ENG 11 RESEARCH PAPER PROCESS: HISTORY ISSUE 2008
GENERAL DESCRIPTION The final paper is to be a minimum of 1250 words (5 typed pages long, or 15 pages handwritten (at 7 words x 12 lines doublespaced). You must use a variety of sources--at least 7 secondary (library) sources (not counting interviews, television shows, surveys, etc.). No more than 1/2 can be Internet sources; do not use college student or anonymous Internet sources. You must have at least 30 notecards. You must also turn in all non-book sources (pages printed or xeroxed including at least 5 pages xeroxed from a key source). All these materials are to be turned in with the rough and final draft.
If school is out for snow after week one, it is assumed you will be working on gathering resources, taking notes and writing the paper.
For history research paper, see Literature book 528+. For problem-solution essay, see “Emergency Volunteers” essay in WI 210.For additional research explanations, see Writers Inc(WI 245+) and Research Papers: A Guide. MLA doc is on WI 259+ and sample research paper WI 275+ with outline and title page on 276.
OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS: PREPARATION 1a. Choose a topic. Reading in WI and Research Papers: A Guide on citing sources and Internet research. 2b. Know how to paraphrase and document.
WEEK ONE IN LIBRARY 2a. Find sources and skim over in order to do 2b. (Record sources on source (bibliography) cards.) 2b.Narrow topic, develop an opinion, and/or develop a sense of areas or subtopics (headings on notecards=outline's Is and As) What questions are you trying to answer about this topic? 2c. Develop a rough outline.
WEEK TWO IN LIBRARY3a. Take notes (on notecards) on sources. 3b. Develop a thesis (an opinion about this issue, an answer to the topic question). 3c. Check that your notes cover your outline and reflect your thesis.
WEEK THREE 4. Write the rough draft. Use internal documentation (author, page). Edit and revise. Prepare works cited list.
5.Write final draft.
WEEK ONE: FINDING SOURCES
Purpose: Determining if there are enough sources on this topic and developing a working bibliography.
1. As you find good sources, bookmark or save as favorite. Do BIBILIOGRAPHY/ SOURCE CARDS, following the card directions in WI 250 and the MLA format on WI 259+ handout. Give the original print source (if one) for online sources. Number bibliography cars to cross-reference to note cards. Be sure to give the exact pages of articles in anthologies!
2. Check an ENCYCLOPEDIA (Ency. Britannica or Colliers, preferably) to give you general information on your topic. Look for words to use as subject headings when looking up info later (synonyms, broader and narrower categories) and at their "See also" and bibliography. Make notes of the above and of related entries to read later on the back of the bibliography card.
Source card should have author, title of entry, encyclopedia, edition (year).
3. Check online CATALOG (OPAC) subjects (using broader subject headings too). List subjects you've checked on a card. Do source card for each relevant book with call number and library. Check book's table of contents and index.
4. Check online databases through AHS/Media Center for periodical articles(which you also can access from home with password--like eLibrary/Big chalk ( and SIRS (for social issues). At home you can also access and then finditva.com with a WCL library card.Check indexes for Newsweek, Economist, National Geographic, American Heritage and New York Times articles especially.
5. Especially for recent news stories, check magazines that the AHS has, but you can not check out magazines from AHS.
6. Check in the reference area these special collections of articles if relevant:
6a. SIRS Opposing Viewpoints,Taking Sides indexes and books for social issues
6b. GREAT EVENTS (listed in card catalog)
6c. Computer CDs DISCOVERING AUTHORS and online data bases of Galenet.gale.com
6d. Check VERTICAL FILE (filing cabinets) for local info. Check out relevant pamphlets.
6e. Colleges have other indexes (Humanities Index, Social Science Index).
7. Check Internet using several Programs(like InfoTrac OneFile, Big Chalk, Sirs, R2Proguest, elibrary) You may check Googlebut don’t use questionable sources.Ask me or a librarian for help if you have difficulty finding sources.
8. When you get your sources, read over all the articles. Highlight useful info.Be careful what you actually print out! Write questions, and headings for sections of your paper. 8b. Begin developing a thesis and rough outline. Thesis and rough outline on 3x5 card are due at end of week one.
WEEK TWO--Developing a thesis and rough outline and taking notes
8c. Complete bibliography cards using MLA format (also see mla.org). Turn in at least 8 source cards with correct MLA format. Label the type of each. Have at least one book, encyclopedia, magazine article/ essay in a anthology, Internet. Each essay in a collection is a source. Number the cards like M1 or A1.
Also, on a cover card write your topic, your name, and your editor's name.
On another card write a 5 point (very)rough outline as a writing plan. See WI 251. These points will be headings on notecards.With more info, this will evolve into a formal outline. See WI 276.
Cards, cover card, and writing plan Due_Day 4_
DEVELOPING A PRELIMINARY THESIS.
8d. Check if you have enough (or too many) sources, which may indicate that you need to broaden or narrow the focus of your paper. Also think about how you can create a new fresh thesis and essay using for support information from several sources, rather than merely copying the opinions of other articles. (The next step should help you do this.)
9. EXPLORING THE TOPIC 9a. Develop at least 5 questions about the topic which you want to answer in your paper, and keep adding to them.They should help you see where your paper is going. Due_Day 4____.
9b.DO ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TO DEVELOP A FOCUS AND ORGANIZATION. See Writers Incon problem-solution and cause and effect organizations. (This is based on your understanding of the topic from reading, but is not to be written using your reading. Get away from the sources!) Due ___Day 4______.
*1 "Cube" the topic; that is, imagine that your topic is a cube or box and try to see each side of it by freewriting on each of these aspects: Describe it. Compare it. Associate it with other issues. Analyze it. Apply it. Argue for or against it. List causes. List effects. What is a fresh approach to this subject?
*2 Are there "what if's" (predictions or possible solutions) that you want to imagine?
*3 Answer this "Problem Solving Formula": 1. What is the problem? 2. Why is the problem really a problem? 3. What goals must be served by whatever action or solution that is taken? 4. Which goals have the highest priority? 5. What procedures might achieve the stated goals? 6. What can I predict about the
consequences of each possible action? 7. Which course of action is the best? See also GR Ch. 11.
*4. For more historical topics, do a detailed web/brainstorm to help see what the connections are between different sections.
10. PRELIMINARY THESIS AND OUTLINE After completing 9b, you should have a sense of what you believe about your topic (your thesis) and how it should be organized (your rough outline). If not, read some more sources and talk with me. You may honestly not know what your opinion is; in that case, write your thesis as a question that your research will help you answer, but be sure it is focused and narrowed.
At this point, your outline should have at least four sections and two subheadings for each section. The formal topic outline in WI 276 gives an idea of how a TOPIC outline can help you with headings on notecards and to keep focused. (In other words, you will keep narrowing, polishing and adding and changing.) Due__Day 6____
NOTETAKING
11.See WI 250 and MLA Handout (and for more help Research:Guide and OWL http:/owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html). Be sure to check:
1. Write only one IDEA per card. Write a heading (keyed to your outline) in upper LEFT corner. 2. In upper RIGHT give bibliography card number and in lower RIGHT give parenthetical doc (usually author and page) or the NUMBER of the source and the PAGE. 3. Paraphrase info or put it in quotes. Look away from page when paraphrasing.
Note the new page number if you change pages.
Check especially: (a) All notes have a source and page number. Give a first name if two authors have the same last name (EX Smith, John and Smith, Amy), or give an abbreviated title as well as page number if you are using two works by the same author (Foner Factory 25)and (Foner Women 45).(b) Each notecard has a headingwhich uses the same words of a outline heading. (c)Most notes should be paraphrased (put in your own words). (d) Notes are quoted only if the passage in the source is written more eloquently than you or more technically than you can paraphrase, or is quoted to use the expert's authority to support you. If it is quoted,then it must be in quotation marks. Of course, you can combine paraphrase, summary and quotation when taking notes on any passage.
Turn in 10 notecards. Label each as a summary, paraphrase, direct quotation, or a combination. Due __Day 7______
12.Write on your notecards questions, reactions and insights that occur to you as you read; just write MY NOTE: to show it's your idea.
13. Use correctly quotation marks(WI 468+), periods, commas, italics, numbers, ellipses (WI 456). Generally, commas and periods go inside quotes; semicolons, colons and question marks outside. Remember to italicize titles of books.
14. Finish notetaking. Show me when you have taken 30 notecards. Due_Day 9______
WEEK TWO-THREE--Write a rough draft
GETTING ORGANIZED
l5. Sort your notecards into headings and compare your outline and notecards. Ideally, your notecards are a rough draft. Check where you need additional info and take notes.
Check: (a) Your thesis is a statement of your opinion and supported by your notes. ____ If not, revise it. (b) You have notes from a variety of sources to support all the points of your outline.______(c) You are not skimping on one section and being too detailed on another.______If not, take more notes.
l6. You may want to do a formal TOPIC outline now. See WI 276. In any case develop your original outline to the subheading (A/B) level.
WRITING THE ROUGH DRAFT
l7. Don't forget that this is your paper; your opinions and insights are important as well as what the experts say. Think about who your AUDIENCE is: someone who is opposed to your point of view or someone who wants to be informed. Type or write on only one side of the paper, so you can "cut and paste" if necessary. Write one section at a time as if you were writing a 300-word paper.
l8. Write the INTRODUCTION. SEE WI 252. Some intro paragraph types include 1) beginning with an anecdote (a story), 2) showing why this issue is important, possibly by quoting an expert, 3) beginning with definitions and background info and leading up to your thesis (like a funnel), 4) presenting what the other side thinks as a contrast to your own thesis (if you can deal with this in only one paragraph), 5) outline the main points of the paper. Try one of these;you may get an inspiration later for an even better beginning. In any case, lead up to the thesis in the last sentence of the paragraph.
19. WRITE A SECTION. Read MLA sample (WI 277) noticing how quotes are integrated and introduced.
Choose a "Roman numeral" section of your outline that you feel comfortable with, and organize the notecards for it according to your outline. Add your own opinions (if you haven't already as NOTES:). Think about words that need to be defined.
1)Begin with a background/transitional section and a clear TOPIC SENTENCE.
2)INTRODUCE QUOTATIONS and arphrases by showing how they are connected to the topic of the paragraph and usually telling who says it.
Also,indent long quotations (5+ typed lines) ten spaces with no quotation marks and usually introduce with a colon. See OWL/MLA.
3)DOCUMENTATION. SEE WI 260. Give the source of a direct quotation, a statistic, an idea, someone else's opinion, facts--anything that was not in your head before you began reading for this paper. That means after EVERY USE OF A NOTECARD GIVE THE AUTHOR (if not given as an introduction) AND PAGE NUMBER IN PARENTHESES. EX: (Jones 56) or (Amy Smith 56) or Foner Factory 56) or with no author ("Frozen" 330). This is called internal or parenthetical documentation (vs. footnotes). Generally there should be parenthetical docs after EVERY quotation and at least each paragraph.
EX: Some cooks specify olive oil with a "greenish cast" (Waters 297).
Regina Schrambling's pizza provides an unusual and nutritious alternative (125). [author given in text]
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one slice has 145 calories (22). [author given in text]
Claiborne chops the mozzarella and adds parmesan (International 440). [for two books by the same author]
Julie Wilson, who says her food is "fresh and honest," makes a blue cheese and pear pizza (qtd. in Claiborne and Franey 69). [Wilson said it, but the source was Claiborne and Franey]
O'Reilly says, "An Irish pizza has lots of green." [Personal interviews don't require parenthetical documentation; a bibliographic entry is enough. See 21.]
20. Continue writing the paper a section at a time. Generally a capital letter-level on an outline equals a paragraph in the paper.
21. STATISTICS, ETC. Think about graphs, pictures, charts,etc. which will add to your paper. Xerox copies (or scan) and put in the appropriate place. Doc source. These do not count in the total length of your paper, and statistics need to be interpreted and analyzed. The results of surveys that you have done and copies of interview questions and answers need to included in an appendix (extra material put before the bibliography).
WORKS CITED
22. Prepare a Works Cited of all sources USED in your paper. See sample WI 283. Follow MLA. Remember: alphabetize by author (or if none, by title's first key word). Doublespace. Indent the second line 5 spaces. Separate by periods. Dates are day month year: 19 Oct. 1977. Here are some examples of sources not in MLA:
Article in anthology—
Jones, Gary. “Greenhouse Ethics.” Takng Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Environmental Issues. 5th Edition. Ed. Theodore Goldfarb. New York: Pushkin, 1993. 306-322.
Interviews--Name.Position.Telephone or personal interview. Date.
O'Reilly, Kevin. Owner, O'Reilly Pizza. Personal interview.24 Nov.2005.
Surveys--
English 11CH, 6th period, Mrs.Jennings. Survey. 10 Dec. 2005.
Videos--
Claiborne,Craig. Craig Claiborne's New York Times VideoCookbook.Videocassette. New York Times Productions, l986. 110 min. [as much as is given]
23.Complete my CHECKLIST for the rough draft
24. Put in a plain folder: Rough draft____ outline______checklists ____ printed or xerox copies of articles____cover card and notecards in order the notes appear in the paper____unused cards (labeled not used)______bibliography cards (Be sure your name is on cards and they have rubber bands/paperclips holding them.) Due______
25. REVISING AND WRITING THE FINAL DRAFT
When you get back your rough draft from your editor, focus on those comments that s/he emphasized, but as a class we will be working on polishing some aspects.
TITLE PAGE- Do one (although MLA says not to). See example on WI 276. Check that the title is interesting and specific, not just a statement of your topic. You can use a subtitle, but put the subtitle on the second line.Center the following: Space down a third of page and type title and then another third and type name, class, date.
OUTLINE- Be sure it follows the formal TOPIC outline form:
Thesis is written as a statement.
Roman numerals are used for main headings.
Headings are NOT written as sentences. (This is a TOPIC outline.)
Corresponding headings are written in parallel structure--that is, written in the same grammatical form. For example, the key word in all Roman numeral-level headings is a verb (or noun, prepositional phrase,etc).The key word(s) in A-level headings also are written in the same grammatical form, but it can be a different type, like nouns. The theory is that if they are aspects of one thing, then they should also show similar grammar!
Most headings (I,II level) have subheadings.
If there are subheadings (A,B level) there are at least two divisions (an A and B or a 1 and 2). The theory is that something can not be divided into less than two parts! Perhaps your subheading can replace the heading, be added to it or omitted.
Subheadings are labeled with capital A, B,etc followed by a period.
Each subsequent subheading is indented the width of the number or letter.