specific problem you were trying to solve or topic you were trying to explore. Whatever insights, ideas, or discoveries you unearthed throughout the research, review, and writing process should be included in the concluding portion of the written paper.
Bibliography
The bibliography, as discussed in the previous module, is included in the final paper for submission. Finalizing the bibliography should be done at a separate time from writing the paper. Devote a different time just working on the bibliography.
