Vinalhaven Middle School

Vinalhaven Middle School

Research Paper Guidelines

This document will guide you through the research paper writing process. It is meant to reinforce what you have learned in class. Get to know this document well, and use it often. Included in this document is information on avoiding plagiarism, writing a thesis statement, building an outline, using transitions, revising your paper, writing the final copy, typing your title page, and checking your final draft.

Plagiarism

To plagiarize comes from a Latin word meaning "to kidnap". In English, the words

plagiarize, plagiarism, and plagiarizing mean to take words and/or ideas from someone else and use them as your own. Plagiarism is stealing. Stealing words and ideas is just as serious as stealing money, jewelry, electronic equipment or anything else and the penalties for plagiarism are severe. Plagiarism will result in a grade of zero for this paper. In many colleges and universities, plagiarism can be grounds for immediate expulsion. Students must understand exactly what plagiarism is and how to keep from committing it, either intentionally or unintentionally.

HOW TO AVOID PLAGIARISM

Essentially, if a student follows these four simple rules, plagiarism will not occur:

1. Do not copy or steal words from others.

2. Do not copy or steal ideas from others.

3. Do not have someone else do your work.

COMMON ERRORS MADE BY STUDENTS

Sometimes, plagiarism occurs unintentionally. This is no excuse, and does NOT change the fact that the student is still liable and accountable. Some of the most common mistakes made by students in recent years have been unintentional.

1. Copying from and/or working with another student is PLAGIARISM.

2. Copying a passage and changing a few words (e.g. "good" to great, "big" to

huge, "happy" to delighted, etc.) and then not acknowledging and documenting

the source is PLAGIARISM. Changing a few words is not the same as writing something in your own words.

3.Using your own words, but using someone else's ideas or opinions is

PARAPHRASING. If you paraphrase the ideas, opinions, words, or observations of someone else, and do not clearly acknowledge, document, and give credit, it is PLAGIARISM.

4. Printing information/research directly off the Internet, without citing the

reference, is PLAGIARISM.

6. Downloading and/or printing something off the Internet or off a CD ROM

resource is PLAGIARISM. All of the information which is available in

cyberspace must still be documented. It is not simply floating out there for

free.. Someone else wrote it and credit must be given.

If the information you have used is common knowledge, you do not have to document a

source. For example, if you wrote that George Washington was the first President of the

United States, you would not need to document that statement.

WHEN IN DOUBT, GIVE CREDIT TO YOUR SOURCE.

1. Document, with quotation marks, any material copied directly from other sources including printed, audio, visual, or Internet.

2. Acknowledge and document paraphrased material.

3. Provide a complete and accurate bibliography.

WRITING A THESIS STATEMENT

The thesis statement is created by using the ideas in the research question. One way to write a thesis statement is to turn the research questions into a sentence, rather than a question. Another way is to create a new sentence. In either case, a good thesis statement always includes the topic. In addition, it can point the reader to the main ideas you are going to include in your paper.

Sample Research Question:

How do conflicts about money, immaturity and cultural differences cause divorce?

Sample thesis statement:

Divorce is caused by immaturity, cultural differences, and conflicts about money.

A specific thesis statement not only gives the topic of the paper, but also tells the parts

that will be in the paper. The more specific the thesis statement, the more the reader can tell in advance what will be in your paper. The thesis statement below is specific. Notice the topic and the parts that will be in the paper.

Topic of the paper

Parts of the topic

Divorce is caused by immaturity, culturaldifferences, and conflicts about money.

This specific thesis statement could be put in your planning outline like this:

Topic:

Causes of divorce

Major divisions in the outline

I. Introduction

II. Immaturity

III. Cultural differences

IV. Conflicts about money

V. Conclusion

Read this research question.

What are some specific details, examples, and statistics that show how becoming

blind as an adult causes depression, divorce and a change of occupation?

Here is a specific thesis statement made from that question.

Becoming blind as an adult frequently causes depression, divorce,

and a change of occupation.

By looking carefully at this thesis statement, you can clearly see the topic and the major

divisions of the outline that will be discussed in the paper.

Topic: Effects of Blindness on Adults

Major Divisions of the outline:

I. Introduction

II. Depression

III. Divorce

IV. Change of Occupation

V. Conclusion

A TRANSITION FOR EVERY OCCASION

As a writer of a research paper, you must link together individual paragraphs so that they smoothly glide from one topic of your outline to the next. The transition can be a word, a phrase or a sentence. It can come at the end of one paragraph or the beginning of the next, wherever it suits best. No paragraphs can be isolated without transitions of some kind. Here are some examples:

Also

in the same manner

likewise

similarly

so

correspondingly

Therefore

for that reason

thus

then

accordingly

consequently

hence

for example

after all

for instance

Because of this

inasmuch as

now

whereas

Besides

additionally

along with

as well

furthermore

likewise

moreover

still

yet

too

otherwise

However

in spite of that

after all

nevertheless

nonetheless

be that as it may

still

yet

though

on the other hand

on the contrary

REVISING

Now that you have finished your first draft, with the documentation in place, you are

ready to improve your writing.

SENTENCE STRUCTURE

As you write each draft, work on sentence structure. Eliminate

fragments and run-ons. Rewrite tired-sounding sentences.

language

Substitute fresher language whenever possible. If you have overused a

word, find a synonym for it.

tone

Be sure that your tone is not hesitant or apologetic. You have done the research; you know what you’re talking about!

accuracy of documentation

Go back to your note cards.

-Did you copy direct quotations perfectly?

-Did you give credit for every idea and phrase not your own?

-Did you match the first word in your parenthetical documentation

with the first word in your bibliographic entry?

listener

If possible, read your project aloud to a supportive and honest person

who can help you hear problems with sentence structure and paragraph

development.

Most important, this project is a result of your research, your thinking, and not a summary of what others have said. The reader, then, should be able to hear a written voice, one that is distinctly and uniquely yours.

PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE

Whether your project is two or twenty pages long, think of each body

paragraph as a small essay, with a beginning, middle, and end. The

beginning is the topic sentence, which tells the reader what the

paragraph will be proving. The middle sentences are the evidence

which you provide to support your topic sentence. A concluding

sentence at the end of each body paragraph, ties together your

points and focus you to make sure you have stayed with the topic

sentence.

transitions

Provide the reader with transitions between paragraphs. The transitions

can be words like “therefore”, “similarly,” “in addition to,” “however,”

“nevertheless”. You may also use an echo effect, which is repeating a

word or two from the return or last sentence of the previous paragraph

but never an entire sentence, word for word.

Once your body paragraphs are finished, you can work on the

introduction and conclusion.

introduction

The introduction should have an opening that captures the reader’s

attention. Avoid writing, “In this paper I am going to..”. The rest of

the introduction should lead into the thesis, which is always the last

sentence of the introduction.

conclusion

The conclusion sums up your points and ends with a final evaluation or

comment.

CHECKING THE FINAL DRAFT

1. Have I written an introduction, body and conclusion?

Is my thesis sentence at the end of my introduction?

2. Have I developed a clear line of argumentation from my thesis sentence through

to the last sentence of my conclusion?

3. Have I given credit to my sources for every direct quotation, paraphrase and

summary I have used?

4. Have I kept long direct quotations to a minimum so that the paper reflects my

thinking?

5. Have I made sure that each parenthetical documentation begins with the same

word that is the first word of my corresponding bibliographic entry?

6. Have I enclosed every single and double quotation?

7. Have I carefully eliminated any fragment or run-on sentence?

8. Have I checked for spelling and punctuation errors?

9. Have I tried to do justice to my research by writing in the most interesting and

lively manner I can?

10. Have I established a tone that is appropriate for my audience?

TYPING THE TITLE PAGE

deciding on the title

The title should be directly connected to the thesis sentence.

setting up the page

Center your title one-third down from the top of the page.

Center and double-space your name, the course, the teacher,

and the date.

typing

Type the title and other information with both capital and small letters,

not with all capitals.

Punctuating the title

Do not punctuate your own title, either by underlining it or by placing it in

quotation marks.

Do not punctuate any part of your title unless you are including the

specific name of a published work.

TYPING THE FINAL DRAFT

setting up the page

Put your name on the first page. Put your name and page number on

each sheet of paper after the first, including the bibliography.

Leave one-inch margins at the top, bottom, and sides of the page.

Double-space between each line throughout the paper, including long

indented quotations.

Punctuating the paper

Indent each paragraph five spaces from the left margin.

Indent each long quotation ten spaces from the margin.

Place parenthetical documentation inside the period when the material

is part of your sentence.

Place parenthetical documentation outside for indented quotations.

Omit abbreviations like p., or pp. for “page” or “pages” and I., II., for

“line” or “lines”.

After the first reference, which can include the author’s first name,

refer to authors by their last names only. Avoid Mr., Mrs., or Ms.