Name______

Period _____ Date ______

Expository Writing Workshop: Steps for writing a Research Paper

Place an “x” in each box as you finish that step. Make sure to keep all your work in the writing section of your binder. You’ll earn stamps for each box completed once you show your work to Mrs. Clark-Burnell. Each stamp is worth five points. 9 stamps x 5 points = 45 points. You will turn this form in with your final draft. Homework is indicated in italics.

A. Choose a Topic

  1. Highlight a few possible topics (or create your own) & begin brainstorming about them
  2. Sign up for a subject.
  3. Narrow your subject down to a few subtopics by discussing “helping your student plan a research report” with parents. Do the cluster chart with an adult to refine topic. CLUSTER CHART and PARENT SIGNATURE on “Helping your student plan a research report”
B. Research Topic
  1. Develop questions for research. Make a list of 5-8 questions you want to find the answers to. If doing Internet search, think of some key words to use in your search. Discuss how to take notes on research: to prevent plagiarism, all notes from print and on-line sources must be handwritten unless student gets advance permission to type notes.
  2. Research.
  3. Print out the “pathfinder” form from Mrs. CB’s website (click on Writing: Non-fiction, then click on link to “Mini Research Paper”, then click on “pathfinder link”). Use pathfinder to record the bibliographic information-- the what, where, when, and by whom the sources you used.
  4. Bring in handwritten notes from at least three different sources; one must be a print source (non-Internet, but can be from the e-library, since those are print sources that are available on-line).
  5. Research continued & Organizing Information. In-class Q & A about researching process, including plagiarism and how to organize ideas into an outline. List the two to four main points you want the reader to understand when they have finished reading your paper. Which order does it make the most sense to put those points in? Number them accordingly. (In class on F-January 9th ). OUTLINE of paper.
C. Rough Draft, Revision, Edit the Final Draft
  1. How to cite sources in the text. Look at examples of how to cite sources in the text. Examples of citation format available on Mini-Research Paper Web page (under Writing: Non-Fiction). Write a rough draft.
  1. Conference with peers and revise. In class on ______share rough draft of paper with one or two peers who will fill out the “Peer Response Form” and one peer who fills out the back page, the “Research Paper Rubric.”
  1. Make revisions, and then edit paper for grammar, punctuation, spelling, and other language conventions. Turn in final draft on ______! Make sure your final draft has the following:
  2. Student full name, period, date and “Mini-Research Paper” are in the upper right-hand corner.
  3. Font is easy to read and is 12 point. Paper has one-inch margins, double line spacing or 1.5-line spacing
  4. Paper title is NOT underlined or in italics. Only titles of long works are underlined or italicized. A title can be bold or larger font.
  5. Paragraphs. Do not make your paper one massive paragraph. (Introduction, 2-4 main points each with its own paragraph, conclusion).
  6. There are no run-on sentences or sentence fragments.
  7. Spelling is correct. Grammar and usage are correct (to the degree appropriate for this age and grade).
  8. Sources are cited in the text using parentheses at the end of the sentence or paragraph showing the author’s name and page number or date web page was accessed.)
  9. Pathfinder form is attached at the end of your paper. This will serve as your bibliography for this first mini-research paper.
  10. Turning in Final Draft of Research Paper: Sharing and self-assessment.
  11. Self-assess final draft using the “Research Paper Rubric.” Rubric is a version of the rubric on the back of the peer conferencing/peer response form.
  12. Have one-two peers read your research paper and give you feedback on the back of the rubric. The peer’s job is not to give you a grade, but to comment on the things that they appreciated and that they think you might want to think about for your next research paper.
  13. Turn your paper in with the Research Paper Rubric stapled on top, then this steps paper next, then your research paper with the pathfinder stapled on the back.
  14. Pat yourself on the back for having completed the writing process. This is hard work.

L. Clark-Burnell, 2004