The Earth and its human inhabitants are not at the center of the universe. Basic Infomation Nicolaus Copernicus Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543),a Polish astronomer,used his research into planetary movement to write a book that revolutionized philosophy and theology.After constant observation of the skies,he published his masterpiece,De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium (1543),in which he argued that the earth orbited the sun and not vice versa.His ideas formed the basis of the heliocentric (sun-centered)Copernican system in which the sun was thought to be stationery and the planets its encircling satellites.This revolutionary conception broke sharply with the ancient Ptolemaic system, which pictured earth and humans as the centerpiece of creation.Approved by the church,the Ptolemaic view of the universe caused mariners navigation problems and was unreliable in calculating accurate time for one good reason:it was flatly wrong.Yet to embrace the Copernicus picture,which removed the earth from the center of creation,was for centuries after the publication of De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium regarded as mortal sin. With the passing of the generations,however,researchers have deposited the Ptolemaic universe into the rubbish bin of history,where it lingers as a sidewalk curiosity like last year's Christmas tree.Honest research not only finds truth,it also tends to be self-correcting. Copyright 2010 Cengage Leaming All Rights Reserved.May not be copied,scanned,or duplicated,in whole or n part.Due to electronie rights,some third party co be suppressedfrom the eBookandor eChapteris)Editorial review ha deemed that any suppressed does no materally affect the overall learing experience. Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it
The Earth and its human inhabitants are not at the center of the universe. Nicolaus Copernicus Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543), a Polish astronomer, used his research into planetary movement to write a book that revolutionized philosophy and theology. After constant observation of the skies, he published his masterpiece, De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium (1543), in which he argued that the earth orbited the sun and not vice versa. His ideas formed the basis of the heliocentric (sun-centered) Copernican system in which the sun was thought to be stationery and the planets its encircling satellites. This revolutionary conception broke sharply with the ancient Ptolemaic system, which pictured earth and humans as the centerpiece of creation. Approved by the church, the Ptolemaic view of the universe caused mariners navigation problems and was unreliable in calculating accurate time for one good reason: it was fl atly wrong. Yet to embrace the Copernicus picture, which removed the earth from the center of creation, was for centuries after the publication of De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium regarded as mortal sin. With the passing of the generations, however, researchers have deposited the Ptolemaic universe into the rubbish bin of history, where it lingers as a sidewalk curiosity like last year’s Christmas tree. Honest research not only fi nds truth, it also tends to be self-correcting. Copyright © North Wind/North Wind Picture Archives—All rights reserved. 1 Basic Information Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it
Basic Information about the Research Paper 1a Hatred of the research paper 1b Definition of the research paper 1c Format of the research paper 1d Reasons for the research paper 1e The report paper and the thesis paper 1f Drafts of the research paper 1g Writing the research paper:Steps and schedule FAQ 1.How can I make writing 4.What is the difference a research paper more between the report paper and enjoyable?See 1a. the thesis paper?See 1e. 2.Why is format so important? 5.How can I avoid being late See 1c. with my paper?See 1g. 3.What does a first draft look 6.Why are research papers like?See 1f. assigned,anyway?See 1d. ight 2010 Cengage Learning.All Rights Reserved.May not be copied,seanned,or duplicated,in whole or in part.Due to electronie rights,some third party content may be a pressed from the eBook and/or eChapteris)Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience.Cengage ing reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it
FAQ 1. How can I make writing a research paper more enjoyable? See 1a. 2. Why is format so important? See 1c. 3. What does a fi rst draft look like? See 1f. 4. What is the difference between the report paper and the thesis paper? See 1e. 5. How can I avoid being late with my paper? See 1g. 6. Why are research papers assigned, anyway? See 1d. 1 Basic Information 1 Basic Information about the Research Paper 1a Hatred of the research paper 1b Definition of the research paper 1c Format of the research paper 1d. 1d Reasons for the research paper 1e. 1e The report paper and the thesis paper 1f. 1f Drafts of the research paper 1g. 1g Writing the research paper: Steps and schedule Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it
1a Hatred of the research paper Let's be frank with one another:you hate the research paper.You think it an assign- 1b ment that is both picky and tedious.Wrestling with the correct format of a footnote drives you loopy.The tone of voice you think you must use in writing the research paper makes you sound papal-but you know only too well that you are only you, not the Pope.That,in a nutshell,is how you really feel about the research paper. Millions of students-current as well as past-feel exactly as you do.Yet for all the anxiety that the research paper provokes,it has outlasted generations of its haters.Obviously it must be good for something,or else it would have been swept away long,long ago. In fact,the research paper is an excellent tool for learning about a topic of your choice.Writing it will expose you to the rigors of research,acquaint you with the protocol of making correct citations to sources consulted,and teach you how to forge a mishmash of researched opinions into a single,coherent view- point.Of course,it is possible that your instructor will assign a specific topic for your paper,but typically topic choice is left up to the writer.Finding and shaping the final topic is usually regarded as a test of the student's judgment.The student who chooses a vast topic,such as wars throughout the ages,has taken on too big a job.On the other hand,the student who chooses to write on the history of the tire iron is proposing a topic that is too small. Writing a research paper also has practical effects that could help you in later life.Research is research,and the techniques you learn from writing a research paper about,say,why the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe was so appealing in his day, will also apply to writing a business paper about,say,why a certain product isn't selling today.In both instances you would be researching causes.The research paper,in other words,is not art for art's sake;it's art for your sake(unless your name is Art).And the research paper,as bizarre as this sounds,can also be fun. But you must make it fun.The first step in doing that is to choose a subject you genuinely like.You may even discover an interest in a subject that you didn't know you had.Research into any subject tends to lead to self-reflection.As you learn about your subject,whatever it may be,you also get glimpses into your own heart.Self-discovery of this kind is not unusual among students searching for a research topic.For some students the experience becomes a turning point in their lives that leads to permanent career changes.Remember,too,that a topic that might seem humdrum to you might to some readers come as a bolt of rev- elation.For example,a student from Afghanistan never wrote about her country until an instructor pointed out the fascination a paper on the customs and tradi- tions of the Afghan people might hold for American readers. 1b Definition of the research paper Research comes from the Middle French word rechercher,meaning "to seek out."Writing a research paper requires you to seek out information about a subject,take a stand on it,and back it up with the opinions,ideas,and views Copyright 2010 Cengage Leaming.All Rights Reserved.May not be copied,scanned,or duplicated,in whole or in part.Due to electronic rights,some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s)Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affeet the overall learning experience.Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it
1b 3 1a Hatred of the research paper Let’s be frank with one another: you hate the research paper. You think it an assignment that is both picky and tedious. Wrestling with the correct format of a footnote drives you loopy. The tone of voice you think you must use in writing the research paper makes you sound papal—but you know only too well that you are only you, not the Pope. That, in a nutshell, is how you really feel about the research paper. Millions of students—current as well as past—feel exactly as you do. Yet for all the anxiety that the research paper provokes, it has outlasted generations of its haters. Obviously it must be good for something, or else it would have been swept away long, long ago. In fact, the research paper is an excellent tool for learning about a topic of your choice. Writing it will expose you to the rigors of research, acquaint you with the protocol of making correct citations to sources consulted, and teach you how to forge a mishmash of researched opinions into a single, coherent viewpoint. Of course, it is possible that your instructor will assign a specifi c topic for your paper, but typically topic choice is left up to the writer. Finding and shaping the fi nal topic is usually regarded as a test of the student’s judgment. The student who chooses a vast topic, such as wars throughout the ages, has taken on too big a job. On the other hand, the student who chooses to write on the history of the tire iron is proposing a topic that is too small. Writing a research paper also has practical effects that could help you in later life. Research is research, and the techniques you learn from writing a research paper about, say, why the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe was so appealing in his day, will also apply to writing a business paper about, say, why a certain product isn’t selling today. In both instances you would be researching causes. The research paper, in other words, is not art for art’s sake; it’s art for your sake (unless your name is Art). And the research paper, as bizarre as this sounds, can also be fun. But you must make it fun. The fi rst step in doing that is to choose a subject you genuinely like. You may even discover an interest in a subject that you didn’t know you had. Research into any subject tends to lead to self-refl ection. As you learn about your subject, whatever it may be, you also get glimpses into your own heart. Self-discovery of this kind is not unusual among students searching for a research topic. For some students the experience becomes a turning point in their lives that leads to permanent career changes. Remember, too, that a topic that might seem humdrum to you might to some readers come as a bolt of revelation. For example, a student from Afghanistan never wrote about her country until an instructor pointed out the fascination a paper on the customs and traditions of the Afghan people might hold for American readers. 1b Defi nition of the research paper Research comes from the Middle French word rechercher, meaning “to seek out.” Writing a research paper requires you to seek out information about a subject, take a stand on it, and back it up with the opinions, ideas, and views Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it
4 Chapter 1 Basic Information about the Research Paper of others.What results is a printed paper variously known as a term paper or library paper,usually between five and fifteen pages long-most instructors 1c specify a minimum length-in which you present your views and findings on the chosen subject. 1c Format of the research paper The research paper is a formal work that must abide by the rules of scholarly writing.These rules are simply an agreed-on way of doing things-much like etiquette,table manners,or rules of the road.For instance,in literary articles recently published you are likely to run across passages similar to this one: Brashear considers Tennyson to be at his best when his poetry is infused with "that tragic hour when the self fades away into darkness,fulfilling all of the poet's despairing pessimism"(18). Formatting tip The period always goes after the parenthetical reference at the end of a sentence. This citation uses parenthetical documentation,a style favored by the MLA. The author of the quotation is introduced briefly;the quotation is cited;and a page reference is supplied in parentheses.In the alphabetized bibliography of the article appears this listing: Brashear,William.The Living Will.The Hague:Mouton,1969.Print. MLA tip Here is the MLA formula for citing a book: Inverted name of writer.Title of Book.Place of publication:Name of publisher,Year of publication.Medium of publication. This sort of standardization makes it easier to write a scholarly paper as well as to read one.Part of your baptism of scholarship is to become familiar with the major citation styles used by different disciplines-most of which are covered in this book.Your instructor no doubt will tell you what documentation style to use.Once you know that,you can concentrate on mastering that style and ignore the others. Copyright 2010 Cengage Leaming.All Rights Reserved.May not be copied,scanned,or duplicated,in whole or in part.Due to electronic rights,some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s)Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affeet the overall learning experience.Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it
1c 4 Chapter 1 Basic Information about the Research Paper of others. What results is a printed paper variously known as a term paper or library paper, usually between fi ve and fi fteen pages long—most instructors specify a minimum length—in which you present your views and fi ndings on the chosen subject. 1c Format of the research paper The research paper is a formal work that must abide by the rules of scholarly writing. These rules are simply an agreed-on way of doing things—much like etiquette, table manners, or rules of the road. For instance, in literary articles recently published you are likely to run across passages similar to this one: Brashear considers Tennyson to be at his best when his poetry is infused with “that tragic hour when the self fades away into darkness, fulfi lling all of the poet’s despairing pessimism” (18). The period always goes after the parenthetical reference at the end of a sentence. Formatting tip This citation uses parenthetical documentation, a style favored by the MLA. The author of the quotation is introduced briefl y; the quotation is cited; and a page reference is supplied in parentheses. In the alphabetized bibliography of the article appears this listing: Brashear, William. The Living Will. The Hague: Mouton, 1969. Print. Here is the MLA formula for citing a book: Inverted name of writer. Title of Book. Place of publication: Name of publisher, Year of publication. Medium of publication. MLA tip This sort of standardization makes it easier to write a scholarly paper as well as to read one. Part of your baptism of scholarship is to become familiar with the major citation styles used by different disciplines—most of which are covered in this book. Your instructor no doubt will tell you what documentation style to use. Once you know that, you can concentrate on mastering that style and ignore the others. Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it
1e The report paper and the thesis paper 1d Reasons for the research paper One obvious reason for the research paper is that writing it forces you to learn 1e lots about your chosen subject.Sifting through the pros and cons of opinions on any subject is a priceless learning experience.Another reason is that writing the paper teaches you the conventions of scholarly writing,among them the accepted styles of documentation and the ethics of research. A third reason is that you will become familiar with the library through the "learning by doing"method.Even the simplest library is an intricate storehouse of information,bristling with indexes,encyclopedias,and abstracts.How to seek out from this maze of sources a single piece of information is a skill you learn by actual doing.Writing a research paper may also mean interviewing experts about your subject and blending their ideas with your own distinct point of view.In short,you,like everyone else,can profit from knowing how to do research. There are other benefits as well.Writing the research paper is an exercise in logic,imagination,and common sense.As you chip away at the mass of data and information available on your chosen topic,you learn How to track down information ▣How to organize How to use the Internet in your research How to discriminate between useless and useful opinions ▣How to summarize How to budget your time How to conceive of and manage a research project from start to finish The report paper and the thesis paper Papers assigned in colleges are one of two kinds:the report paper or the thesis paper.The report paper summarizes and reports your findings on a particular subject.You neither judge nor evaluate the findings;you simply relate them in a logical sequence.For instance,a paper that describes the opinions of experts in the debate over global warming is a report paper.Likewise a paper that chrono- logically narrates the final days of Hitler is a report paper. Unlike the report paper,the thesis paper takes a definite stand on an issue. A thesis is a proposition or point of view that you are willing to argue against or defend.A paper that argues for the legalization of stem cell research is a thesis paper.So is a paper that attempts to prove that air bags save lives.Here are several more examples of topics that might be treated in report papers and thesis papers: Report paper:How the Beatles got started as a rock group. Thesis paper:The Beatles'lyrics gave hope to a disenchanted youth during the 1960s and 1970s. Copyright 2010 Cengage Leaming.All Rights Reserved.May not be copied,scanned,or duplicated,in whole or in part.Due to electronic rights,some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s)Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affeet the overall learning experience.Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it
1e 1e The report paper and the thesis paper 5 1d Reasons for the research paper One obvious reason for the research paper is that writing it forces you to learn lots about your chosen subject. Sifting through the pros and cons of opinions on any subject is a priceless learning experience. Another reason is that writing the paper teaches you the conventions of scholarly writing, among them the accepted styles of documentation and the ethics of research. A third reason is that you will become familiar with the library through the “learning by doing” method. Even the simplest library is an intricate storehouse of information, bristling with indexes, encyclopedias, and abstracts. How to seek out from this maze of sources a single piece of information is a skill you learn by actual doing. Writing a research paper may also mean interviewing experts about your subject and blending their ideas with your own distinct point of view. In short, you, like everyone else, can profi t from knowing how to do research. There are other benefi ts as well. Writing the research paper is an exercise in logic, imagination, and common sense. As you chip away at the mass of data and information available on your chosen topic, you learn ■ How to track down information ■ How to organize ■ How to use the Internet in your research ■ How to discriminate between useless and useful opinions ■ How to summarize ■ How to budget your time ■ How to conceive of and manage a research project from start to fi nish 1e The report paper and the thesis paper Papers assigned in colleges are one of two kinds: the report paper or the thesis paper. The report paper summarizes and reports your fi ndings on a particular subject. You neither judge nor evaluate the fi ndings; you simply relate them in a logical sequence. For instance, a paper that describes the opinions of experts in the debate over global warming is a report paper. Likewise a paper that chronologically narrates the fi nal days of Hitler is a report paper. Unlike the report paper, the thesis paper takes a defi nite stand on an issue. A thesis is a proposition or point of view that you are willing to argue against or defend. A paper that argues for the legalization of stem cell research is a thesis paper. So is a paper that attempts to prove that air bags save lives. Here are several more examples of topics that might be treated in report papers and thesis papers: Report paper: How the Beatles got started as a rock group. Thesis paper: The Beatles’ lyrics gave hope to a disenchanted youth during the 1960s and 1970s. Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it