RESEARCH PAPER INVESTIGATION

STUDY GUIDE FOR

PLAN OF ATTACK

Students should have a schedule (including personal deadlines) and a plan of attack for their research project.  The information in this program is presented in the following sequence:

    I.  Topic Selection

        A.  Choose a topic.

        B.  Make sure topic is manageable, specific, not too general.

   II.  Research

        A.  Information Sources: Books, Magazines, Newspaper Articles, Video  Tapes,    Computer Programs, Personal Interviews, Web Sites.  Note: Always have at least three              different sources.

        B.Note Taking (Note Cards)

            1.  Use note cards for recording important words, phrases and quotations.

            2.  Don’t copy everythingjust the key words and phrases.

            3.  List source (examplebook title), page number and copyright date. This    makes it easy to go back to if you need more information.

           4.  Use one card per idea or topic. This will help in organizing the outline. Cards can be easily rearranged to accommodate the order of events in this report.

   III.  Outline

        A. Create an outline in preparation for writing the report.

        B. Divide the outline into Main Topics (central ideas) and Subtopics (describe and support the main topics).

   IV. Writing the Report

        A. Students should use the outline to guide them in the writing process.

        B. Students will discover that a research paper has three parts:

           1. A beginning, which includes the student’s thesis statement.

           2. A middle segment, which provides facts supporting the student’s thesis.

           3. A conclusion, summarizing the student’s report.

    V.  Rewriting

         Read the paper and make appropriate changes and revisions. Sometimes it helps   to read the report to someone else.

    VI.  Editing

           Edit writing by searching for spelling and grammar errors. Make corrections.

    VII.  Bibliography

            The bibliography includes a list of sources and page numbers.

    VIII.  Finishing Touches

          A.  Cover sheetCreate a cover sheet which includes the title of the report,  student’s name and the date.

          B.  Put the report togetherArrange the paper in the following sequence: cover sheet, outline, report and bibliography.

WONDER WORDS

Wonder Words refer to those words that are an integral part of the program’s instruction. Students should seek to identify and define them while viewing the program. They are:

Thesis - Conclusion - Research - Outline -  Rewrite

Copyright -  Cover Sheet -  Bibliography

PRE-SCREENING AND FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITY

Pass out a sheet of paper with the different steps for writing a research paper listed in random order. Ask the students to place the steps in numerical order from beginning to end. After screening the program ask the students to review their list. Does it follow the sequence presented in the program? If not, what changes would they make? Prepare a bulletin board display in the classroom to serve as a “research-reminder” time line.