Academic and Professional Writing: Writing a Research Paper
This page lists some of the stages involved in writing a library-based research paper. Although this list suggests that there is a simple, linear process to writing such a paper, the actual process of writing a research paper is often a messy and recursive one, so please use this outline as a flexible guide. Discovering, Narrowing, and Focusing a Researchable Topic Try to find a topic that truly interests you Try writing your way to a topic Talk with your course instructor and classmates about your topic Pose your topic as a question to be answered or a problem to be solved Finding, Selecting, and Reading Sources You will need to look at the following types of sources: library catalog, periodical indexes, bibliographies, suggestions from your instructor primary vs. secondary sources journals, books, other documents Grouping, Sequencing, and Documenting Information The following systems will help keep you organized: Writing an Outline and a Prospectus for Yourself What is the topic?
Research Papers
Summary: This handout provides detailed information about how to write research papers including discussing research papers as a genre, choosing topics, and finding sources. Contributors:Jack Raymond Baker, Allen BrizeeLast Edited: 2013-02-21 10:38:50 The research paper There will come a time in most students' careers when they are assigned a research paper. Becoming an experienced researcher and writer in any field or discipline takes a great deal of practice. This handout will include the following sections related to the process of writing a research paper: Genre- This section will provide an overview for understanding the difference between an analytical and argumentative research paper.
Writing in the Disciplines: English - The Process of Writing an English Research Paper
The Process of Writing An English Research Paper (printable version here) 1. Choosing an Area of Focus One of the most important steps in the process of writing a research paper for the English discipline is choosing an interesting, engaging topic. An instructor may offer students a range of topics from which to choose or allow students to choose their own areas of focus. Your choice of topic will influence both the effort you invest in your research and the degree to which you enjoy the process. 2. Before beginning in-depth research, consult your instructor. 3. This is perhaps the most important step in the research paper writing process. In order to avoid later confusion, begin each section by recording the author's name, book or article title, and page numbers (if relevant). 4. After rereading your notes and reflecting on the topic, formulate a tentative one-sentence thesis. An initial thesis should be tentative. 5. 6. 7. Is your thesis clear and precise?
Social Constructivist Theories
For a general intro to constructivism click: Overview of constructivism. Overview of Social Constructivism Another cognitive psychologist, Lev Vygotsky ( shared many of Piaget's ( assumptions about how children learn, but he placed more emphasis on the social context of learning. There is a great deal of overlap between cognitive constructivism and Vygotsky's social constructivist theory. Although Vygotsky died at the age of 38 in 1934, most of his publications did not appear in English until after 1960. We call Vygotsky's brand of constructivism social constructivism because he emphasized the critical importance of culture and the importance of the social context for cognitive development. There are thousands of books, articles, and papers on the theories of Vygotsky and the implications of those theories for teaching and learning. General Implications of Social Constructivism 1.
The 5 Elements Students Should Look For When Evaluating Web Content
March , 2014 In a section in her wonderful book "Understanding The Social Lives of Networked Teens" Danah Boyd talked extensively about the concept of digital natives and argued that this nomenclature does not really capture the essence of what a digitally savvy teenager really means. Dana argued that the mere fact of being comfortable with a social media tool does not prove that the user has a digital fluency to allow them to better use it for educational purposes : Just because teens are comfortable using social media to hang out does not mean that they’re fluent in or with technology. Learning how to evaluate online content is an essential step in the process of developing digitally literate students. Watch this short introduction to CRAAP Currency: Is the information too old.
Research and Citation
If you are having trouble locating a specific resource please visit the search page or the Site Map. Conducting Research These OWL resources will help you conduct research using primary source methods, such as interviews and observations, and secondary source methods, such as books, journals, and the Internet. Using Research These OWL resources will help you use the research you have conducted in your documents. APA Style These OWL resources will help you learn how to use the American Psychological Association (APA) citation and format style. MLA Style These OWL resources will help you learn how to use the Modern Language Association (MLA) citation and format style. Chicago Manual of Style This section contains information on the Chicago Manual of Style method of document formatting and citation. American Medical Association (AMA) Style
What Is Plagiarism?
Please Don't Plagiarize! Show transcriptHide transcript Did you know that copying text from the Internet and posting it somewhere new without saying where you got it is a form of cheating? It's also called stealing. You also steal when you take an image that you find on the Internet and use it without permission. And How To Avoid It - A Guide For ESL Learners Do you plagiarize? Plagiarism is an illegal form of copying. Examples of plagiarism copying and pasting from the Internet and posting somewhere else without proper citationputting your name on another person's essay or projectcopying exact wording from another person's textusing another person's photo, diagram, sounds, or ideas without proper citationpresenting research in your own words without providing your referencespurchasing another person's text and using it as your ownpresenting ideas in the same format and order as your research sourcehaving a teacher, native speaker, or higher level student edit your paper to perfection
Education study finds in favour of traditional teaching styles
Schools need to put more effort into evaluating what makes effective teaching, and ensure that discredited practices are rooted out from classrooms, according to a new study published by the Sutton Trust and Durham University. The study suggests that some schools and teachers continue using methods that cause little or no improvement in student progress, and instead rely on anecdotal evidence to back fashionable techniques such as “discovery learning,” where pupils are meant to uncover key ideas for themselves, or “learning styles,” which claims children can be divided into those who learn best through sight, sound or movement. Instead, more traditional styles that reward effort, use class time efficiently and insist on clear rules to manage pupil behaviour, are more likely to succeed, according to the report – touching on a raw nerve within the British teaching profession, which has seen vigorous debates between “progressive” and “traditional” best practice.
