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Academic Research|Writing the Research Paper| Creating an Annotated Bibliography| Online Resources
Academic Research
Essay Writing Workshop: Gathering Information (Writer's Complex)
This brief reading explains two different approaches to gathering information. One reading is devoted to techniques suitable for a non-research essay. The other provides a link to suggestions for gathering information for a research essay.
Research Room (Writer's Complex)
Find everything students need to know about writing a research paper. Features links to readings on the nature of the research paper, and a step-by-step guide to writing this type of paper.
Research Room: What is a Research Paper (Writer's Complex)
Review the major features of a research paper: the literature review, analysis and argument.
Researching On-line (Genesee Valley Writer Center)
This guide lists suggestions for beginning the research process, It includes library resources in the Genesee Valley area, online college library catalogs, and research database resources, research web sites, links to help with bibliographic styles and documentation, news sites, English as a second language resources, and hints for refining search strategies.
Writing the Research Paper
Finding Your Thesis (Genesee Valley Writing Center)
This is a step-by-step guide to aid in 1) choosing and selecting a topic, 2) writing the thesis sentence, and 3) developing an outline. Includes many helpful examples to illustrate each step.
Guidelines for Writing Research Papers in the APA Style (Genesee Valley Writing Center)
This comprehensive overview shows how to use the American Psychological Association style guide to format and document a research paper. Includes detailed instructions and examples of common resources (books, articles, etc.) as documented in-text citations and the works cited page.
Guidelines for Writing Research Papers in the MLA Style (Genesee Valley Writing Center)
This comprehensive overview shows how to use the Modern Language Association style guide to format and document a research paper. Includes detailed instructions and examples of common resources (books, articles, etc.) as documented in-text citations and the works cited page.
The Outline (Genesee Valley Writing Center)
This worksheet guides the writer in organizing the content of the research paper. There are three main sections: Introduction, Body and the Conclusion. Includes specific instructions for completing each section.
The Research Paper (Genesee Valley Writing Center)
This is an extensive guide to undertaking a research paper. Topics include: the purpose of a research paper, techniques for selecting and narrowing the topic, using the library for research, taking notes, writing the thesis statement, writing the first draft, documenting sources and plagiarism, and the revision process.
Research Room: Building the Essay Draft (Writer's Complex)
This reading outlines the process of developing the body of an essay, in other words, the paragraphs that develop the writer's thesis. Offers hints on linking paragraphs, writing the introduction and the conclusion, making revisions, and proofreading.
Research Room: Developing a Research Question (Writer's Complex)
Offers guidelines to writers to help them refine a preliminary topic into a manageable research topic, which is neither too broad or too narrow. Includes three helpful exercises to accomplish this.
Research Room: Developing a Research Thesis (Writer's Complex)
This reading describes the process of selecting a thesis, articulating it effectively and using it to explain the writer's thoughts about the information they have gathered and analyzed for their research paper. Includes a series of exercises offering practice in thesis development and refinement.
Research Room: Evaluating Sources (Writer's Complex)
Four considerations must be weighed when evaluating sources gathered to support a research thesis.
Research Room: Finding Sources (Writer's Complex)
Outlines in considerable detail the research process in which the writer identifies and locates information on their research topic. Explains different types of research tools and resources. Includes an interactive exercise on differentiating between primary and secondary sources,. Another provides practice in determining the most appropriate sources for a particular research question.
Research Room: One Big Mess (Writer's Complex)
This brief reading offers a methodology for reviewing and organizing the raw information gathered in the research process..
Research Room: Revising and Proofreading (Writer's Complex)
Explains the difference between revising and proofreading, and the reasons for doing both.
Research Room: Steps in Writing a Research Paper (Writer's Complex)
This reading outlines, in considerable detail, a series of steps that guide writers through the writing of a research paper. Topics covered: developing a research question and thesis, finding and evaluating sources, taking notes, working with quotations, writing summaries and paraphrases, building the essay draft, documenting sources, and the revision and proofreading process.
Research Room: Taking Notes (Writer's Complex)
Offers writers practical tips on how to take notes, what to include, and how to use them effectively to organize thoughts.
Research Room: Working with Quotations (Writer's Complex)
Shows how to use quotations effectively in a research paper. Readings address how to incorporate long quotes, partial quotes and other forms of quotations into the body of a research paper.
Research Room: Writing Summaries and Paraphrases (Writer's Complex)
Discusses the difference between summarizing and paraphrasing and their usefulness in avoiding plagiarism. Includes two practice exercises.
Creating an Annotated Bibliography
The Annotated Bibliography (Genesee Valley Writing Center)
Outlines three steps to developing a clear and useful annotated bibliography. Features sample citations and annotations.
Online Resources
Researching On-line (Genesee Valley Writer Center)
This guide lists suggestions for beginning the research process, It includes library resources in the Genesee Valley area, online college library catalogs, and research database resources, research web sites, links to help with bibliographic styles and documentation, news sites, English as a second language resources, and hints for refining search strategies.