8Chapter Eight Preparing Reseach Papers
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– It should be a topic that can be treated objectively, a topic that does not involve personal likes or dislikes. Suppose we are thinking of writing a paper on our economic reform and draw our conclusion on the basis of the experiences of our family members, relatives and friends, we can hardly write a paper of any significance.
working out an outline; • writing the first draft; and • revising the draft and finalizing the paper.
choosing a topic
The selection of a topic is the first important step in preparing a research paper. An inappropriate decision about a research topic may lead to the failure of the whole project, or at least a waste of time and energy. When we choose a topic, it is advisable to go from the general to the specific in the following way: • Selecting a general topic; • Reading and thinking; • Narrowing down the scope of our topic to a facet or facets which can be developed into a research paper; • Formulating the final topic;
• We should not be worried if we have two or three topics in mind at this stage. They will be of great help in case there is not as much information available as we hoped on a topic and it is always good to have more topics to choose from.
Selecting a general topic
• At this very initial stage, we should first choose a topic that we are interested in and know something about. It would be much better if we already have some ideas about the topic and feel that we could develop these ideas into a research paper.
Formulating the final topic
– It should be a topic that is not too topical. For instance, it would be very difficult for us to write a conclusive paper on the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
• Sample
•
General topic: 20th Century American Novelist
•
Restricted: Hemingway and His works
•Baidu Nhomakorabea
More restricted: Hemingway and His Short Stories
•
Topic chosen: Old People in Hemingway’s Short Stories
Exercises
• Narrow down the scope and make them specific topics on which you can write a paper.
• 1. General: The American Civil War • Restricted: • More restricted: • The topic chosen: • 2. General: The Lost Generation Writers • Restricted: • More restricted • The topic chosen: • 3. General: Shakespeare’s Plays • Restricted: • More restricted: • The topic chosen:
Definition and purpose
We may learn how to use libraries, how to read books critically and efficiently, and how to use them wisely and correctly. We may familiarize ourselves with the knowledge and mechanics necessary for writing a research paper. We may also gain some experience in writing long papers or reports, which most probably will be part of our future work. The above three points can be taken as the purpose or objectives of thesis writing.
Preparing Researcher Papers
Four Parts
1. Definition 2. Steps 3. Format 4. A Sample Research Paper
Definition and purpose
Having learned how to write essays, we are now working at the highest and the most difficult stage of writing – thesis writing or writing of a research paper. A research paper usually deals with an important issue, factual or theoretical, and it is usually fairly long and welldocumented. In the process of preparing a research paper, we may at least achieve the following:
Steps
We go through five steps or stages in the process of preparing a research paper:
• choosing a topic; • collecting information; • analyzing the information, organizing ideas, and
Narrowing down the scope if our topic to a facet or facers which can be developed into a research paper.
• Let’s say we are interested in Chinese poetry. Obviously, this topic is too big to be dealt with in our paper. We should narrow down the scope of that topic to something more specific. After we have read some books, we may find that Chinese poetry in the Tang Dynasty, especially the poetry by Li Bai, is worth exploring. So our final research topic may be something like “Nature in Li Bai’s poems.”
– It should be a topic which we are able to handle. We will not be able to write anything significant on subjects in which we do not have the necessary training. For example, as English majors, BA papers on nuclear physics or chemistry are not within the range of our abilities.
Formulating the final topic
• The following points may be used as a set of criteria for our final topic:
– It should be a topic that is meaningful and serious. A research paper should make people think and learn.
• If the topic we have chosen can meet the above criteria, we can move forward to the next step.
The following example shows how to restrict the scope and how to work out a suitable topic for a research paper:
Formulating the final topic
– It should be a topic for which sufficient materials are available. If we can find only one or two books or articles related to our subject, and if we draw conclusions only from them, it is highly probable that our conclusions will not be well-grounded.
Reading and thinking
• We should read as many books as possible to get the information we need for our paper. While reading, we should ask ourselves whether the topic in our minds has already been explored quite thoroughly, and whether we can develop it further by offering something new. If the answer is negative, we should drop that topic.
working out an outline; • writing the first draft; and • revising the draft and finalizing the paper.
choosing a topic
The selection of a topic is the first important step in preparing a research paper. An inappropriate decision about a research topic may lead to the failure of the whole project, or at least a waste of time and energy. When we choose a topic, it is advisable to go from the general to the specific in the following way: • Selecting a general topic; • Reading and thinking; • Narrowing down the scope of our topic to a facet or facets which can be developed into a research paper; • Formulating the final topic;
• We should not be worried if we have two or three topics in mind at this stage. They will be of great help in case there is not as much information available as we hoped on a topic and it is always good to have more topics to choose from.
Selecting a general topic
• At this very initial stage, we should first choose a topic that we are interested in and know something about. It would be much better if we already have some ideas about the topic and feel that we could develop these ideas into a research paper.
Formulating the final topic
– It should be a topic that is not too topical. For instance, it would be very difficult for us to write a conclusive paper on the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
• Sample
•
General topic: 20th Century American Novelist
•
Restricted: Hemingway and His works
•Baidu Nhomakorabea
More restricted: Hemingway and His Short Stories
•
Topic chosen: Old People in Hemingway’s Short Stories
Exercises
• Narrow down the scope and make them specific topics on which you can write a paper.
• 1. General: The American Civil War • Restricted: • More restricted: • The topic chosen: • 2. General: The Lost Generation Writers • Restricted: • More restricted • The topic chosen: • 3. General: Shakespeare’s Plays • Restricted: • More restricted: • The topic chosen:
Definition and purpose
We may learn how to use libraries, how to read books critically and efficiently, and how to use them wisely and correctly. We may familiarize ourselves with the knowledge and mechanics necessary for writing a research paper. We may also gain some experience in writing long papers or reports, which most probably will be part of our future work. The above three points can be taken as the purpose or objectives of thesis writing.
Preparing Researcher Papers
Four Parts
1. Definition 2. Steps 3. Format 4. A Sample Research Paper
Definition and purpose
Having learned how to write essays, we are now working at the highest and the most difficult stage of writing – thesis writing or writing of a research paper. A research paper usually deals with an important issue, factual or theoretical, and it is usually fairly long and welldocumented. In the process of preparing a research paper, we may at least achieve the following:
Steps
We go through five steps or stages in the process of preparing a research paper:
• choosing a topic; • collecting information; • analyzing the information, organizing ideas, and
Narrowing down the scope if our topic to a facet or facers which can be developed into a research paper.
• Let’s say we are interested in Chinese poetry. Obviously, this topic is too big to be dealt with in our paper. We should narrow down the scope of that topic to something more specific. After we have read some books, we may find that Chinese poetry in the Tang Dynasty, especially the poetry by Li Bai, is worth exploring. So our final research topic may be something like “Nature in Li Bai’s poems.”
– It should be a topic which we are able to handle. We will not be able to write anything significant on subjects in which we do not have the necessary training. For example, as English majors, BA papers on nuclear physics or chemistry are not within the range of our abilities.
Formulating the final topic
• The following points may be used as a set of criteria for our final topic:
– It should be a topic that is meaningful and serious. A research paper should make people think and learn.
• If the topic we have chosen can meet the above criteria, we can move forward to the next step.
The following example shows how to restrict the scope and how to work out a suitable topic for a research paper:
Formulating the final topic
– It should be a topic for which sufficient materials are available. If we can find only one or two books or articles related to our subject, and if we draw conclusions only from them, it is highly probable that our conclusions will not be well-grounded.
Reading and thinking
• We should read as many books as possible to get the information we need for our paper. While reading, we should ask ourselves whether the topic in our minds has already been explored quite thoroughly, and whether we can develop it further by offering something new. If the answer is negative, we should drop that topic.