Academic Research Paper Writing

1. Academic Research Paper Writing 梁 淑 芳 正修科技大學應用外語系

2. Outline • 1. Writing from Research • 2. Writing a Summary • 3. Writing a Reaction Paper • 4. What is APA style? • 5. APA Referencing • 6. Finding a Topic • 7. Writing a Rough Outline • 8. Beginning an Online Search • 9. Gathering Sources in the Library • 10. Ten Steps to Writing a Research Paper

3. What is research writing? • By definition, the essence of a research paper is to combine primary and secondary information, guided by a provable thesis or claim, to arrive at a new or enlightened conclusion about the topic. A research paper differs from other genres of academic writing, for example expository writing, in that it attempts to offer interpretations stemming from investigations into the subject from other sources, rather than mere summaries of the topics. www.ehow.com › Education › K-12 › High School -

4. 1. Writing from Research 1a Why Do Research? 1b Learning the Conventions of Academic Writing 1c Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism 1d Understanding a Research Assignment 1e Establishing a Schedule

5. 2. Writing a Summary • A summaryis condensed version of a larger reading.  A summary is not a rewrite of the original piece and does not have to be long nor should it be long.  To write a summary, use your own words to express briefly  the main idea and relevant details of the piece you have read.   Your purpose in writing the summary is to give the basic ideas of the original reading.  What was it about and what did the author want to communicate?  • While reading the original work, take note of what or who is the focus and ask the usual questions that reporters use: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?  Using these questions to examine what you are reading can help you to write the summary. homepage.smc.edu/reading.../writing_a_summary.htm -

6. 3. Writing a Reaction Paper www.esuhistoryprof.com/writing_reaction_papers.htm -

7. 4. What is APA style? • The American Psychological Association (APA) referencing style is the most commonly used referencing style at the University of Waikato. • The latest edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2010) is now available in the Library. • Corrections to the first printing can be found on the APA website: Corrections to the first printing (PDF) and Corrected sample paper (PDF). • Changes to the 5th edition are highlighted with the word (NEW). www.waikato.ac.nz › Library Home › Guides -

8. 5. APA Referencing How to use the APA referencing style • In text citation • References list • Key points How to reference / cite material • Books, • Journal articles (academic / scholarly) • Magazines (popular / trade) • Newspapers • Informally published work (webpages / online communities) • Audio visual • Others (Conference papers, reports, legal citations, personal communications, etc.) • Images / tables / figures

9. 6. Finding a Topic From reading, interacting with your advisor during independent study, or work on a research assistantship, some possible projects will emerge. Make a list of open problems and possible projects that are of interest to you, and discuss them with potential advisors. Even after you have decided on your initial focus, it is important to continue a routine of reading new material and attending seminars. All of these sources can contribute to the development of your idea. www.cs.umd.edu/~oleary/gradstudy/node9.html

10. 7. Writing a Rough Outline • How to begin making an outline An excellent way to begin is just to free flow thoughts onto paper while brainstorming with your topic.  Write down everything you think of, even if you will not use the information later.  Once you have your thoughts down, it is time to start your rough outline.  Select about three of your strongest points, and write them down. www.ehow.com › ... › College Life › College Academics

11. 8. Beginning an Online Search Currency: The timeliness of the information. Relevance: The depth and importance of the information. Authority: The source of the information. Accuracy: The reliability of the information. Purpose: The possible bias present in the information. l ibrary.queensu.ca › Stauffer Library -

12. 9.1 Gathering Sources in the Library • Step 1: Gather your lists Suggested reading from reference books Bibliographies from useful library books Citations from databases Works cited lists from useful articles

13. 9.2 Gathering Sources in the Library • Step 2: Book or Article? Books have... Title in italics or underlined ISBN Numbers Publication City Publication Year Articles have... Title in "quotes" Journal title in italics or underlined ISSN Number Page numbers

14. 9.3 Gathering Sources in the Library • Step 3: Search it! 1.For BOOKS, use the GIL Universal Catalog & do a TITLE Search. 2. For ARTICLES, use GSU's catalog & do a JOURNAL TITLE Search: • Step 4: Interlibrary Loan Click to log into the key word(s) and make a request.

15. 10. Ten Steps to Writing a Research Paper 1. Define a Topic 2. Gather Background Information 3. Find Books & Other Material 4. Search for Journal & Magazine Articles 5. Retrieve Newspaper Articles 6. Locate Information in the UST Library 7. Explore Web Resources 8. Evaluate Materials 9. Write the Paper 10. Cite Your Sources library.ust.hk/serv/skills/libskill.html -

16. Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead. -- Gene Fowler