Download Introduction of the Research Paper

Introduction of the Research
Paper
Rhetorical Situation for Research
Papers
• We’ve learned this semester that very piece of
writing has a “rhetorical situation.” This is the set
of circumstances under which the piece of writing
is produced, and it affects the choices a writer
makes. What is the “rhetorical situation” of piece
of writing that is classified as “research”?
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What is its purpose?
What is its audience?
What is its tone/stance?
What is its medium?
The Purpose of Our Research Paper
• Make a CLAIM about your chosen issue and
defend that claim using reputable sources and
your own analysis of the issue.
• How do I discover and defend a claim?
– ASK a research question that invites further
discussion.
– RESEARCH/READ a variety of sources about your
question, and take notes.
– DECIDE, based on your research, where you stand on
your question, and put that stance into a thesis/claim.
– DEFEND your decision (your thesis) in your paper.
•Don’t ask a question to
which you think you
already know the
answer.
Audience for our Research Paper
• Assume a general audience of other collegelevel students and professors. Your audience
is interested in your topic, but may not be
familiar with your specific issue. You will need
to provide appropriate context.
Tone and Medium of Research Paper
• Tone: I will expect the paper to have a clear point
of view on the question you choose, but I will
expect the paper to be professional and
respectful of those who might disagree. (If you
wouldn’t say it to the face of someone you
respect but disagree with, it doesn’t belong in
your research paper.)
• Medium: Written paper, with the option of
credited images throughout. Also, if you choose
to do the extra credit, you may use video and
internet sources in your presentation.
Expectations for Style:
• This paper should be written in an academic
style.
• Some extra points to remember:
– No text-speak (“u” for “you,” for example)
– Precise, academically appropriate language
– Severely limit use of “I” and “me” to absolutely
necessary, relevant examples that could not be
explained without the use of personal experience.
Brainstorming for the Research Paper
Question
• Make a list of ALL of the issues/topics might like
to write about. Come up with some rough
questions about each of these topics. (You can
refine them later.)
• Be curious! What are connections you’ve always
wondered about? What are things you’ve noticed
that you’d like to explore in more detail?
• What are readings from our book that intrigued
you? What more do you want to know about
those topics?
Formulating a Research Question
• A successful research question will:
– Narrow a sufficiently debatable issue down to a manageable
question for a 4-5 page paper.
– Be specific.
– Invite discussion about the answer to the question.
• Some poor research questions:
• How does technology affect society? (Too broad… What kind
of technology? Affect society in what way? And who is
“society” referring to, anyway?)
• What are some good ways to study? (“Good” is too
subjective. Also, what are you studying? What do you mean
by “good”? And what is your purpose in ranking these study
methods?)
Research Question, cont.
• Improved Research questions:
• How have smart phones and social media changed the
way that political activists and protestors organize and
communicate with each other and the public?
• What are some of the best ways to study if a student
needs to memorize and retain large amounts of
information quickly? (For example, the bones in the
human body, states and capitals, etc.)
• Remember, your research proposal needs to have
your research question at the top, followed by a
discussion of what is at stake, who might be
affected, and what you need to find out before
deciding where you stand.
Example Research Question:
• I had a student once who asked, “Should Deaf
children be in school that are specifically
designed for the needs of the Deaf, or should
they be in mainstream classes with
accommodations, such as interpreters?”
• To whom might this issue matter?
• What is at stake when making decisions about
this issue?
• What other questions might you need to ask
before deciding on an informed opinion?
Rough Research Question
• Turn at least one of the topics you brainstormed into a
rough research question.
• Now, ask yourself, to whom does this issue matter? Who
do you think is most likely to have a strong opinion on this
issue? Why is it important for this issue to be argued?
• Where should I go next to find out what other people with
credible knowledge and experience are saying about this
topic?
• Finally, ask yourself, why am I interested in this question?
What observations or experiences have led me to ask this?
• The answers to those questions are what make up the
paragraph for your research proposal.
Ok, I have a research question. Now
what?
• Have your research question(s) checked by
me. Continue refining them.
• Begin to draft your research proposal that you
will later type.
What should I be doing this week for
the research paper?
• Research Proposal
• Start finding possible sources. Keep track of
where you find them.
• Read at least five possible sources. If they are
relevant, annotate/highlight/take notes. Keep
track of which ideas came from which source.
• Begin to notice common debates or themes in
your sources. What are the big issues that
show up over and over again as you research?
There are Three Steps to Using
Sources:
• Find sources and choose the best ones for
your purpose.
• Read the sources carefully, keeping track of
your own reactions to the author’s ideas and
using your sources as a springboard for your
own contribution to the discussion.
• Use the sources in your essay, giving proper
credit in the body of the essay and at the end,
using MLA format.
Finding/Choosing Sources
• Why do you need to include sources in your
essays?
– To show your audience that you are aware of the
conversation that is already going on.
– To give your audience context for an argument
you will make.
– To support a point you are making.
– To provide an example of an opposing point of
view that you will then counter.
Where Can I Find Sources?
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College Databases
College Library
Public Library
The Internet
– Especially useful resources include:
– Government sites
– .org sites produced by interested non-profits
– Google scholar
Library Resources
• Library Databases can be accessed through the Ventura Library
website.
– Databases are collections of articles that have appeared, either in
print or online, in various publications.
– When you are on your VC portal page, you can get to the library
resources by clicking on “Ventura College Online Databases.” Then,
you can click on the database you want, or explore databases by
subject.
– You may also explore VC’s collection of paper-and-ink books by
searching the catalogue at the top.
• Potentially useful databases:
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Academic Search Premiere (EBSCO)
Proquest Research Library
EBSCO ebook
CQ Researcher
Opposing Viewpoints
Some Tips on Using the Databases
• Database searches are most effective when you identify the “key
terms” that are likely to show up in sources you are interested in.
– Don’t put long questions into the search fields in databases. For
example, don’t put, “What should parents of a deaf child do about
school?” Instead, try “Deaf children education”
• Pay attention to the suggestions the databases make about related
subjects.
• Make sure to check the “full text” search option so that you will be
able to access any results you want.
• Email or save any results that interest you to read later. You may
also print out articles here if you have a print card.
• Make sure that you keep a record of any sources you use from the
databases.
• As you research, keep an eye out for other “Key words” used to
discuss your issue, and do new searches with these key words.
Suggestions for Beginning Research
• Make a list of terms and phrases that might get you good search results
for your question.
– For example, for my Deaf children and education question, I might make
the following list:
– Deaf students education
– Deaf children school options
– Deaf students mainstream
– Deaf students accommodations
– Deaf students specialized education
– Etc.
• Try different combinations of words that might get you results. If you
don’t find what you want immediately, change your search terms and
try again.
• Once you do find a source or two, see if there are any common phrases
you might add to your list.
Sorting Through Your Database Search
Results
• Read the title of the article. Does it look like it
might have information that is relevant to your
issue?
• How old is the article?
• Click on the article if you think it might be useful.
Is there an abstract? (This is a summary.) If so,
read it. It will help you decide whether or not the
article is worth your time.
• If there is no abstract, read the first paragraph
and decide whether or not to add it to your “read
later” list.
Evaluating Online Sources
• Any sources you find through the databases are
likely to be “reputable” sources, but what about
typing your search terms into google or another
search engine?
• This can be an excellent way to find resources
that are very new and haven’t been included in
the databases yet, BUT there’s a lot of junk out
there.
• SO, how can you tell the junk from the good
stuff?
Evaluating Online Sources
• See p. 344 of Everyone’s an Author
• Who takes responsibility for the piece of writing?
Is it a publication with an online presence? Is it
an organization with a good reputation?
• In what ways does the author establish
credibility?
• Is the piece of writing presented well? (Are the
points well argued/explained? Does the author
display an awareness of the ongoing
conversation? Does the piece of writing use clear
grammar, spelling, and punctuation?)
Step 2: Read the Sources You Chose
• Read them all the way through unless you decide after the
first paragraph that the source is not useful to you. Reading
the article completely is important. How can you possibly
respond to a source you’ve only skimmed?
• If the article is an argument, identify the author’s big
claims. Do you agree with them? If so, do you have
anything to add to the author’s support? If not, how would
you counter the author’s argument?
• If the article is informative, highlight pieces of information
that are relevant to the question you are exploring.
• Keep notes on your sources. Highlight. Write questions in
the margins. Make connections between what one source
says and another source says.
Step 2: Read the Sources You Chose
• A couple more things about sources…
– Just because you find a source and read it doesn’t
mean you have to use it. If you read a source and
don’t like it, keep looking.
– Keep researching throughout the writing process. If
you find a wonderful source with all kinds of good
ideas you want to respond to after you wrote a draft,
that’s fine. Include that source and your response
when you revise.
– Keep track of every source you use ideas or quotes
from in your paper. You will need to be able to find the
source again when you give it credit.
Step 3: Using Sources and Giving
Credit
• You’ve found your sources, read them, annotated them, and
you’re ready to use your sources in your essay.
• So… which quotes should you use?
– Quotes that contain ideas you want to respond to.
– Quotes where the original source’s wording is especially good or
important to your response.
– Quotes where the original source explains a complex idea clearly and
succinctly.
– Quotes that contain ideas that would make most people want proof.
• Any quote you use should have an explanation/response that is
TWICE AS LONG as the original quote. If a quote takes up two full
lines of your paper, the explanation/response to that quote
should take up FOUR.
Avoiding Plagiarism
Introduction to MLA Format and the
Annotated Bibliography
Three Basic Rules for Avoiding
Plagiarism:
1. Make sure all word-for-word quotes have quote
marks showing where they begin and end. Also,
make sure to make the difference between your
ideas and your sources’ ideas clear when
paraphrasing or summarizing.
2. Identify where each quote OR paraphrased idea
came from in the body of your paper using intext citations.
3. Make sure that each source you quote or
paraphrase in your paper is correctly listed on
your Works Cited page.
Some Myths about Plagiarism
• Myth 1: As long as I have a source on my works cited page, I
don’t have to mention it in the body of my paper.
• WRONG! Any time you use ideas or words from a source, you
must include an in-text citation.
• Myth 2: As long as I change one or two words in a quote, I
don’t have to put quote marks around it or do a citation.
• WRONG! Changing one or two words in a quote and replacing
them with synonyms is STILL PLAGIARISM if you keep the
original ideas and/or sentence structure.
• Myth 3: As long as I paraphrase correctly, using my own words
and sentence structure to express an idea, I don’t need an intext citation.
• WRONG! Even if you use your own words, if the idea originally
came from somewhere else, you must cite it.
Myths about Plagiarism
• Myth 4: I don’t need to cite exact words, ideas or
information I find on the internet.
• WRONG! Treat your internet sources with the same
respect you have for your print or online database
sources.
• Myth 5: It is appropriate to use an old essay from a friend,
buy an essay, or have someone help me write an essay
using his or her wording instead of mine.
• WRONG! All of these are called collusion, and they are all
plagiarism.
• Myth 6: I won’t get caught if I plagiarize.
• WRONG! Plagiarism is quite obvious to most professors,
and many of them use plagiarism detecting software.
Resources to Help you Avoid
Plagiarism
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P. 401 – 406 of Everyone an Author for avoiding plagiarism.
P. 407-415 for In-Text Citation.
P. 416-445 for Works Cited entries.
P. 446-462 for example research paper.
Online plagiarism tutorial and quizzes from Simon Fraser
University http://www.lib.sfu.ca/node/10442
• Plagiarism Self Test from Western Carolina University
http://www.wcu.edu/12083.asp
• University of Southern Mississippi’s Plagiarism Tutorial
http://www.lib.usm.edu/legacy/plag/plagiarismtutorial.ph
p
• The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
What Is MLA Format?
• MLA Stands for “Modern Language
Association”
• The MLA makes rules for the writers of
research papers in English and the Humanities
so that everyone who is doing research is
following the same set of rules and we can all
understand each other.
What kinds of things do I need to do to
have correct MLA Format?
• Part of MLA style is format.
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Margins
Heading
Font, etc.
Please see the formatting example that is in the file
with your syllabus for my expectations on formatting.
• Part of MLA style is citation.
– This means giving credit to your sources and avoiding
plagiarism.
– Citation is also meant to make is easy for your reader
find your sources if he or she wishes to read them.
Two Required Methods of Giving
Credit in MLA Format
– Method #1: A Works Cited page
– Where is it? On its own page at the end of your essay
– Lists every source you used in alphabetical order by the
last name of the author
– Each source on your works cited must contain specific
information in a specific order. Consult your text books
or the OWL website for more details.
Two Required Methods of Giving
Credit in MLA Format
– Method #2 Parenthetical (in-text) citations
– What is it? A way of indicating which source you
just quoted or summarized.
– Where is it? In the body (main text) of your essay.
– When do I have to use it?
• After a direct quote that you took word for word from a
source.
• After a paraphrase of an idea that you did not write or
think of yourself, you must indicate which source you
are using in order to avoid plagiarism.
MLA Format Citations Work Together
• In-text citations and the works cited page work
together in order to help your audience know
where your quotes or paraphrases came from,
and to help your audience easily find the source
themselves.
• Each in-text citation should use the FIRST name
or words that appear in the works cited entry for
that source. This way, you are linking your quote
to an entry on your works cited page.
To Cite, or Not to Cite
• You do not have to cite facts that are undisputed
common knowledge.
– Ex: The Battle of Gettysburg began on July 1, 1863.
– Ex: Water is made up of two hydrogen atoms and one
oxygen atom.
– Ex: Dublin is the capital of the Republic of Ireland.
• However, once you start needing to use ideas
about these common, everyday facts that you
found in your sources, you must cite the source
of the idea.
• When in doubt, cite! And if you have time, ask!
How to Use TurnItIn to Check for
Plagiarism
• After you have uploaded your essay to turnitin,
you will have the ability to check YOURSELF for
any plagiarism.
• Your originality score should be less than 25%.
This means that no more than 25% of your essay
should be identified as word for word from a
source, even if sources are quoted correctly.
• Any portions of your essay that turnitin highlights
should have quote marks around them, a correct
MLA in-text citation, and a works cited entry at
the end that gives credit to the quote.
What Happens if TurnItIn Finds
Plagiarism?
• If you have time before the due date, you can
fix the problem and upload a new, corrected
file that will replace the old one.
• This means that it would be a good idea to
give yourself time to correct any errors before
the due date.
• If you discover accidental plagiarism after the
due date, I will give you the opportunity to
revise.
What about intentional plagiarism?
• Intentional plagiarism is cheating that is not the result
of an accident, a lack of knowledge, or a citation error.
For example, uploading an entire essay you bought or
copied from a website is not an accident.
• What happens if turnitin identifies intentional
plagiarism?
– Hope you’ve given yourself enough time to take it down
and upload something you actually wrote before the due
date.
– Because if I catch you, I will fail you on the assignment with
no hope of revision so fast it’ll make your head spin.
What is an annotated bibliography?
• An annotated bibliography has two parts:
• First, it is a list of Works Cited entries for sources you
have already read.
• Second, each source is followed by two paragraphs:
– One paragraph that summarizes the source's claim(s)
– A second paragraph that tells why the source is
trustworthy and relevant to your question, and explains
why you have chosen to use it in your research paper.
What unique perspective does this source offer? Why
would a quote, paraphrase, or summary from this source a
valuable addition to your own writing about the topic?
Format of Annotated Bibliography
• See p. 377-378 of Everyone’s an Author for general
information about annotated bibliographies, and see p.
379-380 for an example annotated bibliography with three
sources (remember, you will need FIVE).
• Your annotated bibliography will need…
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Five sources
Each source put into MLA works cited format (as in example)
Sources alphabetized
A paragraph following each source discussing requirements on
previous slide.
– Please skip a line between MLA works cited entries and
paragraphs. (See example.)
Analyzing Arguments
• Who’s arguing, and where are they coming
from?
– Important question to ask of your sources
(remember our discussion of credibility)
– Important for you to establish as a writer
• Also, important for you to tell your reader about your
sources
• What’s at stake?
– See 4 questions on p. 279 of Everyone’s an Author
Exploring Different Types of Appeals
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Emotional (pathos) - appeals to feelings
Ethical (ethos) – appeals to values
Logical (logos) – appeals to reason/logic
Each different rhetorical situation you find
yourself in will call for you to use a different
balance of these three types of appeals.
• See p. 284-295 in Everyone’s an Author
Types of Appeals: Logos
• One type of appeal appeals to your readers’ rational
sides using facts and logical explanations. See p. 289 of
EaA.
• This is called logos, which is related to the word "logic.“
• By making sure that your facts are relevant and welldocumented, you will increase your credibility as a
writer.
• An example of logos might be: “We should purchase
book A for our students instead of book B because
book A is less expensive by $20, but the quality is the
same, and that would save our school money.”
Types of Appeals: Ethos
• You may be appealing to your readers’ sense of what is
ethical (in this context “ethical” means “the right thing
to do”) by asserting that you share common values
with them. See p. 285 of EaA.
• An appeal to values/ethics is an appeal to ethos, which
shared a root with the word “ethical.”
• An example of the use of ethos might be: “We should
increase school funding because every child should
have access to a high-quality education.” This claim
appeals to the values of fairness and equality.
Types of Appeals: Pathos
• You may also be making an appeal to emotion. See p. 284 of EaA
• This is called pathos. It shares a root with the word "pathetic,"
which originally mean “inspiring pity.” It originally meant appealing
to the emotions without the negative connotation of weakness that
modern English gives it.
• You are trying to get your audience to really feel for whatever cause
you are arguing for.
• An example of the use of pathos might be: “Children in this school
district are not able to take their text books home because schools
are underfunded. Imagine a child who is already struggling with
math. His parents may not be able to help him, and he had trouble
understanding the day’s lesson. He looks at his worksheet, and
because he cannot refer to the textbook for help, he is lost. He
gives up, doesn’t do the homework, and falls further behind. He
tries to follow along in class, but the lack of resources has already
done its damage. He fails math, and becomes one more child who
passed through our school system without the basic skills needed
for college or for life.”
Balancing Logos, Ethos, and Pathos
• It is your job as a writer to balance facts,
values, and emotions. Too much of one and
not enough of the others can make for an
unbalanced argument. Be especially aware of
overusing emotional appeals. People are
smart, and they don't like being jerked around
by their emotions. This is especially true
when writing for a mixed audience… people
who disagree with you will be on the lookout
for emotional manipulation.
How can I use claims and appeals in
my own writing?
• Identify what’s at stake.
• Take some time right now to ask yourself, who might be
affected by my issue? If you haven’t chosen an issue yet,
now is the time. Also, be on the lookout for sources who can
give you more info on what’s at stake. A lot of times, we
don’t know exactly what’s at stake until we do the research.
• What types of appeals might be useful for you? How might
you use emotion? How might you use logic? Values?
• Be on the lookout for all types of appeals, or the building
blocks of all types of appeals, in your sources as you read.