Essay Writing

Databases keep track of articles that have been published. These are wonderful, actually, because they give you access to reliable information that is easy to sort through. Basically, all you have to do is type in a keyword, and it brings you many (sometimes hundreds) of places to look for information related to your topic. You can access a database (or many) through your school library or a local library. Here are some tips for using databases to find journal articles that you might want.

1. Select “full-text” when you’re searching for an article. Databases do not always have text copies of the articles they list. Unless you want to request the article from your library (this usually takes a week or two), click the “full-text” option. If you click this, it will only bring back articles that it has access to. However, requesting a journal article through your library isn’t hard, and some information you may need may not be found if you only use the full-text method. It is usually free to request these, and I have never gotten one that I needed to pay for.

2. Mix up your keywords. Whatever your topic is, try to think of different ways to name it. If you are writing about vitamins, try searching for “nutrition” or “nutrients” or “supplements” in addition to “vitamins.”

3. Drop the “s,” instead of “vitamins” type in “vitamin,” because sometimes the search engine won’t recognize them as being the same.

4. If you are stuck trying to think of different words to search for, try typing your topic word into an online thesaurus and seeing some of the synonyms that come up. This has worked for me several times.

5. Narrow or expand your keywords. With the vitamins example, you could search for “Centrum,” “thiamine supplements,” “healthy eating,” or “vegetables.” The best thing about databases is you can search for all of these in a matter of minutes, so you can run several searches until you find one that brings results.

6. Use different databases, if possible. Different databases have access to different journals, and so if you don’t find what you’re looking for in one, you can try another.

If you don’t get your information from a “good” source, it will discredit you as an author, it may make your paper a big lie, and it will make your instructor think you weren’t willing to take the time to find the information. Really, if you are going to spend hours and hours writing a paper, don’t you want it to be accurate? Even if the information you find is true, it looks better from a reliable source. There are basically two types of sources, Internet and Print.

Internet Sources

There are some places you simply should not look for information online. While the Internet is a very easy way to find information, it is not all guaranteed to be true.

Wikipedia - I love wikipedia as much as anyone, and probably more. However, since anyone can edit or put info on this site, it isn’t reliable. While I would bet most of the info there is true, instructors do not like this site. However, it is a great tool because at the bottom of the entry, it should have a list of links that you can use to find reliable information on your topic. It is also a good place to get a basic understanding of your topic. I suggest using wikipedia to start out, but I wouldn’t use it as a source for information.

Personal Web Pages – Would you ask someone on the street for facts about your topic? No. So don’t take just anyone’s word on the Internet. Geocities, Angelfire, Facebook or Myspace will not have information that you can use in an academic paper, even if the Pope’s physician wrote it. (Unless you are writing a paper about Geocities, Angelfire, Facebook, or Myspace. I really wouldn’t recommend this!)

Someone’s Blog – And for the same reasons as above. The only exception to this is if you are doing some type of research that involves reactions from people. For example, if you were writing about the effects of 9/11, and woman’s blog she said she felt afraid for her children, that would be OK. (You could also find information like this in a newspaper, and it would technically be more reliable.) However, most research situations do not use info like this, and you probably can find much more impressive sources.

Print Sources

Print sources usually have better information (because it is more time consuming and costly to print information), but not always. Outdated Books – Books are generally a good place to find information. However, if you are researching a topic that is expanding rapidly (or has since the book was published) such as biochemistry or technology, be sure that the information is current and up to date. A book about immune system diseases would be different if it were published 15 years ago, before AIDS was a problem.

Tabloids/Magazines- Try to use info found in popular magazines sparingly. For the most part, this information has been watered down to cater to a non-academic audience. While the info may be true, the source itself is not reliable, so it looks bad. If the information you find here is true, you should be able to find it somewhere else. And don’t cite the National Enquirer for any reason, ever.

Source : http://melissamaxwellwf.googlepages.com/sourcesyoushouldn%27tuse

There are lots of places to find information. Many students are tempted just to use Internet sites because they are easy to find and usually have easy to understand information. While there is nothing wrong with Internet sites (unless they are unreliable,) you should use information from many types of sources.

Books – Most topics have been written about in books. Books can be found in libraries (school or local), in stores, and even online. (Here is a good website with many online books.) Generally, books have accurate information. The drawback to using books is that they are kind of long, and you are probably busy and/or lazy. In this case, look for an index or chapter listing to help narrow your workload. If possible, instructors like to see at least one print book used as a source.

Reference Books – These usually have basic information (or more in-depth information, if it is a specific reference book). They are good for beginning research, or to get more specific information about part of your research. These often cannot be checked out of the library, so if you use these, remember to write down all the info you need for your Works Cited page to avoid having to make another trip to the library. These are reliable sources, and instructors like to see them in your works cited page.

Periodicals/Journals – These are also very informative. Instructors really like to see these used as sources also, because they are almost always written for an academic audience. You can look up journal articles through databases at your school or library.

Websites – I have another writeup on choosing reliable sources, which I recommend reading if you use a website. Good websites are written without bias and have accurate information. If you are not sure if the information is accurate, you should not use the website. Also, use websites sparingly, as using only websites make you look like you tried to take the easy way out of your research. However, websites can have accurate and up-to-date information. Try newspaper sites, government (.gov), or educational (.edu) sites.

Newspapers – These can be accessed online or in print and have lots of useful information such as dates, important news, history, and current events.

Pamphlets – Depending on your topic, you can sometimes find pamphlets with condensed information. I have used medical and government pamphlets in my research papers. These are usually simple to understand. However, I would not use one as a main source unless it is very reliable.

An Expert – If you can, interview someone who is knowledgeable on your topic. If you’re writing about history, interview another professor or someone who works at the museum. If you can contact the author of a book your are using, he or she might be willing to let ask a few questions. Generally, people who write books or are very knowledgeable about your topic like to share their knowledge. Also, interviewing can help you confirm things you think are true, or find facts that you cannot find anywhere else.

When writing a research paper (or an essay with citations) you must choose reliable sources for your information, or your paper will not be very good and your professor will not give you a good grade. It is best to start with good sources than have your instructor say, “These sources aren’t acceptable” and then have to look up your info all over again.

There are two kinds of research papers, analytical, which looks at all information equally (”The effects of sugar on the body”), and persuasive, where the author tries to persuade the audience of some set of facts that are debatable (”Sugar is harmful to the body”). The best way to write either paper is by using actual and current facts. Here are some things to look for when deciding if you can use a source:

1. There should be an author or some type entity responsible for this information. If there is no author listed, or there is no copyright information, you shouldn’t use the information because you have no idea where it came from. Even if you think the info is OK, your instructor probably won’t.

2. The writing should be clear and shouldn’t have typos or grammatical errors. The page should also look somewhat professional. You should be able to quote the source in your paper. For example, “Sugar is super bad for you cause it makes your face break out a whole bunch.” wouldn’t be taken seriously.

3. Try to find sources that are unbiased. Commercial sites (.com) are less reliable than government (.gov) and educational (.edu) sites. Think about it this way, sugarcereal.com is going to have a different attitude towards the effects of sugar on the body than the Food and Drug Administration. If you do use a biased source, make sure the rest of your sources lean the other way or are not biased.

4. A little info about “.org” sites: when I first started researching, someone told me “.org” sites were reliable. Most of the time, I would say this is true. However, .org means that the site is founded by an organization. Organizations always have an agenda, so they are biased. This is OK, because even the best sources are usually biased a little. This brings us to the next point

5. Make sure you have a variety of sources. The point of research is to take information from many sources, and pull it together to create an original document. Even if you are writing a persuasive research paper, you will be more persuasive if your information comes from different places. The same goes for analytical papers. Try to find books, journal articles, websites (.gov, .org, or .edu) that all have a different perspective of your topic.

Remember: If the information you find from a source is true, but it is a “bad” source, you should be able to find the information somewhere else.

Source : http://melissamaxwellwf.googlepages.com/choosingappropriatesources

When you write a research paper, you have to pick a topic first. Once you pick your topic, you should being looking up sources. The following is the method I was taught (with a couple tweaks) to do research. This, I think, is the best way to get your information, organize it, put it into notes, and then write your paper.

Researching 

1.       Do not procrastinate. You can’t write a very good research paper in the three days before it is due!

2.       You will need a lot of time, and a big folder/binder to put all your ”stuff” in. I recommend saving your things on a floppy disk AND a flash drive (and your laptop or computer if you’re using the same one each time) just in case you lose one. That way, you will still have the other copy. Personally, I save things on my flash drive and in Google documents (part of my e-mail). That way, if I lost my flash drive (which happened), I would still have my info (which I did). Just be sure to save your work to both places each time, or you’ll lose your work because you’ll save over different versions.

3.       I start by looking for information in the databases. I type in my search keyword (choosing the full-text option), and skim through articles until I find a few (5 or so) that look they have information I will use. I print these articles out and stick them in my folder. If I can’t find the information I want using full-text search, I use regular search and then request articles through the library. They usually take about a week or so, so it’s important to get started early.

4.       I go check out books that are related to my topic. Sometimes, I’ve had to request books from other libraries.

5.       If I need to, I’ll look for information online, but most teachers prefer you get most of your information from academic sources such as journals/periodicals and books. I use this to fill in the gaps of information that I couldn’t find in journal articles or to find more up-to-date information.

Creating Notes

1.       I sit down with one journal article. I use a highlighter to highlight any relevant information that could be used as a fact in my research paper. Usually, I end up highlighting extra facts that I do not end up using, but it’s easier to just get everything you think you might need in the first try. After I do the highlighting for one article, I get on my computer to type up the notes.

2.       I open up a word document on my computer, and on the first page, I type Works Cited at the top. This will be my works cited page. I type up the entry for the article I just highlighted. Info on making a Works Cited pages can be found here. It sounds annoying to do this first, but it is so much easier than putting it off, and then not being able to find the information that needs to be in the works cited page.

3.       After I type in the entry, I start writing notes that I will use on a new page in the same document. I look at the first thing I highlighted and decide which type of note I will make: a summary, a paraphrase, or a direct quote. (Info on these can be found HERE) Then, I type S, P, or Q at the beginning of each note so I know what type it is. Then, I type up the fact. If I paraphrase or summarize it, it goes in my own words. If I take the words directly, they go in quotation marks. Then, after I type up the fact, I put the parenthetical documentation. That way, I don’t have to do this later. I do this for each peice of info I highlighted, and I end up with a bunch of notes I will eventually turn into a paper.

4.       Sometimes, I think of something that is related to the fact I just typed, but didn’t come from a source. (The reason why something might be happening, that a fact is related to something else, etc.) For this, I write a personal note, and next to it, I put PN. You can then use this personal note in your paper to explain or expand on a citation. This helps fill in the space between your facts when you begin to write your paper. Anytime you think of something, be sure to make it a personal note. This makes it easier when you’re writing the final paper.

5.    I repeat the ”highlight/type up notes” thing for all the articles, books (minus the highlighting,) and information I found (remember to do the works cited entry for each one) and stick them in my notes document.  This whole time, I’m brainstorming ways to organize the facts I have into a couple different sections.

Beginning the Actual Paper

When I get finished with the notes, I begin working on the actual paper. The collecting and writing notes part is actually the hardest, so try to keep that in mind when you feel like you’ll never finish.

1.       Write out a rough outline of how you think your paper might go, including the intro (put your thesis there) and the conclusion. Do you want to put the important things first or build up to them? Is there a timeline that your information follows? Can you start out broadly explaining your topic and then get more specific? Sometimes, this can be tough, and you might have do some rearranging later.

2.       Once you get the basic idea of what sections are going where, you need to get more specific. How many paragraphs will each section have? This is determined by the information that you have collected. Once I get the broad outline finished, I try to group the facts I have (via copy and paste into a new document) into groups that will eventually be paragraphs. This part is kind of hard, and sometimes I end up with facts that could go in more than one place, or that don’t fit anywhere. I highlight these (in the word document) so I can go back to them later if I want.

3.       Once I have most of my facts organized into going-to-be-paragraphs, I write a topic sentence for each one. This is important! You need to have topic sentences! It also helps make sure that I didn’t combine things that aren’t logically tied together. If you can’t write a topic sentence that covers whatever facts you’re putting in your paper, you need to revise your organization a little and find a new place to put these facts.

4.       After you have all of your facts in an order with topic sentences, you should try to fill in the space between them. Expand on the information you used, tie things together, relate information to other examples, and use transitions. When expanding on your quotes, try to think of things that you know about your topic that the reader might not. Since you just did hours and hours of research, you’re kind of an expert. Remember to explain connections and details that your audience hasn’t figured out yet. Why did you choose that particular excerpt? What does it illustrate? How does it directly support your thesis? How does it affect your audience? While you know what the importance of the fact is, your readers do not. You shouldn’t have one quote next to another without something between them (unless they are in the same sentence and are very, very similar). Be sure to explain things well, and not to have a paper that is just a bunch of citations lumped together. Your audience should just be there for the ride since you have done all the work.

5.       After you write your paragraphs, you should write your intro and conclusion. Your intro should have your thesis and any background information that you need. Your conclusion should restate your main points and thesis, and tie things together to explain what is so important about your topic.

6.       Now you’re finished with the hardest work and you can begin revising.

 source: http://melissamaxwellwf.googlepages.com/theresearchprocess

Writing a research paper can be intimidating. Usually, you have to fill five pages or more To put it simply, what your assignment is is to research and explain (to death) some topic. You look up information, and then separate these facts into subtopics, and then put it together in a presentable form.

Here’s some tips on writing a research paper:

• There are three ways to take information from another source and put it in your paper:

1. Summary – this is when you read a lot of material (a big paragraph, a page, a whole book, etc) and you sum it up in a sentence or two. You do not need quotation marks around this, but you do need a parenthetical documentation. For example, “Heart disease is linked to obesity, eating radishes, high stress levels, and taking Calculus (Smith 185-201).”
2. Paraphrase – this is when you say the same thing that is said in the source, but you phrase it differently. Instead of, “75% of junk food eating can be linked to stress,” you would say, “Stress causes three quarters of negative eating choices.” You need to have parenthetical documentation after this, but not quotation marks.
3. Direct Quote – This is when you take word for word what is said in another source. When you do this, you need quotation marks around it all, and then the parenthetical documentation goes outside of them. The reason you would use this instead of a paraphrase is if the original source says something very directly, or if you could not possibly say whatever it is better than the original source.

• Your paper is not just several facts taken from somewhere else and stuck together. You have to fill in the space between. You must expand on each one. Why did you choose that particular fact? What does it illustrate? How does it directly support your thesis? You must say what this info illustrates or what point you’re using it to support, so your readers to know what you meant without telling them. While you know what the importance of the fact is, your readers do not. If you can’t explain what the fact illustrates and why it is important, you don’t need it.
• Your paper should be split into sections. The sections can be paragraphs, each on a different topic, or can be sets of paragraphs, each set being on a topic, and each paragraph being a subtopic. The basic format to a paper is outline on my Setting Up Your Paper page.
• You must frame your quotes. At the beginning of the sentence, introduce the source so your reader knows that this information came from somewhere else. You could say something like, “As stated in The Idiot’s Guide to Iced Tea Making…” or “Marine Biology expert Dr. Elliot Stevens says that….”
• Direct quotes should not make up more than 1/5 of your citations.
• You should aim for about 2-4 citations per page. This means that if you have a ten page paper, you’d want probably 30 or so quotes.
• Every citation you have needs to be parenthetically documented! What you put in parenthesis is the first word that appears in your Works Cited for that entry.

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