Chapter 10-Research Writing
Depending upon the objectives of your course, this may either be the first or the last chapter you read. Many students are intimidated by research, and it can be challenging; however, learning strategies and developing a plan for research can make the process much more manageable.
Research is a big topic, so this chapter will be split into multiple sections:
- Academic integrity
- Evaluating resources
- Academic style
- Paraphrasing and summarizing
- Strategies for research
I. Academic Integrity
Academic integrity issues often arise when students are writing. There is a right and a wrong way to incorporate sources and use technology. It is so important that you know the difference between the two; otherwise, dire consequences can occur.
Let’s start with a few definitions:
According to Lumen Learning, “Academic honesty means demonstrating and upholding the highest integrity and honesty in all the academic work that you do.” Basically, this means that you do your own work, and do not cheat. You also must give credit when you use resources. Additionally, and maybe most importantly, it means that buying a paper, using a friend’s homework answers, reusing an essay from another class, getting excess “help” from a family member, or asking technology, such as a translator or AI, to do your work for you, is dishonest–it is cheating and should be avoided at all costs!
Each instructor and university has their own policy concerning the consequences for academic dishonesty, but none of them are positive! Consequences may include receiving an F on the assignment or in the class or being expelled from the program or university.
Keep in mind–incidents of academic dishonesty are documented and often shared among pertinent instructors in a department. You don’t want to get a reputation as a cheater!!
Finally, and most importantly, academic dishonesty impedes the learning process. If you aren’t doing the work yourself, you aren’t learning. Completing your assignments in your own words is especially critical for language acquisition if you are a second language learner.
Plagiarism is a term often heard in academic circles and is a specific type of academic dishonesty. Plagiarism is defined as “The practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own” (Dictionary).
Plagiarism can occur intentionally or unintentionally. You might wonder how this is possible. Well, intentional plagiarism would include copying and pasting a paper or parts of a paper (or any assignment) from a source, such as a book or the Internet. Unintentional plagiarism means that a student forgot to cite a source OR failed to cite the source correctly. Keep in mind–there are consequences for unintentional plagiarism, so it’s really important to learn to cite properly.
II. Evaluating Sources
We all know that the Internet is full of information—not all of it factual. A simple Google search is rarely acceptable when writing academically. Therefore, it is important that you learn to evaluate the sources you plan to use for an assignment to ensure their reliability. A popular method for evaluating the sources you are considering using in your essay is the CRAAP method.
Currency
- Is the source current? If it is out of date, it might be worth searching for more recent sources.
Relevancy
- Is the source appropriate for your topic and genre? Does the information apply to what you are writing about?
Authority
- Who is the author and what are his/her credentials? Is the author qualified to write on this topic? For example, if the author is an English teacher writing about a medical topic, she is probably not well-qualified, and you should find a different source.
Accuracy
- This relates to the reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the information. Can you verify this information or might it be “fake news”?
Purpose
- Are there any biases or prejudices in the source? To be honest, it is rather difficult to find sources that have absolutely no bias because the information is written by a human–who does, indeed, have some type of bias! That being said, make sure you are aware of this and take it into consideration when using the source.
Other Considerations:
When using an Internet source, some websites are considered more reliable than others. For example, some instructors may require you only use .gov or .edu websites. Make sure you know which type of websites are acceptable for use in the course you are taking.
Additionally, using the library, including the library database, is always preferred over doing a simple Google search! Not only will your search be more productive, but your school library will undoubtedly have more reliable sources.
III. Academic Style
It is important to have a basic understanding of academic style and what your teacher expects from you in regards to your assignment. Academic style is a term that is used to refer to the formatting and citation usage within a written piece of work. Most English classes use Modern Language Association (MLA) style.
Formatting
- All essays are typed on a computer and printed on standard white paper.
- Double-space your entire paper.
- Use a legible font such as Times New Roman or Arial.
- The font size should be 12 pt. For many current word processing programs, this means you will have to change your font size.
- Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides.
- Indent the first line of each paragraph by hitting the “tab” button on your keyboard.
- In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, list your name, your instructor’s name, the course, and the date. Again, be sure to use double-spaced text. MLA does NOT require a title page like some other academic styles.
- Double-space again and center the title. Do not underline, italicize, or place your title in quotation marks. There should never be a period after your title. Write the title in Title Case (standard capitalization), not in all capital letters.
- Double-space between the title and the first line of the text.
- Create a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes your last name, followed by a space with a page number.
Here is an example of an MLA formatted essay:
IV. Research Citations
In-text Citations
Although technology has drastically changed creating in-text and Works Cited pages, it is still important that you have a basic understanding. Sometimes even technology gets it wrong, so it vital that you check for accuracy.
First of all, one of the most common errors made by students is they include in-text citations but do not include a Works Cited page or vice versa. I cannot stress this enough–YOU MUST HAVE BOTH!!
In-text citations are exactly what they sound like. This is the way that a writer gives credit to a source in-text or in the actual paragraph or essay he or she is writing. For example, if you use a quote from a famous celebrity, you must give credit to that person. So, you will include an in-text citation. This can be done in two different ways. Neither way is better than the other.
Signal Phrase: This involves stating the name of the person who made the quote.
According to Coco Chanel, “Elegance is when the inside is as beautiful as the outside.”
**I included the name of the person who made the quote before I typed the actual quote. This is using a signal phase.
Parenthetical Citation: This is a bit different and involves including the author’s name (if you have it) in parentheses after the quote.
“Elegance is when the inside is as beautiful as the outside” (Chanel).
**The person who made the quote is Coco Chanel, and I placed her name in parentheses for my citation. Note–sometimes, you may not know who made the quote. If you don’t have the author, use the title of the article.
It is also important to know that you don’t just have to cite direct quotes. You also have to cite anything you paraphrase or summarize. So, that means if you read it somewhere, but you put it in your own words, you still have to cite or give credit. This applies to ANYTHING you use while writing a paper. If you summarize a movie, use a line from a song, or retell a funny story told by your 8th grade science teacher, you must include a citation! In-text citations are not just for direct quotes!
Works Cited Page
A Works Cited page is simply a list of all of the sources you used in your essay. So, if you included any type of source, you should have an in-text citation, and it should be listed on your Works Cited page.
There are different ways to format different types of sources. It is not important that you memorize how to format each and every type, but it is important that you know where to go if you need help. The Purdue OWL is a treasure trove of great resources for MLA formatting and citation. Your university library will also likely have a page dedicated to research. Finally, you can buy an academic style guide, although I don’t really recommend it. The reason for this is that MLA often updates their standards, and paper style guides frequently become obsolete because of changes made by the association.
In general, entries on a Works Cited page must follow these specifications:
- Begin your Works Cited page on a separate page at the end of your paper. Follow the same formatting as the rest of your essay.
- Label the page “Works Cited.” (Do not italicize the words Works Cited or put them in quotation marks.) Center words “Works Cited” at the top of the page.
- Double-space all entries.
- Use hang indenting or reverse indentation for the second line of each entry. Most word processing program can be set up to do this automatically.
To see an annotated MLA formatted paper with citations, visit the Purdue OWL website.
V. Paraphrasing & Summarizing
Paraphrasing and summarizing are used interchangeably, but they are not the same things.
While both involve restating information that you have read or researched in your own words, paraphrasing involves maintaining the original meaning without changing the core ideas. Paraphrased information will be roughly the same length as the original material.
Summarizing, on the other hand, involves condensing a larger piece of text into a shorter version, capturing the main points and omitting unnecessary details. It provides a concise overview of the original content.
For example, if you were telling a friend about a movie you recently saw, you would summarize it. You would give your friend a shortened version of the movie. You would not paraphrase it–your friend doesn’t want to hear a two-hour review of the movie.
Here is another example that you might find when researching:
Original material: “The effects of climate change are becoming increasingly apparent. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and melting polar ice caps are just a few examples of the impacts we are witnessing. Urgent action is needed to mitigate these effects and transition to a more sustainable future.”
Summary: Climate change is causing noticeable effects such as higher temperatures, extreme weather events, and melting polar ice caps. Immediate action is necessary to address these impacts and move towards a sustainable future.
Paraphrase: The consequences of climate change are becoming more evident with rising temperatures, extreme weather occurrences, and the melting of polar ice caps. It is crucial to take urgent measures to mitigate these consequences and shift towards a more sustainable path.
**Note–the summarized and paraphrased version both contain key ideas, but the summarized version is shorter.
When you are researching for an essay, you want the majority of the information to be paraphrased or summarized. You should use few direct quotes. Anyone can copy and paste a quote! You showcase your writing skills by researching, thinking about the information, and then restating in your own words. Most importantly, and as stated previously in this chapter, if you summarize or paraphrase, you MUST still include an in-text citation and Works Cited entry.
VI. Research Strategies
Below are some tips for researching well:
Make sure you understand the assignment, and read the assignment guidelines carefully to understand the requirements, topic, formatting style, and any specific instructions provided by your instructor. If you are not sure of certain specifications, ask for help! Because writing is subjective, each professor will have his or her own requirements for papers. Make sure you know what your instructor expects!
Develop a strong thesis statement: Craft a clear and concise thesis statement that states the main argument or objective of your research paper. Your thesis statement should guide your writing and be supported by evidence throughout the paper.
Planning and organizing your paper might be the most important step. Consider creating a detailed outline or a research plan to guide your writing process. This will help you stay focused and ensure that your paper has a logical structure. Your instructor might require you do this in a certain way, but whatever you do, don’t skip this step!
Conduct thorough research. Gather relevant and reliable sources to support your arguments. Use academic databases, scholarly journals, books, reputable websites, and other credible sources to gather information.
As you are researching, take effective notes. You might take annotated notes or use notecards to highlight key points, quotes, and references. Organize your notes based on different sections or themes of your paper.
Create an engaging introduction. This step is not new; it’s something you should do in all of the papers you write. Start your paper with an attention-grabbing introduction that provides background information, presents the research problem, and states the significance of your study. End the introduction with a well-defined thesis statement.
Follow your introduction with well-crafted body paragraphs. This is where you will include the majority of your research facts, quotes, and statistics.
Your essay will end with a conclusion. This might be one paragraph, or it could be a few paragraphs. Just remember–summarize your main ideas and restate your thesis. Don’t include new ideas or research in your conclusion. However, this is a good place to include a call to action.
Use appropriate citations and references. Follow the required citation style consistently throughout your paper. Make sure you are doing this as you are writing! Otherwise, you could accidentally leave out necessary citations which could lead to unintentional plagiarism. Create a Works Cited page at the end of your paper.
Finally, take the time to revise and edit your paper. Check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Review the content for clarity, coherence, and logical flow. Seek feedback from peers, a tutor, or your instructor to improve your paper further.