WRITING GUIDE FOR PAPERS

INTRODUCTION

This guide has been prepared to help you in the writing of research papers. It provides a simple step-by-step approach that takes you through each phase of the research paper process. This guide should be read through completely and understood prior to starting on your first research assignment. It should then be used as a reference as you complete each step of the research writing process. It also provides detailed information on the APA format that you are to utilize for all CSU writing assignments. This guide makes comprehensive use of the Owl Online Writing Lab that has been made available Online to the public by Purdue University. Throughout this guide, you will be linked to appropriate lessons of the Owl Online Writing Lab. Columbia Southern University thanks Purdue University for making this very valuable information available to the public.

HOW TO WRITE AN ACADEMIC RESEARCH PAPER

RESEARCH PAPER DEFINED

A research paper is a written discussion based on an analytical thesis supported by a collection of ideas and information. This information is gathered from materials that others have written. In one paper, you will be presenting the information you have found from many different sources. Your personal creativity will be shown by the strength of the thesis you develop, the organization of your materials, your presentation of the paper, and how you use your sources.

A research paper presents ideas and facts you have found through the reading of various materials to support your thesis. This information is presented according to a prescribed method and covers a limited topic. Remember, presenting the words, ideas, or opinions of someone else, as one's own is plagiarism. This is illegal! When quoting directly from a source, use quotation marks, and repeat the source exactly, including punctuation. Be sure to give credit to the source by citing it in the text (in-text citation) of your paper and in your reference page (bibliography). Also use in-text citations to give credit when paraphrasing. Information on the specifics for giving credit to sources is given below. More information on “What is a research paper?” can be found at the Purdue University WEB site: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/ResearchW/what.html

TYPES OF RESEACH PAPERS – Analytical and Argumentative (Persuasive)

There are two basic types of research papers – Analytical and Argumentative. This section will compare the two types and give you the information needed to determine which type of paper you will write and how you are to go about writing each. It is imperative that you understand these differences so that you know the paths to take in research and writing the paper.

Information found at the Purdue University WEB site below will provide you with an understanding of the two types of papers. Please note that this web page also links you to other outstanding web sites that provide information on the two different types of research papers. It is recommended that you view these linking sites.

While reading this web page, also pay attention how a research question is used in analytical papers and a theses statement is used in argumentative papers. A thesis lands on one side of the fence and tells the other why its side is better; a research question hovers above the fence like an inquisitive bird, a third party trying to decide which side is really more persuasive given all the evidence.

The Two Paper Types: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/ResearchW/types.html

THESIS OR QUESTION

You are now ready to develop a thesis statement or research question and begin the research and writing of your paper. This is a major step, as it will provide you with the focus for your research and the writing of your paper. Below is a link to the Purdue web site that will provide you with the information necessary to develop a thesis statement or research questions. It is recommended that you also visit the linked web pages contained in this page.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/ResearchW/thesis.html

Important!!!!! Your thesis statement or research question should now be submitted to your professor for approval. Do not start your research until professor approval is received.

RESEARCH

With the development of a tentative thesis statement or research question, you can now start the research process. Here you will gather the information needed to prove your argument or show the pros and cons of your research question.

This WEB site contains links to the three most important steps of carrying out research. They are:

Understanding the types of resources that are available;
Critically reading and evaluating the resources; and
How to take effective notes. It is important that you read and understand each of these steps. Keep in mind, this Purdue web site also links you to other very valuable web sites that will supplement and/or enhance your learning.

Methods on carrying out and completing this research can be found at the following site: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/ResearchW/research.html

WHERE TO START YOUR RESEARCH

One of the easiest and most convenient places a CSU student should begin searching for articles to be used, as sources is a Research Database is found in the CSU Online Library. This database allows you to search through thousands of magazines, journals, and trade publications. To access the database, login to the online library, select “Articles” and then “Comprehensive Research Database.” Before submitting your search criteria, be sure to check the box titled “Full Text” so that only complete articles will be presented on your results page.

RESOURCES

You should now have an understanding of resources and how to find and evaluate them to determine their relevance and importance to the research paper that you are writing. You also should understand the method of note taking so that you can organize and record the important information from these sources.

The CSU Online Library provides access to a large volume of information to assist students in conducting research. CSU also maintains an “Online Resources” page of specific links that can assist students. You may click the link below are access this page through the Online Library or the online Student Center.

CSU Online Resources Page http://www.columbiasouthern.edu/student_center/studentresources.asp

For those students who need assistance conducting research on the web, the following tutorials are available: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/internet/search/index.html

http://www.slu.edu/departments/english/research/

THE OUTLINE

Once you have completed a significant amount of research and have written down in note form what you have learned, it is time to make an outline of the structure of your paper. Once again, the Owl Writing Lab web site provides comprehensive information on how to go about the construction of an outline. The site address is listed below: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/ResearchW/outline.html

AVOIDING PLAGIARISM

Once your outline is completed, you will be ready to begin the writing of your research paper. However, prior to covering the principles of writing the research paper, it is important that you gain an understanding of plagiarism – what it is, why it is important that you avoid it, and how you can avoid it. The following site provides important information on this subject. Students should also review this topic in the CSU APA Guidelines Summary. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/ResearchW/plag.html

Remember, whether intentional or unintentional, plagiarism remains an academic offense, and proven plagiarism can result in criminal charges and/or dismissal.

APA GUIDELINES

To assist our students in preparing papers, we have prepared an “APA Guidelines Summary”. Students should not attempt to submit a paper unless they first review this document. This Summary provides information on the basic APA requirements and links to Internet sites that provide comprehensive information on APA formatting including sample papers. The APA Guidelines Summary document may be downloaded by clicking the link below. This document may also be found on the “Online Resources” page in the Student Center.

http://www.columbiasouthern.edu/student_center/APA_Guidelines_Summary.asp

WRITING THE FIRST DRAFT

You are now prepared to write the first draft of your research paper. You have completed a thesis or question that has been approved by your professor; you have an outline that provides you structure for your writing; and you have an understanding of the APA format and the avoidance of plagiarism. You can now proceed with the writing of your research paper.

The WEB site below will help you in this very important step. It contains some excellent pointers to help you get the first draft completed. Included are: • Overcoming Procrastination and Writer’s Block • Writing the Introduction • Writing Body Paragraphs • Integrating Sources • Writing Conclusions With this information, you should be able to successfully complete the first draft of your research paper.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/ResearchW/1draft.html

REVISING YOUR PAPER

The first draft is just that – your first attempt to write down what you wish to include in your research paper. It most always requires a great deal of editing and revisions to get it to the point where it is to be turned in for a grade.

Once again, Purdue University’s Owl On-line Writing Lab provides an excellent lesson that will help you get through the editing and revision process. The links is provided below.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/ResearchW/revise.html

PROOFREADING

You have now written your paper and are very satisfied with what you have written. However, one important step remains prior to the actually submitting of your paper and that is the proofreading. With all the energy, effort and time that has gone into your paper to this point, you really do not want noticeable verb tense, spelling, punctuation, etc. errors to adversely affect your grade.

To assist you in the proofreading of your paper, please refer to the following Owl On-line Writing Lab lesson link and the many helpful links associated with it:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/ResearchW/proofread.html

YOU HAVE NOW COMPLETED ALL THE STEPS NECESSARY FOR A SUCCESSFUL RESEARCH PAPER – CONGRATULATIONS!

SUBMITING YOUR PAPER

The paper/project will need to be in MS Word or Rich Text File (RTF) format. Submit your paper by uploading it at the Student Access Site. Do not e-mail your paper directly to your professor. By using the Student Access Site, your university record will automatically be updated to indicate you have submitted your paper and the paper will be provided to your professor for grading.

If you have any questions about the CSU Research Paper Writing Guide, please contact Dr. Joe Manjone, Academic Dean, at drmanjone@columbiasouthern.edu