Documented Research Report—an Informative Paper

ENC 1101 - Beeland

 Your grade will, in part, reflect your research process as well as your finished product. Your work at each step or the process will be checked; points will be deducted for work not completed or turned in late. 

Your “Works Cited” page must reflect a minimum of five sources, but these must not be limited to electronic sources only. 

At least two of the five required sources must come from hardcopy print versions of, for example, books from circulation, reference books, magazines, newspapers etc. or from non-print sources, such as personal or telephone interviews with experts on your topic, films, videos, TV programs, recordings, etc. 

The remaining three of five may be gained electronically but only from credible sources—no Google, Yahoo, Alta Vista, etc. search engines should be used. All electronic sources must come from academic search indexes or databases as are available in both PCC libraries and can be accessed from your home personal computer via the Internet. Examples include Academic Search Premier, Custom Newspapers, CQ Researcher, Statistical Universe: Lexis-Nexis, JSTOR, Net Library, New York Times (CD-ROM, microfilm/fiche, and other sources), etc. 

Documented Research Steps are outlined below. Place the due date of each research step on your calendar. 

If you choose a topic that captures your interest and imagination, follow instructions, and meet schedule deadlines, you will find this research process to be both fun and fascinating. Further, you will produce a good research paper.

Documented Research Steps

1. Know what the finished product looks like.
2. Decide on a topic.
3. Limit the topic with a specific controlling attitude/stance.
4. Write a purpose statement (inform or persuade) to begin forming your thesis.
5. Read an encyclopedia entry for general knowledge and possible bibliography.
6. Search in library for a minimum of five sources you can use to compile your paper (see source requirements above).
7. Survey the sources and list the information sources by compiling a working bibliography. Use one index card for each source. SEE CLASS NOTES.        
8. From the preview  (survey), construct a working thesis and outline. SEE CLASS HANDOUT.     
9. Reread the articles/sources on selected topic and P, S, and Q the articles.
10. Take notes on 3x5 inch note cards, making certain of the following:
    

    that your note cards identify the source and exact page number(s) of information cited, that your notes paraphrase or summarize SUFFICIENTLY ENOUGH TO AVOID PLAGIARISM, that you identify with obvious quotation marks any verbatim text you have taken exactly from any source, that you identify the portion of your paper where you intend to use the information cited. SEE CLASS NOTES.

11. Revise thesis and outline based on gathered material.
12. Write rough draft, making certain that you document with parenthetical references ANY outside source—whether paraphrased, summarized, or quoted—used in your paper and that you punctuate accurately quoted material correctly. Note: Do not overuse quoted material and be sure to avoid “Ghost Quotations."
13. Word process the rough draft.
14. Word process the Works Cited page using bibliography cards.
15. Word process cover page. SEE CLASS HANDOUT.
16. Word process final thesis and outline. SEE CLASS HANDOUT.
17. Revise, spellcheck, and edit the entire rough draft (#1), to include cover page, thesis and outline, body of paper, and Works Cited page. CHEW IT UP!Spend at least two hours.
18. Produce a second word-processed rough draft which reflects all corrections of errors found in step 17. There are still many, many errors on your paper. Repeat step 17 on rough draft #2. 
    CHEW IT UP. Spend at least three hours in this effort; your grade for the first turn-in will depend on how meticulously you have polished your paper. 
19. Produce a final draft which is free of any errors. This is your first turn-in. It must reflect your very finest effort, or it will not be accepted—a grade of “0.”

The final paper is to be presented in a Duotang folder with pockets.

In one pocket include the following:

• Original approved topic selection and purpose statement
• Original approved working thesis and outline
• Note cards and bib cards
• Copies of all articles used with material used marked (margin notes, etc.)
• TWO WORD PROCESSED ROUGH DRAFTS EXTENSIVELY edited in YOUR hand

Note: paper will not be accepted if all the above requirements are not met — a grade of “0.”

In other pocket, the final copy should be organized as follows:

• Cover Page 
• Final Outline
• Final body of paper
• Works Cited page

" Nothing is either bad or good, but thinking makes it so."

- William Shakespeare -