Writing Research Papers A Complete Guide Lester Lester

* Writing Research Papers: A Complete Guide Lester & Lester, Jr.

*Primary Sources- Coming directly from the writer or speaker: * Novels * Speeches * Eyewitness accounts * Letters * Autobiographies *Secondary Sources- Writings about primary sources: * Report on a speech * Review of scientific findings * Analysis of a poem Bermuda College Library 2

* Book * Biography * Scholarly Article * Web Site * Speech * Interview * Encyclopedia * Magazine * Journal * Newspaper Bermuda College Library 3

Bermuda College Library 4

*Title- Look for keywords relevant to your research. *Abstract- Browse the abstract which gives a summary of the article. *Opening Paragraph- If your opening paragraph is not relevant to your research abandon it. *Author Credits- Give you the author’s credentials. Bermuda College Library 5

*Table of Contents- The table of contents may reveal chapters that pertain to your topic. *Book Jacket- Gives a summary of what’s inside. *Foreword, Preface or Introduction- Serves as a critical overview of the book, pin pointing the primary topic of the text. *Index- Lists names and terms and where to find them. Bermuda College Library 6

List statements to catch the author’s primary theme. Reveal major issues and supporting ideas. For example: * Restoration become necessary when the environment becomes polluted. * We must think globally because the entire world has become unbalanced. * The land needs restoration. * Develop local and regional self-sufficiency to end exploitation of our natural resources. Bermuda College Library 7

*Summarize your notes into a brief paragraph on the general nature of your source. Ray Dasmann offers his views on environmental damage and what each of can do to correct it. He says we must think in terms of the entire earth, not just our little neighborhood, and three events must occur. We must each accept individual responsibility for the environment and get involved in protecting it. We must change our attitudes about exploiting the natural resources and develop communities that will sustain the ecological balance. And we must have local selfsufficiency that will lead to national awareness for the protection of people, place and communities. Bermuda College Library 8

* Responding to a source: * Read and make marginal notes for your sources. * Search out scholarly materials, -books and journals- by accessing your libraries resources. * If appropriate, use a mix of quotations from primary sources such as a novel, as well as paraphrases and quotes from secondary sources. * Access the nature of the source for any bias it might contain. * Read and highlight the key points of the source, whether it be and article, book or internet site. * Outline key ideas to identify the issues. * Write a summary that capture the essence of the article. Bermuda College Library 9

Compiled by Lee-Ann Liles Library Assistant Bermuda College Library 3. 13. 2012 Bermuda College Library 10