Developing Research Paper Writing Skills

Developing Research Paper Writing Skills

This assignment sequence, though it is a particularly challenging area for non-native speakers, is also a sequence that would be helpful for native speakers. The sequence will take one week, and should be taught after students have engaged in research, chosen a thesis and composed an outline for their paper. The assignment will assist them in beginning to write paragraphs that effectively use source material in the context of a paragraph. The supplementary signal phrase resource provides non-native speakers with the language they need to effectively transition into a piece of source information within a paragraph.
Using Source Information in Academic Writing

Imagine you are writing an argumentative research paper designed to convince an audience that it is important to understand and accept gender differences. Consider the following quotations.

Part 1: Which of these would be helpful in proving your thesis? Which would require more information to be able to support a statement about gender differences? What kind of information would be necessary?

Part 2: Which would you summarize, which would paraphrase, and which would you quote?

1. “Why are so many men reluctant to ask directions? Why aren’t women? And why can’t women understand why men don’t want to ask? The explanation, for this and for countless minor and major frustrations that women and men encounter when they talk to each other, lies in the different ways they use language--..”

Source: Deborah Tannen “Sex, Sighs and Conversation: Why Men and Women Can’t Communicate,” pg 211

2. “Don Elium, coauthor of the best-selling 1992 book, Raising a Son, says that with troubled boys, there’s often a common theme: distant, uninvolved fathers, and mothers who have taken on more responsibility to fill the gap.”

Source: Barbara Kantrowiez and Claudia Kalb “Boys Will Be Boys,” pg 205

3. “For girls, the first crisis point often comes in early adolescence.”

Source: Barbara Kantrowiez and Claudia Kalb “Boys Will Be Boys,” pg 202

4. “In early societies, men’s role as hunters and warriors gave them more prestige than women. With that prestige came power: men could distribute food to the entire community and determine its social structure.”

Source: Hamilton McCubbin and Barbara Blum Dahle “Sex Roles,” pg 192

5. “ ‘Real-life’ role models affect children’s thinking; so, too do the role models in literature (including comics and children’s books), film and television…”

Source: Hamilton McCubbin and Barbara Blum Dahle “Sex Roles,” pg 193

6. “Realizing that a partner’s behavior is not his or her individual failing, but a normal expression of gender, lifts the burden of blame and disappointment.”

Source: Deborah Tannen “Sex, Sighs and Conversation: Why Men and Women Can’t Communicate,” pg 213

Part 3: Choose one quotation and imagine how it could fit into the context of a paper with the thesis mentioned.

1. Paraphrase the quotation.

2. Decide what type of source you have chosen to put into your paper. Is this background information? Is it an argument source? An opposing viewpoint? Consider the IBEAM model.

3. Where would this fit into a paper? Think about how you might introduce this piece of information. Develop a short paragraph using your paraphrase and include your in-text citation in MLA format.

The quotations used in this assignment were found in the following resource:

Gardner, P. (2005). New Directions: Reading Writing and Critical Thinking Second Edition. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Supplementary resource for non-native speakers (though you can give it to all students so as not to single them out):

Verbs to signal source material within an argumentative essay (either a summary, paraphrase or a quote):

Assignment Sequence B © Sherry Warren, 2010

admit

agree

argue

assert

believe

claim

compare

confirm

contend

declare

deny

emphasize

insist

note

observe

point out

reason

refute

reject

report

respond

suggest

think

write

Sample signal phrases:

Morris and Warren (2009), psycholinguists, point out that …

As Simin and Georgefski (1998) have noted, …

Francis (2009) observes that …

For use with quotations only:

“…,” claimed Porter (2003).

In the words of Al Gore (2006), “…”

For homework:

Have the students determine at least 6 pieces of information that they think would be useful in defending their thesis. Have students bring printed source material with this information highlighted to class.

Next class period:

Put students into groups according to topic. Have them explain to partners what they plan to use the information to prove in their papers. Then have individuals write a body paragraph, working from their outlines, according to the guidelines above.